DwayneEMTP

There is never any need to apologize for putting anyone here on the spot for statements that they've made, particularly me, as you'll often catch them talking out of their ass. I kind of lost track of the fact that we seemed to be investigating the 'need' to report it as opposed to it simply being 'my way.' For instance, dispatched for 'failure to thrive, headache.' Find a 50 year old male laying in bed, tachypneic, slightly diaphoretic, history of general malaise for the last few weeks with limited compliance to eating, drinking, medications. Skin cool at extremities, joints painful with movement, urine output decreased, yadda, yadda, yadda.. Should this be a while male, I will be thinking possible dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, cardiac issues. (You'll have to help me out to follow this point as I have a full day and no time to lay out two complete case scenarios), and, say that I feel confident that the majority of his symptoms are coming from dehydration, will attack this problem with fluids. Should this be a black male with or without a history of Sickle Cell I will treat with fluids as well as pain management, again, assuming that that is where my assessment leads me. More than being a required part of my PCR, I consider it a part of a thorough assessment. The black male will get a lot more attention to his eyes, the exact condition of his cool extremities, a much more detailed interrogation of family history in regards to SCA, as well as a more thorough investigation regarding diabetes/hypertension/heart disease based not only current symptoms but also racial predisposition. It's possible that if the ER Doc or Med control looks at the black mans assessment without the mentioned race that they will simply assume that I am too ignorant to do a logical, s/s driven assessment, as it will appear to be all over the place. But list the race and my logic should become much more clear. The same is true for the first, change the race of the first patient to a black man and the Docs should have serious issues as the assessment/ treatment as it was not as thorough as it should have been for a black man with those symptoms. Yeah, this is a point I shouldn't have made on the fly as I've not taken the time to cut off the "Everyone should get a thorough assessment!' argument, or 'If that is the extent of your assessment you should go back to school!" crowd...grin. But I think that most will get my point and be able to agree or disagree with it based on the above. I actually love doing narratives on my PCRs. I take it from the beginning of the call, walk through the symptoms, what I saw, what I chose to do based on what I saw and why I chose to do it. It's like a mini call review each time..looking for places that I intelligent decisions, others where I was a bigger idiot than usual. So I guess that that is the spirit in which I list race..who did I treat, why did I treat them that way, how did it work? Dwayne Edit. Started my post during the night when I got up to pee and finished this morning without revisiting the thread first so posted on top of Dust. Not my intention to be redundant.

Lonestar, I see it was you that put the negative on this post. What was it about this post that you felt warranted that? I appears to me to be the most common advice out there, logical for most that haven't been party to the arguments and debates that we've had here, and not bad intentioned in any way. It had proper spelling and grammar, professed an opinion, and appeared to me to be trying to be helpful. I don't get it. Was it your intention to give a negative because you disagreed with this poster in other threads? Surely you get that it's bad form to give a post a negative simply because you disagree with it, regardless how strongly you disagree with it? Anyway, I'd be interested to hear you opinion/justification. Dwayne

No, I don't think it's worse, but certainly no better. But what I do think is different is that these guys went to a knuckle dragger convention, more or less. A place where they had reason to believe that they would be in a large group of their peers. They were not there to draw attention to themselves from outside groups, but to do so within the established group. See? And to tolerate it at a state training facility is why I have so little respect for firemen. Again, this unprofessional behavior is not limited to firemen, it's just too often a well deserved stereotype. Also, I know that if I go to a fireman function I am going to be exposed to such knuckle dragging behavior, which I really hate. So I don't go. The same for the Gay Pride parade in any given city. I expect flamboyant, exaggerated behavior there, and certainly feel no right or need to attempt to mitigate that behavior in either instance, so I stay away. But it seems that Flaming's point is that should I choose to go to one, or the other, that the masses should then adjust their behavior to suit me, despite me being the one that is different from the majority. You do notice that when I asked Flaming if I got a job at a gay bar if the stereotypical gay behavior would then have to stop to keep from offending me, that he didn't reply? Making the entire environment have to change to suit the behavior of one, and one that is often trying to be ostracized in order to make a point , seems to be the sole privilege of the gay male. Again, we're speaking of the groups that this applies to, and I refuse to pretend that I am confusing anyone with this description. Interesting conversation by some folks brave enough to talk about these taboo subjects! Pretty cool...perhaps things can change if more people will sack up (or...hmmm...not sure what the female equivalent would be.. labia up just doesn't seem to make the same point) and speak to those that are different from them instead of keeping the dialog withing the groups where they can be confident of agreement. Thanks for playing all... Dwayne

