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Only because I think I said it right the first time.
<strong>WE’VE ALL BEEN THERE….
Sad as it may be, many medics spend a great deal of time trying to get out of doing their jobs. We’ve all been there: annoyed, over tired, and over worked. We don’t get paid any more to transport, so sometimes we seem to think that maybe the patient doesn’t really need an ambulance….
I can see how it plaid out in my head. I really can… and that is what scares me the most. In 2008, 39 year old Edward Givens died shortly after EMS saw him at his home. The medic that day told Mr Givens he was just having acid reflux and recommended Pepto Bismol. Two hours later Mr Givens was dead.
You can see it now, can’t you? Maybe the patient is being overly dramatic, or maybe it is the family. You’ve been working for 20 hours and this is your 30th call. You’re 8 charts deep and know that another refusal or no ambulance needed is less work than the transport…
But here is the problem…. it is our job to transport people to the hospital. It isn’t our job to determine whether they need an ambulance or not. If someone wants to go, we take them. Regardless of whether you think they are sick or not. We don’t diagnose. We don’t cure. We are in the business of transporting patients.
I don’t know what really happened that day in 2008, but I do know that we’ve all been there before. We’ve all spent a considerable amount of energy on not transporting someone. Maybe you’ve even had a close call. A stroke you thought was a diabetic… or an AMI that you thought had reflux… But until now you’ve skated by.
Well stop. Stop expending so much energy trying to get out of doing your job. If you’re no longer interested in transporting patients, find a new line of work. When it comes down to it, is it worth risking someones life, your job, and your family’s livelihood on it? The medics in question here were not found to have violated any policies or procedures by their employer…. but do YOU want to live with that on your shoulders?
What do you think about it now?
For the past 11 weeks I’ve been back on nights. I’ve spent 50% of the last 3 months away from my family, missing them more than I can describe. The hardest part has been saying “goodnight” to my son over the phone. When we started, it was particularly hard. He didn’t really get it, and mostly just ignored the voice on the phone. Now he gets it… and maybe it is even harder… His sad little voice is just too much sometimes.
But in a week, I get to go back to days. There are a lot of changes with that switch to days, all of which make me anxious… But I get to go back to days! I get to tuck my boy in, sleep in a bed next to my wife, and see them both in the morning.
The stress working nights has put on my family is hard to explain… but god damn it will be nice to be home like a normal dad. Three years ago when I started this career I couldn’t imagine how it could put strains on my life….
Be safe out there, friends…
Godspeed,
m3
Back in November I got to spend nearly a week hunting Mule Deer in Western South Dakota with my dad. On my way home I took a few pictures of my favorite memories from the many trips with my dad. The first are of an old Minuteman Missile Silo just a few miles from where we stay. The gate was open, so I helped myself to a tour…
Next is an old Sears and Roebuck house on the land we hunt. It is like a lighthouse overlooking this wide open stretch of prairie. I’ve been enamored with this house since my first hunt out there 15 years ago.
And a few of a long vacant motel just off the interstate.
Finally, a pic of my little guy at one of his favorite places
For all of my life I have been “moley” as my mom calls it. I have a lot of moles. My parents both have a good deal as well. When I was younger I had a few larger moles removed, but nothing was ever found. They were Benign. Over the years I let myself get more than my share of sun. Years of life guarding and doing stupid crap while not protecting my skin. Well, if only barely, it is starting to catch up with me.
About a month ago I had two moles excised from my back, mostly as a precaution. They are two of nearly 2 dozen of various sizes and shapes on my back. A week or so went by and I had nearly forgotten about them when the Dr’s office called and said I needed to come in to have them excised out further. I was in an awkward place and busy, but I said ok and scheduled an appointment.
I arrived on the day of my appointment with basically no idea what was going on. The doc came in(a doc I have went to off and on for 15 years) and we chatted casually, and then he got a little more serious. He explained the moles were not malignant… not yet anyways. They were dysplastic nevi. “Abnormal moles” if you will. The name sounds worse than it is, or does it….
Skincancer.org says:
“those who have 10 or more have 12 times the risk of developing melanoma compared to the general population”
Ok. You got my attention. I now have take a pledge with my wife to not go out in any way without sunscreen. We’re still looking for the best oil free sunscreen that comes in spray on. But it just has to be part of my life. I’m in search of a good Dermatologist too, since I feel like the previous doc just guess at which to excise.
Also, I’m a little scared. I’m a lot scare, really. Of all the medical problems I’ve had over the last decade, none of them have had life threatening implication. None of them involved the C-word. Most of them were “voluntary” surgeries. Maybe even “elective”. I’m having unnatural thoughts and fears and I only know enough to scare me.
Ugh.
So I just ask you. Get check. Check out the info at dcmf.ca for some tools to help you track the moles you have. I plan this week to take photo documentation of the moles I have to “catalog” them and their progression. My wife is going to be creeped out by this, but I really don’t care.
Just get check out. Ok? And watch this video. Its worth the 5 minutes of Desperate Housewives you’ll miss.
