Good Bye Old Friend

We've been together for so long it seems, since before I lived on my own. I can still remember the day I meet you. All the fond memories I have with you, the things we have shared, the nights we spent together keeping each other company. 

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Laughing through the good times, Crying at the losses we have had, and always willing to share the ever changing world events knowing we have seen history together. All of that has been amazing to know I have someone out there that has always been there for me. You my friend have stimulated my sense of exploration along with my ever need for comedic relief. Even from the times we seemed to grow apart, with my job and my growing relationship with the girl, we always knew we'd stay together through it all. 

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Ugh.....I told you from the start that even with me moving on to the new unknowns you'd be there through it all. I didn't lie, you where there when I moved out of my folks. You were there when we got our own place, and than when we had a home. You were their when my son was born, and I figured you'd be there for the rest of life. Lately though I feel that its less and less a sure thing, you seem to be loosing the battle within and I'm not sure how much more I can take this with our friendship.

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Come on!....Frankly you've become very unreliable lately and being as busy as I am with life you seem less of a good fit. It'd be different if I felt you were trying but you take the longest time to get yourself going and your always blacking out. I don't have time for these shenanigans, I don't have time to wait, you ever try waiting around with an infant? 

I'm sorry TV but you're being replaced.

Food for thought: L&D

Here's a question for you; Upon pulling into the ambulance parking space at the hospital with an active MI that you will be going straight to the Cath lab (a person having a heart attack going to the procedure table, for the lay people) would you take off the defibrillator pads, the electrodes and discontinue any IV's you had established? I mean figuring that your at the hospital and even though you had to go up a few stories in the building to get to the Cath lab you were already in the hospital, so everything is ok and the patient cant obviously get any worse on you. Right?

So than why is it that same mentality is applied to OB calls? Why is it so common place to forget to take the OB kit with us into the hospital when we take the patient in active labor to L&D?

The last place I'd want to play catch is in an elevator with no mitts!

Be Safe
Ambulance Junkie

I try not to be Political

I'm not claiming I know everything thats going on, and I don't expect you to agree, but 

You know what grinds my gears? Wisconsin

I try not to be involved in politics, because the system is broken and it wont make a bit of difference who is in charge until we fix the system. With that being said, I have to say how disgusted I am in Wisconsin and their strife. I mean we all need to take a stand with them! These public employees are being asked to pay for a whopping 20% of health care premiums, that with instituting radical ideology of merit based pay! How dare they! I mean why reward only the ones who work hard? Rather they must continue to pay everyone the same regardless of how much or how little work they do, after all thats only fair.

Ok a little sarcasm there, but I don't feel your strife folks. I'm not sorry you have a great retirement and haven't had to pay your fair share of health benefits.  Why don't I feel your struggle? When I began my career, there was no retirement plan in place, fortunately now there is and I feel lucky to have one. The cost of private sector health care is paid for completely by those who own the insurance. I know, crazy 100% of the cost of health insurance is paid for by the employee. Did I mention that the cost of private health care for a small business is also through the roof? I'm sorry your being asked to suffer a burden by paying 20% of the cost, but frankly you have a job and have never cried over being paid to much.

I also don't agree that your job performance isn't based on how hard you work. I believe that the harder you work the more productive you are. The more productive you are the more productive the company is. The more productive the company is, the more revenue it will generate. Thus (theoretically) the better they compensate those who were productive.

Welcome to the new America, gas is $4+, health care is expensive, Taxes are astronomical, Unemployment is record breaking and the Republicans are just as bad as the Democrats.

Be Safe
Ambulance Junkie

Logistics

Logistics is a thing of beauty
its the wife bringing food to the station
and being able to arrange the drop off on a scene of a call.

Secretly and covertly placing the goods within the ambulance and
slipping into the night.
With out ever knowing that she was even there.

She knows how the system works, understands the dimensions
and is able to operate cohesively with its
less than predictable nature

All with out waking the sleeping child in the car
or breaking a sweat

Help!
I think I married a Ninja! 

Can you tell me where these go?

Sitting around the station I was reminded of a great story that was encountered in a foreign hospital on a rare bring home transfer. Stubs and my self had traveled two and a half hours to get to the sending facility, which we have dropped off to before. Its a hospital that dwarfs our three local shops combined, but of course its a level one Trauma center, Burn center, a Pediatric center, Cancer specialist, Heart specialist, and they even have a few actual Tim Horton/Dunkin Donut shops and a Cold Stone Creamery in house.

So with a hospital this big its easy to get lost, infact its real easy to get lost. They employ St. Benards to rome the halls in search for lost visitors. Information kioask every thousand yards to keep folks on track, and its highly suggested you travel in groups larger than three as a standard safety procedure. Colored lines stripe the corridor floors to lead you to the associated unit, whether it be Blue for the lab, Red for the ER, Green for Oncology, Black for Radiology or even White with blue polka dots for Cold Stone.