Paramedics rock! I don't document it on every patient, and certainly not for the benefit of the Doc who will likely never see my PCR but for future scrutiny of my medical care/decisions. To explain why I followed a certain line of logic, or considered a certain path if that path might not have seemed logical when race/nationality were not considered. I guess I describe race when relevant the same way I would describe age or sex. Not simply to fill out my forms but to add information that I felt made them different from the 'norm' where medical decisions are/were concerned. Other than that it's absent from my reports with the exception of demographics. Dwayne

Yeah, I'd have no issue with it. It would be a challenge perhaps to explain it to my autistic son, but so are many things in the world and this would pose me no significantly additional burden. The problem here when we try and have an open and honest dialog is that we suppose that you would be kissing your mate as I would be kissing mine. In a socially appropriate manner and place. That has not been my experience with homosexual males in general. Why lesbians, again in my experience, should show better taste and be more socially appropriate is a mystery to me. But more often than not the kissing would be exaggerated and in a place where people would be forced to watch it as the center of attention. Again, as with your article being biased and unhealthy for gays and non gays alike, too often such a display of affection would be meant to make me prove my willingness to allow any type of behavior so that 'you can be you' as opposed to simply being a display of affection for your mate. Kiss your mate in view of my son, (now again, we're still talking about a holiday family/work situation and not a concert or such where a different standard would apply), and I will explain to him about love, relationships and homosexuality. Suck face and grope in front of him to prove that you have the right to do so and I'll punch you in the face for being sexually inappropriate in front of children. Same warning to the hetero couples out there or course. You seem to be set on proving that we will not allow the existence of same sex relationships in our field. Myself, like many others here have tried to show that we could care less. But, in my experience, which is relatively vast when compared with many that I know, it's not the relationship but the large dramatic 'gay parade' behavior subset of gays that gives many issues. You seem to imply that one can't exist without the other, as with your screen name, and I refuse to accept that. The need to have the attention directed towards them at all times...that is a choice, not a biological mandate, and it gets tiring. Just a few days ago I was at training where there are several hundred people around outside during breaks. There was a big black man there, barefoot, pant legs rolled up to mid calf like peddle pushers, headband pulling his hair back, very exaggerated feminine body movements....no matter where he would speak in the outside areas you were forced to listen as he did so at full volume. Any time a group would gather, whether to smoke or just bullshit about their classes he would get near and begin singing beautifully, but loudly. No, this is not a concert, but a national, professional training center. One of the medics there said, "Man, I hope I never get stuck on a rig with him...." not meaning to be overheard, but evidently was by someone as this man soon came over and wanted to fight for being disrespected as a gay may. He wasn't, he was exposed to what should have been the expected reaction for being an irritating, antagonistic, unprofessional, immature child. Should my son choose choose such a person as a mate, would it then be your opinion that I am simply anti gay when I dislike him? And yet it is his opinion that you want for your article, excluding those that were exposed to him? Him, that will scream of being disrespected as a gay that you want to add to your poll? Crazy. Too often it seems that the gay message isn't "I'm here, I'm queer, get used to it." but "I'm here, I'm queer, so I can now do anything, say anything, behave in any fashion and have the right to call you intolerant and hateful should you EVER find me to be distasteful!" Way harder to put on a Tshirt I know...Too often people claim to want equality but really want a free ride from any responsibility to at least give a nod to social norms. Like the black/white, men/women, Muslim/non Muslim, etc.. issues. If we're ever going to truly look for solutions to allow people to live whole, happy, fulfilled lives, we have to stop with the bullshit and get real. Dwayne

Is your point then that you will not treat anything but a simple lac/abrasion without a full diagnostic workup at the hospital? I'm not sure what your point is here.... Then I would guess that you've never had a true vertigo. These are truly some of the most terribly miserable patients I've seen. The places that I've worked have always allowed Promethazine and it works like a champ. I've never heard of using benzos, but it sounds interesting. I wonder why it works? I was getting ready to stomp on this statement but I'm guess that you aren't suggesting that we don't have the tools to allow anyone to stay home, but just speaking in general of the dizziness patient? Dwayne

