Agent-Bash

Call me Bash. Or Rhys, whatever floats your boat. 34. 🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦. Welcome to a little section of randomness! I do NOT write reader x character stories.

[agent-bash]

Who are you rooting for in the world cup?

Currently Argentina. But only because I’m ABE. Anyone But England, to infinity and beyond.

Overall? No one. Canada, and Scotland, are out, so so is all my skin in the game. Norway was a lot of fun to watch though.

[agent-bash]

With no context what are 5 single words you never want to hear out of your paramedics (or any medical practitioners) mouth.

“Oh.”

“…Huh.”

“Whoa.”

“Uhhh.”

“Uh-oh.”

[agent-bash]

Hi! I really enjoy reading your answers here. One thing that particularly caught my attention was when you mentioned growing up in Hawaii. As someone from Europe, I've always dreamed of visiting the islands, and over the years I've become increasingly interested not only in their natural beauty, but also in their history, culture, and the experiences of the people who live there.

I've been saving for this trip for a long time, and because it means so much to me, I'd like to be as informed and respectful as possible before I visit. I know that Hawaii faces challenges related to tourism and the rising cost of living, and I'd like to better understand those issues so I can make thoughtful choices during my stay.

Part of the reason why this topic resonates with me is that I live in a place facing many of the same challenges. The issue isn't that local people don't want visitors; it's that unchecked tourism and outside investment have made it increasingly difficult for many residents to afford living in the communities where they grew up. Seeing that happen firsthand has made me more aware of the impact tourism can have on local communities.

I also understand that what many of us see in movies, television, and travel advertisements is only a small part of a much more complex reality. Since you grew up there, I'd love to hear your perspective on what you think visitors should know about Hawaii beyond the images we are usually exposed to.

Are there any books, documentaries, podcasts, creators, or other resources you would recommend for someone who genuinely wants to learn more about Hawaiian history, culture, language, and current issues before visiting?

I'd also be interested in learning more about the topics you mentioned regarding names and local traditions. And if you happen to know of any local businesses that ship internationally, I'd be happy to support them whenever possible. There are many unique products from Hawaii that are difficult to find in Europe, and I'd love to support local businesses while learning more about the islands.

If you read this, thanks

Hi Nonny!

So some of this I’m not going to tackle here. Like shops and stuff. I’ll try and post some stuff over the next little bit, but yeah including those thing would just make this post so insanely long.

Since you're from a place that faces similar tourism issues as Hawaii, my best advice is be the tourist that you want to see in your home. It's seems like you're pretty much there already. Very similarly to you most Hawaiians aren't anti-tourism, or anti-tourist, they just want respect. Respect for them, their culture, their home. And they'd like for their economy to not be so tied and dependent on tourism.

Here are my top five things I wish people knew, before going to Hawaii:

Hawaii is several islands. Yes, I have met people who did not seem to know that. They were very upset that they couldn't go to Mauna Kea, see Pearl Harbor, and then go up Haleakala for sunset in a single day. (I mean you might be able to, i doubt it, and it'd be a long ass day and a couple of plane rides.)

The Jones Act. Just look it up, especially Americans, and then maybe, maybe, you can bitch about the prices of shit. Just bitch to the right people (*cough* congress *cough*)

Roadside fruit stands have the best fruit. Roadside pastry stands have the best baked goods. Roadside bbq stands have the bbq. Seeing the trend?

If you are at a resort, don't just stay on the resort, travel around if you can, by car or public transport. But most importantly here the resort does not own the beach its next to. All beaches in Hawaii are open to the public. All of them. You will see locals, you will see tourists who are staying at other places. You will see homeless people. everyone has a right to be on the beach

DO. NOT. GO. IN. THE. OCEAN. IF. YOU. CAN. NOT. SWIM. COMPETENTLY. Seriously don't. You might have the right to be on any and all beaches in the state, but do not go in the water if you don't know how to swim. Don't go out in a life jacket, don't go out on a floaty, just fucking don't. Stay on the sand.

Here are my top five things to just NOT do:

Eat at chain restaurants. No. Don't go to McDonalds, no Starbucks, just no. Look up a list of restaurants and coffee shops to try. Ask the people working wherever you're staying what some of their favourite restaurants are. If its a chain don’t go. (Hawaii has some local chains, like Paia Fish Market, those are okay, but the big national/international ones skip 'em.)

Leave wildlife the fuck alone.

Leave flowers and plants the fuck alone.

Leave sand and rocks the fuck alone.

