DwayneEMTP

Hey Ash, welcome to the City. Though I've helped several family members through the dying process, I can't imagine having to watch any of them die unexpectedly while I watched. Tough gig girl...good on you for taking the steps to move forward and stay positive. You make a point that is near and dear to my heart. The thing you remember most is the look from the driver. So many of our opportunities to help are mental and emotional instead or along with physical. I like it a lot that that is what spurred you to want to take EMS for a test drive. It's hard to give you much advice only because I have no idea what a pharm tech cert requires. If it requires college level A&P then you're golden. There is much more that you can do, but certainly not much that you need to do to be a rock star in your class. I Googled Biodh se Amhlaidh and seem to have found it to mean, "Let it be" or akin to "So be it." Is that right, or close? Either way I like it a lot...Any chance you can private message me links/info on it's origins? Good to have you here Ash...Stay...study...participate. You will be amazed how it distinguishes you from your classmates. Dwayne

Hell, I'll do it today if you want. Isn't that what friends are for? Excellent point. Unfortunately choosing to die an a manner that suits you is illegal in our country. But, as above, I'll be more than happy to help assuming I can watch the activity that comes before...as I know that there is really only one that you love 'that' much... Dwayne

Which piece of gear are you thinking would have helped here? Dwayne

Regulated by whom? And if they should choose to regulate at that level, why shouldn't they be able to dertimine that motorcycles are too risky as well? How much risk is to much risk is, and should be, and individual decision. Quadriplegia is paralysis caused by illness or injury to a human that results in the partial or total loss of use of all their limbs and tors.Read more: http://www.disabled-...p#ixzz1UQhHn3j0 As well, I don't see any part of that description that states that being mentally incompetent is part of be a quad. Again, he had a life altering injury. He wasn't in some way reverted mentally and physically to a child. HE was responsible for his behavior and choices, not those around him. The article states that he jumped, what, 160 times before or so? There is a reason that these things are considered high risk activities...sometimes folks are going to bite the dust. For what? Negligence secondary to failing to babysit the gimp? Despite his condition, it sounds to me like he was every bit a man...I'm guessing he would kick your ass for suggesting that someone else should go to prison for his decision and lack of prep. You need to check again brother.. Dwayne

Good. Being an asshole is bad for everyone, but having the backbone to have the potential but the professionalism to choose against it...Awesome. Ahhh...so you killed someone in Colorado and the judge sentenced you to Texas? Seems harsh...but times are changing. Hopefully you've learned your lesson. Should you get parolled and end up back in the Springs, do me a favor and give me a shout? I'll buy you a cup of coffee if you like. The City is a small world...I've met many here and have remained lifelong friends with all that I've met...we shouldn't pass up that opportunity if it's available. And there are quite a few of us from within about a 200 mile radius of the Springs. For the record..I've been married nearly 25 years, not a perv, I'm harmless..completely different than having coffee with, say, LS. Good on your for participating. Thanks for sharing your stories. If you stick around I think you'll find that we have many, many, really strong, smart, professional lady providers here...they're inspiring. Dwayne

Actually, I was wondering about putting about 10mg of Fentanyl in a syringe with a nasal atomizer and just make a cloud of it around his head? Of course we're really off into 'what if' land now...but I wonder if it would work? Dwayne

The world is so funny. Everyone has their fetishes and perversions but we're all supposed to pretend like we don't. And no worries Annie...I got your back Babe... Dwayne

1. I think part of a best friend’s job should be to immediately clear your browser history if you die. 2. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you’re wrong. 3. I totally take back all those times I didn’t want to nap when I was younger. 4. There is great need for a sarcasm font. 5. How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet? 6. Was learning cursive really necessary? 7. Map Quest really needs to start their directions on # 5. I’m pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood. 8. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died. 9. I can’t remember the last time I wasn’t at least kind of tired. 10. Bad decisions make good stories. 11. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren’t going to do anything productive for the rest of the day. 12. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I don’t want to have to restart my collection…again. 13. I’m always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page technical report that I swear I did not make any changes to. 14. “Do not machine wash or tumble dry” means I will never wash this – ever. 15. I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? **** it!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voice mail. What did you do after I didn’t answer? Drop the phone and run away? 16. I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste. 17. I keep some people’s phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call. 18. I think the freezer deserves a light as well. 19. I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lite than Kay. 20. I wish Google Maps had an “Avoid Ghetto” routing option. 21. Sometimes, I’ll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and suddenly realize I had no idea what the heck was going on when I first saw it. 22. I would rather try to carry 10 over-loaded plastic bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in. 23. The only time I look forward to a red light is when I’m trying to finish a text. 24. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger. 25. How many times is it appropriate to say “What?” before you just nod and smile because you still didn’t hear or understand a word they said? 26. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers and sisters! 27. Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever. 28. Is it just me or do high school kids get dumber & dumber every year? 29. There’s no worse feeling than that millisecond you’re sure you are going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far. 30. As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers, but no matter what the mode of transportation, I always hate bicyclists. 31. Sometimes I’ll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is. 32. Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, finding their cell phone, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey – but I’d bet my ass everyone can find and push the snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time, every time!

