Month: July 2009
-
Reciprocation, and perspective
This morning I’ve received my first official outside link. Kal over at TraumaQueen.net accepted my submission for this month’s edition of the Handover Blog Carnival. Read the post, and check out what some other great EMS bloggers are doing. From there you can follow the links to past monthly editions and see some of my […]
-
Olive Oyl
The patient lay emaciated in her own bed, propped up on pillows, with her head lolled to one side and her mouth wide open. I had to look twice to see if she was breathing. The firefighters said they couldn’t hear a blood pressure, and I wasn’t surprised. Her husband was a wiry and determined […]
-
A bear in the park
“Engine 3, Rescue 1, Medic 2: respond for the reported serious motor vehicle crash with entrapment.” A chill ran through the room. We had just finished cleaning up from last night’s double-fatal crash. The equipment was all cleaned and back on the rigs, the coffee was fresh, and we had just sat down to begin […]
-
Steak Tips
“Medic 9, you’d better take this one in, too. It sounds like they may need some help.” Due to a quirk of geography we were actually closer, but the other crew had a head start. We both arrived on scene at the same time, from opposite directions. “IF YOU’D BEEN HERE SOONER HE […]
-
Sunrise and CISD
The Martin boys were home from college, enjoying a night out on the town. Some time around midnight, the twin brothers decided they were too drunk to drive home. They did the right thing, like their parents taught them, and called their friend and neighbor ‘Joe’ for a ride. Unfortunately, Joe was also too drunk […]
-
Emergency Medical Weather
We have a term to describe certain EMTs and Paramedics at work: White Cloud. A White Cloud is a crew member who never has anything critical happen around him. This is not to say big things don’t happen when a White Cloud is on duty, but he/she will be busy helping Mrs. Smith off the […]
-
LOOOCY!
“Ambulance 87, take the response. Maplewood Nursing*, on the second, for shortness of breath.” Patrick* and I worked every Tuesday together and had become good friends. He was about my height, but maybe 30% bigger, and he liked to play hockey in his spare time. We lit up and responded out to the Maplewood. Normally […]
-
Mommy
The room is dark and quiet. The other three patients stir in their corners, startled by our raucous arrival among them. They quickly settle, realizing as we make our way to the fourth bed that it is not their time. Our patient starts awake as we approach. He is small and frail, a mere shadow […]
Notes from Mosquito Hill 