Driving Along Just Minding Our Own Business.

OK, this is late because I had the in-laws in town over the weekend and couldn't get to the computer. So, let's talk about Friday.

The day started out normally enough.
We received 5 post assignments within 10 minutes...
Were dispatched to a prank call...

The first patient we made contact with was having some freaky hepatic encephalopathy action going on and was alret and oriented but very combatant and doing some crazy stuff. Had to call one of my captains in and two cops...dude ended up really, really pleasant and conversant on the way to the hospital before having another seizure on me...ah, medicine.

So, we were like crazy busy all the rest of the day.
It was Motor Vehichle Accident Central. Call after call after call.

Later in the evening...about 21:30 (9:30PM) we get sent to a post in a neighboring town. It takes a while to get there...a bit of a strech on the interstate without much lights (You've driven on stretches like that)

So...we're driving along just minding our own business.
Suddenly, my partner swerves to barley miss a guy walking down the middle of the right lane of the interstate.

I have NEVER seen my partner so angry.
She pulls over onto the shoulder and starts to unfasten her seatbelt.

I start to get this really bad feeling and I say to her,
"Don't do it, he's crazy"
She opens the door
"Don't do it, he's going to charger you"

She get's out of the door, yelling at him words I shall not repeat on this family oriented site..
I think to my self, "I'm going to get killed because of my partner." and get out my side of the road.

Sure enough (I must have the gift of prophecy) he begins running at my partner screaming and waving his arms in the air. "Greeeeaaaaugh....Roaaaaeerragh"

So, the brashness that filled her spirits a moment ago jumps aboard one of the passing cars and hitches a ride to Oklahoma City...my partner promptly jumps aross the gully and away from the fine young gentleman with long billowing hair doing his best "Wild Kingdom" impersonations to alter course to follow her, gain his attention on me and change course once again to the Paramedic who foresaw all of this coming as soon as my parter started to slow the vehicle some moments earlier..

I reach in vain for my missing flash light...(Dang, in the truck)...key my mic and tell dispatch to stand by...("Unit -19 repeat?")..."Unit-19, Stand by"... ("Unit -19 are you in need of assistance?") I crouch down like a kung foo fighter...I start planning to do a leg sweep at the precise moment my advancing new found buddy gets close enough to me...when our sojourner miscalculates the slope ratio x his velocity x traction of his footing and encounters the gravitational pull of the earth...falls...and rolls into the ditch.

My partner leaps back over and starts making her way back to the Ambulance as I watch the undeterred animal impersonator literally crawl his way back up to the side of the highway..."Raaarh....GRrrrrreeeaaaaargh....meeerreeeearh!"

Just as he reaches begins to reach the top where it begins to level my partner shouts, "Put your knee in his back..put your knee in his back so he can't get up."

Sounds like an idea.

So, I put my knee into his back and hold down his arms.

-I hear my partner tell dispatch where we are.-

The man beneath me starts shouting, "Eeeeaaaauugh! She thinks I'm cazy!"

I shout back, "You're running down a dark highway, what else is she going to think?"

He makes a completely logical retort, "Aaaagh, I'm trying to get my life back together!"

-naturally-

I start patting him down and make it just to past his back pockets...
Just then..two cops run up, just as four more Tula Police cruisers and two Tulsa County Sheriff cars pull up.

(Holy SMOKIES! It wasn't EVEN two minutes from when I first keyed dispatch)

-Very impressive-

They ask me to back off of him, which I am all to willing to oblige...still marveling at thier response time.

They pick him up and promptly escort my new found buddy to jail.

One of the police officers (and a very, very giant of a police officer at that) turns to me, pokes me in the chest and asks, "You don't wear a vest?"

I say, "I'm thinking about ordering one."

He nods approvingly and says, "Good. Do it." and walks back to his cruiser.

Even if I wasn't planning on it and I am, I would not want a big, big man like that to come back to me later and ask where it is.

So, the rest of the night was still pretty busy, but not nearly as exciting as the first ten hours.

Death Sucks

I had come to the conclusion a few years ago as a Critical Care Tech (Fancy word for nurses aid in the Critical Care Unit) that no matter how it comes, death sucks.
Now, as a Paramedic, the enitre responsibility of the welfare of my patients rest completely on my shoulders.
Every little thing I do or don't do can effect the outcome.
The other day I had the first patient die on my watch.
As soon as I saw him/her, I knew he/she was too far gone, but there was enough that he/she had to be worked. He/she deserved to be worked. His/Her loved ones who were watching deserved for us to work him/her...yet, I knew what the eventual outcome would be...and death won out.
The ER Doc told me "Good Job and said that I "did everything correctly", but I have run the scene over and over again in my mind.
Could I have done this more quickly, and why didn't I think of that...
Found out later that the patient was engaging in activities which expidited the demise, and there was no way of my knowing... but I still feel responsible.
I felt like puking the rest of the night.
Death sucks.
I hate it.
Having to comfort the loved ones....seeing the empty shell of a person that once was...stomach is still in knots...I know I'll have to deal with it again some day and if it doesn't come in ten years, though it will more than likely come much sooner, it'll be too soon.

Death Sucks.
~

El Luchador!

Deseo ser un luchador... el honor, la gloria, la fama.
Para estar el héroe de cada hombre, niño de la mujer y sur houseplant de la Río Grande. Aye, ser un luchador... el luchador... el luchador...

Roller Coaster

Finally, my regularlly scheduled...er...um...schedule starts tomorrow.
I have a regular partner and shift, but have only been doing that two days a week.
The other two days have been a combination of early mornings and overnights. The O'l body clock doesn't have as well greased gears as it once did and I've had a hard time adjusting to the time changes and lack of sleep.
I'm still really digg'n the job.
Haven't had such exciting calls as my first week, but still some fun stuff and even the not so fun stuff that still give me an opportunity to make a difference in people's lives.
==
Hmmm...just got a page to take a patient accross the state. Special pay involved.
Need to check with the wife first....
Nah, tempting, but there is still so much I need to do that my schedule hasn't allowed me the opportunity to do it.
==
My toe is feeling better.
Still a bit sore, still misshapen and still swollen, but no more limp.
==
The house is coming together nicely.
My wife went out and bought a Chaise. So we have a Chaise and a rocking chair in the living room. Maybe a couple extra bonus shifts and I'll be able to buy her a sofa.
==
OK, Need to get ready to take my pre-schooler to school.
I'm sure I'll be back later today for more drivle.