Hey D, Welcome to the City. Two college degrees and you're going for you EMTB? Are you friggin' insane?? :-) I don' know what a retired LMT is...in fact I don't know what any kind of LMT is...What is that? Good on you for continuing on with your education. I'm guessing that the EMTB maybe has more to do with survivalist prep than with looking for a new career? It's good to have you here. But, be warned, the 'silent observer types' really don't reap much from these forums. If you really are an eternal student, and you truly do want to commit the nooks and crannies of EMS to you gray matter, you will have to participate. It's not nearly as bad as it can sometimes seem. I have a feeling that you have a lot to offer. Don't cheat us out of the chance to learn from you. Dwayne

Hey Eric, welcome to the City. What kind of a dept are you applying to? Knowing that will make all the difference in the responses that you get. Dwayne

Just for grins, lets take the same scenario, only a person is visible in the floor inside, appears unresponsive but was speaking with dispatch just moments before, and there is a large dog attacking each window that you try to open... Rural town, no animal control within 2 hrs... Dwayne

"Favors?"

First off, your paramedic was a bitch. This is your second day..how many calls did you run? How much down time did you spend actually checking the truck and learning where things are? Even if you spent a bunch I'll bet it didn't help much as it's hard, at least for me, to keep track of things until I've used them, or things like them. This is the deal Brother. You need a little bit of time to get used to things, but you are on an ambulance now. You no longer have the right to become flustered and ineffective regardless of the situation. No...Matter.....what. You no longer have that right? Ok? If you can accept that, and believe it, then you will be a long way towards becoming calmer. Second, if you feel nervous, slow down. If/when you get behind, slow down. You can not think well, move well, perform well when you are wound up. You will make additional mistakes and simply get in your own way. When you do get to that place, badgering you and treating you poorly, hurting your spirit, does nothing but fuck up the whole system. That medic should be moved immediately from a preceptor spot. I don't know you of course. Maybe you're an asshole. Maybe you think you know everything. Maybe you just didn't pay attention and that got everything screwed up. I don't care really...treating people poorly simply runs the whole system down and makes it weaker. Next time out...slow everything down. If she calls for a BVM, I know you want to make it magically appear, but that's rookie bullshit. Find the bag or cabinet that it is in. Open the door carefully so you don't have to grab at it and jerk it several times, take out the BVM without dragging everything else in the cabinet out with it..as you might need that next. Assemble it and hand it to her. Slowly! If she gives you deep sighs or talks under her breath, ignore it. Because you don't want feedback? No, because there is no useful information in posturing and being dramatic. If you focus on it it will make you less secure, you will begin to hurry, and you will make stupid mistakes. You are going to make a million mistakes, that's just the nature of the beast. Slow down though, and you will stop making the stupid, easily avoidable ones. I, as well as most medics I know, want to see that you are 'aware.' That you know where your body is in regards to the pt and crew. Where your feet and hands are. If I ask you for a chest seal, I don't need it that very instant, but I'm going to need it soon, so I want to be confident that when I'm not looking at you that you will be calmly trying to solve my problem instead of floundering around like a fish out of water. See? If I have to help you? No problem, but you are wasting my time if I have to try and calm you down so that you can follow instructions. I can't tell you whether to call corporate or not, as I have no idea of the political climate where you work or the processes that may be in place. But my knee jerk reaction is that if you're not sure whether or not you should call, then don't call until you are. Being new sucks. We all have lived through it many times, but for your medic to purposely make it suck more should be considered unacceptable by the company you work for. You should know the ALS bag well. Break it down generally in your head. Airway, breathing, circulation, meds, fluids, bandages, and always, always, always carry tape. Then at least you will gave a general zone to begin searching in when you need something. Keep your chin up. Get busy on the City and start posting. You'll be amazed at the confidence that you can gain when you're thoughts and ideas are critiqued by your peers. It truly does translate to the real world. Dwayne

