Right here! Right now!

I am grouchy tonight and I will probably be grouchy tomorrow, the next day, and the day after that too. If anyone reading this does not like attitude, foul language or complaining then I suggest you go elsewhere because I am venting. Right here! Right now! This is one reason I have this blog so that I can put my thoughts in writing instead of in someone's face. I am not little miss perfect personality and I have bad days and weeks just like everyone else does. I can no longer hold back my bitching for the sake of all goody goodness and am coming out of the closet with my temper tonight. Take me or leave me.

I have not gotten used to our new shift change yet and after doing 24/48's now for two weeks now I still think it sucks. I don't like it. Never will like it and no one can make me like it. Yeah, I am a spoiled brat. So what! Everybody has to be good at something and I think I have found my calling this week.

I found a little blurb of sorts today that fits my mood right now perfectly. Actually, it is the mother of all insults. I must memorize this and put it to good use if the occasion occurs. Take a gander if your virgin eyes can stand it.

It's amazing how much better I feel after typing this entry so humor me PA-LEEZE!!

I have two more 24-hour shifts this week and then I will have five days off. Until then you can expect minimal entries from this old gal. I am just not up to it.

Rambling About An Ordinary Day

I am sleepy and will probably ramble with this entry a bit but I am posting it anyway.

Yesterday at work wasn't too busy. We had seven calls. Three of them non-transports. All of our patients were elderly and three of the calls were blood pressure related. I was beginning to wonder if someone had put something in the water to make all those blood pressures go hay wire.

One call was an out of town transfer for a hip fracture. The patient was very friendly and despite her pain wanted to talk. Turned out that she knew my grandpa when he was younger. It has been my experience that many elderly patients will ask who my family is and when they learn who my grandpa is their faces light up. My grandpa, when he was alive, was a well known and much loved person in our town. Being one of his "chickens" has helped me gain the trust and respect from many people that I come in contact with. Due to his good standing in the community, they automatically assume that they can trust me too. This trust can make a huge difference in medic/patient relationship.

Another was a 911 call for an unresponsive person. When we arrived at that residence the family said, "Oh, there is really nothing wrong. We just want you to take dads blood pressure." The elderly gentleman was bedridden from numerous strokes and didn't speak (so we thought). We checked him good, made a big fuss over him and complimented the family on how well they took care of their loved one. This made them feel good and they were very appreciative of us coming out. Despite the fact that they misused 911 there really was no need to make a scene because they were sincerely worried about him. As we were getting ready to leave, I patted the old man’s arm and told him that we were going to leave him alone now. He turned his head slowly, smiled at me with his twisted mouth and although his speech was slurred he said, "thank you" in a whisper. The family made a big to-do about him speaking to me. They said that he rarely talked. I asked him if he had been playing possum and he grinned and shook his head yes. We all got a laugh out of that one. I never did figure out if he was thankful for us checking on him or if he was just glad to see us go. HEH!!

I had been in bed for about an hour and a half this morning when the last call came in at 0540. I hate those last minute calls when you are just about to get off shift but that goes with the territory. We got on scene about 0550 and when we got to the patients room one of the nurses stopped us and said, "Wait, she is not ready yet." ARG!! I know they didn't call at shift change on purpose but the thought did cross my mind.

Burning Down The House

My mom and I got up early this morning and went to the fire fighter training facility so that we could meet up with the fire fighter class and follow them to their practice burn. This is the same class that I taught first responder to earlier in the year.

Mom and I both took our cameras and snapped photos all morning of fire, smoke and exhausted students. The photo below is of the house just after part of the roof fell in. I have more but I am saving them for the next 26 Things Photographic Scavenger Hunt.



Mom will more than likely have some good shots up on her blog later. We were both exhausted and smelled of smoke when we got home this afternoon. I crashed across the bed and slept for several hours and I would imagine that mom did the same.

Photo Friday: Neglect

The Photo Friday challenge for this week is "Neglect".



"Neglected" house numbers with vines growing over them.

Sneezure

Snee"zure, n. 1. Sudden and violent reflexes caused by a state of uncontrollable paroxysms of sneezing. (otherwise known as the Achoo syndrome)

I came up with this out of the blue at work yesterday while watching a co-worker go "Achoo...achoo...achoo....achoo...achooo...achooooooo" in rapid succession.

I think I will have to submit this one to Words That Should Be in the EMS Dictionary But Aren't.

I submitted one several weeks ago but they haven't listed it. It was Xanaxemia, n. The toxic bodily condition associated with having too much Xanax in the blood. Often seen in nursing home patients or patients who attempt suicide but really don't mean it.

It Wasn't Me

Our day was quiet but as usual, the calls started coming in pretty much back to back around dark. First, we had an MVA with five patients. Luckily, none of them was seriously injured nor did they require transport. Then we had a "possible stroke" and shortly after that, an "ear hemorrhage". As we are on our way to the ear, I am thinking, "Yeah right, this is an unlikely story". Sure enough, an elderly lady had a bleeder that was coming from a tumor in her ear and it was spurting blood several feet. We put a big wad of 4X4's on her ear, bandaged her head up tight and transported her to the ER.

After that call, we transported the stroke to another facility out of town. By the time we got back, it was getting close to midnight. I didn't think I was going to be able to finish my paperwork without nodding off but I managed to get it all done without drooling on the keyboard.

My partner had crashed on the couch and soon started snoring his little heart out. He had worked several shifts in a row so I didn't bother him with helping me restock the truck. He needed the rest more than I did.

