Siffaliss

... when your ambulance is stolen while you're calling a code in a house ... when you have a 21 year old retard on a crotch rocket trying to outrun you at 3am while you're responding hot ... when one of your co-workers dresses up like one of your frequent fliers for Halloween

Yeah she's a volunteer, but she could always go work for a paid service. It's a choice she makes, just like I choose to be paid. As everyone has said, she really does need to grow up. There could be people walking around in public when she's not on call who have the flu and cough at or on her. What's she going to to do about that? Her best protection is still proper BSI according to the call and washing her hands, but I guess that's a little tough for her. (Glad I don't live in that area!) Think about it ... Have we all been exposed to MRSA? Probably. Have we all dealt with a patient with the HEP or the HIV? Probably. Have we all been around someone with the flu before? Probably. If you go to an "unknown" call and it turns out to be someone with the flu, would you run out of the room? Hope not. Would you put a mask on that patient, then mask and gown yourself to try and prevent further exposure? Hope so. I can hardly wait until this "pandemic" is over with so people start acting *normal* again.

This is a chat site, not a legal document. MOST people here have semi-reasonable spelling and grammar, and don't in fact type like teenagers. When it comes to a PCR however, that IS a legal document and a very good command of the language it is to be written in is required. Thatz awl I hav to say aboot thayat.

Historically, medications and such always do take longer to be approved in Canada than in the US. I had my doubts on getting the H1N1 as there is really no information on long term effects of the vaccine. There was no scare tactic used on me such as how the media whipped everyone up into a frenzy, then told everyone to stay at home if they have the flu unless respiratory difficulty is present. I made my decision on the information available and had the shot. If my shoulder necroses in 2 years and moves my elbow to the other side of my arm, well, it was my decision. (I'm double jointed anyhow)

IHAS is being absorbed by Edmonton Metro (gawd I hate that name) but will remain the transfer service. There will be no doing transfer calls one day and emerg calls the next. If an IHAS person wants to come over to emerg calls, they have to apply when there's a posting.

On the ambulance with an 80 pound granny, our backs get a reprieve. Plus we don't have to use additional resources for little granny. On an airplane, granny pays for and gets one seat. If she chooses to wear 17 gem sweaters to keep warm and fill out the rest of the seat, well good for granny. If someone takes up more than one seat because Baconator is their best friend and the one they turn to when they're happy/sad/mad/having an MI, and infringe upon my comfort zone (ie. don't touch my butt with your butt unless I ask you to), well then they can pay for the extra space. Better yet, give me part of my ticket price back! I like my rights too

Now there is certainly a lot of feedback on this one ... here's my little opinion. My service does in fact have a bariatric unit, I guess we're fortunate for that. We've apparently gotten good use of it, fortunately I've never had to call for it myself. Not entirely sure where I stand on this ... I mean, I think huge people on airplanes should pay for two seats if their rumps spill on over onto my seat. It's annoying when you have one hip going numb because some butterball is taking up 7 inches of your seat. So, should there be a separate fee for use of the twinkie truck, it's oversized stretcher and hydraulic lift? Probably. It's unfortunate that people let themselves get THAT big, however I'm always glad when I don't have to try and "move a mountain" ... hehehe

Nothing exciting really, just the typical ones ... mild headache, nausea, low grade fever. Weak/tired as well, which bothered me the most. I don't think I had ever been exhausted to the core like that before ... still, better than the flu.

... and in some areas, employers are saying (in no uncertain terms) that it's "mandatory" for staff to get the H1N1 shot. It should be the choice of the individual whether or not they receive a treatment. If you get sick and it could have been prevented by receiving (this shot) in particular, don't whine. It was your choice. I got both the H1N1 and seasonal shots, had all the nasty side effects however found it "less unpleasant" than having an actual flu. Maybe I'll still catch a strain not included in this year's seasonal brew, who knows ... I took advantage of clinics that were set up strictly for provincial health care workers, however would not have thrown a fit if I had to wait an extra day. I mean come on, how many times have we got into nursing homes or other health care facilities only to find out after the fact that our patient is MRSA+? Every one of us is probably MRSA+ ... Don't sweat the wait, everyone will get their turn.

Why can't crews give swiney shots to other EMS, fire, police? Last year for what I think was a few weeks in a row, we had paramedics taken off the road (voluntarily) to do a flu clinic in our central station for us. Way better than standing in line for 3 hours (or 8). They're obviously competant at giving IM shots and obviously have permission from the medical director. What's the big deal? Saves time.

One call I had this summer that made me feel like that. I was beating myself up about whether or not each decision I made was the right one; had I made a different choice at one of many points would things have turned out differently? I know now they wouldn't have, injuries were simply not compatible with life. I was offered a chat by one of our CISM people I trust, at the time I just wanted to go home. She gave me her cell and said to call if I needed. After I realized I couldn't normalize myself after work and was really reacting, I called and was able to arrange a meeting. That was probably the best thing I could have done; very informal, just a chance to vent and get all that stuff off my chest to someone who was able to make the time to listen (for two hours). So without minimalizing what you're feeling as I truly do understand, most or all of us have been or will be in that same position probably more than once during our careers. Definitely talk to someone, maybe take a debriefing. Get the specifics off your chest with someone trusted. Whatever happened, mistake or not, you're human. Take the initiative and talk to someone about what's bothering you, because if you don't it will quite likely eat you alive.

... just when I thought I had heard it all ...

