Saturday, October 28, 2006

Hail to the Chief.

So the highlight of my day was riding shotgun in an ambulance in the Presidential Motorcade with the Sex Pistol's "Anarchy in the UK" blaring on the radio. Today marks the fourth visit of the Leader of the Free World to our sleepy little southern city. It was for some Republican fundraiser. One could not really understand the chaos the ensues when this one man comes into town until it is actually witnessed. Never have I seen so many men in so many different uniforms in so many shiny black vehicles. We were staged on the Ritzy Island where he spoke to a bunch of rich- ass republicans. He landed on the Beach in that big helicopter, was skirted off into a town car and was then followed down the winding beach roads. It truly was a sight to behold. People lined the route, with motorcycle cops for every jurisdiction in the city stopped at every vehicle and person. There was even one dude, who I would say, was probably the only Democrat in the whole group, standing holding a sign written on what looked to be notebook paper that read "DEMOCRAT AND PROUD" I bet they payed extra attention to him, as there was two motorcycle cops on him. So we sat for 5 hours waiting for the helicopter to land, then snaked our way though through the island to the big hotel on Ritzy Island where we sat for another hour and a half while he spoke, then snaked our way back to the beach where he got back on the helicopter and left. I never saw The Man, we were too busy being presidential. But we did get to talk to some of the Secret Service guys outside of the hotel while the man was speaking. There was also a wedding going on at the same hotel at the same time as the visit. How the hell that happened is beyond me. That must have been a security nightmare. But it is not my job to worry about such things. We, (my partner and I) are now on some list somewhere stating that we are cleared by the government, that we are not terroists. So thats a good thing. When it was all said and done, I basicly got 9 hours of OT to just sit and wait in my Startched uniform and polished boots. I looked very presidential. And all I wanted was a photograph of the helicopter, but alas I did not get one. When he landing we had to be ready to go. And when it was all over it was night time and The exposure was too long for me to do anything hand held So all I got was a bunch of light streaks and blurs. damn. But, really, how many people can say they were part of the President's motorcade? I may not agree with everything the man does or says, but it still was a very cool experience to be part of something like this. It doesn't happen all the time.

Saturday, October 21, 2006

I think I died

I had forgotten what 36 hours awake running non stop calls felt like. 21 calls in all, ranging from two woke up deads, one full arrest, one GSW, two fall down stairs, one stillborn 20 week fetus and a partidge in a pear tree. I have had my fill of emergency. Stick a fork in me I am fucking done. I went through six walkie batteries. I became a drug-administering, code-running, patienting-restraining angel of death. Currently I myself am only CAOx1, I can tell you my name, and thats about it, forget time and place I lost the ability to form full thoughts at around hour 20 and currently am running on fumes od adrinaline left over from dead baby call. I am not doing too well with that, but I am so tired that it doesn;t matter right at the moment. It will hit me after sleep.

I do have to laugh though, our last call of the night was right at shift change and my relief wasn't at the station yet. So we get called to unresponsive. I hate unresponsives this early in the AM because they are usually woke-up deads or diabetics. The Diabetics I can handle they are no-brainers, but WUDs they just suck. They are emotionally draining. Too much to process that damn early in the AM. Anyways this Unresponsive was of the diabetic variety. thank god. Gave the man some D50 and he perked right up. But This guy gave me the best response I ever got from a diabetic post D50. He was this 80 year old guy that lived in a pretty nasty part of the island. His wife, daughter, grand daughter and great grand son (who was five and thought the fire truck and ambulance was the "Coolest thing EVER!" (we let him hit the siren then he burst into a fit of giggles. So okay, the patient was the really cool old man once we woke him p. WHile he was still kinda coming around he looked up at me and said "You coming to take me to jail?" I responded with "No, I am a paramedic" He just nodded and asked for his "women" Which I took to mean his wife, daughters, ect. They came in with some grits and bacon and the guy sat up and started eating. After a few bites, he bacame quite alert and looked up at me and my partner and said "Well, I saw all you white people in my house, I thought you were coming to arrest me"
"No, no sir, why have you done anything we need to arrest you for?"
"Oh no Mam'am, Ya'll want some grits?"

