Oh how the debate goes on. I hear it all the time, on Facebook and everywhere else. We need to raise minimum wage. I love it the most when people get up in my face and say, "Could YOU live on minimum wage?". Here's the truth. I practically do.
The fast food industry has banned together to fight for higher wages. Now I know my opinion is not popular but here goes. Minimum wage has to be there. If you raise the minimum wage, the cost for fast food, Wal-Mart trinkets and everything else will rise. The companies have to keep their profit margin, so if they spend more, the need to make more. It is a very simple concept. Within a few years, the $15.00/hour they want will not be enough because the prices have raise, therefore, minimum wage will need to raise again.
Entry level jobs like fast food and cashiers are not meant to live on forever. They are for one's "entry" into the workforce. Then, as one is educated and trained to do more, they move into other jobs that earn more. It is a simple structure that has unfortunately broken down somewhere along the way.
But to get to the heart of the matter, as far as I know, one does not need any technical training, college degrees or certifications to work at a fast food joint. I have a two year degree to be a paramedic and you want to know what my hourly wage is? $9.87. Now when I max out step wise I will be at a whopping $13.24/hour. You know what else? Paramedics do not work a forty hour week. In one month I work 264 hours. Divided by four and that is a 66 hour work week. I work two to three 24 hour shifts a week. I am gone from my family on holidays, all night long and often miss meals, for less than what the burger flippers want.
And where I live is not alone. Jems (Journal of Emergency Medical Services) put out a salary guide to EMS in America. Most do not meet the cost of living one a child is involved. See article here.
So when people who have not tried to better themselves or their conditions want to make more than I do, when I worked my but off to get here, it kinda bugs me.
There are so many certificate programs out there and technical schools. Those job industries need people and are willing to take payment options.
Paramedics do this job because they are driven to do it. Even when they are burned out and pissed off, they know in the end they love to help. And for that reason alone we put up with the pay. But If I was flipping burgers and unable to feed my family, I would look for a way to improve myself!
Stories of my life as a mom, wife, paramedic, and student.
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Emergency Information Sheets (they save lives!)
Keeping an emergency information sheet in your wallet and/or on your fridge is very important. When we show up several things can keep us from getting a good history. You may be incapacitated and your family may be so worked up they do cannot remember what is going on. The two most important things to know is what medications you are on and which ones you are allergic to.
When someone is passed out in Wal Mart (or any other random place) the first thing I do is set one of my minions (i.e. firefighters heehee!) looking through their stuff to find ANY information I can. Some of the medications we use interact with over the counter ones. We can also learn A LOT from what medications you take. Here is one you can use. Emergency alert necklaces and bracelets are great, but we still need more information. Names and birthdays will let the hospital find your old records and that opens up so much information that will help your outcome.
For children I recommend taping it to their car seat. In the event of an accident, you may be unable to tell emergency workers about your child. This way they can find your spouse or grandparents or trusted friends to come pick up your child or, God forbid, make decisions in your place. Here is an example of that.
Another good option is to make an emergency contact number in your phone. I would want people to call my husband, but an emergency responder would have no idea which of the men in my phone that would be. So I have one that says "An Emergency Contact". I put the An in front to it will be first or at least close to the top if someone were to look at my contact list.
Hope this motivates a few to take the time to write down your information. You never know when it will come in handy!
Good health to you all!
Thursday, July 18, 2013
It gonna be a good day....
Wake up, jump outta bed. It's gonna be a good day!
Put on my blues, zip up my boots. It's gonna be a good day!
Drive to work, Coffee in hand. It's gonna be a good day!
Walk in the door, get all my gear. It's gonna be a good day!
Head to the crews area, say hi to the crews. It's gonna be a good .... why are they all flipping me off??
Partner comes in, we check out our rig. It's gonna be a good day!
Call come in, we save the day! It's gonna be a good day!
Car goes down, we are a crew short. I'll still make it a good day!
Calls going wild, no time to eat. I'm getting cranky on this good day!
Time for bed, the calls won't stop. It's turning to a crappy day.
Man pukes on me, firemen all laugh. It's a really bad day.
No time to shower, still hauling ass. It's a really sucky day.
Still no sleep, 4 am. It's been the worst day.
One last call, drunks in a brawl. It almost the end of the day.
Drag my self to the station, sit in a chair. It's time for crew change.
New crew comes in, smiles on their faces. "it's gonna be a good day!" they say.
I flip them off.
Put on my blues, zip up my boots. It's gonna be a good day!
Drive to work, Coffee in hand. It's gonna be a good day!
Walk in the door, get all my gear. It's gonna be a good day!
Head to the crews area, say hi to the crews. It's gonna be a good .... why are they all flipping me off??
Partner comes in, we check out our rig. It's gonna be a good day!
Call come in, we save the day! It's gonna be a good day!
Car goes down, we are a crew short. I'll still make it a good day!
Calls going wild, no time to eat. I'm getting cranky on this good day!
Time for bed, the calls won't stop. It's turning to a crappy day.
Man pukes on me, firemen all laugh. It's a really bad day.
No time to shower, still hauling ass. It's a really sucky day.
Still no sleep, 4 am. It's been the worst day.
One last call, drunks in a brawl. It almost the end of the day.
