9 years ago
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Yeah...so...it's been a while since I've posted anything, and it's not like anyone is checking anyways. Needless to say, update, work=excellent, daughter=now 5 going on 12, fire department=getting things done, teaching= done for the summer, september=going to Scotland to visit family after I finally got my passport in the mail!!!
Monday, March 19, 2007
Holy flashback, batman!!
It's not often that I like to talk about what goes on at work, but yesterday morning, I got a 911 call that gave me flashbacks to an incident that my family went through in 2004. I got a call early this morning, from a young mom who's 2 year old daughter was having a febvrile seizure. For those of you who don't know what this is, it is a seizure usually involving a young child, where their fever spikes quickly, and the body's natural way to react to it, is for the brain to tell the body to shut down and begin seizing. The mom was emotional, I was able to calm her down enough to give the phone to the older daughter so she could go throw some clothes on, and eventually come back to the phone. Anyone trained in Emergency Medical Dispatch and pre-arrival instructions could have handled it appropriately. But I immediately had flashbacks to several years ago, just prior to my daughter's 2nd birthday.
I was working nights at American, and my daughter had been sick for the past day or two. I had taken a nap earlier in the morning, and had picked my daughter up from my ex-mother-in-law's in the early afternoon. My daughter had a slight fever and when we got home, she ate, I gave her some children's tylenol for her fever and we settled down on the living room couch to watch t.v. She had cooled off and fell asleep, so we both took a nap together on the couch. When my ex-wife had come home from work, my daughter and I had awoken and we started getting ready for dinner. My daughter still had a slight fever, and I had given her a popsicle to cool off. As I sat down on the couch again, she was standing in the middle of the living room between the couch and the t.v., happy as can be with her popsicle, when it happened.
It looked like an invisible person kicked her legs out from underneath her from behind, and she slammed back on the living room floor like a cinder block. She let out a scream, began crying, and started convulsing. My ex-wife now in a panic started screaming as I jumped off the couch to my daughter. Luckily, I had just finished my EMT class and was awaiting my test results, and I knew what it was. I had to scream at my ex a few times to get her to retrieve the phone for me to dial 911. Living in North Windham, I had worked at Willimantic dispatch for a short while, I knew everyone and Roddy answered the phone. I just blurted out,"two year old, fevbrile seizure, our address, and hung up.
Now working in the 911 field, I've dealt with impatient, emotional people that keep calling back, asking where the ambulance or fire department is, saying to myself,"It's been 2 minutes, give them time to get there." So, now I'm on the other end, and believe me, 2 minutes seems like and hour when you're on the other end of the 911 call. Meanwhile, the ex grabs the phone and rings her mom who is 5 minutes across town and gets her mom into a panic. So now I have two patients, my daughter, my wife, and a third on the way in her personal car...LOL I get the phone back and I call the non-emergency line to Willimantic dispatch and get the dispatching supervisor, and start the 20 questions. Sue, it's Erik, where's the paramedic? In Norwich. Was there a cover medic? No. How far out is the ambulance(paid)? They left at the time of call, they should be there shortly. Is anyone from the f.d.(volunteers) on the way? Yes. So I hang up.
Meanwhile, my daughter's lips start to pink up after having turned a grey shade of blue, the seizure eases up, but she's still shaking a bit, and she's post-dictal. Respirations become more normal, but she was still out of it. Willimantic Fire's ambulance gets there, just followed by North Windham F.D. members, and in comes the mother-in-law, freaking out. Willimantic Fire carries my daughter out of the house and rushes out to the ambulance and takes off to the hospital with the ex, and after I thank the guys from N.W.F.D., I rush off to the hospital. My daughter was ok, and we were home that night after they were done testing her. Needless to say, the call this past morning gave me flashbacks. And I used the fact that I, personally had been in this mother's situation, during pre-arrival instructions, that it was going to be okay, and there was nothing she could do other than let the seizure pass, which calmed the mother. As the fire department cleared the call, and the ambulance began transporting, the fire chief relayed a message over the radio, that the mother was extremely greatful to the dispatcher for keeping her calm, and that we did a great job. Now that's what this job is all about......