I couldn't help but laugh at him when he got cranked up with those sounds that were a mix between a snore and a gasp for air. I actually considered getting a bag of IV fluid, hanging it just above his head and let it slow drip into his gaping mouth. HEHEHE!! He would have deserved it because he accused me of farting in the ambulance when we were on our way back from our last call of the night.

I hate it when a smell comes from out of nowhere and creeps into your unit. You know that you didn't do it and you would like to believe that your partner wouldn't be so rude as to fart in such close quarters but that smell had to come from somewhere. He blamed it on me and swore that he did not do it. I blamed it on the catalytic converter of the car in front of us but I really think that he did it. ;)

To-Go Is The Way To Go

We had a quiet morning at work yesterday. Zero calls before noon. Several of us went to a local restaurant for lunch and had been there for about 5 minutes when we were toned out to a respiratory distress. First call of the day -- right in the middle of grub time. It never fails.

I don't usually like to eat out when I am at work because of this very reason. I would rather get a to-go plate and go back to the station. That way, if we do get a call in the middle of a meal I can at least put it in the fridge and finish it when we get back. I was being polite though. Following the crowd. I am not complaining mind you. I enjoy hanging out with my co-workers but I have wasted too many meals because of interruptions and yesterday just proved to me once again ...... Don't eat out when you are on duty!

Without My Wings

This is a poem written by my daughter. They are learning how to write poetry in school. She asked me tonight if I would put it on my website and of course I said, "yes". My baby girl has such a tender heart.

EMS Pay Is An Embarrassment

I followed a link that I found at Far From Perfect and came across and excellent read by Bryan Bledsoe, DO, FACEP, EMT-P. The link, along with an excerpt from the article is below. It points out a little known statistic about EMS worker fatalities.

The article has some good info about the pay, working conditions and the educational requirements of EMS personnel around the U.S as compared to Canada, Africa, United Kingdom, Australia and the Netherlands. According to the article, other countries seem to put a greater value on EMS than does the United States. I wonder why that is?

Dr. Bledsoe sums up his article by saying, "Consider this: My $3.45 an hour salary as a paramedic in Fort Worth in 1977 is equivalent to $11.48 in 2003 dollars. Sadly, EMS pay in my hometown is not much better nearly 30 years later. And that, my friends, is an embarrassment and a shame."

EmergiBlogs News

I haven't mentioned Emergiblogs in a while but that little project has taken off and has become quiet popular as a point of interest for the EMS/medical blogging community. It now has 19 members.

Doc has been working the site today and has added a Latest News page to keep the "community" informed about announcements and important items. I am sure that if you find something of interest to the community as a whole he would be glad to post it there.

Emergiblogs has been third on my list of top referrers for the past three months now so I know that it has been useful for many.

Home Defibrillator

I had heard about the home defibrillators but hadn't seen them advertised. I saw a comercial last night about the Philips HeartStart and for about $2000.00 you can purchase one for your home if a doctor deems that it is a medical necessity and perscribes one to you or a family member. Medicare may pay for it if the patient meets the criteria.

Some of the medical conditions that may meet the criteria for medical necessity for a home defibrillator are:

• If the patient is at risk for sudden cardiac death but an implantable cardioverter defibrillator is contraindicated
• Pre-heart transplant
• Patients for whom an ICD would be indicated were it not for other co-morbidities (e.g., infection, trauma and breast removal)
• Family members who have yet to manifest disease, but whose family is at risk for SCA
• Other psychological or physical contraindication for ICD
• General cardiac risk profile that would indicate an elevated risk

Read more about the defibrillator coverage policy which was effective January 1, 2004.

gadgetguys.com also gives a review of the product.

Tricks Of The Trade

I found a huge list of "Tricks of the Trade" the other night. It was fun reading though all of them all because I am such a "know buff". Although most are for physicians there were a few that would be useful to EMS personnel. I have listed some of them below.

HANDY RULER
Don't have a ruler? Dr. John Wipfler in Peoria, Illinois, always keeps his handy, so to speak. Every doctor should make a mental note of three measurements from his or her index finger: metacarpal-phalangeal (MP) joint to tip (usually 8 cm), MP joint to proximal interphalangeal (IP) joint (usually 2.5 to 3 cm), and MP to distal IP (usually 6 cm). This "ruler" stays with you wherever you go to facilitate physical assessments involving measurement, such as the extent of a rash or laceration. Knowing the distance from your thumb tip to your fifth digit tip with fingers abducted is also useful for larger measurements.

SOUND CHECK
To detect a femoral fracture in the field, Gary Keel, PA-C, in Granbury, Texas, enlists the ability of hard tissue to conduct sound better than soft tissue. He places his stethoscope on the symphysis pubis, then taps on each patella. The percussion note on the side of the intact femur sounds like a click, while that on the side of a broken femur could be described as a thud. This added bit of diagnostic information may help to identify the leg in need of radiologic evaluation and at least warrants a splint for the side with the thud. Practice on a healthy, uninjured leg to become familiar with the normal sound, suggests Mr. Keel.

SHEATH THAT STETHOSCOPE
Recent data support the idea that the head of a stethoscope can serve as a transmitter of disease. To reduce that risk, and especially to avoid contaminating the stethoscope with blood, pus, vomitus, or other infectious substances, Dr. Chris Dutra of Berkeley, California, covers his stethoscope head with a nonsterile examination glove. This tightly fitting cover rarely interferes with auscultation and is easily discarded after the exam. Dr. Dutra also uses an isopropyl alcohol pad to wipe off the diaphragm and bell after all is complete.

