Richard B the EMT

Someone wrote of me and my brother, in a typo calling me brother. No problem, as my brother Al, my sister Betty, and i still have the "Prayers and Good Thoughts" lines open. Thanks to all who wrote, and those who at least thought them without writing.

OK, newest update, first on my mom. She is settling into the routines at the rehab/nursing home, but resents not being allowed to walk, being kept in a wheelchair except when in physical therapy. She's sundowning, but is somewhat her old self in the mornings. The house: Sand, debris, wet furniture and paper stuff removed, estimated by me to total roughly 3 tons, and taken by NYC Department of Sanitation to "Mount Trashmore", in the parking lot at Jacob Riis Park, Gateway National Recreation Area. Wires in the basement replaced, as were the steam furnace and hot water boiler. As of the day and time of this posting, the furnace needs it's electrical controls connected. Due to the original "red tag" from the undermined foundation of the extension, awaiting my contractor"s structural engineer to advise if the wall is secure, or needs shoring up. After it's deemed secure, the gas company will reconnect the gas, I can get the furnace re-lit, heat the place up, and go home. Meanwhile 2 over matched electric space heaters keep the water pipes from freezing, and the basement and house to at least 40 degrees. Lady J and I moved from the Montgomery, Orange County, NY "Super 8" Motel back to her house in Belle Harbor, 2 blocks from my house, on 12-02-2012. A week later, we lost half the electricity in her apartment for a week. When the power got restored, the TV cable went out, but so did the heat and hot water. We toughed it out for a week, using electric space heaters in place of the oil fired furnace, which is still being installed and connected, but gave up and went to a motel in Howard Beach, Queens County, the day before Christmas. We wanna go home. Lady J's brother wants to go home. My mom wants to go home. Lady J's landlord and Landlady want to stay home for overnight, and snow is expected overnight, as part of a Nor'easter. Oy Vey! Good luck to us all! oops, forgot: mold is mitigated, HEPA filter up and running, dehumidifier for basement awaiting furnace re-lighting before installation.

OK, just doublechecked. CONELRAD was the 1954 version of the Emergency Alerting System. Unlike the EAS of today, they didn't do alerts for civiil disturbances, tornados, tsunamis, or hurricanes, just impending enemy bomber or ICBM attacks (presmed to be either atomic or thermonuclear in nature).

I don't dare doubt you. I doubt ME! That's why I asked.

Somebody check this for accuracy, but was it CONELRAD, CONNELRAD, or CONAD? I forget the accronyms.

We NYC folks complain about the weather, no matter what precip or temp. However, my brother in Grand Forks, North Dakota, comments that when the temperature gets up to minus 5 (F) that they're having a heat wave!

As long as NORAD continues to follow Santa's flights...<3

Is our blond guy staring at the Orange Juice container, because it said "Concentrate"?

Update... Mom is now in the Ocean Promenade Nursing Home and Rehabilitation Center. My nephew picked up her hearing aid, batteries for same, and her glasses from the assisted living center, and brought them to her. While she physically looks better, she seems to be exhibiting aphasia, where she seems unable to find the right words. However, she also keeps trying to move unassisted, so I've engaged the services of someone to keep a "one on one" eye on her at night. She also seems to confuse my nephew with both my brother and me, which is interesting, due to my brother being in North Dakota. One constant is, she wants to go home. "Home" is still uninhabitable, due to no electricity, no heat, but plenty of mold on the basement rafters, and sand on the basement floor. At least there's no sheet rock or dry wall to rip out.

I plead guilty to #17, and 24 through 28!

NYPAMedic43, sounds like you're more into "Cyber-Monday" than "Black Friday". All I purchased on friday was some bananas, oranges, AA Batteries, and Dinner, and made a $10.00 donation to Marines Toys for Tots. Then, again, I'm still a Superstorm Sandy refugee, 80 miles from home.

Sounds more like the assault by the princesses in Shreck, than Disney.

As originally placed in Facebook, where we don't have as many EMTs or Paramedics... Update on my mom, Sara Berger... She is resting comfortably (I think) at Flushing Hospital. Tests continue to determine if she had a minor stroke, or is fainting due to a low heart rate (slow heartbeat, not circulating the oxygenated blood fast enough to her brain for it to function properly). More as the information becomes available.

Ever ride with Flatlands, Shorefront, Canarsie or Starret City/Spring Creek VACs?

OK, I yield you the point for "Disney" princess. ERDoc, I note that Leah is the only one in the Princess lineup who is openly displaying a weapon.

With a HR that low, how was her mental state? Possibility that the low HR here may be causing fainting.

Update: "Momma B" has been moved to a cardiac monitoring floor at the Flushing Hospital. Per what they've told me, she has a heart rate of 58. Earlier this month, when she fell at the assisted living center, she had been hospitalized at the New York Hospital of Queens (Division of NY Presbyterian Hospital), also on a monitoring floor, where she apparently also exhibited bradycardia. Perhaps a pacemaker will help? Next update should be this evening. Thanks for any and all prayers.

Leah Arganna is already a princess, and the last survivor of her world, following the first Death Star attack.

Prayers requested: My mother, Sara Berger, usually referred to here in EMT City, as "Momma B",was taken from the Sutton Gardens Assisted Living Center, Flushing, NY, to the Flushing Hospital at about 6:45 PM. As of the time of this posting, I have no further information. Richard C. Berger, AKA Richard B, the EMT.

Where in Brooklyn? Park Slope is just one Volunteer Ambulance Service in one community in the boro. If you need to, contact the NY State Volunteer Ambulance and Rescue Association at NYSVARA.org, look for District 4, or District 18, which cover all 5 boros. If they're lurking, they're not posting, and if they're posting, they're not lurking. I admit to doing some of both.

From the NY State Volunteer Ambulance and Rescue Association: FYI, Rockaway Point, Roxbury, Point Breeze (AKA Breezy Point), Broad Channel, and West Hamilton Beach are individual communities in Queens County, Gerritsen Beach is Brooklyn, and Richmond County VFD is Staten Island.

Woman's Liberations participants in the late 1960s/early 1970s told the story of a boy injured in a car crash that killed his dad. The Trauma surgeon called in to operate on the boy said, "I cannot operate on him, he's my son". Such comment caused confusion to all who couldn't or wouldn't understand that a woman, in this case the boy's mom, could be a surgeon.

ArielSpeedWagon: Where in NYC are you at? If Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island or Manhattan, I have some Volunteer Ambulance Corps that might be in, or close to, your neighborhood, and definitely are looking for volunteers.

Thanks for the offer. I have an electrician from New Paltz, NY coming in to look at the wiring, and an inspector from FEMA is supposed to be there tomorrow, too (check date and time of this posting).

Did he mention that equipment donations like engine companies and ambulances are coming into the affected areas, to replace equipment destroyed by Sandy? Rockaway Point VFD & EMS, Roxbury VFD & EMS, Point Breeze VFD (first due for the 100+ structures fire), Broad Channel VFD & EMS, and West Hamilton Beach VFD & EMS in Queens County, and the Gerritsen Beach VFD & EMS in Brooklyn have all gotten apparatus, hoses, medical supplies, and assorted other etceteras from all over the country.Great use for fully functional vehicles retired simply due to age. One department got a Hurst Jaws of Life set. (side note: all these volunteer fire and rescue departments border, or are surrounded by, the Jamaica Bay, and within 5 miles of my house). On the personal side, Momma B is back at the assisted living center, and will be getting physical therapy thereat.