I was working nights at American, and my daughter had been sick for the past day or two. I had taken a nap earlier in the morning, and had picked my daughter up from my ex-mother-in-law's in the early afternoon. My daughter had a slight fever and when we got home, she ate, I gave her some children's tylenol for her fever and we settled down on the living room couch to watch t.v. She had cooled off and fell asleep, so we both took a nap together on the couch. When my ex-wife had come home from work, my daughter and I had awoken and we started getting ready for dinner. My daughter still had a slight fever, and I had given her a popsicle to cool off. As I sat down on the couch again, she was standing in the middle of the living room between the couch and the t.v., happy as can be with her popsicle, when it happened.
It looked like an invisible person kicked her legs out from underneath her from behind, and she slammed back on the living room floor like a cinder block. She let out a scream, began crying, and started convulsing. My ex-wife now in a panic started screaming as I jumped off the couch to my daughter. Luckily, I had just finished my EMT class and was awaiting my test results, and I knew what it was. I had to scream at my ex a few times to get her to retrieve the phone for me to dial 911. Living in North Windham, I had worked at Willimantic dispatch for a short while, I knew everyone and Roddy answered the phone. I just blurted out,"two year old, fevbrile seizure, our address, and hung up.
Now working in the 911 field, I've dealt with impatient, emotional people that keep calling back, asking where the ambulance or fire department is, saying to myself,"It's been 2 minutes, give them time to get there." So, now I'm on the other end, and believe me, 2 minutes seems like and hour when you're on the other end of the 911 call. Meanwhile, the ex grabs the phone and rings her mom who is 5 minutes across town and gets her mom into a panic. So now I have two patients, my daughter, my wife, and a third on the way in her personal car...LOL I get the phone back and I call the non-emergency line to Willimantic dispatch and get the dispatching supervisor, and start the 20 questions. Sue, it's Erik, where's the paramedic? In Norwich. Was there a cover medic? No. How far out is the ambulance(paid)? They left at the time of call, they should be there shortly. Is anyone from the f.d.(volunteers) on the way? Yes. So I hang up.
Meanwhile, my daughter's lips start to pink up after having turned a grey shade of blue, the seizure eases up, but she's still shaking a bit, and she's post-dictal. Respirations become more normal, but she was still out of it. Willimantic Fire's ambulance gets there, just followed by North Windham F.D. members, and in comes the mother-in-law, freaking out. Willimantic Fire carries my daughter out of the house and rushes out to the ambulance and takes off to the hospital with the ex, and after I thank the guys from N.W.F.D., I rush off to the hospital. My daughter was ok, and we were home that night after they were done testing her. Needless to say, the call this past morning gave me flashbacks. And I used the fact that I, personally had been in this mother's situation, during pre-arrival instructions, that it was going to be okay, and there was nothing she could do other than let the seizure pass, which calmed the mother. As the fire department cleared the call, and the ambulance began transporting, the fire chief relayed a message over the radio, that the mother was extremely greatful to the dispatcher for keeping her calm, and that we did a great job. Now that's what this job is all about......
Hard to take pictures when you're doing the work!!
So, I went out and bought a digital camera, hoping to take some great pictures. You know... pics of myself, seeing that the pics I have of myself now, I dispise. I was also hoping to get some great shots of my fire department at work, looking to make a powerpoint slide show that we could present with music at our yearly holiday party. Until I realized that it's not that easy to take pictures of my fire department, when I'm always on the trucks, or in the building, or on scene doing something. Hoping that I would get some great pictures to post on my myspace account, of my sexy self(yeah...right!) taking care of business in my turnout gear, looks more like I'll have to settle with one of those holding the camera out in front of myself, girly pics that you see all to often on that website...LOL Oh well!
Friday, March 16, 2007
In the beginning...
