Mad World

  PLEASE do me a favor on this blog.  As usual, I have a song tied to the blog.  But on this one, I want you to listen to this as you read.  I made the link open in a new window.  Less candy crush, more thinking.  Clicky Clicky ---->  MAD WORLD

  I've spent 24 years on a fire truck.  Planning retirement in 4 years, but I can't seem to get away from the chaos theory.  After this long, it becomes a way of life.  At first it was exciting!  Then a "job."  Now, I actually need it to function.  What am I gonna do after the Fire Service?  I can't deal with calm.  My retirement home has waves on a minute to minute basis, and an ever looming threat of a hurricane.

  Oh! EMS!  Good idea!

  All around me are familiar faces. Worn out places. Worn out faces.... Mad World.

  I love my less than a year old career on "my" ambulance,

  "Going nowhere. No expression"

  "I find it kind of funny.  I find it kind of sad.  It's a Mad World."

  "The Dreams in which I'm dying are the best I've ever had."

Mad World.  It's a Mad World.

  The things I've seen, the things I've done.  I would never ask from you.

  But somehow after the black clouds part, and you see what you've done in some little way that has affected so many lives.  Then sometimes you don't get to part the black clouds, yet you still see how you have affected so many lives.  "No Tomorrow."

  Your soul and heart only have so much to give.  What I have learned to do, is to take those "No Tomorrow's" and turn it positive, and be the best that you can be, on YOUR tomorrow!  "No Tomorrow" yesterday, cannot bring you down today.  They are counting on you.

  Put yesterday behind you, they need you at your best.  They don't care about your Mad World, they care about theirs.  They're scared.

  Be confident.  Be safe.  Situational Awareness.  Take over like you OWN IT!

  They're looking at you for the day they feel good.

  It's a Mad World, and their looking at you!  Be The One!

Blinded By The Light

  Blinded By The Light

  I was fortunate enough to work with a Paramedic that I respect yesterday.  She is one of the Paramedics I wish to pattern myself after once I graduate Medic school.  Definitely out of my comfort zone, which I enjoy.

  She's going through some personal struggles, and I'm thankful I can help her, at least a little, with them because she is giving SO MUCH back to me by being a mentor.

  Our shift started out uneventful, and pretty much stayed that way with only 2 runs.  First one was a little old lady in a nursing home that had fallen and really hurt her tailbone.

  The second run was for a 93 y/o man that had fallen and whacked his head pretty hard.  He is on blood thinners, so this is serious before we even get there.  On scene, he's "ok" but needs to go to the ER.  Load him up, his wife asks if she can ride with us. Sure can!  A neighbor lady helps her into the front of the boo boo bus.  Help in the back for a few minutes, and check his pupils, pinpoint and non-reactive.  Do you have Glaucoma per chance?  Yes, I do.  I'm legally blind.  My mentor Medic and patient in back, I'm driving, 92 y/o wife in front with me, off we go to the hospital.  No lights or sirens.  I introduce myself, and explain what's going on in the back with her husband.  She seems worried, but assured.  Just another run, I was thinking to myself.  Yeah, right!

  En route to the ER we chat about this that and in between.  She tells me that they have lived in that same house since 1953, and were married in 1951. 67 years!  Mr. Patient was coming in from the garage, and tripped on the carpet.  "You know how us old people kind of shuffle our feet instead of picking them up to walk."  Yes, I sure do.  She also informs me that she too is legally blind.  Well, now that poses a problem for me.  Family members cannot go into the ER where we take the patients in.  The entrance for family is around the corner, about 300 feet or so.

  I shout into the back of the ambulance,
    "Lori? We OK?"
    "Yes Sir!"
    "Is he stable?"
    "Yeah, why?"
    "I have to make a quick stop if I can."
    "Go for it, they didn't trauma team him. We're good back here!"

  So once we get to the hospital, I stop at the family entrance and escort Mrs. Patient into the waiting room.  I tell her that once we get her husband in a room, I will come back out and get her.  Stop at the security desk, and let them know what's up.  Back to the bambulanze, and take Mr. Patient in through the other entrance.  Do our thing, get him admitted, and into a room.  Put my cot and ambulance back together, and go back to his room, Dr's and nurses are already taking care of him, so I patiently wait outside the door.  ER nurse comes out, "You need me?" Nope, just need to know when his wife can come back.  OH! She can come back now, we're all good.

  So I go through the ER to the waiting room, and as I get close to Mrs. Patient, I can see that she recognizes me, and she smiles and stands up.  "Your husband wants to see you."  "Can you help me?  This is a new place, and I can't see very well."  Are you kidding me?  ABSOLUTELY!  She takes my arm, and we walk through the ER towards her husband's room.  The ENTIRE ER smiles at us walking arm-in-arm. Family in the waiting room, other patients, doctors, nurses, EVERYONE.  That right there made my day!

  But then we get to the room....  I watched a blind man's eyes literally light up when he realized his wife of 67 years was there!

  She leaned over to give him a kiss and says "You need to learn to pick your feet up, Clumsy."