2017 is finally here and I find that I like to reflect back on all the things I have learned over the years. My favorite job before therapy was being on the ambulance. The ambulance was my first real job that I felt important and that was rewarding to me. At times it was emotionally and physically painful but I definitely wouldn’t be who I am today without the experiences. I asked a few of my EMS peeps to write some of the things they have learned, which you can find at the end of the post. Here are a few things I learned working EMS.
- Sleep deprivation is an interesting thing because at a certain point you don’t notice that your tired anymore. This is how you function on an ambulance and you learn to sleep anywhere. I could curl up like a cat on the passenger seat and happily sleep in a ball.
- Break the ribs. Did you know that you are not doing CPR right on an adult unless you feel the ribs break? Yes, you heard me right- FEEL them break. Because as you are thumping down on their chest you feel the cartilage break away from the sternum. No Dr. McDreamy ER tv action here. Emergency medicine is messy. Main take-away here: If you are going to do something, be all in and make it count.
- The old guy on the job is a Badass. There is a saying: ‘beware the old man in a profession where men die young’. The old guy knows what he is talking about- respect what he says.
- We are a family and we protect each other.
- You realize how much bad and how much good is really in the world. I have seen a 3 year old boy whose father beat him nearly to death and I have seen a father weep uncontrollably at the birth of his healthy newborn. There is good and there is bad; if you want more good- be good.
- Learn to make calm decisions when things get real. You know the fear is there but you step up anyway.
- There is that one haunting call you will never forget.
- It will take a lot to shock me. I don’t really shock anymore, but I do get interested.
- Be thankful for every single day you have on this earth. It only takes one moment for it all to be gone. So take that extra moment to hug your loved ones and tell them how much they mean to you. It may be the last time you see them.
EMS peeps:
Rachel C. That I can touch anything…with gloves. People still call us “ambulance drivers,” even after we just prolonged, or saved, a life. That one unlikely “save” can undo 100 nightmares. That when the world feels chaotic, you are the person they look towards to stay calm. You’ll never know how they’ll remember that day, particularly when there is a loss, but since they will replay it in their head a million times, be the hero they need you to be, even if it just means compassion.
Doug R. I learned early on….. if you kneel on a carpeted floor, it’ll always be right where the drunk peed themselves and soaked the carpet.
Angie G. Always make sure the mic isn’t keyed up before you go on a rant.
Brook B. There are 3 smells you will never mistake after the first time you smell them……burnt bodies, decaying bodies, GI Bleeds.
Brittney G. When you come upon a horrendous scene, remember to take a deep breath and say to yourself “this is not your emergency, it is theirs.” Prayer is an amazing thing!
Brent K. It is okay to have feelings. If you want to cry, cry. If you want to yell, yell. If you don’t know what to feel tell someone about it and maybe you’ll figure it out together. Not the macho bs we all do. Take out the trash is what I’m saying. Don’t carry it around.
Craig H. You can’t be perfect, you can ALWAYS be kind. Also you find out your partner’s true personality on calls after midnight.
Tina A. Our work not only taught us about life but how to handle it. To put things into proportion and to fix it when we could. Most of all to make the world and the people in it better off if possible. And that was payment in a way that not many other people got paid.
Aaron P. http://otherpeoplesgoo.blogspot.com/2015/04/blast-critically-injures-painter-pilot.html
Nick S. We are not better then someone just because they are having a shit day or don’t have everything held together very well. Being a dick will only make a tough situation worse.
Jon D. Angels outnumber the Demons.
My Challenge to you: Take some time this week to reflect back on your life experiences and what you have learned from them. Take the time to enjoy your day on earth today. Be thankful you get to be here.
Happy reminiscing friends!
-Jessie the Therapist