If you're talking about moving the leads around, do you think it likely that someone not qualified to do a 12 lead with todays technology would like have been taught that? Or be able to interperit it if he was? Or maybe you know of a different way? And even then, I've heard of doing 12 leads with a 3 lead, but with 3 leads being unfiltered would that truly give you cardiopathic (is that even a word?) diagnostic ability? Not sure.... Not busting your balls brother..you're a gift here..just trying to see what I might be missing... Dwayne

Yeah, not so much. Plus, how is Rosanne any more of a 'common man' than any of the politicians? She's rich and lives a completely separate kind of life from the masses. How is she different and/or common? Though it's nice to believe that any 'good guy' could do a better job in Washington, politics is actually a massive, corrupt, 'good ol' boy' machine. You might as well ask can the common man really do what Rambo does because 'he has a good heart.' Politics is about deals, and kickbacks, and dishonesty. What 'good' man do you know that has the tools to play on that playground? As well, America ran out and elected the last man that they thought was a 'good guy' for president. How's that working out? The fantasy is awesome, the reality is that our government, and likely the governments of most countries is barely distinguishable from traditional organized crime...the common man just can't compete. Dwayne

Well, if it's to be judged by another thread, EMS has no legal/moral/ethical issues with breaking into anyone's home, at any time, and removing them against their will for any reason if, in EMS's judgement they feel that it may be in their best interest... Does that help? :-) Dwayne

Friggin' kids....

First, ask them to move their fire trucks as you're dumping your jump bags our of your rig. Move your vehicle so it doesn't block the ambulances path. (Be prepared for the macho fire dude to be upset at your arrogance at asking him to allow access to the silly ambulance. This may sound like a cheap shot, but I can't remember a single time that I've asked a firetruck to move that someone actually moved it.) Pick up your bags and then continue with your call... You have no use for more people than you may need to help get the stretcher out of the house, but the vollys are going nowhere, you can count on that. In fact, unless the body looks dead you can cancel everyone except help to carry and also to witness any damage that may need to be done. I had nearly this exact call actually... My partner and I checked all the doors and windows, could see the patient waving us in, or so it appeared, from the bed through a window but she was unable to come to the door. I holler at a young fireman and say, "Hey man, think you can find a way in there?" He says, "Yeah, if you say so!" as he's running towards the truck. My partner in the meantime says, "Hey! You can't give him permission to damage property!" As I hear the door being pried open, I told him.."I didn't give him permission for anything. I simply asked him a question. His adrenaline is his problem." I'm guessing he learned, like we all do, to settle down and think... We got in, fire spent half the day repairing the door and all was right with the world. Short answer. If PD is there I've always just been able to tell them that "I need access" and they get it, either through one of their tools or OK'ing fire to break something. If the police weren't there then fire is always more than happy to break something, though I have seen many firemen come up with some friggin' ingenious ways of gaining access without doing any damage at all. If neither option is available then I'll choose the quickest, safest, least destructive way in...but I will in fact go in if I truly believe that there is a need for me to be in there. Let the white shirts sort the rest out after patient care is complete. I would, any day of the week, rather defend being an over zealous patient advocate than try and defend why someone suffered because I was afraid I might get into trouble for breaking a window. Not exactly sure if that was what you were looking for, but if not, my apologies as it wasn't my intention to hijack your thread.. Dwayne

It is completely ridiculous that you are a BLS provider...change that, would you? Dwayne

Yeah, man. The damage she's done. She should be fighting to stay out of jail for fraud, yet she's claiming she will continue to champion the cause of autism. She was it's biggest enemy in the last decade, yet she is so completely unself-aware that she can't begin to see it. The millions she's made for appearances and book sales should have to be accounted for and returned to the autism community in my opinion. She's the embodiment of "Beauty without intelligence is a masterpiece painted on a napkin." Dwayne

