Tales of the Rookie Medic

Twenty Something. Canadian. Primary Care Paramedic. . Entering the world of EMS and eager to share my experiences! msg me!.. I would love to get to know all of you!

[medicsix]

I’m back!

Feels like forever since I’ve been on here! I’ve been seriously neglected my tumblr :( 

[medicsix]

[medicsix]

13 first responders, 13 suicides, 10 weeks

Two more of Canada’s first responders killed themselves this week, bringing the total number of suicides by Canadian paramedics, firefighters, police officers, dispatchers to 13 in roughly ten weeks.

[medicsix]

Just can't shake this call.. It was just what seemed like the routine "elderly lady took a fall" call.. except that we were also experiencing a  tropical storm at the time, and this call was outside.. I remember my partner commenting jokingly on the way there that you can't keep these old ladies inside regardless of the weather. On arrival, we saw blood before we even pulled up to the scene. A wind gust had taken a heavy door and it hit her in the head and split her scalp wide open. She was covered in blood, her lips, tongue, finger tips were blue but she was talking to me and telling me her full name, she was a little bit mumbley and unable to recall some details but she was alert.. and not 15 seconds later.. she was VSA and we were working an arrest. I just seemed like it happened so fast. The radios were also on the fritz that night and we were finally able to get another unit and the FD to help out, so it was just me, a medic with 2 years under my belt and my partner with 27 years.. working this arrest outside in a parking lot in what felt like a hurricane. I can't stop thinking about it, I can't remember certain details and that's driving me crazy, I see her name in all the papers, all over the news, on the radio, people keep asking me about it and I just can't think about it or talk about it without my eyes welling up.. 

I don't know how or why this one got me.. but it did.

[medicsix]

What do you do when you can't get a call out of your head?

[the-darling-quaintrelle]

[medicsix]

I'm so thankful to live on an island surrounded by this <3 

[medicsix]

Well today I watched the funeral for the 3 slain RCMP officers.. I'm glad I was home alone because I cried like a baby. Seeing the family members.. 5 little kids and one on the way.. none of them old enough to really know exactly what was going on. Listening to the coworkers and family members of the fallen give their eulogies with their wavering voices just broke my heart. Members of police departments form across North America and even some of Europe were in attendance today.. I think that is amazing, and really shows the brotherhood and sisterhood that this profession creates. Even the non-human brothers.. Constable Dave Ross' partner Danny, the German Shepard cried and whimpered through parts of the ceremony as he sat by his partners casket and jumped up to smell his hat while they walked in the procession, I think that's when I lost all composure.

As a first responder, I work with RCMP and City Police on a daily basis, they are professional and we depend on them for a lot of different calls. It sucks that it's always stuff like this that makes people realize that ''cops aren't just cops''.. they have a life and a family outside the job. Sure, everyone hates to get fined for speeding or ticketed for something.. but reality is that if you aren't doing something wrong, they will leave you alone.. They're not out to get you.

I wish the two surviving officers who were also injured all the best in their recovery

Rest in Peace 

Constable Fabrice Gevaudan

Constable Dave Ross

Constable Doug Larche

[medicsix]

#timesquare #ambulance #ems #paramedic #emt

[medicsix]

It took 10 minutes for this guy to make it 1 block! #ems #ambulance #paramedic

[medicsix]

Intercourse Fire Company! #intercoursepa #intercoursefire #firefighter #firetruck

[medicsix]

Where are you moving and what will you be doing there??

Just doing a month of travelling!.. Going on a fire dept trip to the States for a week, then going to Europe to explore France, Belgium, The Netherlands and Germany for a few weeks!

[medicsix]

Oh the holidays always seem to bring out the best in people... :\ 

Had a call last night to an assault where a guy was beat up by 2 of his in-laws.. apparently they were discussing Mother's Day plans and things went awry and the boyfriend got the living daylights beat out of him :S. I also semi electrocuted myself last night just before this call.. my iPhone was near dead so I was charging it in the wall and when the tones dropped I reached behind the couch to pull it out and accidentally just pulled the plastic piece off and I somehow touched the circuit board and the prongs and felt a really hot burning, tingling sensation up my entire arm, took me a second to realize what the fuck it was. Anyways I left it where it was and jumped in the truck, my partner asked me my glove size and I yelled out "2".. (we only have S/M/L/XL), so no idea where I came up with that. Then I turned down a wrong street in a part of town that I know like the back of my hand.. fuzzed up my brain for a few minutes there.. luckily it was just a code 2 to stage. My hand tingled through the whole call. but I learned my lesson.. Don't buy iPhone cords from China folks! They may be cheap but they fall apart in the wall then try and kill you!

On a happier note, In 3 days I am leaving the country for a bit! Woop woop! Only two shifts left :P 

[medicsix]

I take advantage of the healthcare up here.. Came down with what I was pretty sure was strep throat yesterday, went to a clinic and I had a prescription for antibiotics by the end of the day.. Cost me 8 bucks.

[medicsix]

[medicsix]

Today was one of the weirdest days ever. Filled with bizarre calls, strange weather and just a weird all around feeling in the air. We started off the day with a code.. unfortunately it happened to be my partners family member, so that sucked. We worked it for 45 minutes, got off 2 shocks, pushed 5 EPIs, but luck wasn't on our side this time. We were on scene for 2 hours afterwards waiting for RCMP to show up and talking to family. One thing I will never get used to is family members who come up to thank you afterwards.. I never know what to say.. I usually just shake their hand or give them a hug if they offer, but anything I say always feels awkward. My partner went home after that. Then I puttered around base for 2 hours waiting for a new partner and I deep cleaned the entire truck because everything was everywhere after that call. The call was on a farm, so everything was caked in mud including myself.. I had to hose off my pant legs.  

There were some strange calls today too.. a man who had his car fall onto his chest while changing a tire, a paediatric choking, a ridiculous amount of ODs and suicidal ideations.. I swear half the calls today were to stage. Dispatch wasn't their usual selves today either.. they weren't up to their usual constant mobile postings, and actually allowed you to stay at the base :S.. to add to all that it was +8C today and it SNOWED briefly.. wtf. The Holidays bring out some weirdness I suppose

[arophelia]

→ Canadian troops ashore at Bernières-sur-Mer, 6 June 1944.

[medicsix]

You have no idea how ecstatic I am to go here.. 35 days!

[allie-allie-atropine]

Found this on Pinterest.

Lol