Where were u 9/11/01?

catlady, BSN, RN · Sep 10, 2006

Ironically, on the morning of 9/11, I had picked up my photographs from that trip, including many with the towers in the background as well as many taken inside the towers.

We had gone to NYC with my child's Girl Scout troop that summer, and I had taken many pictures of the Manhattan skyline from where we stood at the Statue of Liberty. I didn't get the film developed until after 9/11, and all my pictures that included the WTC were missing.

Diva Nurse Dani · Sep 10, 2006

I was working for an Insurance company at the time. I remember first thinking someone with bad directions flying a plane. But when the second one hit, I thought..."these people are serious!"

It wasn't until the pentagon plane hit that it became real to me!

I remember we had to clear the phone lines to shut the sysytem down. I got a call from a customer about their car...I said due to the current events, the office will be closing for the day and this person would have to call back.

This idiot told me, "I don't care about what's happening in New York. What about my car?!"

I learned alot about people that day!

I was glued to the TV until about 2 am the next morning. It was like I couldn't pull away fearing I'd miss something, but all I saw was the planes hitting the buidings, people jumping from buildings, and clouds of dust and rubble wiping people out!

I will never forget that day as long as I live!

oneLoneNurse · Sep 10, 2006

In front of my computer drinking coffee at work. A co worker came over to tell me.

allnurses Guide · Sep 10, 2006

At that time in my life, I was in my very first semester of nursing school.

At the very time that I found out about the attacks, I was actually in bed after working night shift. My husband came in, woke me up, and told me that someone had just flew a plane into one of the WTC towers.

After that I woke up and went and watched coverage on TV for a while. I was very scared and sad.

tara.danley · Sep 10, 2006

The world will never be the same in so many ways...the war we are now fighting will never end...oh the human condition is a miserable thing to contemplate...

Geena, BSN, RN · Sep 10, 2006

Driving home from the supermarket - heard it on the car radio. It sounded so absurd I seriously doubted my english skills at that time. Drove home and asked my friend to turn on CNN to see if there's something odd going on in the world. I could not even verbalise what I had heard on the radio - it was so unreal that I seriously doubted myself. We watched in silence - did not speak for a long time.

GatorRN · Sep 10, 2006

I was at work. I was in an ICU room in complete isolation garb doing a dressing change when the first plane hit. We turned on a portable TV someone had in their locker at the nurses station to watch when we could. I was in another pts room when the second plane hit. What a shocker, and a day I'll never forget!

imenid37 · Sep 10, 2006

Doing a yoga class when it actually happened. I heard about it as I was pulling up to a bank drive through. I went home and watched tv and I could not believe it. I kept trying to call my husband who was working at a huge government facility practically at the end a a large airport runway. H edid come home early that day. Life has never been the same since has it? It makes me ill to think of the brutality of some people. My parents had a ticket for Pan Am 103 the day after it occurred. For a time, we actually thought they may have been on the flight that was struck. So many yeras later, I thought how all of those people who weren't sure what flight, etc. their loved ones were on on 9/11.The world does not get any safer. I hate to think of what it may be like when my daughters are adults.

buddiage · Sep 10, 2006

At home, had taken my daughter to school. Decided to turn on the tv while I cleaned house and saw the first building had been hit. The second building was hit, and I started to cry.

I didn't sit down, I stood, my arm on top of the tv.

One thing I'd like to say-

...in my 27 years of life at the time, and to this day, I never experienced such love and concern for my fellow Americans. I was amazed at the unity of our country after this time. It has since died down, with the bickering and politics (it ruins everything, no?) but I was happy to be able to experience our country feeling like a big family.

MelRN13 · Sep 10, 2006

I was at home, sitting on the couch, watching the Today Show, and studying for an exam that I had later that day.

SilentfadesRPA · Sep 10, 2006

I was in my apartment typing of notes that morning as I had a presentation to do that afternoon. All of a sudden there was a extremely loud plane sound. For only 18 years I have lived in Manhattan I have never heard a plane I finished up my paper about two minutes later and went outside.

There was a woman who is a constant vendor who speaks very little English that I had known for quite awhile. She was crying with both arms raised saying two two two two. In my little Spanish I try to ask her what was the problem but could not comprehend her with the excitability and hysteria. She was pointing about 15 feet away at the intersection of seventh and 14th.

As I turned the corner and looked up building number one had been hit in large clouds of black snow were raising upward.

Building number 2 was involved in a fire ball deep orange that was consuming the entire top of the building. Being part Jewish and in part evangelical I honestly thought it was the end of the world. I looked at all the skies expecting fully for the return of of Christ.

As walking closer I came to realize that this was a terrorist attack. I also came to realize that I knew many in the building and realized that friends of mine were in those buildings and were dying at that very moments if not already dead.

The entire walk to my office I cried and prayed out loud. Everyone in the streets were crying or walking around in shock.

My office Building was given one half an hour to evacuate. By that time hundreds of people or walking up 6 and 7th Ave covered with white dust some w/ superficial lacerations all appeared to be zombie like. I grabed my stethoscope and whitecoat and headed out toward St. Vincent's Hospital. When I arrived their people 1000s who had descended and in a lineup around the blocks to donate blood. I will never forget people on loudspeakers and microphones walking up and down the street saying if you are a sex worker-- if you have anemia or AIDS or any other contagious disease such as hepatitis please get out of the line. When I got to the front door there were police which shotguns in a military position. No one is allowed in or out. Famlies were sceaming and told to get back no one was allowed in or out. They were triaging in the street of 7th ave for person awake who seemed to have minor injuries.