Monday, October 16, 2006

the rough streets ain't that bad

I am beginning to kinda like the area I'm working in. It's growing on me, like a fungus. Yeah, it's eyeball deep in the ghetto. Get called to more assaults and crack-induced chest pain than say, LOLNAD calls you get in other parts of the city, but all in all not a bad place to work. The cops are cool as hell and have our backs when the going get rough, the fire guys are always willing to help so I can't complain. Even the people in the area, for the most part aren;t bad people, just a bit down on thier luck, or dirt poor. This is also an area where most of our systems frequent flyers live. The asthma kid down the street from our station, the ex-crackhead (who is off the stuff because of a team of our medics) with a bad case of CHF who lives with her sister in some run-down apartments a few blocks away, the dialysis guy that lives with his brother with HTN, CHF and IDDM (the BIG three here) that we sometime stop by to make sure his meds are all in line, and nurmerous others that we see on an almost daily basis. Enough for them to know our names and what shift we work. Ok, so occaionlly we hear gunfire in the area around the station, but I can tell you for a fact, that no matter what the medics, we don't get messed with. Its like the people know, just know, what we do. We are the life savers, we aren't there to arrest them, or beat them up, or cause trouble. We are there to help "Mama" when she ain't breathing right. I am learning. After working for most of my time as a medic in the more afluent parts of town I getting the rules down.
1. stay close to the cops and never close yourself in a room with a crack user or psych. They can turn on you in a second.
2. Its Sugar, not diabetes, its high blood not hypertension, its a Water Pill, not lasix. We aren't dumbing it down, we are just calling it what they call it.
3. first on the the truck drives, and drop the boxes they can be replaced, you, however can't.
4. Yes, you can actully put a Grill on a four year old ( i didn;t believe that either, till I saw it with my own eyes)
I like the people of the area. They are mostly kind. I have heard more "thank you's" come from these people that I ever had working in the other areas. Some of them are the most grateful, gracious people I have ever had to treat. Yes, there are a few bad ones in there, the ones that spit or swing. And yes, the psychs and street drunks are more prevalant here. But it ain't a bad gig.

Oh yeah we had our first jumper off the New Bridge. That dude had traffic backed up for hours. He fell 200+ feet into the river below. And damnit if the guy didn't live, with out so much as a scratch on him. When I asked the people what ended up being wrong, they simply said 'He was wet."

