Calls that changed your perspective

[medic5740]

I think every call in the rural area opens your eyes to the humanity of all the patients. If you live and work EMS (or volunteer as I do) in the rural areas, every patient is a neighbor and/or a friend. This is the most difficult aspect of rural EMS. You care about every patient and your patient care has to reflect that or you will hear about it from the entire community. That puts a lot of pressure on the providers in the rural area.

I have a few stories about some of the challenging calls here in rural America, and particularly when you are 32 miles of Water away from mainland Michigan and any hospital. Fog and blizzards are the enemy. Unavailable air transport is the biggest challenge. Read more at http://ruralemsisdifferent.com

If you have any really different calls that required you to work outside the written protocol book, I'd really like to hear from you. Email me at medic5740@yahoo.com

[katbemeEMT-B]

As has been stated, I think that I have brought something from every call that I have been on. Although I sometimes get irritated with the calls where the patient could have been transported by private vehicle, I also realize that these elderly people usually have no one else and more often than not are just looking for some one to say, "Hey, I care."

I think the call that has really hit me the most was in my neighborhood. We were dispatched for a possible CVA. When we arrived on scene I realized that this was a long time friend of my ex-in-laws. I have also known this couple for many, many years. The patient was not presenting with stroke-like symptoms although she was having equilibrium problems. I got a call from her daughter the next day that she had been transferred to a specialty hospital and they diagnosed her with pancreatic cancer. She died three days later from mass amounts of blood clots throughout her body. It was definitely a tough loss.

[TEAK]

I ran on an elderly man in a nursing home once and met his wife whom he lived in the same room with. He was all she had and she was all he had, he never came home from the hospital. Not long after that I took her to have one of her legs removed and not long after that I took her to have her other leg removed as well. I go and visit her several times a week and to see the expression on her face when I walk in the room makes me realize that even though I usually meet people when things are bad I actually do make a difference in some peoples lives.

[Fireland]

Many years ago I worked on a vol ambulance and was in the middle of a big job when we were called for a transport of an elderly man with cancer. I figured no big thing we will just get it done and I can get back to my "busy" life.

My attitude was bad from the time the call went out and then when we arrived the man wanted this and that and stalled us loading him on the cot. This only intensified my attitude. After a big deal we loaded him on the cot and as we went through his living room he asked us to stop so he could take one last look around his house before he left. We did and as I looked at the man and realized that this would be the last time he would see his house nothing in my day was that important. He died that night.

That was 18 years ago since then I have never allowed a call to get in the way of my day I treat every patient with respect and give them my full attention no matter how small I may think their complaint is. I am full time now and we run a tremendous amount of calls and it does not matter if I am on duty or off and do a call-back the patient gets my full support.

[BEorP]

We had a patient once with a possible TIA and a history of hypertension but choose not to take his beta blockers anymore because he felt that they took all of his energy away. He was such an intelligent and articulate man that he was able to explain his decision even though initially I could never understand someone taking the risks that he was (i.e. known hypertension but not controlling it with medications).

The other thing about this call is that the patient was very active, especially in cycling (like myself) and had a family history of hypertension (like myself), and now appeared to be having a TIA (like my dad did at a relatively young age). At this point I also had a BP that was normally 130/90 to 140/90.

This call made me reconsider where I could be headed without doing more than just physical activity to try to control my blood pressure.

[whit72]

Fireland wrote:

That was 18 years ago since then I have never allowed a call to get in the way of my day I treat every patient with respect and give them my full attention no matter how small I may think their complaint is. I am full time now and we run a tremendous amount of calls and it does not matter if I am on duty or off and do a call-back the patient gets my full support.

+1000 for remembering the true meaning of being in the helping field. I am positive you are an asset to your community. Keep up the good work. We need to all remember this as we go about our day.

When I first began this field did a number on me emotionally, I couldn't forget, I always wondered if there was more I could have done. Every call felt like I was on this roller coaster of emotions.

Today I am much more even keeled, I have a true understanding of EMS. I am not here to save the world just leave it little better then I found it. If thats just holding the hand of a scared patient, or just sitting with someone because their lonely. I realized a long time a go that this job has very little to do with saving lives.

[letmesleep]

Isn't it funny how little newer people in this field know about just listening, or holding that hand on the way to the ED. I precept new EMTs and Medics in my area and always try to hammer into their heads that 95% of what we do is compassion. OK, I realize that number may be way off, because I have no studies to back it up, but hell, it works for me.

I had a new EMT a few years ago that was 3rd riding on my truck, we got to a call at the local care center for an elderly lady who had fallen and had a large skin tear on her forearm. long story short, she was very HOH and after the bleeding was controlled she began to cry. I took the hand of the EMT and placed her hand in his, then told him to just sit with her. By the time we got to the ED, she had both of us on either side, and a huge smile on her little face. she never spoke a word, but when we moved her to the ED's stretcher, she hugged the newbie. He got back in the truck, and sat there the whole time we were at the hospital. I found him later and he said that he had never experienced that before, and they had never taught him that in school. From there he became a Medic and is one of the most compassionate people I have ever seen on the street.

kinda sappy I know, but how true it is!!!!!

[AnthonyM83]

The debilitated state I see con home people in has reminded me how important keeping healthy is, both in diet and exercise. I've always worn my seatbelt, but seeing all the seat belted rollovers on the freeway walk out without injury and the non-belted lower speed city crashes with skull fx has made me become a better advocate for seatbelt use with friends.

It's kind of made me see my body as just flesh...rather than a person. Not sure if that's healthy...but when I have a good workout or eat a good meal, I'll occasionally have a passing thought about how if I'm in a TC and lying lifeless the food in my stomach or muscle mass isn't going to be worth crap. Guess it's made me a better driver...as far as remembering to slow down.

[brentoli]

I have got to say, the death of my father has given me more persepective on geriatric calls. Now that I know what their family is going through as well. Everyone deserves the best treatment we can offer, and not just going through the motions.

[CBEMT]

Two calls.

First day, doing my ride-along training. We were transporting a retired physician from an urgent care clinic to the ER for a rule-out AAA. Initial vitals were taken onscene, and my trainer had me repeat enroute. While trying to get a resp. rate, I put my hand on her abdomen to help me count. The patient took my hand, squeezed, and let out a little sigh. She had been very anxious but trying to hide it, and now seemed calmer. I held on to her hand the rest of the trip.

Called to a local college for abdominal pain. After being diverted by security to evaluate a drunk, we arrived and found a 20 year-old female in the fetal position on the floor surrounded by friends. She was holding her abdomen and crying. But not crying out loud. She was in too much pain for that. Tears were flowing freely, and her nose was running- but she couldn't even move enough to wipe her own nose. I doubt she even noticed. She couldn't speak, just gave slight shakes or nods of her head in response to yes or no questions. As a matter of formality I felt obligated to establish her pain scale, and she managed, with effort, to eek out a high-pitched "10!" On the way out I forcefully informed the just-arrived security lieutenant that his men were NEVER to divert an EMS crew from a medical patient to a drunk again, EVER.

The next day, I was called for another abdominal pain. The 30-something male who lived at home with his parents replied, "Oh 10 or 12, definitely," when asked about his pain scale. He then offered to walk to the truck.

I felt like absolutely pummeling him into nothingness. I've never really looked at pain the same way again after that young woman. Maybe for better, maybe not. It's just hard to sit there with a bullshit artist complaining of all kinds of pain and begging for meds and not think, "Buddy, I've SEEN 10 out of 10 abdominal pain. You DON'T have it!"