Ohhh....kinda made my nipples hard to hear you talk dirty.... Dwayne

Oh CM..you just lost every ounce of credibility with about 80% of the City that knows beyond all doubt that private industry is made up exclusively of heartless, money grubbing, motherfu*kers (Ok, so even I have a cursing line in the sand...) As encouraging as this all is...the fire services didn't get where they are today by being politically ignorant or lazy. They're smart, entrenched, and have more money than God... I'll be interested to see how this moves forward.. Where the hell is Beiber? This thread will give him an instant woody! Dwayne

Nice job Babe...but we're just hearing now? What....we're chopped liver or something?? And for the record....Told you so..... Dwayne

Not your post, but this thread is getting a little harsh it seems....I don't see any reason to attack this person for their opinions. But on the flip side it irritates me to know that they are likely confident that it is because they claim to be gay that they are being roughly handled, not because of peoples feeling on the posted opinions. Good post Chris, unfortunately your non bigoted opinion seem unwelcome in the article. Dwayne

Man..that is an awesome question! Dwayne

Ahh...now you show YOUR bias by claiming to know what I would or wouldn't do or what would or wouldn't make me ashamed in front of my friends and family. What is it with angry blacks and/or gays believing that "we" can't possibly know what "your" lives are about, but you know exactly what it's means to be "us?" I wouldn't hesitate to take a job in a gay bar, though I notice that you ignored the question about the gays now having to conform to my non gayness? That seems to make it clear why you want only the biased, narrow demographic. I believe most here, many of who know me in 'real life' would tell you that you are mistaken about your impression of me. I SHOULD have a hard time getting hired at hooters as they have a marketing plan and I retard their chances to succeed with it. Ditto white kids in Chinese/Mexican restaurants, ugly men/women on TV, but I don't know why a gay would have a hard time getting hired at any of those services you mentioned? I'm confident that I've never been asked on paper, or in an interview what my sexual orientation is. Why would you or any other homosexual be treated differently pre-hire? Thank you for your thoughts..I look forward to them... Dwayne

Ahhhh, there is part of the problem, you're talking hosemonkeys, I thought we were talking career professional EMS. Sorry my friend, if you're going to hang around with knuckle draggers, you're gonna get pooped on. Do I believe that all Fire fighters are knuckle draggers? I don't. But any that did what you mention below, or allowed such a thing to happen in a professional dept certainly fit the bill. I have seen some pretend to be effeminate, but what behavior exactly do they mimic to pretend to be gay? Unless you are claiming that irritating over the top effeminate behavior from a man is gay behavior? And what prevented you from telling him to go and fuck himself? Were you still allowed to participate in this job if you were openly gay? Why on earth would you want to work in a profession that is populated grossly by ignorant children? Is it to make a point? I'm not opposed to doing it for that reason..but am curious. Well, I can assure you, as the spokesman for the entire heterosexual population, that we'll get right on that! :-) I'm grateful for you returning to the conversation, but I'm curious. I've been to, maybe, a few dozen gay bars in my life...(I was an Arabian horse trainer in CA) and had an awesome good time, every time. But shouldn't I be allowed to get a job in a gay bar? And if I have a right to get a job in a gay dominated field, should I then have the right to insist that everyone begin to act hetrosexual, just like me? No lisping, everyone must walk with a pronounced John Wayne swagger, no drinking those freakish girlie drinks? (poking fun here of course while trying to make the point...) (See how open minded I am? Leaving that segue just hanging there?) The reason I ask is none of your examples above appear to me to be anti-gay. They are just idiotic heterosexual behaviors in an environment known for idiotic heterosexual behaviors that you have chosen to insert yourself into, right? I'm not claiming that you don't have a right to be there, just how far the right to be accepted should go? One of my best friends when I was in Afg was a big gay medic. Loved and respected him, and others, at the very least respected him. He never really had any issues. And this is friggin' Afghanistan! As you might guess a pretty macho environment. I'm guessing that he could fit in anywhere, despite his lisp and giant friggin' nipple rings. I'm not sure why so often it seems that gays seem to choose radical behaviors that they know will alienate them, and then complain about that alienation? Of course this is a general question, as I don't know you, and despite your user name,but though that you might have perspective. I did notice as well that you chose not to address the criticism about choosing a narrow, biased demographic only for your article? Put out the call only to those that would have an unhappy opinion. You claim that my attitude is uncommon...how do you know? It truly is going to be a pity party isn't it? And not a serious attempt at educational journalism? You sound intelligent, and funny, and kind....I hope that I am wrong about the article. Come into my truck acting like a dramatic clown, and you will not be well received. But that isn't anti gay behavior, that's anti-irritating child behavior. Sit in my truck and sincerely tell your mate that you love him and I'll be just as happy for you as I am for any of my other friends. Dwayne Edited to fix a typo. Not contextual changes.