In the beginning God covered the earth with broccoli, cauliflower and spinach, with green, yellow and red vegetables of all kinds so Man and Woman would live long and healthy lives. Then using God's bountiful gifts, Satan created Dairy Ice Cream and Magnums. And Satan said, "You want hot fudge with that? And Man said, "Yes!" And Woman said, "I'll have one too with chocolate chips". And lo, they gained 10 pounds.
And God created the healthy yogurt so that Woman might keep the figure that Man found so fair. And Satan brought forth white flour from the wheat and sugar from the cane and combined them. And Woman went from size 12 to size 14.
So God said, "Try my fresh green salad". And Satan presented Blue Cheese dressing and garlic croutons on the side. And Man and Woman unfastened their belts following the repast.
God then said, "I have sent you healthy vegetables and olive oil in which to cook them". And Satan brought forth deep fried coconut king prawns, butter-dipped lobster chunks and chicken fried steak, so big it needed its own platter. And Man's cholesterol went through the roof.
Then God brought forth the potato, naturally low in fat and brimming with potassium and good nutrition. Then Satan peeled off the healthy skin and sliced the starchy center Into chips and deep fried them in animal fats adding copious quantities of salt. And Man put on more pounds.
God then brought forth running shoes so that his Children might lose those extra pounds. And Satan came forth with a cable T.V. with remote control so Man would not have to toil changing the channels. And Man and Woman laughed and cried before the flickering light and started wearing stretch jogging suits.
Then God gave lean beef so that Man might consume fewer calories and still satisfy his appetite. And Satan created McDonalds and the 99 cent double cheeseburger. Then Satan said, "You want fries with that?" and Man replied, "Yes, And super size 'em". And Satan said, "It is good." And Man and Woman went into cardiac arrest.
God sighed ........ and created quadruple by-pass surgery. And then Satan chuckled, and created the National Health Service.
>>>>THE FINAL WORD ON NUTRITION
After an exhaustive review of the research literature, here's the final word on nutrition and health:
1. Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than us.
2. Mexicans eat a lot of fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than us.
3. Chinese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than us.
4. Italians drink excessive amounts of red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than us.
5. Germans drink beer and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than us.
>>CONCLUSION: Eat and drink what you like. Speaking English is apparently what kills you.
And God created the healthy yogurt so that Woman might keep the figure that Man found so fair. And Satan brought forth white flour from the wheat and sugar from the cane and combined them. And Woman went from size 12 to size 14.
So God said, "Try my fresh green salad". And Satan presented Blue Cheese dressing and garlic croutons on the side. And Man and Woman unfastened their belts following the repast.
God then said, "I have sent you healthy vegetables and olive oil in which to cook them". And Satan brought forth deep fried coconut king prawns, butter-dipped lobster chunks and chicken fried steak, so big it needed its own platter. And Man's cholesterol went through the roof.
Then God brought forth the potato, naturally low in fat and brimming with potassium and good nutrition. Then Satan peeled off the healthy skin and sliced the starchy center Into chips and deep fried them in animal fats adding copious quantities of salt. And Man put on more pounds.
God then brought forth running shoes so that his Children might lose those extra pounds. And Satan came forth with a cable T.V. with remote control so Man would not have to toil changing the channels. And Man and Woman laughed and cried before the flickering light and started wearing stretch jogging suits.
Then God gave lean beef so that Man might consume fewer calories and still satisfy his appetite. And Satan created McDonalds and the 99 cent double cheeseburger. Then Satan said, "You want fries with that?" and Man replied, "Yes, And super size 'em". And Satan said, "It is good." And Man and Woman went into cardiac arrest.
God sighed ........ and created quadruple by-pass surgery. And then Satan chuckled, and created the National Health Service.
>>>>THE FINAL WORD ON NUTRITION
After an exhaustive review of the research literature, here's the final word on nutrition and health:
1. Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than us.
2. Mexicans eat a lot of fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than us.
3. Chinese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than us.
4. Italians drink excessive amounts of red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than us.
5. Germans drink beer and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than us.
>>CONCLUSION: Eat and drink what you like. Speaking English is apparently what kills you.