Drag my self to the station, sit in a chair. It's time for crew change.
New crew comes in, smiles on their faces. "it's gonna be a good day!" they say.
I flip them off.
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Heat Wave!!
Know I know the whole west coast is dealing with this ridiculous heat wave. I tell you, there is nothing worse than a car accident, in 100 degree weather, clad in navy blue head to toe and staning on the hot asphalt for an hour. Our company was nice enough to but these neat vests. They work great. You simply put the core in the freezer and on your way out the door, you strap this bad boy on and stay cool for hours. Plus, someone might think you have a bullet proof vest on and think twice before trying to shoot you (probably not though). Here is the link to the ones we use. Cool Vest
Though this is the brand we use, there are many products out there. They are well worth the money of keeping yourself, or your crews, cool.
Here is our freezer full of cool packs. and they make great ice backs when you hurt your back too!
Some more tips to staying cool.
1. Remove Grandma from her house ASAP. Do not work on her inside where she proabably still has the heater running full blast. Although I kid, please remeber that elderly cannot regualte body temperature as well as their younger counterparts. You really do need to get them and you out of the hot stuffy house and into a controlled enviroment.
2. FLUID RESUSCITATION! It is not just for your patients. Not sure how your company feels about you using IV's on yourself, but mine thinks it is stealing. But if you have an easy going boss, a cool bag of saline will perk you right up. If all else fails, drink some water.
3. Most companies have a "inclament weather" policy. While this is usually thought of as snow and ice issues, you may be able to make your case for wearing non uniform attire at the station (if you are lucky enough to have a station) between calls to cool off.
4. For your safety and your patients, don't overdo and utilize helo. Make sure you switch out your CPR guy every two minutes, get an extra hand with the gurney and call fire to help. You are all on the same team and the more people, the quicker and cooler the job will get done.
5. Keep an ice chest of water in the amblance. Even if it isjust enough for one two bottles or an otter pop or two!
Stay safe and Stay Cool my friends.
Please take a moment to remember our fallen brothers in Arizona today.
Though this is the brand we use, there are many products out there. They are well worth the money of keeping yourself, or your crews, cool.
Here is our freezer full of cool packs. and they make great ice backs when you hurt your back too!
Some more tips to staying cool.
1. Remove Grandma from her house ASAP. Do not work on her inside where she proabably still has the heater running full blast. Although I kid, please remeber that elderly cannot regualte body temperature as well as their younger counterparts. You really do need to get them and you out of the hot stuffy house and into a controlled enviroment.
2. FLUID RESUSCITATION! It is not just for your patients. Not sure how your company feels about you using IV's on yourself, but mine thinks it is stealing. But if you have an easy going boss, a cool bag of saline will perk you right up. If all else fails, drink some water.
3. Most companies have a "inclament weather" policy. While this is usually thought of as snow and ice issues, you may be able to make your case for wearing non uniform attire at the station (if you are lucky enough to have a station) between calls to cool off.
4. For your safety and your patients, don't overdo and utilize helo. Make sure you switch out your CPR guy every two minutes, get an extra hand with the gurney and call fire to help. You are all on the same team and the more people, the quicker and cooler the job will get done.
5. Keep an ice chest of water in the amblance. Even if it isjust enough for one two bottles or an otter pop or two!
Stay safe and Stay Cool my friends.
Please take a moment to remember our fallen brothers in Arizona today.
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Top 5 Things That will Piss Off Your Paramedic.
Everyone has a different meaning of emergency. After years on the front lines of emergency care, I can guarantee that my idea of an emergency is different than yours. However, no matter what, it is the Paramedic's job to take a person that calls 911 to the hospital. I find myself having a pleasant conversation with the people who may not be profusely bleeding, but honestly had no other option than to the ER or were genuinely concerned about something I felt was inconsequential. Just because it is not my emergency, does not mean that there was not a good reason for you to call.
I could easily make this a ten point blog, but I don't want to bore you with all my whiny annoyances. That being said, here are some things to avoid saying if you want a pleasant trip to the hospital.
5. Not putting your dog away.
Sounds simple enough but this happens all the time. Now I understand that if you are short of breath, getting up and chasing a rat terrier around is the last thing that is going to happen. But if you have someone with you that would be a good thing for them to do while you patiently await our arrival.
And I do not care how friendly Fido is, when you are sick, hurt or scared, the dog can pick up on those emotions. They will want to protect you and 2-4 uniformed people with odd bags and machines storming into the house will only intensify these emotions.
They will also lick us, bark at us and try to get in between us. This will not be a sterile environment when we try to do anything. Also, I will not be responsible if your dog or cat gets out. I have way to much to do, and we have to get the gurney in the door, up the stairs and usually it is just the two of us. So please put your pets away, if you can!
4 "I would prefer if you wait until we get to the hospital"
One thing you may hear me bemoan on this blog is the differences between nurses and paramedics. For some reason, nurses are far more respected, have better hours and have better pay. But guess what? (In Oregon and I am sure some other states too) Paramedics and Nurses have the same amount of training. We both have a two year degree. And another difference... I don't have a doctor to help me out. I show up, take in the situation and act accordingly. So it quite honestly hurts my feelings a little bit when you think the nurse is better at starting IV's or whatever than me.