DO THE MATH
Tube sizes for pediatric patients are difficult to remember. Accordingly, Dr. Fred Leonard of Tucson, Arizona, offers these useful mnemonics--generally confirmed in the Harriet Lane Handbook. If you know the size of the endotracheal tube (ETT)--which is equivalent to the size of a patient's little finger or to (16 + age in years)/4-you know the rest:

• ETT X 2 = nasogastric or Foley (French) size
• ETT X 3 = depth to insert the ETT
• ETT X 4 = chest tube size

In a pinch, use anything that you think will fit while you calculate the correct size.

MELLOW YELLOW
Can't remember the desired color for end tidal CO2 indicators? Here is a handy mnemonic provided by Dr. Steve Jarrard of Lander, Wyoming. He says the phrase "yellow is mellow" helps him keep the patient the right color and maintain a proper pH.

(I remember the colors by saying "purple problems, yellow yes")

Although EMS wouldn't have a use for the next one, I thought it was funny.

STOICAL STANCE
When collecting a urethral swab from a man, Dr. Jaeger directs the patient to hold his own penis with both hands. He finds that if the swab hurts, the patient holds the penis tighter but doesn't pull away.

Photo Friday: Morning

This weeks Photo Friday challenge is "Morning".



I was on my way to work one morning last week and the closer that I got to town the foggier it got. Our EMS office sits close to the banks of the river and I could tell as I approached work that there was a huge fog bank hovering over the water.

After I clocked in I went back outside to fetch my camera. As I walked around the building, the two trees in the photo caught my eye. Their blackness against the white fog made them seem alone and cold. The river is in the background but it is hidden because the fog was so thick.

The scenery over the river every morning is beautiful sight. I find myself in a trance sometimes when looking at it. The picture that Mother Nature paints is never the same.

Little Miss Suzy Homemaker

I finally got around to getting the material to finish my quilt yesterday evening. I am a little confused as to exactly where I need to start with the quilting part so I am going to have to call my grandma and maybe do a little research via the Internet on quilt making procedures. It's not as easy as it looks.

Earlier this week I cut some small blocks, sewed them together and made a pot holder or hot pad (which ever you want to call it). It isn't square and the corners are rough but I think it is sorta cute. Hubby said he thought that it looked like a tiny pillow instead of a pot holder. I wonder if I could sell it on Ebay?



Speaking of Ebay, I made my first buy there the other night. I found some neat looking material that I really didn't need but wanted at the moment. I was also curious as to how a transaction worked on Ebay so I decided to give it a shot. I made a bid and won. Hubby came in just as I was paying and asked me what I was doing. I looked up at him and said, "I just bought something off of Ebay baby". He looked at me with that "oh crap" look and said, "How much?" In a sheepish tone of voice, I said, "Four dollars and seventy six cents."

The butt munch laughed at me.

After I made my purchace I noticed that there are tons of folks selling those little squares for quiltmaking. They have got to be making some money doing that because some of that stuff was being sold at some redicilous prices. I just might have to give that a try.

Have any of you ever sold things on Ebay before? Is it worth the trouble?

Weblog Author Personality Quiz

Want to know what kind of weblog author you are? Take the Weblog Author Personality Quiz to find out what weblog archetype personalities you most closely resemble.

I answered 60 percent of the questions in a manner that closely resembles those of a normal person.

The Emotions Of A Parent During An Emergency

There are times when I wish that I could get into the minds of people before we arrive on the scene of an emergency and calm them down so that when the ambulance does get there, emotions are not running wild. This is especially true with emergencies involving children.

When a child gets sick or injured, emergency medical personnel realize that the situation can be very upsetting for the parent. We understand that, more often than not, the parent will be anxious, distressed and scared. This is a natural reaction. Many of us have children of our own so we can relate to their fears. We know what they are going through emotionally.

When a child is sick or injured, parents should try to remain as calm as possible. Children watch the reactions of their mom, dad or caregiver. When they see that the person who is supposed to be protecting them is out of control or hysterical this will only increases their anxiety and fears and make it hard (if not downright impossible sometimes) for us to do our job.

When we (EMS) arrive on scene and find a parent too preoccupied with their own fears to assist us we may ask them to step back if they are hindering treatment and transport. Having an out of control or irate parent not only makes the situation harder for the child, it can distract the EMS personnel from what they should be focusing on which is the patient.

It is important that we know exactly what happened, if your child takes medications, is he/he allergic to anything, and do they have any past medical history, etc. When we ask these questions, parents should not look at our questions as if we are delaying treatment/transport. The answers that parents can provide could make a world of difference in the outcome of the situation.

When a child is taken to the ambulance, parents should not jump in the back of the ambulance with their child. As much as we want to keep them together, we are not allowed to let anyone ride back there due to liability reasons. Many parents get angry with us when we ask them to please step out. The best thing that a parent can do is reassure their child before we place them in the ambulance. Tell the child that they will be fine, that you will be riding with us (if this is the case) and that you are not going to leave them. When parents jump in the back of the ambulance and we have to ask them to step out, the child may see this action as if we are taking their parent away from them.

Parents must work with us. Not against us. Helping us to calm the child is important but to do this the parent must be calm. Controlling your emotions makes it easier on everyone involved.