To keep you smiling!
A woman brought a very limp duck into a veterinary surgeon.
As she lay her pet on the table, the vet pulled out his stethoscope and listened to the bird's chest. After a moment or two, the vet shook his head sadly and said, "I'm so sorry, your pet has passed away." The distressed owner wailed, "Are you sure? "Yes, I'm sure. The duck is dead," he replied. "How can you be so sure", she protested. "I mean, you haven't done any testing on him or anything. He might just be in a coma or something."The vet rolled his eyes, turned around and left the room. He returned a few moments later with a black Labrador Retriever. As the duck's owner looked on in amazement, the dog stood on his hind legs, put his front paws on the examination table and sniffed the duck from top to bottom. He then looked at the vet with sad eyes and shook his head.
The vet patted the dog and took it out and returned a few moments later with a beautiful cat. The cat jumped up on the table and also sniffed the bird from its beak to its tail and back again. The cat sat back on its haunches, shook its head, meowed softly, jumped down and strolled out of the room.
The vet looked at the woman and said, "I'm sorry, but as I said, this is most definitely, 100%certifiably, a dead duck." Then the vet turned to his computer terminal, hit a few keys, and produced a bill (not the duck's bill obviously), which he handed to the woman. The duck's owner, still in shock, took the bill. "$450!" she cried. "$450 just to tell me my duck is dead?!!"The vet shrugged. "I'm sorry. If you'd taken my word for it, the bill would have been $30. But with the Lab Report and the Cat Scan, it all adds up."
As she lay her pet on the table, the vet pulled out his stethoscope and listened to the bird's chest. After a moment or two, the vet shook his head sadly and said, "I'm so sorry, your pet has passed away." The distressed owner wailed, "Are you sure? "Yes, I'm sure. The duck is dead," he replied. "How can you be so sure", she protested. "I mean, you haven't done any testing on him or anything. He might just be in a coma or something."The vet rolled his eyes, turned around and left the room. He returned a few moments later with a black Labrador Retriever. As the duck's owner looked on in amazement, the dog stood on his hind legs, put his front paws on the examination table and sniffed the duck from top to bottom. He then looked at the vet with sad eyes and shook his head.
The vet patted the dog and took it out and returned a few moments later with a beautiful cat. The cat jumped up on the table and also sniffed the bird from its beak to its tail and back again. The cat sat back on its haunches, shook its head, meowed softly, jumped down and strolled out of the room.
The vet looked at the woman and said, "I'm sorry, but as I said, this is most definitely, 100%certifiably, a dead duck." Then the vet turned to his computer terminal, hit a few keys, and produced a bill (not the duck's bill obviously), which he handed to the woman. The duck's owner, still in shock, took the bill. "$450!" she cried. "$450 just to tell me my duck is dead?!!"The vet shrugged. "I'm sorry. If you'd taken my word for it, the bill would have been $30. But with the Lab Report and the Cat Scan, it all adds up."
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Random thoughts
I've been thinking about a few things, that I was wondering what others thought. The first thing is this. Over the past two years, during the winters, my legs have been breaking out with dry skin areas. Now it's not as bad as the pics I've seen on web searches, but more subtle, irritating, itchy as hell dry spots on the back of my legs. Now I've never had this problem till the past two winters, and I'm beginning to wonder if it's the first signs of old age!! LOL
So I've been using some lotions, and it's gotten better, the dry patches are gone but I still get the occasional, I need to scratch the hell out of this spot with a wire coat hanger urges (mostly when I'm half asleep in bed), but one thing makes me wonder. Wouldn't you think that by showering, which I do daily, thank you very much, wouldn't make it worse. All web searches say not to take hot showers or long exposure to hot water! Now I'd prefer not to go without showers, and not to freeze my buttocks off in a luke-warm or cold shower. This is something that I enjoy when I wake up, as I've been told, to take a hot shower is like drinking 2 cups of coffee when you wake up. I mean, this is water, it's not supposed to make dry skin worse, you're getting wet!! Just one of those things that makes you go hmmmm.....
