Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Dust Collector

So originally the call comes in as groin pain. We arrive at the apartment complex on the third floor and his son answers the door. He leads us through a maze of narrow hallways lined with boxes of long forgotten items now blanketed in a thick layer of dust. As we got closer to the bedroom the smell got stronger.

According to the son, his father (age 76) had fallen on the way to the bathroom three days earlier, and now the pain was to the point that he could not get out of bed. As it turns out his father was in so much pain that we couldn't get his heart rate and blood pressure without him wincing. Poor fellow was in such pain, and we had no choice but to use a sheet carry and a wheel chair until we could reach the stretcher three floors down.

On the way to the hospital I was able to get the man talking, and I even got a chuckle out of him a time or two. Now, here's where I've got some trouble. His son said his father had fallen three days ago, and had only not been able to get out of bed that day because of the pain. But when we were walking down the hallway the smell was obvious. And when we lifted the father off his bed, the stench honestly made me want to vomit. There was no doubt that the man had been laying in that bed, soaked through with his own urine (and such things), for at least a week. And there were three other people in that apartment the entire time, who could have called for help earlier, who could have changed the man's sheets and clothes, who could have done something. Anything. Ugh!

So, questions.
Have you encountered situations like that, in which neglect is obvious?
What is your reaction?
I have heard that you should keep a little jar of Vicks Vapor Rub with you, does it actually help with the smells?

Anywho, I am still awaiting my test results. I hate waiting! But, hopefully tomorrow will be the day. :)

Friday, September 25, 2009

Getting Closer...

Sorry for the lack of posting lately. Been busy working and studying. Tomorrow is my final FINAL exam - state practicals. I'm feeling pretty good about it. Pretty soon I may actually be the "East-Coast EMT"!!

I hope you are all doing well, and enjoying your weekend. :-)

Thursday, September 3, 2009

It's never enough

So, I have decided that when I have kids and they decide they want a pet one day, I’m going to stick with a goldfish or something along those lines, that can be easily replaced without their knowledge. ;-) Because let me tell you, no matter how expected it is, it’s still hard losing a puppy after 14 years.

On another note.

What can you really do when someone has lost their desire to live? I am definitely not one for giving up. Though I can't help but think that if it were me in certain situations, I wouldn't want to live either.

Which brings me to another thing. This past week I had a transfer, 74 year old female going from dialysis back to a nursing home. She had undergone open heart surgery three days earlier but her vitals were stable. After I took her pulse and blood pressure she grabbed onto my arm and closed her eyes. I asked if she was feeling alright, but was answered with silence. A moment or two later she started to speak. At first it was just a whisper and I had to strain to hear her over the noisy ambulance. She told me how she wished that the doctors had let her die in surgery when she started bleeding. She said she had no reason to live, no family to visit her, no friends left to talk with. More than anything, she said she wanted to be rid of this world.

I wanted to assure her that life was worth living, that her life had worth and value, that people cared for her. But all I could do was hold her hand and give her a smile. The only words I could manage were “I’m sorry.” To which she replied, “Once you hit a certain age, there’s no point anymore. Don’t go getting old.”

Four minutes later we reached the nursing home, and she started crying. She begged us not to take her back inside. As soon as we walked in the door of the facility it was obvious why she didn’t want to be there. You couldn’t pay me to stay there.

What do you say to a patient in that type of situation?
How do you act?