We had a general idea of where we were heading and with stretcher in tow we headed in for our adventure. Waiting for an elevator we gazed upon a very lost and confused young lady, looking lost but to proud to admit it. Looking at the signs she tried to decipher where she was in terms of where she needed to be. Finally asking for help she gave the closest guy a chance with no luck, but behold her savior was about to make him self known.

A lonely deaf gentleman, standing in the wings who had always wanted to be a knight in shining armor saw his chance. He approached this lovely young lady and began trying to help, but unfortunately he was no better than the lot of the folks standing at this busy intersection of the hospital. He led her down one corridor than back and around a corner and back, the whole time explaining how he was a nice guy or still lived with his mother. He finally admitted that he wasn't really sure where she was looking for, whether he didn't understand her fully due to his hearing impairment or just had no clue how to take her to where she was looking we may never know.

Finally going to and from the various locations with her escort the young lady finally asked the question, "where do these Elevators go?" he replied simply "They go Up and Down"

Stubs and I lock eyes and grin, as the elevator doors open and quickly slip in to escape before we cracked up in laughter. As we turned to hit the button for the ninth floor we were surprised to hear the young lady ask us to hit the fifth floor knob. Our joy would have to wait I thought as the doors closed and it began to go up a floor, "Oh No!" the young lady let out "I was hoping for the elevator that goes left to right." As she turned and grinned we reached the fifth floor, and with that she departed. Leaving those remaining in the elevator all with ear to ear smiles.

Be Safe
Ambulance Junkie

I'm out of places to look.

I give up! I am through, its impossible and I admit defeat! I am not a quitter but damn it I'm finished. I have searched all over and am out of places left to look for it. Impossible to rationalize that there are only so many places to look, and yet each and every one of them has yielded no success. 

Its only four rooms, all the cabinets are locked up, the stair ways are blocked off and the closets closed. No Open windows or doors and no holes in the floors or walls. Every last conceivable location looked over with a fine tooth comb.

 Still no success!

The only one who possibly knows where the object of my affection may be isn't talking. Or at least isn't talking in any rational form, rather just babbling along. Sure he has the dexterity to hold and "throw" but not the stature to place it atop any object. So its hard to imagine where he has put it.

I have to admit my little man has bested me at hiding the remote control,

8 weekends in a row!

Ambulance Hi-Jinx

As I sit behind my laptop and ponder, I am drawn constantly to reminiscing pranks that have been pulled over the years in this station. The pranks that have been lengthy and the ones that happen so fast a blink of an eye would miss it. Here are a few of my favorites, though I don't recommend doing them (which absolves me from liability right?)

Never fall asleep in my passenger seat when returning from an out of town transfer, you'll pay!

The set up is simple, once my partner dozes off, take the first rest stop I find and with careful placement of the rig behind a parked tractor trailer, I place the rig in park. Hold on tight to the steering wheel while shaking your arms as if slamming on the brakes, immatating the steering wheel shake. Begin to scream at the top of you lungs "Oh God! Hold On!" etc. By this time the partner awakes in a dead panic, turn your head at the partner and continue screaming. "Ahhh!!! OH NO!!" Partner seeing the tractor trailer directly in front of the rig grabs onto the dash board and began screaming at the top of his lungs at the idea of our implied impending demise.

Hiding in shower stall to scare Nerf Herder when he went to change at end of shift.

I patiently waited thirty minutes while NH played on the computer after he clocked out. Even being given candy by my dispatcher to sustain the wait. NH entered the rest room and he closed the door, holding my breath as to not give my self away. As he turned unsuspectingly towards the mirror, I sprang my surprise on this unknowing victim. Pulling back the shower curtain and yelling surprise. NH stumbled back against the wall looking like a cat being starttled, his back hunched and conforming his fingers like cat claws to defend himself. The sheer look of terror in his eyes as he was completly startled. I ran out of the rest room with the door slamming behing me. Extensive cursing from behind the closed door was quickly drowned out but the laughter from the crew room and dispatch who had all been in on the prank. To this day Nerf Herder wont go into the rest room with out checking out the shower stall.

Good old pranks, theres just something I enjoy about them, mainly the terror which is involved from the recipient.