The other two things are kind of similar. The media coverage of the Anna Nicole Smith and Britney Spears sagas. Do Americans have nothing better to do than to concern themselves with what's going on with these two issues. I guarantee you that 90% of us don't give a crap about what's going on with this stuff, as much as they do about Joe Smith from Little Rock, AK., or Susan Jones from Plymouth, MA. To me, the Anna Nicole Smith stuff is ridiculous, she's been dead for almost, if not a month, and she's still making the national news. The mom comes out of nowhere, after being disowned by Anna, and claims that she thinks she should have the body and custody of the baby, her ex-boyfriend just wants a paternity test, as do the 2 or 3 other guys who, in my eyes are probably after her late husband's money that's been put aside for the infant. I still haven't heard what she died from, but to be honest, I DON'T CARE, let her rest in peace, but I guess that's what Marilyn Monroe went through also.
Now Britney Spears, they made this huge deal about her shaving her head and getting two small tattoos before she went to rehab. First off, big fricken deal, she shaved her head, "She must be crazy!!" Does it matter that I shave my head or Suzy Q dyes her hair purple? She's still totally gorgeous with a shaved head, even if she has the Shannad O'Connor look. She's been under the papparatzi's eyes ever since she left the Mickey Mouse Club, and who blames her for wanting to occasionally leave the kids with mom so she can go out with Lindsey Lohan and Paris Hilton to have a good time. If anything, her recent actions are her saying she doesn't give a crap what the media thinks, and to me, she just wants to have a normal life like the rest of us. Hell, rehab is probably like a vacation for her to have some sort of privacy from the world. But then again, how can you with 50 photographers following you around where ever you go?!
So I've been using some lotions, and it's gotten better, the dry patches are gone but I still get the occasional, I need to scratch the hell out of this spot with a wire coat hanger urges (mostly when I'm half asleep in bed), but one thing makes me wonder. Wouldn't you think that by showering, which I do daily, thank you very much, wouldn't make it worse. All web searches say not to take hot showers or long exposure to hot water! Now I'd prefer not to go without showers, and not to freeze my buttocks off in a luke-warm or cold shower. This is something that I enjoy when I wake up, as I've been told, to take a hot shower is like drinking 2 cups of coffee when you wake up. I mean, this is water, it's not supposed to make dry skin worse, you're getting wet!! Just one of those things that makes you go hmmmm.....
The other two things are kind of similar. The media coverage of the Anna Nicole Smith and Britney Spears sagas. Do Americans have nothing better to do than to concern themselves with what's going on with these two issues. I guarantee you that 90% of us don't give a crap about what's going on with this stuff, as much as they do about Joe Smith from Little Rock, AK., or Susan Jones from Plymouth, MA. To me, the Anna Nicole Smith stuff is ridiculous, she's been dead for almost, if not a month, and she's still making the national news. The mom comes out of nowhere, after being disowned by Anna, and claims that she thinks she should have the body and custody of the baby, her ex-boyfriend just wants a paternity test, as do the 2 or 3 other guys who, in my eyes are probably after her late husband's money that's been put aside for the infant. I still haven't heard what she died from, but to be honest, I DON'T CARE, let her rest in peace, but I guess that's what Marilyn Monroe went through also.
Now Britney Spears, they made this huge deal about her shaving her head and getting two small tattoos before she went to rehab. First off, big fricken deal, she shaved her head, "She must be crazy!!" Does it matter that I shave my head or Suzy Q dyes her hair purple? She's still totally gorgeous with a shaved head, even if she has the Shannad O'Connor look. She's been under the papparatzi's eyes ever since she left the Mickey Mouse Club, and who blames her for wanting to occasionally leave the kids with mom so she can go out with Lindsey Lohan and Paris Hilton to have a good time. If anything, her recent actions are her saying she doesn't give a crap what the media thinks, and to me, she just wants to have a normal life like the rest of us. Hell, rehab is probably like a vacation for her to have some sort of privacy from the world. But then again, how can you with 50 photographers following you around where ever you go?!