Another Medic Blog Introduction

Dang, this blogging stuff is catching and Emergiblogs is growing by leaps and bounds. Twenty members strong now.

If you remember, a couple of weeks ago, I introduced a co-worker of mine. Well, now a second co-worker of mine has jumped on the blog wagon. He calls himself "Paramagic".

I didn't know anything about this second one until it was a done deal but am proud to see that he is fitting right in. He is an excellent writer too with some thoughtful commentary. I didn't know these guys had it in them until they started blogging. I never would have thought that either of them would have taken to this hobby like they have.

Welcome to Blogland Paramagic!! Nice to have ya on board.

How Do You Know When You Are Accepted?

I was chatting on the phone with a male co-worker the other night. We were discussing work stuff and had been talking for about 10 minutes.

As were were getting ready to end the conversation, I said, "Bye" and he said,....

"Ok, Later dude."

It didn't register with me until after I had hung the phone up that he had called me a "dude". I started laughing and hubby looked at me like I had lost my marbles. I chuckled a little more and told hubby, "He called me a dude. HEH!!" I have never been called a dude by a dude before.

That was the moment that I realized that I had been accepted into the "It's a guy thang" community. I guess it's better to be called a dude than a bitch. Ya reckon? ;)

Men. Ya gotta love em.

The Snot Files

If I have to blow my nose one more time I am going to scream. My head feels like it has been run over by a log truck, ears are stopped up, pain under my eyes, eyes watering. My whole face hurts. Sinuses. BAH!! Who needs them?

I wasn't feeling all that bad yesterday. Just a little blah. I called mom and asked her if she wanted to go take some photos but within an hour I was feeling really bad. We cancelled our mother daughter outing and I layed around all evening. I got tired of wiping my raw and painful nose so I wadded up two little rolls of toilet paper and shoved one in each nostril. Nose tampons. HEH!!

Today I shall continue to blow, wipe and cough. Oh joy!

I would love to call in sick tomorrow but I always hate doing that because it causes such trouble at work trying to fill a 24 hour slot. I do not think that what I have is contageous so I guess I will just tough this one out and take plenty of tissues, cough and sinus meds to work.

Hear Me Moan About Shift Changes

Our shifts will be changing at work in a couple of weeks. I am not sure that I like this change because there will only be two days in between 24 hour shifts instead of three that we currently have.

Basically, how the new shift works is, you work 24 on and 48 off. When your shift falls on a Saturday, you get the next 5 days off. Then it starts all over again. Highlighted in the image below are the days that I will work in April.



These hours may not be a problem for the young wipper snappers but with me feeling rather old, stiff and cranky lately and having a child at home it seems like this will be more exhausting. I just don't know. Maybe I will get used to it. Actually, we don't have a choice in the matter contrary to what we were told when our new EMS director came onboard. So I guess it is either deal with it or get another job which is something that I don't want to do.

Shift work can suck no matter how you look at it and adding extra hours to what you are already working is going to suck even more. Although the five days off will be nice it looks to me like I might need those 5 days just to recoop from being beat in the ground for 3 weeks.

EVOC Recertification

We had an EVOC (Emergency Vehicle Operators Course) class last night. My recertification wasn't due until September 2004 but since the class was available I went ahead and took it. It never hurts to refresh your knowledge about emergency vehicle operations especially after reading about the tragedies in Texas this past week.

The class was made up of EMS personnel, fire fighters, police officers and dispatchers. I have to say there were some in the class that I hope never ever get behind the wheel of an ambulance that I am riding in. Some people just don't take this stuff seriously. That's all I have to say about that because I might go off on a rant if I don't shut my trap now.

Artist In The Family

My mom is an artist. She is not only good with her camera but she does oil paintings as well and is quiet good at it. She was thinking about coming out to my house and taking pictures of three paintings that she gave to me but I beat her to the punch a while back. I just haven't posted them.

Here is a photo of one of my favorite paintings that my mom did. This woman knows she can sling some paint.



If I can shake this scratchy throat and stopped up head of mine this morning I am going to call mom and see if she wants to go do some picture taking today. She wants to get some shots of old, dilapidated houses so that she can use them for ideas for a new oil painting. That would make for a nice Saturday mother-daughter outing.

EMS Involved In Fatal Accidents Two Days Apart

Two days ago, a reader pointed out an article to me. It was about a pedestrian who had been hit by an ambulance while the ambulance was enroute to the scene where two pedestrians had been hit and killed. She asked me to comment. I wrote back and told her that it sounded like this may have been someone responding to a scene in their personal vehicle rather than an ambulance that struck the pedestrian.

Turns out, my suspicions were correct. It was a firefighter responding to his station in his personal vehicle and not an ambulance. Still bad either way you look at it.

This morning, she sent me another article about an accident involving two ambulances that occurred in the same county (Montgomery County, Texas) last night - just two days later.

My heart goes out to the families that these accidents have affected as well as to the EMS personnel in Montgomery County Texas. This is just awful for all involved.

Hat Tip: Sherry

Excuse Me For Being On Your Damn Internet

I started this entry night before last. It was late and I was tired so I never posted it. Good thing I didn't because I was as mad as a wet hen and said some really nasty words. After reading back over this post this morning, I decided to replace all the bad words with ***** so that I wouldn't sound like such a potty mouth.
-------------------------

First, I find that some ***** has posted his casino website in my blog comments for some posts that I did last November. He had the nerve to say "Thank you". Then, the same ***** posted three comments on my mom's blog. I banned his IP (lotta good it will do) and deleted his comments.