Sounds like Edmonton! ... now I'm hungry for Kraft Dinner

It is a sad state of affairs for EMS in BC and Alberta. Unfortunately the only people who will soon be able to properly afford our services will be those who claim to be "running things" in either province (including one doc here who makes his bonus based on cutbacks to services for the rest of us). Some really good points made here ... health care should certainly NOT be a for profit business! And how about those people who think going into the hospital by ambulance will get them seen by a doctor sooner than if they went in on their own? What about granny who decides at 3am that because she hasn't been able to eat/sleep/poop for 2 days, she should call her daughter/son over to phone 911 for her? COME ON PEOPLE! Unfortunately here we cannot refuse someone transport if they request. Yes, ridiculous. Don't even get me started on people treating the ER like a walk-in clinic. That gets me going, especially when we're sitting their with a perfectly downloadable patient and a walk-in "I've got the sniffles" gets seen before my patient, and the only reason we're waiting with this person is because they're old and ooooohhhh just might have to pee at some point. But ohhhh that doesn't matter because the nurses are happy that granny has someone to talk at while she paces around in her pajamas wondering why it's taking so long. I love being in this industry and doing what I do. The people who abuse the system over and over and over again however and are continued to be allowed to do so, are one thing making it REALLY hard to want to stay and work in a province and city I've lived in my entire life. Not to mention the financial toll they're taking on all of us ...

I'm certainly glad you're not in my area then, Tom. There is nothing "safe" about an impaired driver, no matter what they're on be it ETOH, your little friend marijuana, exhaustion or anything else that will impair concentration ability. Unfortunately it's not realistic to take all these "safer" stoned drivers and stick them all on your street. Otherwise I'm sure thousands of communities would be more than happy to donate those lowlifes to your neighborhood. Well said ...

I was really looking forward to watching this, however forgot the night/time ... doesn't sound like I missed much however ...

Someone driving after smoking a joint is impaired. It's wrong in so many ways, it's not even funny. Reaction time is still slower. I suppose it would be ok for some guy to hit the bong a few times before going to work operating heavy machinery, however he has to drive through a school zone where your kids are crossing the street to go home. But that's ok! Because a little weed is safer than drinking ...

... yeah, and our illustrious government along with AHS think they're doing a fantastic job. They went in LESS than half cocked, and slowly people are starting to pay for it. EMS will be in ruins within 5 years unless something is done PDQ to remedy this situation. They SAY there was a lot of thought that went into the changeover, however I'd believe that about as much as I'd believe that one day my cat could be a paramedic. If there was so much thought, then why the "being in the dark" for everyone? It was not and never has been "business as usual". My ranting will however not do anything about it, except for alleviate a bit of my own stress.

yeah ...

The new provincial system in Alberta is anything but "run properly". They went into it with an immensely insufficient plan; already in debt over a billion dollars around the April 1 takeover date and they expected to sustain and ohhh, better the health care system by making EMS a provincial thing? The provincial government and AHS seems to be flying by the seats of their pants, and don't appear to have much of an idea what they're doing, and the little bit they have done hasn't made any of us here feel more secure about working EMS in Alberta. There are issues with forcing people into a union without giving them the right to vote on it, issues with freezing wages of EMT's in certain areas until the rest of the province "catches up". I am Alberta born and raised and have lived in the same area for my entire life, and used to want to spend the rest of my life here. However with the career I have chosen and the recent changes in EMS and AHS trying to run things with their own shortsightedness, I feel I am also left in the dark and will certainly not vote for Stelmach in our next provincial election.

Well then, here's a story for you ... last summer while waiting for my partner to put the unit back together at hospital after a call, I saw one of the funniest damn things ever. This blonde walked in with some guy (either her pimp or "dance instructor"). She was unnaturally curvy, obviously had several items on her body altered. So she sits down to talk to the nurse, then walked over to get herself registered. I was wondering what everyone was snickering about so I asked one of our medics. She says, "You see that blonde over there?" Yeah, I do. "Ok, well wait until she gets up then watch her walk away." Okayyyyy ... So Barbie gets up and starts walking in the direction she was told. Apparently, her left butt implant had somehow ruptured and had been leaking for a couple hours. Flubber hit the floor hard after falling off the pole? Hmm ... Even if there was a medical reason for him to do so, if she in fact came right out and said "touch my boobs" he would be better off handing over care to someone else. If he went ahead and touched them after a patient asked him to, well, he wouldn't be in the right state of mind then. And anyone who would even think of touching a patient while off duty? Completely inappropriate. A patient is a patient is a patient.

... and with Alberta having gone "loco provincial", it's all just a matter of time before that happens here. The singlemost important reason I'm in school right now for EMT-P is for the mobility. If somewhere else in Canada isn't appealing, there are plenty of other countries a paramedic is welcome in.

Doesn't mean it's right to prove it infallible either. Also, one doesn't have to be out of control with their drug use to incite something otherwise preventable ... could have been the first time in a long time or one excessive night. Point is, when it comes to illegal drugs, even a little bit is too much. I've seen several people out of control who were drunk and "just hitting the bong". Just like the last drunk/stoned driver I saw who caused a 4 car pileup. Meth heads aren't the only idiots out there.

Sure does ... once you learn it, it's like riding a bike. You never forget how to do it. Regular practice is required to maintain group uniformity and to 'brush up' a little ... never hurts

It can help to prevent head trauma should there be an accident ...