Do not step off any trail in the forest. Ever. This for several reasons, but culturally a lot popular hiking trails actually go through sacred lands, including ancient cemeteries. So always stay on the path. (that's also just good hiking advice in general).

It's not a documentary, but it is a great show, Chief of War, with Jason Momoa. Are there issues with the show? Sure there always are. But it's Hawaiian history, it's Hawaiian Language (which is again so fucking beautiful), and just it was a great show.

Here is a link to just a bunch of docs. Personal favourites here are: Hawaiian: The Legend of Eddie Aikau, Waterman, Hawaii A Voice For Sovereignty, and Then There Was None (I will not lie, this one made me cry).

For some books check out: Shoal of Time: A History of the Hawaiian Islands by Gavin Daws, and Hawai'i's Story by Hawai'i's Queen by Queen Lili‘uokalani (she was the last reigning monarch of Hawaii)

For things to do, it'll depend on where you're going. I know a couple of things to do and things to skip on Kauai, Oahu and Hawaii, but not a bunch. If it's Maui you're after let me know. There I can help you a bunch.

Best advice, just ask a local. Your waiter at Nalu's, the lady who works the seafood counter at Food Land or Safeway. If you're at a hotel, the people who work the front desk, the security guards. 'Hey if there was one restaurant I should eat at. One thing I shouldn't miss seeing or doing. One thing to give a pass (hint: big boat snorkelling tours, it's big boat snorkelling tours). What would it be?'

Don't ignore these people, especially the ones directly working in tourism. Say hello, ask them how they are. Have a conversation.

[agent-bash]

Who’s Danny?

Danny knows who Danny is. And Danny knows what Danny did. And if you're not Danny, then you're not Danny and you don't need to know!

[agent-bash]

Hi, Bash.

A desperate girl here! How do you study, and can you give us some tips on how to remember all the cool things you know?

Thankfully,

A procrastinating college kid that does not know how to to stop procrastinating, I promise I'm trying

So these are far more procrastInation tips, but thats a huge part of studying IMO. Remembering things becomes a lot easier when you’re not stressed by having a night to write a 7000 word paper that you’ve had 6-8 weeks to do, same with studying a semesters worth of work in a couple of days or less, when you had all semester to do it.

Tip 1: Go to your lectures. If you are not a purely online student, you’re wasting money by not physically attending your lectures. You’re short changing your education. Part of which is learning to hold yourself accountable to a schedule. So get your ass out of bed and go the fuck to class. If I can suffer through 8am Greek and Latin, so can you! (Danny if you’re reading this, yes it’s targeted and about you!)

Tip 2: Break things down into small chunks. Instead of looking at the text book or the lecture notes as a whole, look at them as individual pages. I’m going to read two-three pages from the text and one page of lecture notes is way less daunting than i need to finish this whole chapter and all these class notes in one sitting. A couple pages, maybe a review question or two then walk away for a few minutes. Rinse and repeat

Tip 3: Put your phone in another room, but set a timer for 10 minutes. Go to your desk read your notes/do review questions/etc. until the timer goes. Take a break, come back, increase the timer 5 minutes and repeat. PRO TIP: do this through the semester. If you have a lecture on Tuesday and Thursday read and review the material for it Monday and Wednesday. Use the timer method. You do not have to have read and comprehended everything in a chapter before your first class on it, thats why we have the lectures.

Tip 4: whatever tech you may use to study, computer, tablet, whatever, put blockers on distracting apps and websites.

Tip 5: habit stack. Do something productive to your school work after doing something you do everyday. Cleaned up after breakfast? Great set the timer and review or research or outline for 10 minutes. Finished dinner? Same thing. I got to record my lectures, would listen to them the next day as i went on a walk.

Tip 6: associate studying with a positive. You like to get your daily fancy coffee or pastry? Great, treat yourself! But now after you do that, crack open your lecture notes and review them as you enjoy your drink.

Tip 7: study group, study group, study group. Do you have a group of friends in campus? Great, study together. Humans are social creatures by nature, we do better together. Being with a group of people studying is basically going to peer pressure (gently) to study. And if you’re the one asshole not studying, you’re going to get chirped into studying. Y’all don’t even all have to be studying the same things.

Thats it, thats all I got for ya. Peoples feel free to add.

[agent-bash]

You’re a sports persons, what do you think of these mandatory hydration breaks at the world cup? It was a hot debate at the bar me and my friends were at (we’re not sports people but it was entertaining to eavesdrop on)

I’m of two minds, maybe more.