I have yet to see a nurse straddle a patient, bouncing down the road, dodging spurting blood and successfully start and IV. Never have they lain in God knows what on a patient's floor, their legs stuck under a desk or bed or table trying to obtain the right angle for a stick and I have NEVER seen a nurse start and IV in the pouring rain, on the side of a freeway with only a fireman's flashlight for help.
So let me assure you I can start the IV. You have notoriously bad veins? Let me try anyway, because you may be amazed how well I can do.
3. "You don't need to know. Just get me to the hospital."
Then you don't need an ambulance, let me call you a taxi! Look, I am not trying to be mean here, but kind of like the one above, I am trained and may be able to help you! When people don't want my help it frustrates me. That is what I am here for. Maybe I can make things better sooner. Maybe I can't, but maybe I have knowledge I can impart on the way. You never get 15-30 minutes of one on one time with your doctor. Not saying we are anywhere near as educated as the doctors, but most of us try to keep up on the current treatments and disease information. We may be able to help out. Trust us!!
2. Overbearing Family
PLEASE DO NOT TAKE THIS WRONG!!!!
Families are the greatest source of information we can possible get. They care more about the patient than anyone else, sometimes even more than the patient themselves. I want to hear what you have to say and I need to know what is going on, but for the love of all that is holy, get out of our way!!! And never "help" with the gurney or equipment. I cannot tell you how many injuries result as the helpful family jumps in and takes us off guard.
Also, yelling to us that the doctor you mom saw last time was a quack, the neighbors are crazy or she needs to move into a nursing home does not change what we do a bit. We cannot force her to move, she is free to see a new doc and call the cops if the neighbors are really an issue.
One more tip. Screaming "Save Him!" or "Don't take her Jesus!" or anything else just might cause us to a) call the cops to get rid of you, b) laugh hysterically, c) roll our eyes and try desperately to hear what is going on, like a heart beat or lung sounds.
1. "I knew if I called 911 I wouldn't have to wait as long to be seen".
This statement is the thing to irritate me the most and on so many levels. First of all, like most places, there are barely enough ambulances to cover the system. The higher uppers do this on purpose because they lose money if a crew is being paid to just sit around. This means that often there are times when all the ambulances are out on a call at the same time and people have to wait for help. When someone acknowledges to me that they are aware of the fact that they are not an emergency, but are willing to take an ambulance out of the system anyway, it really torks me.
Secondly, there is no truth in that statement. If the ER is busy, you may be put in a wheelchair and rolled out to the lobby to wait your turn just like everyone else. Trust me on this, medics have ways of making a patient Triage appropriate. No IV, stable vital signs and few well placed words in the report to the hospital will get you the fast track to a four hour wait.
Third, I liken this to insurance fraud. Now this is my humble opinion and you are welcome to agree or not but hear me out. False claims and insurance companies paying out on B.S. claims have increased rates and deductibles. A person claiming they are sicker than they are because they do not want to wait in the lobby of the ER or go see their personal doctor in the morning are big reasons that companies like Medicare are cutting how much they will pay for. In the meantime, people who do need the services are scared to use it because they don't have the money to pay for the ever rising costs of medical bills, due to the ever decreasing pay outs by insurances.
I hope these little tips will help you get along with your medic if ever you need one. Remember, respect is a two way street.
You be nice, I be nice. You be mean, I have big needles, restraints and sedatives!
I could easily make this a ten point blog, but I don't want to bore you with all my whiny annoyances. That being said, here are some things to avoid saying if you want a pleasant trip to the hospital.
5. Not putting your dog away.
Sounds simple enough but this happens all the time. Now I understand that if you are short of breath, getting up and chasing a rat terrier around is the last thing that is going to happen. But if you have someone with you that would be a good thing for them to do while you patiently await our arrival.
And I do not care how friendly Fido is, when you are sick, hurt or scared, the dog can pick up on those emotions. They will want to protect you and 2-4 uniformed people with odd bags and machines storming into the house will only intensify these emotions.
They will also lick us, bark at us and try to get in between us. This will not be a sterile environment when we try to do anything. Also, I will not be responsible if your dog or cat gets out. I have way to much to do, and we have to get the gurney in the door, up the stairs and usually it is just the two of us. So please put your pets away, if you can!
One thing you may hear me bemoan on this blog is the differences between nurses and paramedics. For some reason, nurses are far more respected, have better hours and have better pay. But guess what? (In Oregon and I am sure some other states too) Paramedics and Nurses have the same amount of training. We both have a two year degree. And another difference... I don't have a doctor to help me out. I show up, take in the situation and act accordingly. So it quite honestly hurts my feelings a little bit when you think the nurse is better at starting IV's or whatever than me.
I have yet to see a nurse straddle a patient, bouncing down the road, dodging spurting blood and successfully start and IV. Never have they lain in God knows what on a patient's floor, their legs stuck under a desk or bed or table trying to obtain the right angle for a stick and I have NEVER seen a nurse start and IV in the pouring rain, on the side of a freeway with only a fireman's flashlight for help.
So let me assure you I can start the IV. You have notoriously bad veins? Let me try anyway, because you may be amazed how well I can do.