Thursday, October 12, 2006

My 300 lb Migraine

Pain, I understand pain. I, myself, suffer from chronic migraines. I have suffered with them for years. They last for days and the Maxalt works but I have to take the max dose for the trhee, four days. I am supposed to take verapamil and amnitriptilyne (I know I just bitchered the spelling, but its the tricyclic, more bad spelling, anti-depression med)daily for them. I have even made many trips, myself, to the ER for migraines that seem to complaetly untouched by the meds I have at home to treat them. I also have had back surgery for two ruptured discs in my lumbar spine. So pain is something I understand. I always feel very bad for my chronic pain patients, whether its migraine pain, back pain, or leg pain. I have unbelievable symathy for these poor people. Some of these people truely suffer every single day of thier lives. But as much understanding I have for them, I find them the most frustrating. Some of them refuse to help themselves. Example: I was called to a migraine on a twenty-four year old female who was quite large (I'm talking 300+ lbs/136+ kgs) She has, like me, had long history of them. She was sprawled out supine on the living room floor right in the doorway of the apartment, in the dark. And she was SCREAMING...screaming obceneties, screaming nonsense words, just screaming. Her sister , who was holding her screaming daughter, was also yelling at me calling me a "racist white bitch" because I "Wasn't doing a damn thing" to help her sister and it was because "[the patient] was black, if she were white I would have brough th streatcher and would treat [the patient]". Now what I was doing was trying to calmly explain to [the patient] to quit holloring, it was just making her head hurt more, and that I needed for her to sit up so I could open the door to just get to her. But instead of helping me help her, just by sitting up, she just laid there fucking screaming. I literally could not open the front door more than a few inches. I tried to through the yelling to explain to her that I too have these type of headaches (and believe it or not, these are more than just a headache, migraines are a monster of a diffrent species) and that I would be happy to help her, but I needed her to just sit up, thats it, just sit up. Not stand, not walk, not jump up and down on one leg. I just wanted access to her so I could assess her. I just kept going "Ms D, Ms D, honey, you have got to sit up, I know your in pain, I know your head feels like someone is driving nails into it, but you have got to help me, you have got to sit up" Between Ms D and Ms D's sister I was developing a migraine. The only statement I hate more than "What's the worst thing you have every seen" is "you are treating me because I am [insert nationality here]" I don't give a damn if you a fucking day-glo green, I will treat you with respect regardless. Finally, she flung herself across the landing, but still lying on the nasty ass floor. I was fine with that, at least I could get the door open far enough for me to slip in. I got down on the floor to her level and queitly explained to her that I know what this pain feels like, but I needed her to get herslef, at least, up off the floor becasue there was no way that my little self could pick her up, she opened her eyes and sat up. I looked at my partner, who correctly read my look as "Call the Fire Dept for man power and Go get the gurney" My partner got the gurney and put in at the base of the four steps that were right outside the front door. Migraines are a head thing, so Her legs I know for a fact still worked. I explained to her that my bed is right outside the door, but because of her size, I needed her to ambulate about six feet to the waiting streatcher. By this time, I had quieted her down. She ablidged my request and I got her to her feet. As I am walking with her, she then all of a sudden collapses and because of her size I could not catch her. I then get an earful of more racist slurs from the sister. Damnit, I can't win for nothing. A crowd has now formed outside to the apartment door and I look like the bitch medic making the poor woman walk literally six feet down the four steps. Right after that the FD showed up and we picked her up and got her into the unit. Where her whole demeanor changes, she now refuses to answer any of my questions, like how long this has been going on and have you taken anything medication wise for it and what her birthdays is. SHe is giving me statements like "Just take me to the fucking hospital" and "You don;t need to know my birthday and SS number" I feel mt patience slippinf. I proceeded to sternly speak. "Ms D, I do know what this feels like, I get these migraines, but you are acting like a child. I can help you but you have got to help me help you, now what other medical history do you have?

Fuck. Thata was the most draining call I had had in a long while. I absoultly hate calls like this. I have to gather all of my restraint and compassion from deep within the core of my being just to keep my cool. So that I dont lose my shit. you have to help the medic sometimes. I did not make her walk because she was black, or because I am a mean and horrible medic. I made her ambualte because she could and I was not able to carry her. ABC also stands for Abulate before carry. I have already had my back fixed once, I might not be able to get if fixed again.

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Stupid, Stupid, Stupid

I hate more than anything, people that are just a waste of protoplasm. That do nothing but try and fake their way outta trouble, wasting my time, my police officers' time by totally refusing to talk, walk or anything else thinking "Well they won't arrest me if I'm hurt" I am here to tell you fucking bullshit. They will still fucking arrest you, you gun-toting, drug-selling, crack-smoking jackass. Here are my rules, they are very simple

1. When I ask you your name, don't ignore me or pretend to be "Unconscious" I know you can talk. You were just in a foot persuit with the police officer. You can't run if you are "unconscious"

2. When I ask you if you have been using any sort of illict drugs, I'm not asking for my health, Im asking you for yours. Don't fucking lie to me. I know what crack smells like and I know that when you heart rate is fucking 200, you have been doing something. I may look like this innocent little chick medic, but I have been doing emergency medicine for a few years. I have seen alot.

3. Don't fake ANYTHING. That is including but not limited to seizures, head injury, SOB, CP, or death. I have ways of finding out that your faking it. And I will let the hospital of choice know that you are basicly being a douchbag.

4. SHow me the respect you would show your mother. Don't spit, hit, cuss at, or kick me.

I have fucking compassion. But when you try and play me a happy medic I will not be. And ask any one, you don't want a pissed off medic taking care of you. Yes, I will treat you. Yes, I will be patient. But don't think I won't use the largest IV needle I got and I have no hang-ups in restraining your ass.

