I think that to some extent, all EMS blogs dance around the privacy issue.  Some bloggers go way out of their way to obfuscate the details of their professional life to maintain patient privacy, and some  don't.   Especially in a small town, trying to maintain some sort of storytelling while keeping a professional distance is extremely hard.  Now, not only can you not name the patient, you can't even provide enough details for anyone to pick out one patient from another.  I learned my lesson early in my blogging, and try hard to keep it ambiguous.

So, with that in mind...

"Is he seeking, or just nuts?"

This from a case worker at Mental Health, sitting in the ED, dealing with two other psych patients already being treated. 

However, Trauma Rules! (at least on that shift)

The first crash sent 4 people in.  One was bad sick, and was being flown out.  Unfortunately, the fog was just far enough inland so that we loaded the patient up, hooked up our vent, and boogied for the closest airport.  We met up with the helo, briefed the crew, & transferred our patient.  Returning to town, we managed to wrangle a free dinner by crashing a wedding rehearsal dinner, then got called back to the hospital.  Another patient from the same crash was also headed out of town.  Seems like the flight crew used up so much of their supplies on the first patient that they had to stop & restock.  Our patient had some significant long bone fractures & was headed to the same Level 1 Trauma Center.

After we got back to town, hoping for a rest, we got sent north.  Way north, just in time for another crash.  This patient was also bad sick.  After determining that the weather was bad enough that the helo could again not be able to make it, we loaded up and went in search for a higher ceiling.  Lo & Behold, it was the same flight crew!  It was like Deja Vu all over again.  2 critical trauma patients with blood hanging in one day, just 12 hours apart. 

So, after being in the uniform for the entire shift, only getting my boots off once, and a grand total of an hour of sleep on two different couches in two different towns, we limped home.  We were toast.  A fine layer of slime covered my body.  OK, maybe not, but it sure felt that way.

It's not summer yet, but it sure seems like it.  People are acting like it, too.  Could be interesting.

Technorati Tags: Paramedics