3. "You don't need to know. Just get me to the hospital."
Then you don't need an ambulance, let me call you a taxi! Look, I am not trying to be mean here, but kind of like the one above, I am trained and may be able to help you! When people don't want my help it frustrates me. That is what I am here for. Maybe I can make things better sooner. Maybe I can't, but maybe I have knowledge I can impart on the way. You never get 15-30 minutes of one on one time with your doctor. Not saying we are anywhere near as educated as the doctors, but most of us try to keep up on the current treatments and disease information. We may be able to help out. Trust us!!
PLEASE DO NOT TAKE THIS WRONG!!!!
Families are the greatest source of information we can possible get. They care more about the patient than anyone else, sometimes even more than the patient themselves. I want to hear what you have to say and I need to know what is going on, but for the love of all that is holy, get out of our way!!! And never "help" with the gurney or equipment. I cannot tell you how many injuries result as the helpful family jumps in and takes us off guard.
Also, yelling to us that the doctor you mom saw last time was a quack, the neighbors are crazy or she needs to move into a nursing home does not change what we do a bit. We cannot force her to move, she is free to see a new doc and call the cops if the neighbors are really an issue.
One more tip. Screaming "Save Him!" or "Don't take her Jesus!" or anything else just might cause us to a) call the cops to get rid of you, b) laugh hysterically, c) roll our eyes and try desperately to hear what is going on, like a heart beat or lung sounds.
This statement is the thing to irritate me the most and on so many levels. First of all, like most places, there are barely enough ambulances to cover the system. The higher uppers do this on purpose because they lose money if a crew is being paid to just sit around. This means that often there are times when all the ambulances are out on a call at the same time and people have to wait for help. When someone acknowledges to me that they are aware of the fact that they are not an emergency, but are willing to take an ambulance out of the system anyway, it really torks me.
Secondly, there is no truth in that statement. If the ER is busy, you may be put in a wheelchair and rolled out to the lobby to wait your turn just like everyone else. Trust me on this, medics have ways of making a patient Triage appropriate. No IV, stable vital signs and few well placed words in the report to the hospital will get you the fast track to a four hour wait.
Third, I liken this to insurance fraud. Now this is my humble opinion and you are welcome to agree or not but hear me out. False claims and insurance companies paying out on B.S. claims have increased rates and deductibles. A person claiming they are sicker than they are because they do not want to wait in the lobby of the ER or go see their personal doctor in the morning are big reasons that companies like Medicare are cutting how much they will pay for. In the meantime, people who do need the services are scared to use it because they don't have the money to pay for the ever rising costs of medical bills, due to the ever decreasing pay outs by insurances.
I hope these little tips will help you get along with your medic if ever you need one. Remember, respect is a two way street.
You be nice, I be nice. You be mean, I have big needles, restraints and sedatives!
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Will the good outweigh the bad??
One of the glorious things about being a paramedic is what I am doing right now. I am writing a blog, while at work. However, that doesn't mean that at any second the tones might go off and interrupt my train of thought. But I wanted to take a minute to explain my handle, "Disgruntled Paramedic".
We all start out in this job the same. I started volunteering for the local fire department when I was 15. Full of energy, craving excitement and adrenaline and truly hoping to make a difference in this crazy world. Like most new employees I have seen trickle in here, I once thought the crusty old medics, that we used to call Crispy because they were so burnt out, were heartless and needed to go away. I will never get like that I used to think.
For the first few years, I remembered every name and face of every call I went on. How could you not remember Mrs. So and so? I would ask.
And perhaps had I stayed in the small community I started in, I would have stayed the nice niave medic I started out as. But I did not.
I have spent a decade and a half dealing with the scum of the earth. The only people that have it worse than us in the scum department is cops. Those guys deserve a dang medal just for showing up to work each day. Nine out of ten people that call us do not need an ambulance. They are either too lazy to drive themselves to a doctor, too poor to pay for the doctor, or stupid to understand the word emergency.
By that same token, my best friend who is an ER nurse says almost all their worst patients come in by private vehicle, not wanting to cause a scene or "put anybody out." Something is majorly wrong with the system.
Needless to say, without going on my rant about taxis vs. ambulances and why i shouldn't have to take a self defense course to be a medic, I have managed to burn myself out. I now make the most inappropiate (albeit, HILARIOUS) jokes at others expense, cringe when I get the patient info of nausea and vomiting for an hour, (For real?? Drink some sprite and camp out on the couch!) or have to pull out my handy hankie with perfume on it as I near a transient.
Truth is, if you don't get that sick sense of humor or the ability to weed out the riff raff from the people who truly need you, you will go stark raving mad! So next time a nurse, doc, medic, cop or firefighter says something so utterly offensive you want to puke, remember the crap they have seen and have to deal with and that without this outlet they would collapse as a human being.
I have seen so many new people with their positive attitudes and promise of never getting crispy break from the sight of trauma and pain and the inhumanities we see. They have no source of outlet and feel they fail if they give into it. These people last a year or two then move on to something else. The dream shattered.
So yes I am disgruntled and crispy, but don't confuse that with hatred of my job or the human race. I am simply surviving.