Hey Michelle, Welcome to the City! And to EMS.... You say that you're going to start classes. Is that at the community college? Please tell me you're not looking to volunteer as a hosemonkey? Do you have an educational background? What is it? How about your personal background. Knowing it isn't our business of course but might help to direct you to a more appropriate level of study material. This is the best place to start really. Participate here. Start threads with questions, research and answer other people's questions when appropriate. Also, "Study, study, & study. Be open minded and humble. Ask questions but subtle on the questions. Listen to others. Study group sessions. Research for answers. Have fun. Be confident but not cocky. Good luck..." type advice is like the fortune teller saying, "Ohhhhhh.....I see here that you have a good heart...you are a kind person and others turn to you for advice, right?" Just so completely generic as to be useless. EMS lesson number one. Build a no bullshit zone. Learn to look at yourself honestly and everything else critically...and don't thank folks simply for speaking...make sure that they have said something first...(unless they're old..in which case you should probably be nice to them no matter what.) Anatomy and physiology is a good topic to know before class, but can be terrible hard to learn on your own..are you willing to take any summer classes? But truly, this is a good place to learn to assert yourself, test your theories, but you must, must, must participate. I'll be able to explain more about those types of lessons later in this thread. Have a great day...good to have you! Dwayne

Yeah, to a certain extent it is I think. I've spent a lot of time working with gays, both 'flamers' and not, have good friends who are gay and my previous supervisor and soon to be partner is a lesbian. I only mention those things to try and give context to my opinion. If my sexual preference (not implying that homosexuality is a lifestyle choice, but I do believe that the exhibition of it is) is Dom/Sub, or S/M should I then be allowed to come to work in a spiked collar? If I have infant fantasies should I then be allowed to come to work an speak only in baby language? Much, if not all, in my opinion, of the 'flaming' gay behavior is not an effect of being gay, but an affect meant to push the fact that they are 'different' in my face and force me to accept them 'for who they are, no matter what." Bullshit, that just isn't going to happen. But you know what? Come to work talking about 'all the bitches I fucked', or fart, or belch the night away in my ambulance and I'm going to shut you down too. The whole concept of 'you have to let me be me' is ridiculous and unhealthy for all involved. In this world it can be hard to get by sometimes...if you're blessed to have found love, no matter who you've managed to find it with, then I'm truly happy for you. But use that as an excuse to talk baby talk, walk with an exaggerated swish in your hips, or find that you're unable to speak without out girl'ing Marilyn Monroe (speaking of men of course) and now you're just bullshitting and being unprofessional. There are appropriate professional ways to speak and conduct yourself in a professional environment. I don't believe that being gay, or straight, or black or white, or older, or younger, male or female, should relieve you of the burden of doing so, and I refuse to disrespect you by accepting a lower standard of behavior, to treat you like a child because you are gay. We live in a world where being different.... having been molested as a child, being addicted and in a 12 step program, sometimes, being gay, has come into vogue. Each thing makes you different, removing your need to actually produce to be considered special. Unfortunately, I still live in the world that believes that you need to bring good things, produce something, even if it's just good energy, and I'll consider you special...the rest is just a bunch of rah rah drama. I want everyone to be happy, and fulfilled. If I walk in on my male partner when he's changing, gay or straight, and see him standing in a lacy pink thong....I could give a shit. Walk in on my female partner and see her hairy armpits and cammo men's underwear (Not exactly sure how to stereotype lesbian underclothes)? Ditto. People are different and varied...that's what makes them interesting to me...but put any of those interesting variables out and demand that I validate them, or where patients have to tolerate them, and I'll do what I can to shut you down and push you back into you lane. I'm disappointed that the OP has chosen such a shallow demographic for the article, as well has chosen not to participate in this conversation. But alas, as often happens in sub groups, it appears s/he is looking for ammo to fulfill a predefined agenda as opposed to write an actual, informative article. And that's too bad. It tends to make the entire gay EMS community appear too ignorant to know the difference, and I know that not to be true. I would love to have a gay partner, the same as I've loved to have a black partner, and a tiny/beautiful woman partner, and a big fat partner as well as others of course. They have had unusual challenges in their lives...their lives seem to have more perspective than many lives lived 'normally' or without such challenges. They tend to be more tolerant, less dramatic, able to love more without being needy...I just seem to 'get' them..and that's who I want to spend the biggest half of my life, the professional part, with. The rest is just set dressing. Dwayne Edited to make a very small grammatical change. No change in context.