My email boxes are full of ***** spam from ***** wanting me to buy ***** of ***** that I could care less about and even if I did I certainly wouldn't buy it from them. I wish the stupid idiotic, brainless ***** that reply to and buy that ***** would learn that they are only keeping those spamming sleaze bags in business.

Then to top off my night, my computer gets really slow while I am playing the trial version of Bubble Shooter. Then all of a sudden, click. The blue screen appears and then disappears so fast I don't have time to read what it says. My computer re-boots itself. My antivirus is set to automatic update so I don't worry too much about viruses because it usually does a good job of catching them. In fact, it just updated this morning when I got online. But, being the cautious one that I am I run a virus scan and find 38 viruses called zhit.1654. There is no info at Symantec about this specific virus so I put them in quarantine. Knowing my luck, the ***** thing is eating my computer alive as I type.

I don't know if the virus came from the Bubble Shooter .exe file or not but it was the only thing that I have downloaded in about a week. I guess it could have come from the IP that I banned which if entered into your browser goes to a hacker site. I did a Reverse IP Lookup and that same IP belongs to Threatfinder. com (!!!enter the site at your own risk!!!) which is a site that provides security scanning. Oh, I am sooo *****. I wish those ***** would throw up for hours, fall in their vomit face first and aspirate.

I want a private Internet! I am tired of sharing it with spam, viruses and anyone else that doesn't have the common courtesy to leave me the ***** alone.

The Internet is going to ***** y'all. Really it is.

I Know It's Ugly But I Made It From Scratch And It's Gonna Be Warm

I finally finished my quilt top. All the corners do not match up and it isn't the prettiest quilt on the block but dang it, I finished it all by myself. Besides, a quilt isn't supposed to be perfect because only God can make things that are perfect.



This quilt is made with old flannel shirts from the two most important men in my life. My hubby and my dad. That makes it very special to me.

Hubby was home for lunch when I put the last stitch in and helped me spread it out. I don't know if he was just being nice but he said that he thought it was pretty. All I have left now is to put the batting and backing on it and do the quilt stitching. That will probably take months to do because the quilting has to be done by hand. Wish me luck!!

Rosie The Riveter

"You must tell your children, putting modesty aside, that without us, without women, there would have been no spring in 1945." ~quote at the Rosie the Riveter Memorial

I am sure you have seen the image below around the blogosphere. Especially on blogs that are authored by strong willed women. I never knew this bit of history but that woman in the image is named Rosie and here is her story.

EMS Haiku#1

lights flashing at night
cold hands trembling with fear
lifeless blood pooled deep
~ medicmom

I enjoy reading the haiku and other poems that Deb writes at Sugarfused. Her haiku has inspired me to write my own. I don't know if I will be any good at this but am going to give it a whirl.

While reading up on what haiku should consist of (because I have been out of school to long to remember) I found that it should have three lines, usually 5-7-5 syllables. It should include some reference to the season or time of year and should be written in the present tense. You should write about everyday events in nature and in human life but don't explain them. Haiku should create an emotional response in the reader by presenting what caused your emotion rather than the emotion itself.

I am not sure if my first haiku above follows all these things but it was an interesting giving it a shot. As I have said before, I don't consider myself a very good writer and find it hard to put my feeling in writing sometimes. What I intend to do with my haiku is use them to express the feelings that I have pertaining to things related to personal experiences with my job in emergency medical services. They may or may not have meaning to anyone but me.

Get Up Little Dude

Yesterday morning when I left work I saw a dead squirrel lying in the road about a block from the station. He had been hit by a car. Standing in the road directly beside the dead squirrel was another squirrel. He looked distraught. I came to a stop in the road because it was apparent that the little booger wasn't going to run. I sat there for probably 30 seconds before he decided to take off.

In those 30 seconds, I saw something that I had never seen before. It made me sad. The look on the squirrels face was one of terror and uncertainty. He was toggling his feet back and forth, switching his tail and his teeth were exposed. His neck was stretched out and he was smelling of his deceased buddy. I think if the little fella had hands and could talk he would have been shaking his buddy and saying, "Get up little dude. Don't die on me. Ya gotta get up!".

I know it sounds silly but I thought about that little fella all day. I felt so sorry for him. I wonder if he grieves for his friend or did he go on about his life like nothing happened?

In 20 Years

Sorry but I couldn't resist this one. When I saw this picture the first person that came to mind was Acidman.

This is Mr. Vitrolic himself in 20 years after he has been kicked out of the US for being a racist, woman hating, gutless bastard. He will be walking the beaches of Jamaica half nekkid, carrying his empty tip jar, posting messages to his blog via cell phone telling everyone, "Y'all can kiss my cracker ass!!"



photo shamelessly stolen from You Big Mouth, You!

Hugs ARE Good For The Soul

I come from a family of folks who love to hug. Hugging really is good for the soul. I can be in the worst of moods but if someone gives me a tight squeeze around the neck it can change my whole outlook on the day. Smiles are the same way.

Unfortunately, there are some people out there who shy away from hugs. When you approach them and attempt to put your arm around their neck, you can feel them pulling away. I have never understood why people feel like this. I guess because I have been hugged all of my life.

My mom has always called our family a "touchy feely bunch". Nothing sexual mind you. We just like to be close.