Cartoon by Steve Barry
We all start out in this job the same. I started volunteering for the local fire department when I was 15. Full of energy, craving excitement and adrenaline and truly hoping to make a difference in this crazy world. Like most new employees I have seen trickle in here, I once thought the crusty old medics, that we used to call Crispy because they were so burnt out, were heartless and needed to go away. I will never get like that I used to think.
For the first few years, I remembered every name and face of every call I went on. How could you not remember Mrs. So and so? I would ask.
And perhaps had I stayed in the small community I started in, I would have stayed the nice niave medic I started out as. But I did not.
I have spent a decade and a half dealing with the scum of the earth. The only people that have it worse than us in the scum department is cops. Those guys deserve a dang medal just for showing up to work each day. Nine out of ten people that call us do not need an ambulance. They are either too lazy to drive themselves to a doctor, too poor to pay for the doctor, or stupid to understand the word emergency.
By that same token, my best friend who is an ER nurse says almost all their worst patients come in by private vehicle, not wanting to cause a scene or "put anybody out." Something is majorly wrong with the system.
Needless to say, without going on my rant about taxis vs. ambulances and why i shouldn't have to take a self defense course to be a medic, I have managed to burn myself out. I now make the most inappropiate (albeit, HILARIOUS) jokes at others expense, cringe when I get the patient info of nausea and vomiting for an hour, (For real?? Drink some sprite and camp out on the couch!) or have to pull out my handy hankie with perfume on it as I near a transient.
Truth is, if you don't get that sick sense of humor or the ability to weed out the riff raff from the people who truly need you, you will go stark raving mad! So next time a nurse, doc, medic, cop or firefighter says something so utterly offensive you want to puke, remember the crap they have seen and have to deal with and that without this outlet they would collapse as a human being.
I have seen so many new people with their positive attitudes and promise of never getting crispy break from the sight of trauma and pain and the inhumanities we see. They have no source of outlet and feel they fail if they give into it. These people last a year or two then move on to something else. The dream shattered.
So yes I am disgruntled and crispy, but don't confuse that with hatred of my job or the human race. I am simply surviving.
Cartoon by Steve BarryTuesday, June 18, 2013
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Rotting Skin Man
One call will stick in my brain for eternity. Those of us on the call still talk about it now and then and refer to the poor gentleman as "Rotting Skin Man". I have already forewarned you that we are a sick and twisted bunch of folks so try not to be offended by that.
It started off as any other day. I had a different partner than normal. A gal who just started working with us and had a huge chip on her shoulder about the fact that we treated like a newbie even though she had been in the field before. My paramedic student was a great guy who learned quickly and I really enjoyed having around.
We got called to a neighboring district because they were out of ambulances. We haul ass thirty minutes away with second hand info that the police in that county had gone on a welfare check and need an ambulance immediately.
Fortunately, I used to work in that county and knew my way around and we got there in decent time. As we approached the scene, I recognized the place. I had been there before. Last time I had been to this place, the guy had busted his head open and it had taken myself, my partner, two firemen and two cops to hold him down long enough to sedate him to get him to the hospital. Try not to be surprised that alcohol was involved!
We approach the house and see two officers outside the house. I approach one and he says "Its bad". Never a good sign coming from a cop. We venture inside where there are two volunteer firefighters and another police officer standing over the naked, face down, obese body of a man, his head wedged between the toilet and the wall. The stench is awful. There is discoloration in the carpet all around him and the oozing poo coming from him let he know he had been there a few days before he died. Horrible way to go.
I ask the policeman for the guys info and he stares at me. "Aren't you gonna do anything?" he asks. Huh?
"Uh, like what?" I I look a little closer and see soem movement between his should blades. "Holy Crap! He is alive?" All three of them nod thier heads enthusiastically at me.
Now the fun begins. It had been five days since anyone had talked to or seen him so we assume that is how long he has been lying there. His right arm is above his head and has gone through the sheetrock. We cannot simply pull him out, he is seriously stuck. His skin is moist with sweat and I don't even want to delve into what else.
I go outside the bathroom to the connecting bedroom and decided to rip apart the wall from the other side in hopes of freeing his arm and head. I kneel down. Squish!! EW!!!!!!
The carpet on the other side of the wall was soaked with feces and urine too! This is one of the few calls I lost it on. I did not actually vomit but I did runoutside gagging and gulping fresh air. My only consolation is so did EVERY other person there at some point.
So anyway, work work work, tear down wall, sawzall two by fours, and wahlah! He is free. Now to remove him. His long shoulder length gray hair is saoked and matted and I actually had to grab my trauma shears and cut the toilet brush out of his hair.
Plan A is to grab his arms and pull him out of the space between the toilet and wall into the main part of the bathroom where we can better asses him. I grab one arm and my student grabbed teh other. 1, 2, 3 we pull.
A layer of skin just came off in my hand. Back out side dry heaving I go. My student followed me, wiping his hand on the couch on the way out. I yell into the house for them to put oxygen on him and then my student, myself and one of the officers discuss what to do.
There really are realatively few choices. We will not be able to get him out of there and stay clean ourselfs. We m ay cause him soem injury in the process. Finally we go in and just do it. I grap under one armpit, he grabs another and one of the firefighters goes for the torso. We pull tug and twist and get him free.