Bottom line man is that the pants likely had little to no effect at all on the outcome of the patient unless they'd been left in place and wounds had been missed because of it. The reason that they're not used anymore isn't because they were horrible, but because they had almost no effect. Intuitively it seemed that they should have been a Godsend for trauma, but they just weren't...they turned out to just be in the way. By modern thinking you will not be going down the right path trying to fry someone for taking them off, as that was necessary for a thorough assessment, and that far back you will likely find little ammunition for putting them on in the first place as they used to be the standard of care. Most likely? They had no effect and whoever did the killing accomplished what they set out to do. Whether or not it was self defense is irrelevant to the question, and whether or not it was survivable impossible to answer at this date, and certainly at this level of medicine. There's just no blood in the water on this one brother... Dwayne

Yeah, a flaming gay pretty much freaks everyone out I think.... Dwayne

Lone, I got you...wasn't my intention to kick you in the sack..in fact, I thought I was gentle! But if that is truly the info that your instructor is giving his students to prep them for the NR-CBT then he is setting them up for failure. And, upon rereading this it occurs to me that many won't know that I love Ugly and use the derogatory Basic/asshat in fun...but in case you didn't, I did. And MM? Will you stop worrying about this friggin' test? Who knew metal chicks were such worry warts?? Wait..... We're in a thread that's pretty old...Have you not taken the test yet MM? Since we talked about it a few weeks ago or so...did you finally get this thing done and not tell us? Oh...see...that would be evil. Dwayne

I don't think that I could disagree with this any more than I do.... Try to flex your critical thinking muscles on the NR-CBT and you will be completely fucked from the first question. They have no interest in whether or not you can solve problems, or think your way out of a bad situation, they are simply testing your ability to regurgitate the information you were taught in class. They have no interest in whether or not your are a good medic!!! You really, really have to believe that or you will be looking for intelligent questions aimed at intelligent people and either be disappointed, or read stuff that's not really there. Truly. I would gladly, and I mean this whole heartedly, allow Ugly (A shithead Basic...a real asshat) to take my test for me next time and not worry one little bit about the result. ABC. That is the answer to 85% of the questions... Don't tell them I gave away their super secret answers.... Dwayne

Sorry man, I didn't mean to imply that you had been unclear...I was just sort of thinking out loud to the members here about who we had at the City that would fit that criteria. Your post was fine. How about young Mr. Beiber? He's not worked as a Basic I don't think prior to becoming a medic...So he would qualify, right? EMT-P with only a few shifts autonomous? Anyone else think of any of our other noobs that we might want to track down if we haven't seen them in a bit? Dwayne

Man...I'm trying to think of who here will qualify? And is this contest happening here only? Country wide? What is it's scope? Just curious. And as LS said...kick ass prizes...the contest has yet to be seen... Dwayne

The problem is that you get no good information when you ask only gay men how much or how little you have progressed as you've made no effort to speak to the suspected discriminators, nor make any effort to weed out the whiners and malcontents. And it would be prudent to separate EMS and Fire as if you're going to hang with those that are often immature and regressive you will recieve the treatement expected there. To paint the entire field with the Fire brush is simply ignorant, right? So is it then your intention to just be a Chicken Little type reporter, or were you actually trying to write a valid article? Dwayne

Hey Chris! Welcome back man! Dwayne

Ahhh....just as long as they never play with them in the library? :-) Dwayne