3 kids. 2 he’ll never meet.
Two Hands he’ll never get to hold.
That my friends, is bullshit.
Archives for uncategorized
I have been on days for six shifts. 72 hours. And I have had two fatal traumas, 3 workable arresrts, and 1 critical peds trauma.
That equals the 6 MONTHS of nights prior…..
May god have mercy…..
and I’m at work. Yup. You heard that right. M3 is working days. By choice. This last bid I decided I wanted to spend more time at home with my family at night. SO…. I bid days… full of interfacility transfers, little old ladies, and nursing homes.
In 2 days I have yet to have a drunk, mvc, or assault. I have however had 2 cardiac arrests, 9 falls, 3 “sick people” and 5 interfacility transfers.
I love being home at night… but ugh!
Still alive and have lots of post “ideas” but little material. Stay tuned and M3 will be back on the air.
This is from our recent Family Vacation to the Black Hills, in western SD. This is “cathedral spires” from “Little Devils Tower”. 
Last week while unloading a stretcher laden with a body (just to show how that day was going…) the cot latch failed and the 350 pound load came tumbling out the back of the truck with me on the foot end…
The result was my back muscles in intermittent spasming and a cot all the way on the ground. On day 4 of rest now and have 4 days before I return to work. A few doses of hydrocodone and cyclobenzaprine later, and I feel ok–though I keep screwing up and pushing myself too far.
Scary, to think that my whole career in EMS could be destroyed so quickly though. How would my family put food on the table if tomorrow I was out of work permanently?
Be safe out there, friends.
Spent the 4th with my family, and got to take a few fireworks pics for the first time.
Must be extra high here lately. People seriously can’t seem to stay standing up. I have responded to 67 “falls” this month. Me Personally.
yeah…
I am looking for advice on interviewing… for a Flight Medic position, in particular.
I am wondering, what type of medical questions should I expect?
What type of Personal questions should I expect?
Professional?
Any tips? Advice? Words of caution? Anything?
PLEASE?
I was out reading some of the motivational/inspirational esque poems and sayings about our profession when I found my favorite…
Dear God,
…
…
Please don’t let me fuck up today.
Amen.
A month after my visit to the doctor and I am feeling great. While my absence from this blog has been prolonged, my mind is a million times more clear. I went to the doctor with the feeling I might have Adult ADD. I came home with a script for Strattera, a non stimulant, non controlled medication used for treating ADD/ADHD. I wanted to go this route to make random drug tests at work less time consuming(RX verification through primary care doc, etc). I also wanted to try something that would have less side effects and dependency problems. 
I feel like it has worked great. I am on 80mg a day and it has been plenty. There are a few side effects, but all in all, I am very happy to have finally made this decision. If only I had done this 10 years ago… realistically I might not be here writing this blog!
So now I am trying to use my new found clarity and serenity to be a better husband and father. I hope I am doing so. I’ve got a few posts brewing, but honestly, every time I sit down to write, I can think of things I’d rather be doing. Eventually I am sure I will find myself back at it, but stay tuned till then!
I was busy cleaning and Asher was eating in his high chair when I looked and saw this….
When I was a kid my dad gave me this plaque that he had gotten as an award from work… On it was a quote from Teddy Rosevelt that read:
“It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly…who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at thebest knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who have never known neither victory nor defeat.”
Some days I’d like to send this to every one of my stuck up, conceited, jackass coworkers.
We found you slumped over in the arms of a town cop, some 15 miles from our station at the very edge of our coverage area. Your car had left your interstate lane, crossed the median, the oncoming lane, and made it 200 feet into a field/slough/mud pit after taking out two fences.
The journey to your stopping point feels like a trek in itself… in the end the insides of my front pockets are wet… and everything under them. Water sloshes out of the top of my “waterproof” boots(not useful when water comes from above)…
As I approach your rust bucket I smell the alcohol from 10 feet away. Your car has remarkably little damage–but I’m sure that having gone through a soft mucky mess is the reason why. The small town cop who grips your head in a vain attempt at C-Spine keeps saying that your airway is in trouble–a small town EMT, I take his word for it and say we need to do a rapid extrication. As the Firefighters arrive we pull you out, into the cold mud and puddles onto a longboard.
As I attack your arm with a 16g needle my partner directs ventilations while calling for RSI orders. You are limp and have frequent apneic spells–yet no sign of injury.
We manage to tube you, package you and start to move you as the blades from the incoming helicopter start to stir up fresh mud and weeds.