He is now an unconscious, naked, obese man laying on his back, no longer stuck, but still lying in poop covered squishy carpet. We roll him onto a blanket, hoist him onto our bed, and rollhim outside. Chunks of flesh are hanging off his arms. Where his one arme was locked above his head against the 2x4, the impression of the beam is still visible. In fact, it never resumes its normal shape. We race him to the hospital and the first attemot to get an IV just lands more rotten flesh in my hand. I get up and move towards the tiny exhaust fan that is supposed to help but does nothing. I tell my student that an IV is most likly impossable and we need to do an IO. An IO isn an Inerosseous Infusion that constitutes a very large, thick needle being put into the leg bone. We used to just do them on children, but at this point we had just recieved a handheld drill type thingy that would allow us to use them on adults as well.
My student gleefully got out the drill and even did a practice "vroom vroom" in the air and then poised the needle over his leg. He pulled teh trigger and the needle spun and spun but did not penatrate the bone. Push harder, I tell him, Like when you are putting a srew into a post. He stood up and leaned his weight into it. The needle bent. BENT! I have never, to this day seen such a thing. I pick the needle up and look at it. Ummm, i don't thinkwe can fix this. Try again. Same thing happens. Now we only have two IO needles for an adult on the entire ambulance. We are hosed.
I look at his feet and am thankfull they are niether poop covered or decaying in front of me. Together we manage to get a tiny IV in his foot. Intubate him to help hiim breathe and pray our driver gets us there quickly. The stench is unbearable.
We deliver him alive and take over an hour cleaning our ambulance. Already the story of how we bent two IO needles is being cirulated and we are mercillessly made fun of. I can only assume he had a metal plate in his leg. Two hours and three showers later we are ready to hit the road again. The man made it out of the hospital to a nursing home but died within a week.
It was a true testiment to what the human body can withstand though. 5 days with no food, no water, in a cramped position, covered in so much urine that your skin is disolving, yet he was still alive. Perhaps had he been younger or healthier he may have even walked away.
It started off as any other day. I had a different partner than normal. A gal who just started working with us and had a huge chip on her shoulder about the fact that we treated like a newbie even though she had been in the field before. My paramedic student was a great guy who learned quickly and I really enjoyed having around.
We got called to a neighboring district because they were out of ambulances. We haul ass thirty minutes away with second hand info that the police in that county had gone on a welfare check and need an ambulance immediately.
Fortunately, I used to work in that county and knew my way around and we got there in decent time. As we approached the scene, I recognized the place. I had been there before. Last time I had been to this place, the guy had busted his head open and it had taken myself, my partner, two firemen and two cops to hold him down long enough to sedate him to get him to the hospital. Try not to be surprised that alcohol was involved!
We approach the house and see two officers outside the house. I approach one and he says "Its bad". Never a good sign coming from a cop. We venture inside where there are two volunteer firefighters and another police officer standing over the naked, face down, obese body of a man, his head wedged between the toilet and the wall. The stench is awful. There is discoloration in the carpet all around him and the oozing poo coming from him let he know he had been there a few days before he died. Horrible way to go.
I ask the policeman for the guys info and he stares at me. "Aren't you gonna do anything?" he asks. Huh?
"Uh, like what?" I I look a little closer and see soem movement between his should blades. "Holy Crap! He is alive?" All three of them nod thier heads enthusiastically at me.
Now the fun begins. It had been five days since anyone had talked to or seen him so we assume that is how long he has been lying there. His right arm is above his head and has gone through the sheetrock. We cannot simply pull him out, he is seriously stuck. His skin is moist with sweat and I don't even want to delve into what else.
I go outside the bathroom to the connecting bedroom and decided to rip apart the wall from the other side in hopes of freeing his arm and head. I kneel down. Squish!! EW!!!!!!
The carpet on the other side of the wall was soaked with feces and urine too! This is one of the few calls I lost it on. I did not actually vomit but I did runoutside gagging and gulping fresh air. My only consolation is so did EVERY other person there at some point.
So anyway, work work work, tear down wall, sawzall two by fours, and wahlah! He is free. Now to remove him. His long shoulder length gray hair is saoked and matted and I actually had to grab my trauma shears and cut the toilet brush out of his hair.
Plan A is to grab his arms and pull him out of the space between the toilet and wall into the main part of the bathroom where we can better asses him. I grab one arm and my student grabbed teh other. 1, 2, 3 we pull.
A layer of skin just came off in my hand. Back out side dry heaving I go. My student followed me, wiping his hand on the couch on the way out. I yell into the house for them to put oxygen on him and then my student, myself and one of the officers discuss what to do.
There really are realatively few choices. We will not be able to get him out of there and stay clean ourselfs. We m ay cause him soem injury in the process. Finally we go in and just do it. I grap under one armpit, he grabs another and one of the firefighters goes for the torso. We pull tug and twist and get him free.
