Down On His Luck

From his finger tips one could tell he was down on his luck. The dirt had piled up for some time under his nails. The grime on his fingers would not wash ifc for several good scrubbings. His palms stained red from where he had held the broken bottle as he pierced and dug into the skin allowing the hemorrhaging to pool. The blood slowly drains from his flesh at the cuts in his wrist. Down his forearm to his elbow and fall to the earth below as if a drop of rain. Drop by drop growing the puddles that are collecting next his knees. As he kneels he lifts his hands up towards the sky and tilts his head back looking towards the heavens. Calling out, he looks for an answer as to why must he suffer. That answer never comes and he places the sharp edge of the bottle to his throat. He pushes the cold lifeless glass against his penetrible skin which begins to dent but not puncture. He questions everything that he has ever known and wonders why no one cares.

Just before he makes his final push an police officer pulls up seeing this man, ultimately stopping him from slitting his own throat. “I’m sorry” he tells the officer “I’m so sorry” breaking down into tears. We get the call and roll up in moments as out was just down the block. The man now on his feet still drips blood, throwing a bandage on his wrist to stop the bleeding we hand gloves to the officer so he can safely search or patient. Both doing out respected duties we work as a seamless unit. The officer satisfied the subject is clear and me feeling the bleeding is under control we help him in the ambulance.

Down on his luck and feeling depressed he felt he had no other choice. But for what ever reason the officer was going by there at that very moment he needed it most. In time he allowed the patient to get the help he truly needed and just maybe this patients luck was spot on after all.

City Life, EMS life, Learned on the streets

Good Night Sweet Child

It’s 930pm, just ten minutes ago he went down so peacefully. He used the remote to his light up moon to make out wane and wax. He wanted to push the button to turn his lullibie’s on. He climbed into his fire truck bed and had his spot book’s in hand. I cover him up with blanket’s as he wiggles into place. I ask if he wants me to read him a good night story and he smiles melting all the trouble he caused today away. I read his books and tell him sweet dreams, he leans in to give me a kiss. It’s a bitter sweet moment for it was our last day of the weekend off together. I give him a squeeze and he returns the favor. I wish him a good night and head for the exit. Turning off his light, I hear just a peep and close his door behind me whispering good night one last time. I close the gate and head down stairs all is silent.

But not for long! I hear the giggles and the foot steps just one floor up. A bang as I’m sure the books have come off the shelf. Back and forth, back and forth his little feet carrying him just as fast as they can. Faintly he calls out dada then loudly as he opens the bedroom door. A SLAM quickly follows, the the sound of it opening again. He calls out again DADA, SLAM again follows. The giggles, the screams, the shuffling of toddler feet. Then the music trails through and all is quiet once more. His last burst of energy before succumbing to the night. At last, some peace and quiet.

“RAWWWRRR!” Echos from up above…..maybe I spoke to soon.

Children, Family, Life, Parenting, Son

Action Equal’s Change

Tired of the confines of EMS?

Annoyed with what “little” you can do in the scope of practice?

Wishing there were more respect discutes at us?

Its all novel ideas, but what have you done to fix it?

What have you done to change EMS?

Maybe last week the universe aligned against me to frustrate me and test my patients. Or maybe it was rather to point something out and reinforce something. The fact that we need an attitude change from our providers. I know me saying this is not new, nor is it earth shattering and frankly it by its self will not change a thing. I know this and so do you the reader. So then what? What do I expect from writing this? Nothing. I expect nothing to happen. See much like above, I feel simply by writing about the problems we face and expecting things to get better is as foolish as saying we need expanded scope of practice and expecting it. It is all talk, and nothing will change from talk. Action is the key to change.

A few years back when I was working with a great partner, it was pondered as to why our region did not have an anti-emetic where other regions in the state did. She wished we could have such a simple drug for so many reasons, MI patients, General illness patients, patients that got car sick. Instead of just sitting there and complaining about why we don’t have it, she did something about it. She printed off research and articles as to the benefits of anti-emetics off the internet. She researched the other regions in our state protocols and drafted one that would fit our region. She presented a binder of information to our Medical Director and our Operations Director. After a trial with in our company it was drafted and implemented on a regional basis with appropriate approvals.

What I’m getting at is this, she put in time and effort to this project, if it was easy we would already have accomplished it. Scary as this is for some of you to hear, it takes hard work to achieve that what we want. You have to put forth the effort to make a difference. Nothing will get done if all you do is sit around and complain. Instead of sleeping through your shift, get on that world wide web and find supporting articles for your idea. Don’t know how to do that? Ask Google. It really isn’t Rocket Surgery. Build a case and present it to someone, if it doesn’t go over build a better case. If it doesn’t seem to go anywhere find a new angle to work to try and get it accomplished. It takes time and effort but it can pay off.

Instead of complaining about everything EMS isn’t…go out and make change. I will gladly listen to any case and research you have put together but until then its just complaining and I’m tired of it.

 

 

EMS 2.0, EMS tip, Leadership

A date in time

image

10 Years

Which is

120 Months

Which is

521 Weeks

Which is

3653 Days

Which is

87,672 Hours

Which is

5,260,320 Minutes

Which is

315,619,200 Seconds

Since we first went bowling

~143

Family

Nicu girl

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NICU Girl

Not even three hours old and already fighting for life.

Sitting under an oxygen hood, she’s fighting for life.

Being poked with IV’s, she’s fighting for life.

She lets out a cry and still is fighting for life.

Packed red blood cells run in, still fighting for life.

H&H still dropping yet still she fights for life.

Her color pinks up, still she fights for life.

Her cry becomes stronger but still she fights.

NICU nurses load her in the isolet, still she fights.

Not even five hours old and still she fights for life.

EMS, Paramedic