Actually, they do have a point. It's been proved and proved that we offer almost no spinal care with a collar and L/B, so if we take almost none and turn it on it's side, maybe we have lost the little that we gained...not sure, but intuitively it makes sense.. So yeah, you may want to go and fess up to your class brother...scientifically speaking you led them off into the ditch... :-) Dwayne

Yeah, it was meant to be a play on the old SNL skit, "liars club" I think? They lied about everything..starting most of their sentences with something like, "Why.....I....one time there was this school bus...and it was....full of nuns! Yeah, that's it!" And ending with "Yeah....yeah....that's the ticket!" Dwayne

We actually had a full day on this I think in school. They psychology of death, helping to begin the grieving process by using the word 'dead' instead of others, why 'compassion codes' are bad, the responses and questions to expect, etc. Most in my class, or at least many, seemed to see it as a waste of time, but man, I found it to be really valuable. It didn't make it easy, but it did seem to give me confidence that I wasn't driving these patients backwards at least. Of course, that's just theory, as we rarely get the chance to follow up on this intervention like we can many others... It's hard when someone's loved one dies of apparent natural causes, but when we choose not to work a suicide their emotions are doubly or triply (not sure if that a word or not) screwed as they get to add the, 'what did I do so wrong as to make them kill themselves' to the 'how did I not see this coming!' thoughts and then churn it up with their grieving. It's a crazy world.... Dwayne

Actually, though it won't be very 'feel good' to say it, the saddest moment in my career have come from watching the fates of other providers. My friends either caught in bad places because they're afraid to move on, or simply crashing and burning due to...well, a million reasons. But patient wise, though I don't have a particular moment in mind, it would have to be while explaining to the family of a patient that I've chosen not to 'work' (is that like saying 'breathing treatment?') that their loved one is dead, and beyond any help that anyone can provide. I love that moment in time for the raw energy and and the power of the emotions, including mine. Just simply knowing that I WANT to be there to help as opposed to having a provider that just wants to move on, but I also hate it for the pain that's involved. It's maybe the most useful I feel as a paramedic at times. I guess it goes with my belief that we'll help more people emotionally than physically in our careers if we just pay attention. Also, it's one of the very few bullshit free times in life I think. They aren't thinking lawsuits (normally), or ulterior motives..they just 'are', right there, hurt and open and more needy than just about any other type of patient that I've encountered. It's also, maybe, the most focused I've been as a paramedic. I'm always aware that this moment will stay with them forever, as they have stayed with me, so want to always leave them feeling as if someone loved them in that moment, to try and say the things that will not only allow them to begin healing, but possibly bring them peace later...Pretty grandiose I know, but the complex nature of all involved is what makes those times so alive, yet so painful. Anyway..no idea how that sounds, or if I said it well, but there you have it. Dwayne Edited for spelling only.

Ahhhh...I saw this coming from 5 years away.... An article Babs found tonight while we were chatting...The reason I hate this bitch...For nearly a generation she's sucked the research money away form my son's illness to fulfill her personal agenda... The article quotes a Time interview, but I can't find it online at the moment... "After years of speaking publicly about her belief that MMR shots (immunization for measles, mumps, and rubella) caused her son to suffer from autism, Jenny McCarthy now faces the reality that her 7-year-old son Evan — who no longer shows any signs of autism — may likely have lived with completely different illness. A new article in Time magazine — which Jenny was interviewed for — suggests Evan suffers from Landau-Kleffner syndrome, “a rare childhood neurological disorder that can also result in speech impairment and possible long-term neurological damage.” Many applaud Jenny, who has never stopped fighting to help her son since his autism diagnosis in 2005. Others, like the Center of Disease Control, say her claims about immunizations make her “a menace to public health.” Jenny talks about her son’s progress saying, “Evan couldn’t talk — now he talks. Evan couldn’t make eye contact — now he makes eye contact. Evan was anti-social — now he makes friends. It was amazing to watch … when something didn’t work for Evan, I didn’t stop. I stopped that treatment, but I didn’t stop.” And she is also reversing her initial position that the MMR shots caused Evan’s autism. Jenny now says she wants vaccinations better researched — rather than getting rid of them altogether, as she previously promoted. And though her son may never have had autism, Jenny insists, “I’ll continue to be the voice” of the disorder." http://www.hollywood...ver-had-autism/ Yeah, no one wants you for the voice, particularly now that you've proved to be a bigger idiot that previously believed... Dwayne Edited to adjust formatting...