He is now an unconscious, naked, obese man laying on his back, no longer stuck, but still lying in poop covered squishy carpet. We roll him onto a blanket, hoist him onto our bed, and rollhim outside. Chunks of flesh are hanging off his arms. Where his one arme was locked above his head against the 2x4, the impression of the beam is still visible. In fact, it never resumes its normal shape. We race him to the hospital and the first attemot to get an IV just lands more rotten flesh in my hand. I get up and move towards the tiny exhaust fan that is supposed to help but does nothing. I tell my student that an IV is most likly impossable and we need to do an IO. An IO isn an Inerosseous Infusion that constitutes a very large, thick needle being put into the leg bone. We used to just do them on children, but at this point we had just recieved a handheld drill type thingy that would allow us to use them on adults as well.
My student gleefully got out the drill and even did a practice "vroom vroom" in the air and then poised the needle over his leg. He pulled teh trigger and the needle spun and spun but did not penatrate the bone. Push harder, I tell him, Like when you are putting a srew into a post. He stood up and leaned his weight into it. The needle bent. BENT! I have never, to this day seen such a thing. I pick the needle up and look at it. Ummm, i don't thinkwe can fix this. Try again. Same thing happens. Now we only have two IO needles for an adult on the entire ambulance. We are hosed.
I look at his feet and am thankfull they are niether poop covered or decaying in front of me. Together we manage to get a tiny IV in his foot. Intubate him to help hiim breathe and pray our driver gets us there quickly. The stench is unbearable.
We deliver him alive and take over an hour cleaning our ambulance. Already the story of how we bent two IO needles is being cirulated and we are mercillessly made fun of. I can only assume he had a metal plate in his leg. Two hours and three showers later we are ready to hit the road again. The man made it out of the hospital to a nursing home but died within a week.
It was a true testiment to what the human body can withstand though. 5 days with no food, no water, in a cramped position, covered in so much urine that your skin is disolving, yet he was still alive. Perhaps had he been younger or healthier he may have even walked away.
God gave me 200lbs...
So teh other night I was with a group of friends and one asks for my best story. Well that is always a toss up. Some people want to heat some parts of what I do and some get grossed out. They want to hear about car wrecks and trauma but not about puke and poop. I have to say though, most of my favorite stories involve crazy people.
Let me start with saying, I do feel real compassion for people with mental disabilities and disorders. These are not the people I am talking about. I am talking about drug and alcohol induced psychosis. These people are unpredicable and usally being out the "other" side of us helathcare professionals.
It was late at night or early in the morning. In anycase, it was dark. We get sent to a local motel that rents by the week. Three cop cars are in the parking lot and there are people outside thier doors watching the live episode of Cops. I walk up to a young man in his 20's who is lying on his back, hands handcuffed in front of him.
"He is unconscious," I am told by one of the officers. The half smile on his face tells me he thinks otherwise. I reach down and pull open his eye. He looks away from me.
"Wow," I say. "I have never seen an unconsious person move thier eyes like that before." My patient's eyes flash open and he stares at me with obvious hatred.
"Do you feel special now?" he asks?
I simply smile and say, "Why yes I do!" I turn and tell the cops to put him on my gurney. They gladly hoist him up and toss him none to gently on my bed. I cringe a little at the borderline inappropiate behavior but I can also tell by the sweat and looks they fought this guy for a while. True to my suspicians, they tell me they were called to an out of control male and the minute they got there, he started fighting them until they pinned him and he went "unconscious". Got it. Crazy man.
Before I can even get the patients seat belts on so we can put him in the ambulance he spits at me and hits me in the face. Thank goodness for my poor eyesight because my glasses caught most if it. Two cops pounced on him immediately and put a spit mask on him. They are really quite attractive.
So I buckle him up and put him in th ambulance. A quick check of his vitals shows slightly elevated Heart rate and blood pressure but that is not surprising due to the recent physical activity and it is not at critical levels. I give my partner the nod and he starts to drive. The patient has decided the hateful tactic did not scare me so he will try being nice now. He asks some questions about my day, how I like my job etc. etc., then asks if I will take the spit mask off. My momma didn't raise no fool! "Hell no" was my answer. He started to siggle around and finally got a foot loose of the seatbelts where he tried to kick me. I didged him and fought him while my partner lurched the ambo to a stop and called the cops. Within seconds they opened the two back doors and one side one and took over the restraint of the guy. As they tied him down he screamed over and over, "F- you, f- you". He probably siad it four or five times before he realized the female officer at his head poiting a taser at him was politely answering each time, "No thankyou, I don't like men. No thank you I don't like men." I was dying laughing at this which got me another menacing glare.
So the cops leave and its just me and him again. The police are following us to the hospital. The patient has once again calmed down and is staring silently out the window when he realizes something. "Hey!" he says to me. "Will I be out of the hospital in time to go to work in the morning?" Well at least he is a responsible crazy.
"I have no idea," I say.
"Let me out now!" He yells, which oddly enough was the first time he had asked to be let go. Well this guy must have learned from Houdini or something because before I know it, his dang legs are free again. My partner goes to stop again and I yell for him to keep going. I have my elbow in this guys chest but his feet keep flailing. Finally I look at him and yell "You know what? God gave me 200lbs and a big ass and I know how to use it!"
I promptly sat down on his knees. The attempts to kick ended pretty quick after that. I moved up a little so I was sitting on his thighs because I really have no intent to hurt people. I also held on to the bar on the ceiling so not all of my wieght was in him. Then, .... he passed out. Again.