Be Safe
Ambulance Junkie

Turtle the House Cat

As I sit on my perch watching my kingdom, I hear the roar of the invasion party. The frigid night breeze through my fur, I peer over the edge and spy on these would be attackers. A simple group of men and their iron horse adorned with light to pierce through the night. The snow crumbles from under my paws and I fear they may have taken notice of me so I slip into the shadows and begin to plan my ambush. They advance in a hurry with hands full of weapons and make their way past any obstacle I have set forth. Not even the largest of snow berms slow them down. Up the stairs of my tower I flee, heading for the top to wage what may be my final battle. They continue to pursue me up the tower, not even slowing for the dark corridor laden with the pits and holes in the floor. They advance past the ice covered climb to the second floor and through the tricycle barrier. Hot on my tail, I claw my way into the inner sanctum of the tower's third floor, surly they can not follow. The door will hold them out allowing me to regroup and ready my counter attack. Catching my breath I feel surrounded and not yet ready for the impending strike. Through the door they enter and I quickly retreat under the camouflage of canvas and wood. They move in slowly talking in their strange language, they have not noticed me and are attending to one of their kind laying atop my position. Assured they have not noticed me I debate my move, lay in wait or use my position to strike fear in them. My back begins to rise, as I hold my ground I am poised to attack waiting my perfect opportunity. One member leaves back to the Iron horse outside no doubt, to bring heavier seige equipment. This is my chance one man already down from my earlier attack I must not waste this oppertunity! For I am Turtle, The House Cat! AHHH!!!!

"Well Hello there Kitty" I say as the feline's paw bat at my boot three consecutive times, then darts out from under the bed. The Home owner chuckles "Thats Turtle" she musters in her raspy voice, while my partner English returns with the stair chair we continue on our task. Never the wiser to the world of Turtle the House cat.

Be Safe
Ambulance Junkie

Juggling

Have you ever thought about the principles let alone the physics behind juggling? We all know how its suppose to work, it seems easy, one ball must always be in the air and the other two can be in a hand respectfully. Simple right? How many of us can actually put this into practice though? I surely can not, as much as I would like to be able to juggle I have yet to be able to master this task. It always seems to be the transition part of juggling that gets me. That may be why I went into EMS rather than the circus, though there is always room for another clown at Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus I hear.

In life though we juggle things constantly, and most of the time we have no one around clapping when we pull it off. Sure there may not be any showmanship when we pull off the boss calls home to discuss an incident while we're changing the baby's diaper routine or The wife calls when lil man's sick while your driving emergency to a male down not breathing show stopping finally. It takes just as much talent to pull off, so what if its not two guys frantically tossing shiny sharp swords between themselves with a woman standing in the middle. It doesn't mean that our feat is any less amazing. In fact it may be more so than any three ring circus act out there. 

If you ask me those guys who toss around the flaming bowling pins calling it a fire dance have nothing on those of us who have just dropped off the GSW to the hospital staff than call to tell our child good night and sweet dreams. Juggling that emotional roller coaster takes talent.

Be Safe

Junkie

Nerf Herder saved me

Now the funny thing about the whole jury duty event was that along with myself another coworker was in the random juror pool. 

She was my Supervisor and was my rig mate for a good portion of the beginning of my career.

Funnier was that a coworker was a witness and it created a conflict of interest. 

But not just any coworker, one that we in the jury pool both trained, one that we both review Qa/Qi for, 

and best of all one that I have been to Vegas with!

Nerf Herder saved me from Jury duty!

Fighting Kids Cancer

Dear Readers

    I want to tell you a little about a cause I greatly believe in, a cause that I hope you can get behind too. A few years ago I became involved with a few fellow coworkers to take a stand against childhood cancer. We joined up with St. Baldrick's and to show our solidarity with kids affected with cancer we had our heads shaved. It showed a comitment to the children that they were not alone. I am becoming reinvested in my fight and I hope

What would you look like bald? 

You'd look like a hero for kids with cancer!

Shaving your head is a great way to show your support for kids undergoing chemotherapy treatment while raising funds for life-saving research.

Mission Statement

The St. Baldrick's Foundation is a volunteer-driven charity committed to funding the most promising research to find cures for childhood cancers and give survivors long and healthy lives.

Our History

On March 17, 2000, reinsurance executives Tim Kenny, John Bender and Enda McDonnell turned their industry's St. Patrick's Day party into a benefit for kids with cancer. The three planned to raise "$17,000 on the 17th," recruiting 17 colleagues to raise $1,000 each to be shorn. Instead, the first St. Baldrick's event raised over $104,000!

The event had a life of its own and quickly grew into the world’s largest volunteer-driven fundraising program for childhood cancer research! The Foundation now funds more in childhood cancer research grants than any organization except the U.S. government. Since 2000, events have taken place in 28 countries and 50 US states, raising over $87 million. More than 144,000 volunteers-- including over 12,000 women-- have shaved their heads in solidarity of children with cancer, while requesting donations of support from friends and family – each one becoming a walking billboard for the cause!



So heres my plea to my followers, to my readers, to my fans
You've heard it right - I'm shaving my head in solidarity with children who have cancer and typically lose their hair during treatment, while raising critical funds for childhood cancer research!Click the link below


In the US, more children die of childhood cancer than any other disease. Please make a donation on my behalf to support childhood cancer research so that all children diagnosed with cancer will have a better chance for a cure.

To make a donation, click on "Make A Donation" or donate by mail or phone.

Thank you for your support!

Email me at
 AmbulanceJunkie@Gmail.com
for details on how to help!!!