The medical side of my brain sees several benefits. Dehydration can lead to some of the minor injuries we see, like cramps and strains, and even some of the major ones. At least theoretically. So equally theoretically we should see a reduction in these things with the hydration breaks. And hydrated players play better. They’re stronger, they’re faster and their game IQ is higher. And all those things combined make for better games.

But! It really held up the game, and at least on TV came across as a major money grab. I get that its time where the players aren’t doing anything, but I’d rather that space be filled with commentary than ads. Also pretty sure the ads went longer than the actual break.

I think it could be better implemented. Especially at such a big stage. Maybe a temperature or humidity threshold? Sure thats not the sole factor on dehydration , even in a super cushy state of the art, covered and temperature controlled stadium the players are stilled going to dehydrate, but not to the same rate as players exposed to the heat and humidity would.

So yeah those are my rambley thoughts on it. It’s not going anywhere, at least for this world cup, and honestly i can see it being implemented into the various leagues. And if FIFA making the bank i think they are on this, than we can delude ourselves and hope they put that money back into the sport, especially at the grass roots athlete development level.

[agent-bash]

Talk to me about dry drowning

K

It’s not real.

Next question!

For real, yeah it’s not real, not medically at least. Its become a colloquialism that medical personnel will sometimes use when describing two (very) different medical terms, because the average person is more familiar with the as seen on TV phrase. I think I’ve even used it myself on here when Hailey Upton went into the river on Chicago PD.

Most commonly mistaken as dry drowning or secondary drowning is delayed complications from drowning, 90% of the time and this is what ‘dry drowning’ on TV is mostly referring to. You have an incident in water, you aspirate it, but you seemingly recover fine and quickly and then a few hours (not days, hours, and not whole hell of a lot of them, like up to 5 or 6 max) later you aspirate again on a build up of fluid in your lungs caused by the irritation from the first aspiration incident. Basically inhaling water (or anything) can cause a Pulmonary Edema.

2. The other “dry drowning” I’ve seen on TV, might have been a CSI, is a Laryngospasm. Basically the muscles in your throat spasm and close, it feels like you’re choking or drowning or are in anaphylaxis, but you’re not. Why? Because theres nothing actually blocking your windpipe (choking) or fluid being aspirated into your lungs, and you’re not allergic anything or have not been exposed to anything you’re to. These can happen randomly, but usually they're caused by acid reflux or stress.

Tldr; At its most simple caveman explanation : You No Have Fluid in Lungs? You No Drowning. You Doing Something Else.

[agent-bash]

Weird random question time! You mention Hawaii frequently on here, i know you like lived there or something, if you ever have a kid, would you name them something hawaiian?

I’m always down for random questions.

But no.

Absolutely not.

Like 100000000000000000000% never happening. Not with my life as it currently exists.

Why? Because neither me nor my partner are Hawaiian.

I love Hawaii. I love that I was raised there for so long. I love that it is a place I still get to consider home, and a place that raised me. I love the people, the language, the culture, the history. And for me personally no names are more beautiful than Hawaiian names. But no, my more than likely going to be white as fresh fallen snow future child, is not getting a Hawaiian name.

I’m not gonna take something that meaningful from a culture I respect as much as I do, a respect I am going to raise said hypothetical child to have, and act like it’s mine to claim. My ancestors already did enough of that historically, I don’t need to continue that particular family tradition.

The ONLY exception would be if the mother was Hawaiian, because obviously she’d have every right to name her child from her own culture and heritage if she wanted to.

But again, my long-term partner is even whiter than I am, so yeah…no our child will not be having a Hawaiian name.

[agent-bash]

Thoughts on child safety locks? Like the ones on cars that prevent the door from being opened from the inside?

Generally pro.

Child safety locks were invented to stop kids from opening the door while you’re driving and tumbling into traffic, and to prevent them from just opening the door and hopping out when parked, before checking to make sure it’s safe.

Both these things still happen and often have really bad consequences. But we have seen a dramatic drop in the rate of occurrence since the introduction of rear door locks.

So use ‘em if you got a kid. Or a dog. (Yes I’m serious).

One flaw they have: rear door locks can delay self-rescue. And while this has had negative effects, and likely will again, it is a) not a common occurrence and b) when it happens, it is almost always a contributing factor, not the direct cause, of those negative outcomes.

So while not perfect, the good they do vastly outweighs the potential for harm. 