I found the cute bears to the right at Otto's on her adoptables page. I am not a big fan of having a bunch of graphics on my blog but I couldn't resist letting those two reside here on my sidebar for a while.

Right Wing Zealot

According to the Useful Voter Guide I am a "Right Wing Zealot".

Brainsbreaker

If you are a puzzle fan I highly recommend Brainsbreaker. Mom got me hooked on it about 5 years ago and we are still enjoying it years later. My grandma even uses it. In fact, Brainsbreaker is the only reason grandma uses the computer.

For a one time fee you have full access to the program and any updates in the future. You can download images from their site or anywhere on the Internet. You can also use photos taken with your digital camera.



There is a free download so that you can try before you buy. You can also go here and download a single puzzle instead of the whole program.

I don't get any kickbacks for this recommendation. It is just a darn good product.

EMS: Not All Bad

I got to thinking about something tonight. (errrmmmmm.....a dangerous thing when medicmom starts thinking -- Y'all run!!)

I tend to blog about a lot of the negative aspects of EMS, the bad things that we have to deal with like mean ass patients, nurses with crappy attitudes, staying up all night, etc. But I just want my readers to know that EMS isn't all bad.

There are times, like the hip fracture call at 5am on my last shift, when the love that your patients show you can be overwhelmingly rewarding. Here was this frail little lady, almost 100 years old, lying in her bed in severe pain from her obvious fractured hip that she sustained in a fall while walking to her kitchen. When I walked into her room, she looked at me, smiled. I said, "Good morning darlin'. (yes i call some of my patients darling, sweetie and honey -- nothing wrong with that IMO) What happened to you this morning?" She told me that she fell and that he leg was hurting something awful. As I leaned closer to her, she reached up to me with outstretched arms and said, "Come here. Let me hug you." She squeezed me tight and then kissed my cheek. What a precious dear.

We got her to the ambulance and she held my hand on the way to the ER and asked me not to leave her. She talked about her 28 grandkids and asked if I had any children. She wanted to know where I was from. I told her that I had lived in our town all my life and that seemed to comfort her because she gave an approving nod. It seems to be comforting, especially for the older people, that "home town folk" are taking care of them.

After we turned patient care over to the ER staff, I finished my paperwork, got all of the required signatures and went back into her room to say goodbye even though I was already into overtime and wanted to go home. She hugged me once again, told me how sweet we were to her and thanked us for helping her.

So see there. EMS is not all bad.

Fairly Quiet Night

Last night was my 12 hour PM shift on the ambulance. We were able to sleep all night with the exception of checking an inmate at the jail around midnight and transporting a hip fracture to the ER about 5am. I like those kind of nights.

I am scheduled to do a 24 hour shift tomorrow and hope that it is as quiet but somehow I doubt that.

I am thinking about going down to the fire fighter class in a little bit and get some photos. They are doing hose drills today. Maybe I will come back with some interesting pics.

Another New Toy

Well, it isn't really new but ......

I bought my moms old laptop yesterday for a little of nothing. It's an old calunker Compaq Presario 1685 running Windows 98 but will do for what I need at this time and that is to basically just play with. I am going to load Paint Shop Pro, Dreamweaver and the software for my camera onto it. That way I can play while at work.

Hubby says that he wants to be able to sit in his recliner and connect to the Internet so I will be fixing him up with that tonight.

I am afraid that having this old laptop is only going to make me want a new one though. A little overtime and I might be able to do that. Hmmmmm........ ;)

Questions About Paramedics/EMT's From A Student

In an effort to distance myself today from controversial issues I am going to answer some questions that Doc posted at his EMS forum. They are questions from a student who is doing a report on Paramedics/EMTs for a class.

- how did you get started in your career?
I was trying to find my calling in the medical field and signed up for nursing school but dropped out. Several weeks later, I received a call from an EMS instructor. How he found me I still don't know. He said that he was trying to get a Basic EMT class together and asked if I would be interested. I signed up. It never occurred to me that this was the start of my carreer in EMS.

-what are some of the advantages of being a paramedic?
Advantages are the ability to help people, make a difference in the lives of others and learn lots of interesting things.

-the disadvantages?
For me, disadvantages are working odd and sometimes long hours and having to come home and be a mom and wife, being exposed repeatedly to traumatic situations and sometimes violence, and knowing the true outcome of certain things (drinking and driving, not wearing seatbelts, child abuse, etc.) that may never cross the mind of many people. The later drives me crazy sometimes. I worry too much which I think is a result of me painting mental pictures of what "could happen".

-what training or education did you need to complete before you were able to apply for the job?
The Paramedic course as well as classes like CPR, BTLS, ACLS, PALS, EVOC. EMS education requirements have changed since I started my career in EMS though. They are more extensive now which is a good thing.

-what enjoyment do you get out of your career?
Interaction with the public, helping people when they are at their worst, the fairly relaxed work environment, learning new things and days off in between shifts.

-did you have any inspirations that helped you decide to be a paramedic?
I always new that I wanted to work in the medical field. I never really had any inspiration. I just knew.

-what are some situations you might run into?
The scenarios are endless. We might be in a ditch attending a dying patient who is trapped in a mangled vehicle one moment and the next call will be transporting an elderly person from a nursing home who is going for tests at the hospital. Or from working a cardiac arrest in the middle of a church service to responding to a pasture where someone has fallen from a horse. Or bandaging a skinned knee of a child who simply fell off of their swing set to trying to console a child whose parent sat them in a tub of scalding water as a form of punishment. We might be standing on the banks of a river where a child fell into the swift water 15 minutes prior to our arrival or splinting the arm of a woman whose husband just beat the stuffing out of her. (i could write a book with this one question)

-who drives the ambulance?
My partner drives most of the time because I am usually the higher level. If we run with two Paramedics, then we can swap.