Friday, October 06, 2006

Guns, Guns, and more Guns

What is with the city these days. My normaly quiet southern town is being riddled with bullets. We are literally treating several Gunshots a day here. As in more than one. In the past few weeks we have had at least nine deaths due to the growing violence in the city. And thats just the ones I have heard about, or have been witness to. We had a gunman open fire on a club on one of the islands I think 8 were shot total there, one maybe two deaths from that. A possible gang related shooting where five were treated for bullet holes, one shot fatally. A step father executed his family in a trailer in the north district. Five from that, including the four kids ranging in age from 6-16 years of age. And most recently a robbery gone bad at a resteraunt, also in the north district, were the manager was fatally shot in the head. Then there was the taser death in which a cracked-out man decided to go after police. Now I ve already written about the tasers, but A recent artical in the paper, just really chapped my ass. The man that died, I am very sorry for that, but he went after one of the officer's gun. That actually justifies using deadly force. But instead of using his gun, the officers decided to use the non lethal weapon of choice the taser. Because of the drug use, the man was out of control, and I feel the officers did exactly what they should have. Had they used a gun and shot the man a diffrent debate would be going on. But I won;t get started on the Tasers again. I've already made my point with that one. But the gun violence is new to this city. We have had our share of violence, however it has been getting increaseingly bad. I am getting tired of having to pronouce dead children. A six year old should not have to worry about getting shot in the head while playing.

Being a medic I really have no control over the law enforcement side of things and all I know about forensics is what I see on CSI. I am here only to patch-up the injuried and stabilze them during thier trip to the trauma center. I have no idea how to fix these things. I don't know if gun contol in the answer because they will just find new ways to obtaine weapons. Maybee Chris Rock has the answer. He proposed in an old stand-up routine to instead of making guns harder to get, just make the bullets $15,000 a piece, that way, maybe, these people will think about what they are wasting their 15 grand peice of lead on. Would you really think that a bullet that expensive would be used in a robbery where you might get 300 bucks. I don;t think so.

Tuesday, October 03, 2006

ghetto truck and to tase or not to tase

Well..Well Back on the streetsfor my first full weekend. And oh how I have missed my District 2 crackheads. I was brought back to work on one of our trucks that work in the "scary" part of the city. Mostly Assaults, Shootings, Stabbings, psychs, drunks and general mischeif. Which is fine by me. Trauma calls, my friends, are easy calls. Not much too them. Bandage them up and take them to the hospital. Maybe start a huge fucking IV or two and do some Airway work if they are bad enough, but for the most part they don't even get to lay on the stretcher. The get the "Bench Seat Treatment" Some of them you feel bad for, some of them, I hate to say get what they deserved. I can only think that if they can be rude to me, the chick medic, I can only imagine what they did to get their asses hit over the head with a bottle of Wild Irish Rose.

Now, what is the general idea about Tasers? We had an incident with a suspect getting Tased here and subsequently died. Not from the Taser, mind you. But from the huge rock of crack that he smoked (that made his heart explode) just prior to the Tasing. However this is not mentioned in the newspaper. This is giving the police that partol out streets, that keep the people safe, or at least try to, and that cover my ass when I go into violent scenes a bad rap. I, myself, belive whole heartedly in the Taser. Would you like to go back to the old way of either a nightstick, or even better a gunshot wound? I have seen these things in action, and Im here to tell you, it will stop a guy in his tracks. But it is a great non-leathal weapon, espicially for the violent people that it gets used on. I have never, ever seen one misused, and I have seen it used quite a bit. I have many friends who are police officers and I would rather see them use the Taser than, them get shot or stabbed by some out-of-control, high on god knows what, street thug bastard. But this is my own opinion. I would also rather get called to pull the little prongs out, rather than get called to a GSW to the chest. Chest wounds are just a whole hell of alot of work for someone who probally won't make it anyways. I get all sweaty, and that just can piss me off. So I ask you which would you rather have to deal with...a taserprong or a bullet. Because quite honestly, that is what it all boils down to.