Here’s the other caveat: child safety locks are a tool. They are there to help. You (collective not targeted at you my anonymous friend) still need to parent your children:

Make sure they’re strapped in and buckled up appropriately.

Teach them not to play with door handle or open the door when the car is in motion.

Teach them to look around for dangers before exiting a car (to be fair a lot of adults still need to learn this one).

The tool is there to help prevent something bad from happen if your kid makes a mistake, as children do when they’re learning, but it’s on the parent to teach and enforce the lessons.

[agent-bash]

Paramedics had to come to my kids lacrosse game; another kid on the team went down, wrist injury. Before ems got there the teams athletic trainer got in there got the kid all splinted up, but the medics cut it off. Why would they do that? I know this trainer, they’re an actual qualified trainer, their work is good, so why cut off a perfectly good splint?

Because we have a responsibility to assess the injury ourselves.

That’s literally it.

Athletic trainers are great! They are too often dismissed as like personal trainers (no knock to that profession either!!!) but like they have masters degrees. I know they know what they’re doing, and they can likely very well do splints both better and faster than me. I also know that I’m going to get a great patient history and a super detailed MOI, very useful! Very helpful!

But if paramedics are called to a scene, then we have to assess the injury ourselves. It doesn’t matter that an athletic trainer got in there. Just like it wouldn’t matter if it was an off duty paramedic. It wouldn’t matter if it was the world’s foremost Orthopaedic doctor. That sling is coming off so we can assess the injury.

Where I know a lot of Athletic Trainers get a bit…butt hurt… is that 9x out of 10 I’m replacing their work with a speed split (the big boxy cardboard looking ones)! That’s so at the hospital it’s quicker to take off for the staff there to their assessments.

So yeah not a knock to that AT, it’s just the job.

ETA: Hope the kid’s okay.

[agent-bash]

Do you have any ships on the Pitt?

Everyone and therapy.

Outside of that no.

[agent-bash]

What are your Langdon’s concerns? Are you worried about Santos and Robby at all, they’re throwing up some major red flags too.

Yes, yes they are. And yes I am. I’m also gonna add Mel and Dana to that list too. It’s just…all the worry for this group right now.

With Robby and Santos things are being hinted and paralleled so hard, I almost think it’s a misdirect. Almost. It’s very ‘pay attention to these not-as-subtle-as-some-people-are-thinking signs, so we can slip actual subtle hints by you.’ So yeah, worried but also wondering what the shock factor would be if anything was to go down with either of them. We're all basically braced for it.

With Mel, I am concerned, and not just because she’s one of my favourites. She is so isolated right now. I don’t think she’s had a complete conversation with a single person this entire shift. While dealing with a major career stressor and a massive world shift in her personal life. So yeah 100% some concerns here. 

Dana is a powder keg. I’ve seen a few ‘well she’s gotten that out of her system now’ posts on here and I’m just like. 

No, no no no no no no, no. She has not even started yet and I’m terrified of what’s going to happen when she blows.

Finally we come to Langdon. Let's start with the more minor one, I caught it on a rewatch this morning. I’m kinda worried he's tweaked his back again lifting that kid out of the car. That’s what started his addiction in the first place, so big trigger there for him. But that’s minor compared to my real worry. His Amends.

None of the amends he has offered has been appropriate. Not a single one. 

Look timing matters for this step of recovery. It's probably one the most delicate, painful, honest steps there is. And he's blown that with each and every single person. 

Sure Dana, Louie and Mel all accepted without hesitation. And that's great for him. That what he wanted sure, it's what all people want. but like don’t offer amends at work. If you have a co worker on your amends list, you ask them to a neutral place, at a neutral time. So that if they need to walk away from you and decompress, they can. That place is NOT work.

Don’t offer amends to a patient you’re actively treating. Like ethically that’s just bad, it’s about the patient always and if you can’t do that you turn the case over. But same deal, they can’t really escape you if they need to. And do NOT try and argue about hindsight with Louie. That’s the point. Sometimes you don’t get to offer your amends because a person has died. And that on you to learn to deal with. 

Probably the biggest amends No-no, you don’t offer amends to someone who doesn’t want to hear it. You don’t hunt the person down and force them to listen to your amends when they’ve done nothing but make it clear they don’t want to talk to you about it. That's not amends!

And yeah I get his frustration with Santos basically said ‘fuck you, fuck your sorry, fuck your story' but a0 that’s a real and valid response from her or anyone. And b) that’s something, if you’re actually at the amends stage, that you’re supposed to be prepared for. You accept it. You don’t argue, you don’t defend and start listing your hardships. You say ‘I understand.’ You say, ‘I’m sorry,’ again. And then you walk the fuck away!