-what are the rules when driving an ambulance?
Rules for driving an ambulance are basically the same as for any vehicle. You have to obey all road laws. Safety and defensive driving are important. You have to keep a watchful eye out for other drivers especially when running emergency because many times, the public does not know how to react when an emergency vehicle is approaching. It is important when driving an ambulance that you keep in mind the vehicle will not stop as fast as a car because of the added weight. Ambulance drivers also have to remain aware of the fact that they have a patient on board (often times with injuries) and that their partner is usually unrestrained in the back giving patient care.

-what tools are stored inside the ambulance?
Tools of the trade. Airway supplies, oxygen, intubation equipment, Cardiac monitor/defibrillator, IV supplies, drug box, bandage material, lots of tape, scissors, gloves for protection from body fluids, biohazard supplies, various patient monitoring devices, spinal immobilization devices, splints, territory map books, paperwork, communication devices...just to name a few.

-how long are your daily shifts?
Our pay periods last two weeks. During that time we normally work three 24 hour shifts, one 12 hour shift, a couple of nights on the back up unit and an occasional day or two (optional) call the "day truck" which runs from 8am - 4pm.

-what do you do once you deliver the patient to the ER?
On arrival at the ER, we deliver the patient to a room assigned by an ER nurse, give the nurse and/or ER doctor a more detailed report on the patients chief complaint, any treatment that we provided to the patient, and the outcome (of lack of) of the treatment that we provided. After patient care is transferred from us to the ER we have to complete our paperwork (several pages), clean up our unit and place it back in service.

-do you have to fill out paper works for each patient?
Our paperwork consists of a billing sheet, HIPAA form, PMO and if the patient has Medicare we do a release form and medical necessity form. After we get back to the station, all of the information that we put on paper has to be entered into a computer. Paperwork (plus computer time) for one patient can easily take up to 30 minutes.

-what is the average amount of calls daily?
The average for our service is about 5 - 8 calls per day. There are times when we do more and other times when we do nothing.

-how many paramedics travel to an emergency in the ambulance?
We always have at least one Paramedic on each ambulance. Drivers range from EVOC certified drivers to Paramedics (who are also required to be EVOC certified).

-how many people work in one ambulance?
We have two people on our ambulances at all times. If we get a really bad call and need assistance, another EMT, firefighter or police officer will ride to the ER with us. There have been occasions when I have summoned the assistance of a bystander to ride in but this doesn't happen often.

Let Me Recommend Something

This one is for the ladies (and guys too if you use lotion).

I picked up some Dionis Goats Milk hand lotion (Shenandoah Rose) at Cracker Barrel last week while on a "date" with my hubby. This is some great stuff. It leaves your hands feeling so soft and does not have a greasy feel to it. Smells good too.

I am not affiliated with this product in any way. I just love it.

You can order it off their site but it's a dollar cheaper at Cracker Barrel just so you will know.

Should A Man Keep His Opinions To Himself Because He Might Offend Someone?

I am not big on getting involved with the latest blog drama happenings and am probably going out on a limb here but what the hell. I am in a mood.

This post by Acidman has ruffled a lot of feathers all around the blogosphere this week. He is being de-linked by a many bloggers because of his use of the word, "nigger". They find it offensive and are cutting ties with him. That's their perogative to do so but, goodness gracious, I think some of them are going a little overboard with this delinking drama crap.

As vile as it sounds the man makes some very valid points.

I'll be the first to say that Rob has disappointed me with some of the stuff that he has spewed forth lately. Especially his getting pissed off at DaGoddess with the cat thing. I thought he was down right childish in the way that he acted with that deal and I am still miffed at him about that. There are other things that he says and has done that I think is absurd and I surely don't agree with the way that he addresses women. There have been times when I would have liked to just knock the crap out of him for some of the things that he says. If I could get my hands around his neck I would probably choke him. But I read him because he is raw. He speaks his mind. No holds barred.

On to what I was going to say......I have to ask all of the de-linkers. Are you so spotless?

Piss on being PC. Speak your mind Acidman.

Not Our Place To Judge

I have been quiet on the issue of homosexual marriage and basically felt that for homosexuals to marry was wrong. Mainly because of my religious beliefs and the way that I have been brought up. After pondering the subject, I didn't have a problem with civil unions but was still undecided on marriage. One side of me said, "it's wrong" and another side said, "well, maybe it's alright".

There are many decent gay couples living a good life and contributing to society just as much if not more in some cases then their straight neighbors. I don't know many homosexuals personally but the few that I have met and are acquaintances with are good people. They deserve the same rights that I do IMO.

After reading an entry by JediMedic I think he makes some good points. One being:

So my final stance on this subject is -- let them marry. What happens in the end is between them and their maker. It is not my place to judge them or anyone for that matter.

Blogosphere News

The World Star Gazette appears to be some sort of news site about the goings on around the blogosphere. You can even submit your own site. I didn't see a medical or health category there but I suspect there will be one soon.

Worth a visit in my book.

link via Sugarfused who made their headlines the other day.

