Lone Star

Thanks y'all! I'm thinkin I did something wrong though.... Most people face the NREMT at the Basic level for their first time in the barrel. Me? I gotta go in as EMT-I for MY first time in front of the firing squad.....(I guess mom was right; I always gotta make things harder than they need to be) lol Bottom line is this... I followed my own advice, and I got through it.... Now, who's buying? (I don't have to buy, I'm the honoree!)

I only fire on those that I know can take it in the spirit it was intended.

Kiwimedic admitted in chat the other day that he's giving up trying to make Kool-Aid, because after years and years of practice, he still can't figure out how to fit two quarts of water in that little package.......

I would figure that his suit washed out......but that's just me.

I'm really getting sick and tired of all this 'fire bashing'! If Firefighters were such 'terrible drivers', there would be more fire apparatus wrecks. If EMS were such 'great drivers', we wouldn't be hearing about all of the ambulance wrecks... Driving a fire truck (which is more top heavy than ambulances), also deals with shifting weight (can't put 'load locks' on a tank of water). This forum is rife with so many misconceptions (usually perpetrated by those that have never performed firefighting duties). Those of you that know me, know that I fought fire for 15 years AND worked full time EMS for 12 years. You also know that within the scope of practice for the level I was at, I was pretty damn 'smart', and damn good at both professions! In my opinion, the energy spent whining, crying and bitching about what 'fire does', that energy would be better spent elevating EMS to the status of a 'respected profession'! Furthermore, if EMS wants to shed the 'bastard stepchild' image, maybe it's members need to stop acting like one! Fire and EMS have always been inextricably intertwined, and with the 'tough times' because of the poor economy, that bond will be further strengthened. Deal with it!

If you see him tomorrow wearing a suit backwards, you'll know that they filed a 'counter suit'!

Why did Richard B take a ladder to the party? He'd heard that the drinks were on the house!

Incense = 'holy smoke'

Glue technology is improving at a rapid paste!

Before I start, I'm going to be using the words IF and MAY quite a bit. I'm not disputing Ms. Pearlman's claims! IF in fact her statements are true about FDNY sending out an 'all call' for anyone with medical training to assist, then she should be taken care of. It appears that she's already proven that her son was affiliated with an ambulance company, and his body and personal effects were found at ground zero. Whether or not the responders were 'full time', 'volunteer' or just some joe schmoe who jumped in to help because they've got medical training/education. I could see rejecting her case and assertions, regardless of the documentation if Ms Pearlman was the second cousin by marriage three times removed. But jeez, its the guys MOTHER! I'm sure there were a boatload (or more) of false claims, but this one has the ring of authenticity to it. I say give the woman what she's got coming and just be done with it!

Before I go into 'my story', I want to make this very clear: This isn't for 'admiration', it's not for 'drama factor' it is, as Paul Harvey would say "...the rest of the story". On Feb 22, 1996 I was returning home from a grueling 2 week stretch 'on cars' in Detroit. I had just finished up a 2 week pay period with 80 regular time hours and 111 overtime hours. February in Michigan is 'snow time'. The roads were clear and dry. I was cruising along at 70 mph, when my vision started to 'grey out' bilaterally, and had one hell of a case of vertigo. As this was being processed by my slow brain, I realized that the last thing I saw clearly ahead of me was brake lights. I decided to go for the median (divided highway). That's when I found out that the left side of the body wasn't working. Since I didn't have a cell phone, I used the CB in my truck to call for help after sitting there for about a half hour; hoping that it would pass. Transported by ALS to the ER about 10 miles away. On arrival, the doc sent me to Radiology where I had a CT scan. After a consultation with the staff neurologist, it was determined that the aneurysm had been hiding in my skull for about 10 years. Yes, I AM one of the very few 'lucky ones', and I 'realize' this every day. There are far too many that weren't as lucky as I was. Even with immediate detection, diagnosis and intervention; there is rarely anything that can be done to save the lives of those who weren't as lucky as I was. I spent 16 days in the hospital, and 14 of those days were spent in ICU. I underwent 18½ hours of surgery, went into cardiac arrest twice and 51 weeks of some very grueling self imposed physical therapy. I had to learn to do everything all over again. I've got a 'giant question mark' on the right side of My head (which is why you won't be seeing me wearing the popular 'shaved head look'). The incision was closed with 180+ sutures, and there are 4 burr holes in my skull, along with two stainless steel clips that make their presence known around the ghaus line of an MRI machine. The ONLY reason I'm here to tell this story is because God decided I'm needed down here. There were no real 'warning signs', there were only a very few majorly bad headaches, that were dismissed as 'migraines' and nothing more. Yes, I could have died. Was it something I did to cause it? I don't know; hell, even the docs don't know. Suspicious circumstances? No, in brutally blunt terms, it was a medical issue and that's that. Should there have been a Coroner's inquest in the event of my death? No, these things happen....