Otherwise it’s a goal, a gold star to achieve, a performative action.

And that really is my fear I guess, that all of this is just a performance by Langdon, and that the is still deep in his addiction. 

[agent-bash]

Thoughts on the Landon situation on the Pitt? Are Santos and Robby being too hard on him? Did he get off too lightly? Are there actually programs like this for healthcare workers? What about firefighters like yourself?

Oof you ask a question that I think is gonna get me some…feedback.

I’m going to answer your last question first. Yes. These programs exist for doctors and we have similar programs for first responders too. 

Everything Langdon is under the cut

With Langdon, this is very much a “two things can be true at once” situation. If you look at him strictly as a doctor who admitted to an addiction problem and is now in recovery, putting in the work, then yes, Robby is being too harsh. But from Robby and Santos’ POV, Langdon didn’t just admit to being an addict he crossed serious ethical lines and put patients at risk. And they’re the only two who fully know that.

Santos’ reaction really shouldn’t have come as a surprise to anyone. I don't get the people that wanted her to be kinder or more understanding. No, was not going to happen. That was almost exactly what I expected. If people want to give her flack, they can but again, she knows exactly what he did and suspects him of even more.

Langdon has put in the work. He completed his program, he’s working his steps, and he deserves respect for that. And he's getting respect for that from the co-workers who only know he came forward with his addiction issues and sought treatment. And if that were the case in full, again no one being too easy on him and Robby (and Santos) too harsh. But it’s not all he did.

Are there times where I think Robby is being too harsh? Sure, like with the nec fasc patient. But then I remember that he, along with Santos, not only knows what Langdon did, but also what they suspect him of doing. Though even with everything Robby said his piece in the roof, don’t do that shit in front of patients.

Robby and Santos are the only two who know that Langdon stole Louie’s meds (Al Hashimi now knows he stole meds just not who's count her as you will here), but they also suspect he tampered with medication that directly affected a patient’s care. That raises bigger questions. How many times did this happen? How many patients were affected? Did someone die as a result of it? These are huge and valid concerns.

So of course, given what they know for certain and what they suspect, they’re going to have a much stronger reaction and deeper mistrust of Langdon than everyone else. That really should have been expected. Is it too harsh? I don't know. Because it's a huge level of trust that he broke, with both of them.

4. I have concerns with Langdon right now, I won't lie. If you're curious ask and I'll give you a rundown of what's eating at me. But this has been an incredibly well-written storyline so far. My hope is that this season ends with a scene of Langdon at a meeting. My fear is not that it'll show him relapsing, but that we'll find out he already has. Before returning to work. And that this has all been a performance.

[agent-bash]

2 show questions if you don’t mind. 1 from the Pitt: how common is it for parents to be there in resus? Like was shown in 2x11? 2 from 9-1-1 Nashville: do you as a paramedic need consent to work on a minor patient if a parent/guardian isn’t there?

For The Pitt: yeah this happens a lot. It’s actually show to have benefit for the kiddos and the parents. Both with positive patient outcomes as well as negative patient outcomes.

For 9-1-1 Nashville: if you want to send me a time stamp I can watch the scene and answer more accurately, however in most places we have what’s called implied consent for emergencies. Especially for an unattended minor. Basically we get to assume that a rational, responsible parent would want their child to receive treatment and get to a hospital so we treat and get to a hospital.

[agent-bash]

Since cops and firefighters is a bit of an overrated beef, is there one that’s underrated?

Paramedics and retirement home nurses. That’s the actual beef. We’re talking like writing of the deep magic age level beef here. It might even be the reason the deep magic was written.

[agent-bash]

How often do you deal with car accidents on shift?

Every shift. Like, literally, every shift. Unless you’re working a no-hitter. Every. Shift. I think the house record is 27 MVCs in a single shift.

They vary in intensity, of course. Some are Nothing Burgers, some are Mega Something Burgers. Some are Nothing Burgers turn into Something Burgers when the driver of a single car accident takes a golf club to his own vehicle. But yeah, you’re all but guaranteed at least one car accident on shift, at least if you live in a city. 

[agent-bash]

What are MVAs and MIs? Ogilvie listed them all as things he was used to seeing in ERs, along side ODs.

MVA = Motor Vehicle Accident. You’ll also hear MVC for Motor Vehicle Crash/Collision.

MI = Myocardial infarction aka a heart attack.