Off you go while we’re left waist deep in mud, sweat, and smelling like a slough some 12 hours later…
see more funny facebook stuff!
Part of my continual writers block is overcoming the starting point. I have always been a “title first” kind of writer. I come up with an idea based on some title or thought. From there I work.
Here are some of the Draft Titles sitting in my “posts to be completed” pile:
- The Losing Game
- Turn The Wheel
- Ummmm…..
- Dialogue
- Complacency Killed the Cat… Err… Patient…
Take a minute and head over to facebook.com and become a fan of medicTHREE’s facebook fan page. Thanks!
Is what happens when you’re making plans. So the saying goes, anyways. First I’d like to apologize for the lack of EMS posts lately. The combination of life, my dorky techy self playing with my new Droid, and everything else, I haven’t really found a lot of steam for new posts.
I’m trying though. I’m really trying to find my identity in EMS, life and all that jazz. I love my job, but the pay just isn’t there. I’m not running away anytime soon, but my wife and I are throwing around some ideas about my professional future. There are a few solid options and it’ll take some real thought before we move forward.
Asher is going in for an MRI on Thursday morning relating to what I believe is a superficial Gluteal Fold. Basically just a little fold on his bottom that is literally non existent, but worth getting check out.
Hope to get back with you all again soon. How is life in YOUR neck of the woods?
From my brand new Motorola Droid running android 2.0! Loving it!
When I should have been sleeping Thursday night, I was watching “I am Sam” on TBS. I actually tried to walk away from it a few times, but I guess I’m a sap for that kind of thing. Well, not really, but whatever. This post IS a little bit rambling and a lot scattered. Mostly because I’m a LOT emotional about it. I’m sick of watching “EMS Professionals” treat patients with complete disregard for the most basic of human needs.
It got me thinking about the countless parenting lessons the Main Character “Sam” offers us. As a mentally handicapped dad with an IQ around 70, the struggles WE all face on a daily basis are compounded–yet somehow he does it better than most parents could imagine. So… Because it is what I do, I TWEETED it. Next @EMS2Foundation asked me a simple question, that made my mind spin out of control.
do you think there’s any good lessons from “I am Sam” for EMS personnel?
Obviously I am Sam is full of Life lessons in general, but I think that the overwhelming theme is about compassion and understanding. I’m not sure what it was about this question that really got me going, but it did. I actually got frustrated trying to write this post–not because I can’t find the words or ideas, but because the basic concept–one we ignore all too often–is so easy. It is almost easier to follow this concept than what most of us do, but yet we still continue on.
What is this concept? Treat our patients with Respect, Integrity, and Compassion. The EMS Blogosphere is abuzz with EMS 2.0 discussion. Seems as though every one of my fellow bloggers has written an EMS 2.0 post–so I guess I HAD to follow.
For those of you who are living under a rock in West Texas, EMS 2.0 is:
EMS 2.0 is the global effort to reform prehospital emergency care. We are an open community that includes members of the general public, medical professionals, and policy makers. All of us are committed to reforming prehospital emergency care world wide.
Personally, I think it should start on a much more basic level.
Respect. Integrity. Compassion.
Respect.
It seems to me that medics have this God Superiority Complex that justifies the way they treat others–Our patients are scumbags, bums, drunks, and thugs. Our patients DESERVE what they got. Our patients don’t deserve good care. Our patients don’t deserve critical thinking. Why should I respect someone who doesn’t respect me?
Sure, we see a lot of bad eggs. Part of why we see them is the nature of BEING a Bad Egg. Bad Eggs do stupid shit. Bad Eggs make bad decisions. But…. Bad Eggs are still people. Do we expect the bad eggs to magically un-rot if we treat them like crap? Right…. Don’t get me wrong–I am not suggesting you coddle drunks and seekers. I AM suggesting that you don’t disrespect them. I AM asking that you don’t maliciously maltreat them. I AM asking that you give your patients a chance–now when they take that chance and piss it away by swinging at you, that is a new discussion.
I think that if we treat patients with respect, the image of EMS will only get better. Often we have this public persona that we are lazy, dirty drunks–much like the patients we hate–yet we don’t do anything to improve this image. It is OUR responsibility to ACT professional, and Respecting our patients is the foundation of that.
In the Movie, Sam doesn’t shove anyone down. As a matter of fact, it is striking how much he tries to NOT disrespect anyone. Our patients deserve to have a care provider with this dedication–yet often they end up with far less.
adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty.