Friday, February 09, 2007
I'm back from the dead!! LOL
Hello anyone that just so happens to check in to see if I've posted lately. That might just be Linda, seeing that I haven't posted in several months. I've just been busy with work, spending time with my daughter, and the fire department. To tell you the truth, I lost interest for blogging, but reading Linda's latest blog post on a crappy day @ work, kinda rejuvinated me, so thanks to you Linda...
So what to write about? Well seeing that I haven't written in so long, I'll just update what's been going on in my life. I have officially gotten the change in shift after a month, month and a half of training on day shift, and I'm finally on nights, which it looks like I'll be here for good, which the only drawback is it's limited the time I can take Hayleigh to every other weekend. Other than that, I have an awesome co-worker on the night shift, and I'm enjoying nights very much. Only took two days to adjust to the schedule.
The job is very interesting, and even though I have 13 years experience in firefighting, 6 years in the EMS field, and 9 or so years dispatching, I've learned I got a ton of stuff to learn. You figure 34 or so fire departments, with 34 different chiefs, and 34 different ways of doing things. I thought the days of shuffling ambulances around were over when I left American, boy was I wrong. Now we're talking only a few town, paid ambulance crews on during the day, nevermind @ night. Toning out, and retoning ambulance corps trying to get crews, sometimes were lucky, other times were toning out mutual aid ambulances to respond. And if it's busy medical wise, we could have a paid ambulance covering a few towns until the other town's ambulance frees up.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking any of these ambulance corps., but it's the same everywhere in the U.S. when you are dealing with volunteer departments, etc. Especially during the day, these people have to work their jobs, granted some are able to respond to calls during work, but that's a slim few.
Fire department has been steady, however, I've had Hayleigh the past few weekends so I haven't been able to go down to the station on saturdays, nor respond to calls. Planning on teaching another Firefighter 1 class this spring, and planning my first ever, out of the country, over the seas trip to Scotland. I have been keeping in contact with family that owns an Inn in Cumnock, which is a small town in Ayershire. And I recently found out that I have a second cousin that is a professional rugby player, that plays in both the Scotland professional league, and in Austrailla. How bout that?!..... lol
So what to write about? Well seeing that I haven't written in so long, I'll just update what's been going on in my life. I have officially gotten the change in shift after a month, month and a half of training on day shift, and I'm finally on nights, which it looks like I'll be here for good, which the only drawback is it's limited the time I can take Hayleigh to every other weekend. Other than that, I have an awesome co-worker on the night shift, and I'm enjoying nights very much. Only took two days to adjust to the schedule.
The job is very interesting, and even though I have 13 years experience in firefighting, 6 years in the EMS field, and 9 or so years dispatching, I've learned I got a ton of stuff to learn. You figure 34 or so fire departments, with 34 different chiefs, and 34 different ways of doing things. I thought the days of shuffling ambulances around were over when I left American, boy was I wrong. Now we're talking only a few town, paid ambulance crews on during the day, nevermind @ night. Toning out, and retoning ambulance corps trying to get crews, sometimes were lucky, other times were toning out mutual aid ambulances to respond. And if it's busy medical wise, we could have a paid ambulance covering a few towns until the other town's ambulance frees up.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking any of these ambulance corps., but it's the same everywhere in the U.S. when you are dealing with volunteer departments, etc. Especially during the day, these people have to work their jobs, granted some are able to respond to calls during work, but that's a slim few.
Fire department has been steady, however, I've had Hayleigh the past few weekends so I haven't been able to go down to the station on saturdays, nor respond to calls. Planning on teaching another Firefighter 1 class this spring, and planning my first ever, out of the country, over the seas trip to Scotland. I have been keeping in contact with family that owns an Inn in Cumnock, which is a small town in Ayershire. And I recently found out that I have a second cousin that is a professional rugby player, that plays in both the Scotland professional league, and in Austrailla. How bout that?!..... lol
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