#ems adventures

[tam--lin]

do you think the fact that I'm not taking the recently-increased-to-14-hour shifts is going to clue the Management in to the fact that it was an absurd move in the first place or do you think we'll get some email about the Good Of The Company in six weeks?

[tam--lin]

I walked into our ambulance bay after two weeks away and literally gasped when I saw our new truck. I don't want to doxx myself, but it's all black and neon green and looks something like this:

[tam--lin]

There is a man at work whom I simply cannot stand who, I kid you not, helpfully informed me that I could use the line on the ground to back the rig into the station.

[tam--lin]

today in EMS world:

watched a semi truck's tire explode right in front of me

gridlocked for two hours on the freeway (without a patient, thank god)

handed a water bottle by the kind trucker stopped next to us (he let us pet his dogs)

gave tissues to the women who chose the spot behind the ambulance as a safe spot to go down the embankment and pee

it took us FOUR hours to make the one hour drive back from [major city redacted]. got stuck in traffic TWICE after the gridlock, all overflow from commuters getting re-routed. We were all absolutely crawling out of our skin and loopy by the time we finally got back to the station.

within three minutes of returning to our rural station, someone runs into the station, yelling that they need an ambulance, which let me tell you is not something I thought happened In the Middle of Nowhere, Real Life

[tam--lin]

The guys at work know I'm queer and occasionally will try to get me to go in on "you know how dating women goes" banter, and I've gracefully deflected so far but next time, Bryan? I'll be informing you that our experiences with women* are actually very different.

[tam--lin]

I haven't run a single call the last three, THREE, shifts I've worked. Thirty two hours on the clock and not even a single interfacility transport or cancelled-on-scene car crash!

[tam--lin]

Coworker just described in detail my morning routine if we're not on a call and I'm feeling both seen and called out.

[tam--lin]

Today in EMS-land it has been death (mine) by a thousand cuts, the cuts including but not limited to bringing one of our own crew in for chest pain, a very poopy call, a haunted chart that eventually had to be banished and completely re-started, a coworker's puppy dying half way through the shift, and losing the little dino off of my fun pen. Also, this: