not surprised...

New partner.  Just got cleared as a medic. We just returned from his very first call.  Unconscious subject, 69 y/o male.   I recognized the patient as a local preacher.  Started asking bystanders about meds, history, allergies, etc while setting up an IV and partner hooked up the 12-lead. No cardiac history. Blood sugar elevated at 280.  Respirations inadequate at 6/min.  BLS crew was assisting ventilations via BVM.  Sinus rhythm on the tachy side at 100.  Got him into the vollie ambulance and partner jumped in with them. I listened to consult as I followed in our unit to hospital.  Wondering could be the matter with this sweet old clergyman, no way his blood sugar could be the cause of this.  As I listened to my partner give vitals and interventions to the hospital over the radio, I heard : "administered Narcan with remarkable result. Patient is now coming around and beginning to talk to us."  Huh. So it was a drug overdose. Somehow, I wasn't surprised.  Guess I've been doing this too long.  At the hospital, a worried daughter confided to us that her dad has a habit of taking other people's pain medication.  So basically, what happened was nice old small town preacher offered to sit with a sick man while wife went out. Apparently, he uses his position with his parishioners to steal their pain meds.  I am not religious, but if there is a God, pretty sure He's pissed with this dude.

one of those days...

Sometimes i wonder why i volley. I have a full time job with a career department to fulfill my affiliation requirement for my certification.  Why, then, do i have to put up with arrogant small town chiefs, sexism, lack of professionalism, and blatant disregard of procedure?  All i want is do my job well.  if Mr "I'm the Chief and this is my station and my unit and what does incident command have to do with it" doesn't want to let me do my job, he can have it.  there's so only so many EMT's on this island, which is why he asked me to volley at his station to begin with.  these country fire dept boys should remember that just because i'm a girl doesn't mean i don't have twice the training and way more experience when it comes to EMS. i will gladly defer to them on any thing to do with the big red trucks but the band aid box is mine.

back in action (sort of)

i am happy to report that i am now pain free! incisions are a little sore, but i'm a country girl and we know how to deal!  went out on a brush fire yesterday.  day before, had a dude suffer stroke and cause miles of damage (a guardrail, a couple ditches, a mailbox or two, etc...) before finally pulling the vehicle over.  feels good to up and back out there. if nothing else, at least i have the time for my vollie unit now since the county won't let me on theirs yet.   see doc next week- hopefully get cleared to come back to work  by the end of the month.

ouch

so they found a bunch of cysts on my ovary and on appendix so bye-bye to those organs.  hopefully that was the source of the pain and once i recover from surgery i'll be all better again.  in the meantime, three cheers for percoset! 

fingers crossed

finally back to my home station after a stint on the north end of the county, just in time to go out on sick leave.  go for surgery on monday.  here's hoping they actually fix whatever's wrong so i can get back to my job as a glorified band aid dispenser.  

I overheard an acquaintance talking about her divorce the other day.  she complained that her husband's lawyer claimed she was "deliberately under-employed".  She listed all the volunteer work she does.  She gets some income from commissioned art work, but doesn't even make enough to have to file taxes.  she says "what do they expect- for me to get a job?"  uh, yeah.  If her husband is so unreliable, how can she count on him to make those alimony and child support payments? shouldn't she be securing a job to pay for food and health insurance for her children?  oh, wait, i get it.  she expects ME to hold a job, pay taxes, and thereby secure a source of income for Obama to spend on her food stamps and medicaid.  how interesting.  did i mention, i have a studio in the same gallery she does and i volunteer at least once a week, in ADDITION to my full time job and two part time jobs? 

Dont spread my wealth..spread my work ethic Sti
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a reminder for americans

saw a great video today on lawdog's blog with a message important to remember in these dark days when people are looking to the government to solve all their problems.