I sat staring at him wondering if I should be concerned or not. I mean sometimes when these people have a drug induced psychosis, they do indeed hit a point when thier system fails. He was still breathing though. We are not too far from the hospital now, but oooh what to do. Just as I was about to abandon my seat on his legs I saw it. He opened his eyes a slit to see if I was watching. Gotcha!! I am not going anywhere!!
After about another minute, he opened his eyes and all nice like says, "Whoa! what happened? Did I pass out again? Sometimes I get a little crazy when that happens. I am all better now though." This guy reallydid think I was a moron apparently.
"Yep," I say. "you passed out and I am not moving." You know what that crazy little piece of crap did then? He peed himself. On purpose. To get me. I bolted off his legs so quick and he laughed this maniacal laugh that I found rather creepy.
No worries though, We were pulling into the ER and there was a cop behind us, one in front and two security guards waiting for us. I opened the back doors, pulled out the gurney and happily tranfered another happy customer to the hospital.
Pyschos!!
Let me start with saying, I do feel real compassion for people with mental disabilities and disorders. These are not the people I am talking about. I am talking about drug and alcohol induced psychosis. These people are unpredicable and usally being out the "other" side of us helathcare professionals.
It was late at night or early in the morning. In anycase, it was dark. We get sent to a local motel that rents by the week. Three cop cars are in the parking lot and there are people outside thier doors watching the live episode of Cops. I walk up to a young man in his 20's who is lying on his back, hands handcuffed in front of him.
"He is unconscious," I am told by one of the officers. The half smile on his face tells me he thinks otherwise. I reach down and pull open his eye. He looks away from me.
"Wow," I say. "I have never seen an unconsious person move thier eyes like that before." My patient's eyes flash open and he stares at me with obvious hatred.
"Do you feel special now?" he asks?
I simply smile and say, "Why yes I do!" I turn and tell the cops to put him on my gurney. They gladly hoist him up and toss him none to gently on my bed. I cringe a little at the borderline inappropiate behavior but I can also tell by the sweat and looks they fought this guy for a while. True to my suspicians, they tell me they were called to an out of control male and the minute they got there, he started fighting them until they pinned him and he went "unconscious". Got it. Crazy man.
Before I can even get the patients seat belts on so we can put him in the ambulance he spits at me and hits me in the face. Thank goodness for my poor eyesight because my glasses caught most if it. Two cops pounced on him immediately and put a spit mask on him. They are really quite attractive.
So I buckle him up and put him in th ambulance. A quick check of his vitals shows slightly elevated Heart rate and blood pressure but that is not surprising due to the recent physical activity and it is not at critical levels. I give my partner the nod and he starts to drive. The patient has decided the hateful tactic did not scare me so he will try being nice now. He asks some questions about my day, how I like my job etc. etc., then asks if I will take the spit mask off. My momma didn't raise no fool! "Hell no" was my answer. He started to siggle around and finally got a foot loose of the seatbelts where he tried to kick me. I didged him and fought him while my partner lurched the ambo to a stop and called the cops. Within seconds they opened the two back doors and one side one and took over the restraint of the guy. As they tied him down he screamed over and over, "F- you, f- you". He probably siad it four or five times before he realized the female officer at his head poiting a taser at him was politely answering each time, "No thankyou, I don't like men. No thank you I don't like men." I was dying laughing at this which got me another menacing glare.
So the cops leave and its just me and him again. The police are following us to the hospital. The patient has once again calmed down and is staring silently out the window when he realizes something. "Hey!" he says to me. "Will I be out of the hospital in time to go to work in the morning?" Well at least he is a responsible crazy.
"I have no idea," I say.
"Let me out now!" He yells, which oddly enough was the first time he had asked to be let go. Well this guy must have learned from Houdini or something because before I know it, his dang legs are free again. My partner goes to stop again and I yell for him to keep going. I have my elbow in this guys chest but his feet keep flailing. Finally I look at him and yell "You know what? God gave me 200lbs and a big ass and I know how to use it!"
I promptly sat down on his knees. The attempts to kick ended pretty quick after that. I moved up a little so I was sitting on his thighs because I really have no intent to hurt people. I also held on to the bar on the ceiling so not all of my wieght was in him. Then, .... he passed out. Again.
I sat staring at him wondering if I should be concerned or not. I mean sometimes when these people have a drug induced psychosis, they do indeed hit a point when thier system fails. He was still breathing though. We are not too far from the hospital now, but oooh what to do. Just as I was about to abandon my seat on his legs I saw it. He opened his eyes a slit to see if I was watching. Gotcha!! I am not going anywhere!!
After about another minute, he opened his eyes and all nice like says, "Whoa! what happened? Did I pass out again? Sometimes I get a little crazy when that happens. I am all better now though." This guy reallydid think I was a moron apparently.
"Yep," I say. "you passed out and I am not moving." You know what that crazy little piece of crap did then? He peed himself. On purpose. To get me. I bolted off his legs so quick and he laughed this maniacal laugh that I found rather creepy.
No worries though, We were pulling into the ER and there was a cop behind us, one in front and two security guards waiting for us. I opened the back doors, pulled out the gurney and happily tranfered another happy customer to the hospital.
Pyschos!!
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