Well, my big friend is back as my partner tonight, at my side one of the coolest laid-back Medics I know. This is the partner that was riding with me the night I blogged about the guy with the GLock 40. It is a busy night, No Units available, our day crew just gets back to our station, jumps out of the truck, we jump in, and off we go. Our first run is in Northwest for a 8 y/o having a ashtma attack. As we arrive on the main thoroughfare we circle around the block, we see people waving but we cannot find a driveway. We jump the curb , cross over the grass and pull up to the door. Inside we find a delightful 8 Y/o female with Bi-lat wheezing. Her inhaler is not working and she is short of breath. There are only a handful of children and adults at the church. We get right to work with VS. and updrafts. During this time the parishioners and preacher are very chatty... My partner, a big man smells food, the parishioners are a good size and food becomes a topic. I laugh at the precise detail that the dishes are detailed, truly, individuals who love a good meal... My partner, like a big teddy bear is beloved by all. We can hear a small group of children signing biblical songs. Everyone is happy and polite. I am actually having a good time on this run, and of course everyone loves the big man. As the young ladies lung sounds are clear and her pulsox is 100%, she perks up. She has a smile that lights the room and will bestow a beautiful gift upon us. She reaches for her song book and begins to sing a song for us. Her voice is angelical and her sincerity is genuine. Inside I feel a certain peace I have not felt in sometime. When she is finished she thanks us both, the adults thank us and give us hugs. The preacher comes over and really gives the big man a hug. The preacher joins our hands and says a special prayer to keep us safe always. I feel really good about being a medic at this particular time, I feel a reward inside knowing I have played a part in bring light to someone. and they have enriched my day. We depart the church, the preacher said that the entrance is hidden and there was much appreciation for the rapid manner that EMS got to their church
From the Northern rim of the City, we respond downtown for a car vs. dog accident. Sure enough, there is a Cadillac with minor grill damage.The guy is sitting in the middle of a main road, we block the car so we are afforded some safety. We find a male wanting EMS to check his back... I go check on the dog, he is dead on the side walk, a good size lab mix. the male is upset about his car. he wants the police for a police report. Hmmm. I check and there are no police available, there is no animal control to remove the carcass off the street. The driver hears our radio traffic and is not happy, he pays taxes for terrible City services. We caution him about sitting in the middle of the roadway. his car has minor damage and can move to the side of the road as he has called his family. He tells his family he wants to go to the precinct to file report. He is especially upset about the carcass of the dead dog just being left on the road as there is no one to remove it. He gets emotional talking to the family about the dead dog. we help him out, but not before getting his car moved somewhere safer. As we pull away, I think about the dog...I think about how I have more empathy sometimes for a animal than a human. Animals get injured because they do not have the intellect of man. Man will get injured because they do not use the intellect they have been given.... Sometimes the dog IS smarter than man. I have pity for the dogs... In my mind I feel like a modern day urban Aristotle.
we respond to an asthma attack for which we give an updraft to and transport, from there we are off to a residence with an angry PSY. patient on Prolixin who is violent, suicidal and homicidal. Police cuff him and transport him to the PSY center. From there we are dispatched to a medical alarm....we beat on the door, after some time a very frightened looking elderly woman comes to the door.... She is yelling through the door... we can see her through the small window pane . She tells us she is scared , she wants us to search around the outside of her house and property. I finally have grasped I am on nights..LOL, it took 2 months, but I now have remembered to bring a flashlight to work. We survey the property.. All is safe and secure. The lady thanks us yelling through the door and we wave good- bye. I feel sorry for the elderly where I work. They are easy prey and victims of violence by the young daily. Their great City that they supported and were promised so much, Going down in flames, they are trapped in one of the most violent Cities in America. So many have expressed dismay, harking for a better time when their leaders were leaders.My heart does go out to these Matriarchs and Patriarchs of what was a place of promise, now nothing more than a land of human misery.
It is busy, there are no units. We hear a call go out for a shooting on the Northwest side. The only unit that is available to respond is on Vandyke on the far east side, we pickup the call to help out. We arrive on scene with scout for a good shooting. A mid age lady, etoh, has been pistol whipped to the left frontal/temporal region. There is a large hematoma and blood. The patient has been shot in the left thigh and the bullet has went thru the leg and is in the middle of the hallway. The patient was not able to walk.. Pulses are obtained, checks for rotation and shortening..Dressings, Long spine Board, C-Collar and I.V. FOR A CODE 1 TRANSPORT TO THE LOCAL TRAUMA CENTER..Did I tell you....I LOVE BLOOD.......!
Our next run is for an unconscious diabetic, of course the patient did not eat...Nothing that a I.V. and some D50 cannot repair... I have to move the rubble in the house to sufficiently work on the patient. She does not have good veins, so I pop a E.J. .....In goes the Dextrose, up goes the patient who does not like EMS or Hospitals. She is CAOx3, she is now eating, she does not want to go to the hospital, medical control approves.. In my mind I think about not wanting put my knee on the floor as I had seen some Creepy Crawlies and the carpeting was worn , or matted right through to the pad....Weird?
From there we are off to a seizure, then to an assault. The mother of eight children injured her ankle while her children were fighting. All of the children were cool except for the big, soft, lispy son.... He was mouthy with us and talking alot of shit with his lisp. The daughters were cool, the other sons were blown out with 40's still on their laps... the sweet smell of natures own herb in the air.. We ace wrap the ladies leg, her lispy son just will not shut up... We dismiss him from the room.... He does not want to go at fist, but the other ladies in the house turn on him... Nothing worse than to see than a man acting like a big ass sissy.Alternative life style is cool with me, but come on dude..you were more emotional than the ladies.The madness of this call takes some time... I have two supervisors show up... One with good intentions, another just to attempt to harass me... Thanks to the super for keeping the other boss off me.
From there we are off to another theatrical event, a 21 y/o male with chest pain, drunk... kicking, bucking and spitting...His crew was all worked up and emotional...Damn, he would not cooperate with vitals... he got his BOYS all worked up... they started acting crazy.... picked him up and began running to the Ambulance, I stop them and and say, lets put him on the stretcher... Vital signs are good, he is crying and starts spitting on the walls. Ridiculous...Oh well, I will just take the time to clean the walls.
We close out the night with a Drunk male who is in someones yard with his van running asleep. We do not have a scout car... His door is open... We put his car in park, I usually pull the rig up to their front bumper as some will startle, hit the gas and could pull you along. MY partner is able to shut off the car, the male awakes, I grab both of his hands as you never know if there is a gun hidden somewhere in the seat or between their legs unseen. We get him out, he reports he has been drinking all night... The Police arrive and take over from there.
Our night is complete, the need for EMS services was immense. I am tired, but I had a great time working with my buddy. I have not had this much fun or enjoyment on busy night in some time. I got some blood, some action, But the highlight of my night was the Angelic little girl singing for us........There is nothing more beautiful than a child......A child in song....Good day my friends and god bless.