I called the emergency room and spoke to the charge nurse letting her know of my availability if needed. I previously worked at the hospital ER and she was ever grateful cover said that they were overwhelmed with staff and at that point had only a few patients.

I started to realize what that meant

I left my apartments and started toward a downtown. A police officer stoped me and said there is no use going down. That the ready volunteers fire and policeman. Post. Like a good citizen I obeyed his word -- something to this day that I regret personally and question my masculinity. I later found out the colleagues of mine his disregarded that advice and had gone down anyways and were able to help many.

I spent the rest of the afternoon helping a woman and daughter hand the posters of her husband -- he was in a wheelchair worked in the south tower and had a personal assistant. She was terrified he didn't get out he has been a quad for many years. I found out later he didnt make it and the attendant would not leave him despite having a chance to.

For the next 11 days our primary care office was closed considered to be in the Terror zone of lower Manhattan-

Many of the restaurants locally were feeding people for free no one could access banks or atm machines for days. Every once in a while someone would get overwhelmed with tears either on the streets or in stores -- or while eating at dinners.earned diner. I have never seen such a empathy and kindness coming from my fellow New Yorkers as we all realize the terrible loss that everyone has suffered.

Outside my window lined up were many large refrigerated trucks for days and days. I was scary seeing the national gaurd and army mew with guns patrolling the streets looking for looters. There was only one lowlife that I know of and he feel and broke his leg trying -- needless to say he was not a priotority in calling an ambulance by the gaurds and I have to admit I was glad he fell.

I met one of the officers of the Salvation Army and told him that it was great that these were vans were able to keep the food fresh for those were volunteering. He put his hand and my shoulder and said son these are not food vans these are morgue vans-- I wanted to vomit right then in their.

Four days later the air started to become filled wiht an odor that I have never smelled before and daily got woorse. The intensity of this became repulsive and nauseous it was clearly obvious that was the dead when it started to decay. The rat population increased despite the fires and lye that was put down.

I volunteered one night helping families going through updated list of persons found -- both deceased and or hospitalized.

And telling them what hospital they were located. I looked my right and 6 feet away was Liz Taylor directing comforting and telling people that everything would be okay she is praying for them. She was so humble and elegant. As I was leaving there were thousand of flashes as she said stop she was simply an American and only a volunteer she retreated till police rid those paparazzi

jerks.

I was able to make contact with a friend of mine via instant messaging. Almost all of the cell phone were dead however for some reason I was able to speak to him via AIM . I have to conclude that that was a very unfortunate conversation. We had been friends and close for seven years and shared many meals and walks together. Throughout the two hours conversation became more violent in that he had defended the action of the highjackers and said that soon more would be coming ---. And that this was deserved and well thought out planned.

I will not describe the vulgarity the rage the hatred spewed out of my fingertips that I typed. I am very happy with this was not a in in-person conversations as though I'm not a violent man I know it would have been a physical fight. We have never seen or spoken to each other nor do I have any desire to do so.

Once we were able to resume our office I took care of many many people who were patients of our office -- most had sustain mild abrasions smoke inhalation cuts and all psychological trial. I had never code and had to look up in the cpt book the code victim of war. I beg G*d I will never have to again.

I remember sitting for hours within Orthodox Jewish boy who had carried a pregnant woman down seven flights of stairs and when the firemen were going up the stairs he put her down as the rescuers said they would bring her out the rest of the way. She nor the firemen never made out-- he would sit there wrecked with convulsive sobs. I learned to sit with many others in silence or empathic touch trying to be comforting only allowing my presence to be enough.

There were no words I could offer. There were pts trapped in other blgs others literally for a short time buried by rubble. Others were lone survivors of their entire teams they worked with. . Others had lost spouses and children. Psychologically it still remains with me today as even typing this fine myself crying something I have not done in a long time.

I had availed myself to therapy for many months afterwards and my therapist was able to give to me as I gave to others. However there are remnants of that day and memories of that day will never heal.

After making hundreds of phone calls from our office we came to the tally five r of our patients were killed. All bright handsome energetic intelligent men. . One of them who have gotten a job in the towers recently was a former NYPD -- his wife had recenly been dx with breast cancer and he often talked of his pain as a spouse -- he loved her very much -- they had no children and only each other. Little did each of realize or ever imagine that he would die first. I had since learned she had shot herself to death..

As last two weeks have been coming I been sick to my stomach and being brought back to the memories of that day. As I was going to breakfast this morning I saw the march start where all of the relatives and loved ones start marching through each and every bureau. As they pass they are joined by others and will end up at the ruins tomorrow morning for current remembrance. It was a horrible site to watch this yet I admire and acknowledged many of those who have such courage that they can partake in such a walk.

I curse those who brought such devasation and see the empy void in the sky. I will till the day I die..

In closing I thank each and every one of you who experienced the feeling of shock and loss --and expressed it so eloquently here. We all lost that day No one will ever forget my day of 9/11 I sure wont and tragically that is one of my lifes realities. G*d I wish it wasn't.

Marc

medicrnohio, RN · Sep 10, 2006

I was working as a medic on an ambulance that day. We had just got back from a run when I looked at the TV and realized something was going on in NYC. I was watching the TV as the second plane hit. We had no more runs for the rest of the day. It was a surreal day. I still have difficulty believing that it actually happened.