First: Ruffles, I've got two words for you: YOU ROCK! Second: ITXTME: Since we seem to be of 'like minds' I'm submitting this for the both of us:

Timmy, First off, all complaints must be submitted in writing! Second, are the complaintants required by law to be notified of the results of an 'investigation'? Third, When a 'shallow, mind numbing complaint comes in and it's found to have no basis; they get filed for future reference: Don't let the whingers drive you crazy! When at all possible (like at the race event), direct them to the person(s) responsible, (ie: the track Event Organizer) I've found that the easiest way to get the 'crybaby public' to shut up is with the phrase, "I'll look into it. Thank you for bringing this to my attention." Usually that's enough to get them to have:

First off, were you an employee when this poor lady passed away on the job? Second, it's been asked already; by what authority are you launching an investigation? What exactly is the PURPOSE of this investigation? By what authority are you entitled to exact punishment, confinement, or bring forth criminal charges? Third, since the conditions of death were 'suspect' at best, wouldn't there have been an autopsy performed? With the conclusion and relevant facts and conditions being noted, wouldn't their findings be turned over to the Coroner's Office? What do you hope to accomplish by reopening a 4 year old incident? Have you considered the emotional ramifications of your actions? An 'unrelieved headache' could simply be an example of where the meds are out of date, and have lost their efficacy, haven't had ample time to begin to block the pain receptors in the brain, or simply; the person didn't take the theraputic/reccommended dosage. Remember, the woman WAS 63. The aneurysm MAY have been secondary to another cause that led to the woman's death. Judging from the tone and timbre of your posts, I'm led to suspect that there may be more to your 'investigation' than meets the eye. It almost smacks of someone with an axe to grind; looking for someone to bear the blame, and ultimately be made to cough up some cash in a 'wrongful death/negligence suit' What, if any, is your medical background?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWS-yfWEVKQ

So THIS is how we're playing? OK.... Do you think infants enjoy infancy as much as adults enjoy adultry? Is it still considered 'premarital sex' if you don't plan on marrying her? ô¿ô

Having survived my own 'face to face' with a giant cerebral ANEURYSM, I can tell you that in most cases, the headache will be the only (and last) symptom you'll ever get. We know that the aneurysm is an abnormal swelling and subsequent thinning of the arterial wall, until it reaches the point that it 'balloons out' into the surrounding tissue. If you're lucky (like I was), the body will try to encapsulate it in calcium to hold it from rupturing. In the case of cerebral aneurysms, there's no place for the brain matter that has been 'pushed aside'to go. With the increasing size of the aneurysm,(or the increased blood volume) in the skull, the brain becomes compressed to the point that it starts to die. Most aneurysms aren't found until they've ruptured. Since they affect the arteries, theres usually very little that can be done to save them. My aneurysm was in the right posterior communicating artery where it joins the Circle of Willis. It was a 'berry aneurysm' that measured approximately 3cm X 3cm. The doctors that treated me couldn't be sure if it was from trauma, or if it was from a congenital defect. At that point, I really didn't care what the etiology of it was! If her aneurysm was only leaking, and that's what was causing the headaches; there might have been something that could have been done in time to possibly save her life. If the aneurysm had just ruptured, she only had several agonizing minutes to live. I can tell you from personal experience, that the headaches I had that were caused by the aneurysm were some of the most excrutiating pain I've ever dealt with. I actually overdosed on ibuprofin a couple times trying to get the pain down to a 'manageable level'. At one point, I actually ended up taking between 1200mg and 1600mg of ibuprofen. After 18½ hours of surgery, the neurosurgeon told my parents that he didn't expect me to come off the table, but I had; and he didn't expect that I'd ever walk again. 51 weeks later, I was back 'on the job' in both EMS and the Fire Department.

I took all seven of the puns in this thread and added 3 more, and sent them to a buddy of mine to brighten his day. He called me and let me know that they failed to to elicit a smile from him. Since I sent out 10 'one liners' to make him laugh, it's safe to say that ...

Poor Richard's family! He was going to take the family to Disney land, but had to turn around after 2 weeks. The family had never made it to their destination.....Richard kept seeing signs that said "Clean Restrooms Ahead".......

It should have been 'justifiable homicide'! After all since the clock had already 'struck twelve', 'killing time' was the only option. I'm thinking maybe he was just 'wound too tight'...... →→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQnT0zp8Ya4