I think the easiest way for EMS professionals to honor the integrity of our patients and act with integrity ourselves is to Follow the EMT Oath. What you say? We have an Oath? Yup, and while we might not put our hands on a bible or be sworn in like some public servants, we are still obligated to uphold this Oath.
Be it pledged as an Emergency Medical Technician, I will honor the physical and judicial laws of God and man. I will follow that regimen which, according to my ability and judgment, I consider for the benefit of patients and abstain from whatever is deleterious and mischievous, nor shall I suggest any such counsel.
Into whatever homes I enter, I will go into them for the benefit of only the sick and injured, never revealing what I see or hear in the lives of men unless required by law.
I shall also share my medical knowledge with those who may benefit from what I have learned. I will serve unselfishly and continuously in order to help make a better world for all mankind.
While I continue to keep this oath unviolated, may it be granted to me to enjoy life, and the practice of the art, respected by all men, in all times. Should I trespass or violate this oath, may the reverse be my lot.
So help me God.
A big part of Integrity is Pride in one self, pride in your profession, and pride in what you do. If you are missing one of these parts, maybe this profession isn’t for you. Maybe someone a little more disconnected is your cup of tea. These aren’t optional parts of doing our jobs the RIGHT way. If we can’t act with honor, why bother?
Compassion.
Likely the most underused tool in our “kits”. To do this job for a long time you almost have to disconnect from your patients. The things we see and do are hard on the strongest of hearts, let alone one who allows them to eat you up. What that doesn’t mean is that we should disregard the significance of the moment for our patients. Our patients are in pain, dying, sick, or injured and it is our job to assess, treat, and transport them to the next level of definitive care.
Assess, TREAT, and transport. Treating our patients doesn’t have to involve and IV, medications or the LifePak 12. It could simply mean providing a compassionate ear to calm them down. More often than not, my patients don’t need any “medical” care, yet few people outside of medicine are prepared to offer them what they need. They need someone who has “seen it all” and able to reassure them, comfort them, and be honest with them.
BE HONEST. Compassion doesn’t mean making false promises. You should all know better than to go all TRAUMA on me and yell at your patients for dying or promising they’re gonna live. If they’re gonna die, you don’t have to say “Look, you’re dying”, but you NEED to make them aware(obviously if lucid) of the severity of the event. You MUST be compassionate and part of that is being honest. Tell them what they NEED to know. Tell them in a way you’d expect me to tell your mother.
Sure, EMS 2.0 is about a lot more than all of this “simple” crap, but what point is there in wasting the effort to improve the rest of EMS if we aren’t doing the bare minimum for our patients. The smartest, best groomed medics can still disregard the simple basics of patient care.
In the end of the day, if you aren’t treating your patients the way you’d expect me to treat your 85 year old mother, step back and ask yourself WHY? Then fix it.
If you haven’t seen I am Sam, you should. Sure, it’s sappy and silly, but honestly there is little excuse for us to not all live with the same Love and Care for others that Sam does for his daughter Lilly. Either we decide to do our jobs with Honor, Respect, Integrity and Compassion, or we’ve decided to insult our patients AND our colleagues. What point is there in improving the rest of EMS if we can’t address the most important part?
I’m alive(sorry…)!. I’m now 3 days post op(just about to the minute) and I’m surviving. It is definately a challenge. I left the hospital on Wednesday morning after a good report from the doctor. Initially he was concerned as my vitals were all over the place. My first BP in recovery was 170/110, and my pulse ranged from 60 to 130. I am not the type to run 60 OR 130, so this was a bit troubling. Fortunately, I was drugged enough to not care. Once pain settled and a few fluid boluses went through, my pulse stabilized and my BP came down to a little higher than normal, but acceptible 138/84. I was on a morphine PCA pump during my stay and burned through about 60 mg of MS during 14 hours. Not terrible, not great. Mostly I was trying to get sleep, which didn’t happen during my entire stay.
My first memory in recovery was being able to burp. This is a godsend. I’m honestly not sure how people who can’t burp survive this surgery. The bloating that I’m feeling now is insane. As this surgery has progressed over the last 15 years, they have made the “wrap” looser and looser. Ideally it should prevent reflux and regurgitation, while not restricting swallowing and the like. Hopefully that is what we have done here. Obviously at only 3 days post op the swelling is high and it is hard to judge, but I AM reflux free so far. I haven’t been 3 days sans reflux in years.
Once my intestines get moving a bit more, I imagine things will be much happier in M3 land. Hoping to return to work on monday. Sorry for the rushed post, but will keep you updated!
Head over to Happy Medic Head Quarters to see just what is wrong with our healthcare system. God I hate this crap.
