Para-medicar to the rescue
I must have ESP. My pager went off in the middle of the night like I predicted. On my way back to bed I refused to look at the clock to see what time it was. I figured I would be depressed knowing I only had a few more hours to sleep. My alarm went off at 0650, and after attempting to throw it across the room (in which it only made it about 8 inches seeing it is plugged into the wall) I got up for work.We have only done one call so far (it is 1215). That’s good. Definitely a good way to start off the day. The crew we relieved this morning said they got slammed. I don't think they made it back to quarters all night. They said for every one patient they took out of the ER they brought two more in. Wow. That sucks. Hopefully all the people they brought in are either already out of the ER or admitted.
Our one call was a BLS MRI. We took a 40 year old woman in for a thoracic spine MRI to see if her epidural line was properly placed. That call really tugged on my heartstrings a little. She said all her problems started in July. She had a kidney infection and since then has been on a pain pump, unable to work, and has only seen the outside world from a window, or from the ambulance stretcher when she has been taken back to the hospital. Before all this she was a happy newly wed with two teen children. Now she was diagnosed with pancreatitis. The amazing thing was with all the problems she has had she could still joke around and be in good spirits. She said "my glass is still half full....I'm thankful I still have a hand to hold the glass." I thought that was really special. She'll be in my prayers.
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Just got a call: 1225
We did a BLS to a nursing home for a patient who had knee surgery. She had so much stuff I thought we'd have to take it down on the cot to the ambulance and come back for her. We managed to get everything together and get her down to the rig in one piece. I had to laugh when I saw the address on the face sheet: 450 Washington, Lot 156 (No that's not the actual address). The trailer park. Great. All the people I have ever taken that lived in the trailer park have been huge. Yep...should have made a bet. She was 250+.
We did a BLS to a nursing home for a patient who had knee surgery. She had so much stuff I thought we'd have to take it down on the cot to the ambulance and come back for her. We managed to get everything together and get her down to the rig in one piece. I had to laugh when I saw the address on the face sheet: 450 Washington, Lot 156 (No that's not the actual address). The trailer park. Great. All the people I have ever taken that lived in the trailer park have been huge. Yep...should have made a bet. She was 250+.
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And another call: 1415- return to a nursing home. Then after a pit stop at Culvers for custard we got another call. Of course trying to eat and drive is a task in itself-especially with ice cream, and the call we got was an emergency one. Great...so much for enjoyment. It was more like: just try not to wear it. The call was for a fall in the next town over. The guy we picked up was 97 years old and just lost his balance on the toilet. All he needed was a few stitches for his head-downgraded to BLS.
Then of course the take one in bring one out rule applied. We took an 18 year old schizophrenic to the psych floor, and we are back in quarters at 1900. I was also called an ambulance driver. I felt like one too today-no ALS calls. Next time I'll tell them I'm actually a medi-van driver and its a compliment to be upgraded to "ambulance driver" :). I don't understand why its so hard to tell the difference between "driver" and medic. I will probably never understand-just let it in one ear and out the other-they just don't know what we really do every day.
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posted by Ambulance Girl at 17:15
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