Life in the Ambulance Service

Another day on the car and two jobs of interest, one life potentially saved, and one unfortunately not...

The first was a lovely lady, who was having an allergic reaction to a wasp sting (at this time of year!). Not being very well when I got there this was soon reversed with the use of some drugs (adrenalin) and off to hospital for a check over...

Secondly was an unfortunate elderly lady who today died at home - RIP.

She had long standing medical problems, and so it was not a complete surprise to her family. However, the sad part of it was her son, who had obviously been looking after her for some time. Today however he had left mum alone for a short while and came back to find her.

He was beating himself up because he wasn't there when mum died, despite being there 24/7 for the past few weeks. I tried to comfort him, but it's one of those situations that whatever you say it's not going to help.... Bit of a sad job... Felt sorry for him that he felt he’d failed his mum by not being there at the end.

Being a little philosophical about this sort of thing I do tend to think it is just the way of the world; the only certainty in life being death! Still doesn’t help one’s personal experiences of such things… Maybe one day I’ll share them, but not for now…

Perhaps happier events tomorrow!

On a more positive note - drivers were using their mirrors today.

It’s funny I seem to have days where everyone see’s me coming and moves out the way – the cars move each side like the sea parting and you can sail down the middle of the road without any problems.

People stop on roundabouts to block the traffic for you, nobody stops by a traffic island and people generally move out of the way for you!

Other days are not so good – nobody gets out of your way, people stop next to traffic islands, people think it’s a good idea to just stop in the middle of the road and the list goes on!

But I shall not moan about the great British public today – Thank you for getting out of my way! Why do I say thank you, well because the 2 jobs today needed me there as quickly as possible and so it makes the difference.

Well a couple of unexciting days at work, and now had two days off for rest and recouperation - very pleasant!

Maybee the next few days will bring something worthy of blogging about!

And from December I have some new challenges ahead of me, am off on a RRV (working on a car) for a few months, so fingers crossed might see some genuine patients!

Well now today was as usual as it gets in our job, the normal jobs that require no real description, as they offer no amount of interest or worthiness of writing!

Until that is I was called to a cardiac arrest for a 40 year old gentleman: firstly being on my own on the car in the middle of nowhere I thought - "S**T" - cardiac arrest at 40, that's not a good job....

For me if I go to an elderly patient has a cardiac arrest I don't feel to bad about it because they have had their life and most of the time there time has just come.

However to have to go to a 40 year old is a bit different, especially on your own on the car, when the job is aprox 30 min from the nearest ambulance in the deepest darkest depths of a forest in the arse end of nowhere!

So anyway I make good time (having a nice car that goes like s**t off a stick, and me driving it!) and I get to this guy who to add to the difficult nature of the job is in a somewhat odd place!

He's a hunter out for the weekend and has unfortunately passed away in a hutch no bigger than him!

So negotiating a very small ladder - with my very heavy kit, and nearly falling down this 12’ ladder in the process (adrenalin has been delivered to my body now on multiple occasions!) I reach the patient.

Unfortunately he had been dead for a little while and there was nothing I could do for him. RIP!

A bit of a sad job all in all, I felt really sorry for his friends who'd done what they could before I arrived – yet unfortunately we were all too late.

I also felt really saddened for his poor wife who lives elsewhere in the country and is going to have what must be the worst experiences you can, to have a police officer knock on your door and tell you a loved one has died! I hope the family are ok!

Anyway, enough today I think, hopefully tomorrow will bring some happier jobs!

Well an odd day today - another day on the car, did a few jobs...

Q: Why an odd day?

A:

1. Everyone today needed an ambulance (or half an ambulance - aka me on the car!)

2. My first patient was actually quite ill.. a novelty for me - I usually go to patients who either:
a) don't need an ambulance or
b) have so little wrong with them I don't actually haveto do anything for them!

3. One very unfortunate patient I went to, a guy involved in an RTA who was riding a motorbike that ended up driving into the back of another car.

Now the odd thing (or most unfortunate thing for the guy) is if u can imagine a man riding a motorbike that has driven into the back of a car, now think about which part of his anatomy was injured.....

oh yes that's right - his *manly bits* were dragged up the fuel tank and into the handle bars! OUCH I hear all you men cry out - and rightly so - imagine banging them at 40mph into a piece of metal!

Anyways saw him alter and besides being a bi *caugh* *swollen* he was fine! POOR guy - had +++++sympathy+++++ for him!!

Well I'm stuck in the country for a while so I doubt I'll have anything interesting to report - But I'm sure you'll be the first to know if I do!

On a different subject a funny youtube clip I thought I'd share with you all!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etrBoxY48nE