Ramblings

Well its almost midnight and I just cant sleep... I am to be up and getting ready for work in 2.5 hours. I should wear a badge tomorrow to warn others to stay away and offer apologies in advance to patients. Heaven help the bull-shitters and fakers tomorrow for they will probably bear the brunt of my wrath.

I know its been a while since I posted.. but quite frankly there hasnt been anything worth-while. I guess there have been a few calls that I might touch on, but for the most part life has been busy with web design, moving, and heart-ache. Yeah, yeah, yeah... everyone has troubles... but dammit this is my page so I get to be an emotional wreck if I want to. I am laughing to myself at the irony of being 2 hours shy of exactly 5 months that "the one" and I started our thing. While the past 5 months have flown by and save for the last few weeks have been simply put, wonderful. He is my best friend and has been for years, which makes the pain that much more. I would give back this time just to know I have my friend. We both leaned on each other, knew that we were always there for each other to vent to, get advice from, and make each other laugh when the rest of the world was against us. I miss that. Heart-breaks simply suck ass. I prayed for unconsciousness... it wouldnt come.. so now I'm typing. Therapeutic maybe... but again... I pity my patients tomorrow.

As far as crazy calls lately.... we had a psych call that makes me laugh just thinking about it. Dispatched as difficulty breathing we meet the engine crew on scene with a woman who is walking, talking, .... breathing... just fine. She informs us that a "negative energy is pulling her throat out"... we hang out with her until the basic unit arrives. We're getting some history on her and she continues with, "my heart has been ripped out too... I dont have a heart" (she was meaning literally)... and that the last time she saw her doctor they advised her that, "her vagina didnt have any cells in it"... hhhhmmmmmm... the follow up with that she gets monthly haldol shots makes sense.

Had some other calls for the standard chest pain, a kid with seizures at a chinese temple whose parents were nowhere around and NO ONE spoke english, a double GSW to the chest (my partner and I had a fabulous on scene time of 1 min 15 seconds), and a host of others I cant recall.

For those that dont know from other means, I now live in Alabama. Yep, Alabama. Roll, Tide, Roll. Never saw that coming, but.... BUT.. it is so beautiful over here. I guess I never thought about it, but I am amazed when I am driving around at all the mountains. Its like being in north GA. And I have some great friends over here, so since I was spending all my off time over here, figure why not just move over here. There is a car pool with a bunch of us on "A" shift, so the drive isnt that bad. Am getting all settled into the new place and while I love it, at the same time am adjusting my mind-set to being on my own again and not having him and the boys on their way down here. While I understand his basis for letting me go and focusing on the kids, doesnt make the wound any less hurtful. While true.. I havent had children of my own to have to care for, to taxi to and from events, and work my arse off to provide for them... but I was trying to be understanding. So many things I dont understand.. which just makes me frustrated and angry... which makes me emotional and probably irrational.

I cant think of anything else to write that makes sense or is not to personal.. so I'm gonna lay here, hope for sleep... and get highly inebriated this weekend after work. Thank God for awesome friends who will make sure I make it to a bed safely Saturday night.

Firsts....

Assigned to the engine last shift. First call out with us and the rescue was for a 2 yr old who wasn't acting right. Didn't have a history of seizures but was presenting postictal. Dad was holding her in the driveway when we got on scene and got in the rescue while I stood outside with mom to get info, history, etc. Mom was frantic, getting very vocal as to why we weren't taking off to the hospital. I told her we were assessing her, making sure she was stable, etc.... she didn't understand the delay and why we weren't taking her NOW.. "So the professionals could do their job". I looked at her and advised her "we're professionals too ma'am". I understood her being upset, but she back down and let us do our job.

Next call was for a 16yo old who fainted. The rescue had been on scene for a few minutes when they called for us. Fortunately we were literally right around the corner. Only hx of asthma. Responsive only to pain. Has periods of lucidity but they are agitated at best. Breathing at 30/min. Wheezing in all lobes. Taching at 160. Cant get a pressure. We get enroute... A basic rescue was dispatched so I am riding in with them while the engine follows us to the hospital. I am wanting to get some narcan on board to cover my bases. We are on the ramp at the hospital and he codes. Asystole. We work as hard as we can for an hour before the docs call him. Its a first for me to have a kid who was talking to me at one point and gone the next. I am guessing a PE.

While enroute to the ER with the kid above I am calling in report and the nurse from hell answers. She is advising me that they are on neuro diversion and she keeps cutting me off... I have other things to be doing with this kid than argue with this idiot. I give her what I have.. basic hx, pulse, respr., treatment til now and adv that we cant get a pressure. And she asks again, what is his pressure and I really should know that they really shouldn't be taking him b/c they are on neuro diversion. By this time I am ready to hurl the phone through the window... my EMT in the back is laughing cause I'm losing it. I hang up on her after adv her that this is NOT neuro, that we cant get a pressure and that we ARE coming. This is also the same moron who while we are working this kid in the ER is running around worried about him bleeding a little from an attempted IV stick. Are you freaking kidding me?!?!?!?! She is well known to field people as the idiot at that ER.


Had several fire calls throughout the day. A guy who wanted to fry fish in his turkey fryer on his deck lit it off. A few more bells and smells. Fixed my brothers mexican casserole for dinner. It's super easy and usually goes over well.

Ran a few other calls late in the night that were nothing notable. Usually disregarded by the rescue once onscene. Ended the shift with a call about 5am for an unconc/unknown laying in the street. Enroute PD advised a possible heart attack. Once there the guy was pretty distressed saying he had been laying there for an hour like this. Got him in the rescue (again the basic.. cant figure out why the basic rescue is getting dispatched to these calls) and ride in. He is in textbook SVT. Has a hx of SVT (imagine that), has been doing street candy and gin for the last day or so. All 3 rounds of Adenosine dont touch him. Have the pads on him in case he decides to crash, but we are now 3 blocks from the ER and I'd rather cardiovert in the ER than in my box. And by the time I could draw up the Versed we'd be opening up the back doors. He gets another round of Adenosine and still nothing. They pull out their pads and who'la... he converts.

Was supposed to flying off to MI for the week but plans got a little fubar'd. Dont want to stick around town so I'm heading to NKY to visit friends for the holiday weekend. Camping next weekend. Life is good. I am fortunate, thats not a first.

Lessons Learned

So much to write, so little time. last shift was one that will be memorable but not for any good reasons. I know I was having a bad day for personal reasons, but my partner and I were knocking heads at every turn. While we may be fine with each other when we're not riding a truck, I am to the point where if we have to work together I am going to have to start taking meds.

It isnt so much a "their style of patient care isnt mine"... its a "what the *bleep* are you doing and why are being such a complete and utter jerk to the patient. I would have to say that it borders on neglegt. This isnt the forum for details on the shift, but just a marker for myself on what a shitty day it was and lessons learned on being more aggressive with a partner who isnt doing their job.