Rock and Dirt Kinda Man

Before hubby and I got married, I told him that I would love him, cuddle him, take care of him and give him my all. You know, all that mushy stuff you promise your spouse to be before you tie the knot. But, I also made it clear that he was to never, ever, ever shake his tea glass at me requesting a refill, expect me to pick up his dirty underwear or other things of the like. He is just as capable as I am.

My darling dad used to shake his tea glass at mom and she would jump up like a good little wife and refill it for him. It always irked me so that she wouldn't just tell him to get up and get it himself. At the age of about 13, I already knew that I would never let a man tell me what to do. My husband would never shake his tea glass at me and expect me to fill it just because he said so. It's just not right. Equal rights. Am I correct ladies?

Hubby knows how I despise it when a man treats a woman like she is his house maid. I am not the "good little house wife type" of the 50's. Anyway, you get my drift. This subject could turn into a blog entry all in itself. On with my story.

So anyway, I was sitting here at my computer reading some EMS stuff tonight when my Nextel goes, "Blip, blip" and I hear hubby say, "Bring me some milk and brownies." Keep in mind that he is in the house with me three rooms away from where I am. In his recliner. Kicked back with his bare feet in the air watching TV. Of course, he knows what the answer is ("Get up and get it yourself.") but he does this because he knows that he can get a rise out of me. He finds it amusing to call me from the other room on his walkie talkie phone and attempt to give me orders.

I picked up my phone to answer him back and said, "Houston, you are breaking up. Unable to copy." He replies, "I know you can hear me woman. I am not breaking up and I want my milk and brownies in my lap."

I get up and proceed to the room where he is so that I can pick on him. When I rounded the corner, he looked up at me with his eyebrows raised (because he knows I am fixing to get off on a rant about pitiful, helpless men -- HEH!). I cracked up laughing because he was sitting there reading a magazine. Not just any magazine though. He was reading "Rock & Dirt". That name sounds little-boyish don't ya think. Like let me go get my dump trucks and tonka toys and go play in the mud. HEHE!!



The sight of him kicked back reading that magazine and trying to order me to bring him brownies was just so typical of him. He is just something else. Men! You can't help but love them to pieces.

What A Beautiful Day

It is in the 70's today, the birds are singing, my pear tree has blooms on it and new grass is starting to appear. Absolutely gorgeous outside.

I opened my windows and doors this morning to let some fresh air in. A little later, I heard something in my kitchen so I went to investigate. I rounded the corner just in time to see a little bird shit on my kitchen table. The little stinker. Then I heard something behind me and there was another bird. Two little wrens had found their way in my house and were enjoying themselves poking around for goodies.

I stepped back into the other room because I didn't want them to freak out, start flying around and hurt themselves. They finally found their way back outside after several minutes.

Spring is upon us folks.

Odd Trauma Bag Supplies

I went by the fire station this morning when I got off work to get the trauma bags off the fire trucks so that I could clean them out, wash them and see what supplies were lacking so that they could be restocked.

As I was dumping all the bandages, roll guaze, tape, etc. out of the bag here comes one lone tampon rolling out of one the pouches. I thought I was gonna crack up.

Can't wait until the next fire meeting. I wonder how the guys will explain that one? HEH!!

EMS Live

This is neat! EMS Live is offering streaming live radio talk every Tuesday night. Times for the online LIVE Paramedic radio show are 6:00 - - 8:00pm Pacific Time, 9:00 - 11:00pm Eastern Time, 10:00 - 12:00am Atlantic Time.

Blog Introduction

I would like to welcome a new EMS blog to the blogosphere. Dixie Couple is authored by a co-worker of mine. Adam is a Paramedic. His interests are his beautiful family (he has twins - a girl and boy), EMS, and most anything related to Southern Heritage.

When I first met Adam several years ago I thought he was just another plain ole person. He is a quiet man and doesn't bother anyone. I have always liked him but in the past couple of months I have grown to respect him more so than before and think that he is wise and good hearted person. A true southern gentleman. He is a hard worker and will pull shift after shift after shift without complaining. (too much) Adam can sing like the dickens and plays guitar pretty good for a country boy. He is very knowledgable when it comes to Confederate history and is a strong supporter of these issues so don't even go to his site and think you will win a debate. HEH!! ;) (Adam, I apologize in advance if you should get any southern/confederate hating trolls on your site due to this entry)

He is also the co-worker that I blogged about several months ago. The one that found my blog. I think it's neat that he is now blogging as well. I guess he would be considered one of my "blog children" now.

I worked with Adam last night from midnight - 6am and we were up late discussing some work related issues. There are a lot of things going on. Changes. Some good. Some bad. I tend to be hot-headed sometimes and have a tendency to speak before I think on occasion. Well, ok....so I do this more than just occasionally. I can't help it that I am outspoken and fly off on a tangent in the blink of an eye when I feel that I am right. Anyway, Adam made me realize (probably unknown to him) that I need to just calm down a little. Let those work related things slide off my back more and not worry so about them.

Oh, I left out one important detail about my co-worker.

HE SNORES ALL NIGHT LONG AT WORK!!! ;)

My Mom and Dad

I went to visit my grandma the other day and she gave me three boxes of old photos. I was surprised to find that she had a school picture of my dad for every year except for one. Can't wait to get those online and email them to dad.

The photos below are of my mom and dad. I think they were both around 17 but I am not sure. I will have to get mom to confirm that. They have been married for 39+ years.

They make a handsome couple don't ya think?

     

Today is my mom's birthday. She is many years young and looks as good as ever.