Invisible Voice
Another long day. I had school until 1415. All of my classes went well. My dance classes have been fun so far...except the tights, leotard...yeah. I went to work at 1500. We were busy all day and night. We ran almost all emergency calls.
One was for "altered mental status." When we got there the call wasn't actually for an altered mental status. The guy had a 102.5 fever, was sweating profusely and had an oxygen sat of about 79%. We got him all settled on the cot, put him on the monitor, tried to start a line and failed and put him on a NRB. His sats went up to about 94%. I noticed that his right leg was extremely swollen and red. The nurse said they never noticed it. Right. He was probably septic.
After that we got a call for SOB. The lady was sitting at a 90 degree angle, was extremely pale and was puffing away. Her lungs were so wet you could hear it without a stethoscope and her legs had pitting edema. Her oxygen sats were pretty low. The RN at the nursing home had already given her 40 mg Lasix IM and a neb treatment. We got her out to the rig, started a line and started pushing drugs. I gave her a nitro and called in my tele report and asked for orders. I got orders for 40 mg Lasix IV and another neb treatment. I was excited that I got to push three drugs on one call. The lady had pinked up quite a bit and was feeling somewhat better. The call went well and it made my night-I actually functioned as a medic for once :).
We took a 15 month old to Children's in Milwaukee. The baby had down's syndrome and had pulled out his G-tube. The transport was uneventful. We didn't get back until after 0400.
We also did another SOB call. The nursing home was practically .2 miles from the hospital. We drove over 12 miles with lights and sirens to get there. According to the nurse the guy had SOB with wheezing. The patient had alzheimers and didn't remember being short of breath. He was in no distress and wasn't wheezing anymore. We transported, minimal ALS (just the monitor) and turned over care to the ER. We didn't get done until 0750. We got back to the station for shift change around 0830. Another day of being held over, but it was a good shift, so I can't complain...well at least not too much.
There was only one thing wrong with my shift-the dispatchers. I swear to God that when I talk to them on the Nextel, my lips move but obviously no sound comes out because they never hear me.
Me: "Ambulance 15...we got the page..."
30 seconds later, Dispatch: "Ambulance 15 did you get the page?"
Me: "Ambulance 15...en route..."
Dispatch: "Ambulance 15 are you going with the page?"
Me: "Ambulance 15 we are on scene..."
About 5 minutes later, Dispatch: "Ambulance 15, what's your ETA?"
I just don't understand. Then my parter will talk to them, "Ambulance 15 we are leaving scene..."
Dispatch: "Ambulance 15 I've got you leaving scene."
What the hell gives? I must have an "invisible voice" because they never hear me. I thought for a millisecond that maybe they couldn't understand me because of my new found lisp from my tongue piercing. But then I remembered that they have been doing this to me for months.
My partner just laughs at me. As soon as the Nextel beeps I start cursing and then have a nice pleasant voice when I talk to dispatch. Then I release the D/C button and start cursing again. Then they ask me more stupid questions, which makes me continue to swear, sometimes louder, and throw the Nextel across the room. Sometimes I can't even bring myself to talk to them because I know it doesn't matter if I tell them I received the page, or that I am on scene, because they will still continue to ask if I got the page, and what my ETA is. I just can't win. At least if I don't answer the first time, I get some peace of mind because when they ask me what my ETA is, I just tell them, "-5 minutes, we're already on scene." Someday, maybe, they will answer my call...until then, say some prayers for the Nextel; I hope it lasts through the abuse.
(back dated)
One was for "altered mental status." When we got there the call wasn't actually for an altered mental status. The guy had a 102.5 fever, was sweating profusely and had an oxygen sat of about 79%. We got him all settled on the cot, put him on the monitor, tried to start a line and failed and put him on a NRB. His sats went up to about 94%. I noticed that his right leg was extremely swollen and red. The nurse said they never noticed it. Right. He was probably septic.
After that we got a call for SOB. The lady was sitting at a 90 degree angle, was extremely pale and was puffing away. Her lungs were so wet you could hear it without a stethoscope and her legs had pitting edema. Her oxygen sats were pretty low. The RN at the nursing home had already given her 40 mg Lasix IM and a neb treatment. We got her out to the rig, started a line and started pushing drugs. I gave her a nitro and called in my tele report and asked for orders. I got orders for 40 mg Lasix IV and another neb treatment. I was excited that I got to push three drugs on one call. The lady had pinked up quite a bit and was feeling somewhat better. The call went well and it made my night-I actually functioned as a medic for once :).
We took a 15 month old to Children's in Milwaukee. The baby had down's syndrome and had pulled out his G-tube. The transport was uneventful. We didn't get back until after 0400.
We also did another SOB call. The nursing home was practically .2 miles from the hospital. We drove over 12 miles with lights and sirens to get there. According to the nurse the guy had SOB with wheezing. The patient had alzheimers and didn't remember being short of breath. He was in no distress and wasn't wheezing anymore. We transported, minimal ALS (just the monitor) and turned over care to the ER. We didn't get done until 0750. We got back to the station for shift change around 0830. Another day of being held over, but it was a good shift, so I can't complain...well at least not too much.
There was only one thing wrong with my shift-the dispatchers. I swear to God that when I talk to them on the Nextel, my lips move but obviously no sound comes out because they never hear me.
Me: "Ambulance 15...we got the page..."
30 seconds later, Dispatch: "Ambulance 15 did you get the page?"
Me: "Ambulance 15...en route..."
Dispatch: "Ambulance 15 are you going with the page?"
Me: "Ambulance 15 we are on scene..."
About 5 minutes later, Dispatch: "Ambulance 15, what's your ETA?"
I just don't understand. Then my parter will talk to them, "Ambulance 15 we are leaving scene..."
Dispatch: "Ambulance 15 I've got you leaving scene."
What the hell gives? I must have an "invisible voice" because they never hear me. I thought for a millisecond that maybe they couldn't understand me because of my new found lisp from my tongue piercing. But then I remembered that they have been doing this to me for months.
My partner just laughs at me. As soon as the Nextel beeps I start cursing and then have a nice pleasant voice when I talk to dispatch. Then I release the D/C button and start cursing again. Then they ask me more stupid questions, which makes me continue to swear, sometimes louder, and throw the Nextel across the room. Sometimes I can't even bring myself to talk to them because I know it doesn't matter if I tell them I received the page, or that I am on scene, because they will still continue to ask if I got the page, and what my ETA is. I just can't win. At least if I don't answer the first time, I get some peace of mind because when they ask me what my ETA is, I just tell them, "-5 minutes, we're already on scene." Someday, maybe, they will answer my call...until then, say some prayers for the Nextel; I hope it lasts through the abuse.
(back dated)
posted by Ambulance Girl at 19:13
1 Comments:
your hand job!
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