My New Rides

Did another shift over at the coast yesterday.  As mentioned previously, I am working for two adjacent fire districts as pretty much the only Paramedic on duty.  I ran three calls during the 24-hour shift.

Both of the districts provide response vehicles for the medic.

Here’s the one I drove yesterday:

It’s a little used.  But it’s got lights and a siren, a monitor/defibrillator, the cool medic drugs, o2, etc.

Ok, but hold on, boys & girls…

This is the Paramedic response vehicle for the OTHER fire district:

It’s newer, has lights, sirens, monitor/defibrillator, drugs, o2, etc., but…

Yeah, it’s got a Hemi.

Schwing!

Oh, and I did take some shots yesterday:

It’s back home today.  Gotta brine the bird so that I can smoke it and bake it tomorrow, which is when we’re observing Thanksgiving.  Now we’re off to the hospital to have lunch with Hilda, who got stuck working today.

What Time Is It, Boys & Girls? It’s Poster Time!

This was inspired by a story I heard about my new boss.

Seems he responded to a call & found the patient in V-Fib. 

1 shock & the dude converted to a perfusing rhythm, pretty much all but sat up and thanked him.

TNB (The New Boss) responded by blurting out the quote on the poster.

Much to the confusion & dismay of the wife standing next to him…

I DO NOT miss the audio recording system we had on the LP5 lo, those many years ago…

Ask, & Ye Shall Receive

Well, officially, Keep Breathing didn’t ask, but he DID inspire this new poster:

New & Improved Website

After literally hours of thinking bad thoughts/screaming at the computer and tech support, I’ve finally managed to get a halfway decent website posted.

I’ve still got some work to be done, like adding more images.  For some reason, I cannot add a photo gallery with the site-building software (bastards), but am looking at purchasing flash creation software to build and post an automatic slideshow with music.

Anyway, now I can concentrate on other stuff.

I’m over at the coast again, the sun is shining, and I’m tired of being inside.  I think I’ll take my Paramedic Chase/Fly/Response Vehicle out and take some pictures do some area familiarization…

A Sunday At The Beach

With a day off together, good weather, we decided to head to the beach.  Cannon Beach, to be exact.

We met my dad for lunch and spent a few hours talking and laughing.

When I grabbed the check and held on to it, my dad made the observation that “I never did obey”…

The boys ate and went to the beach just outside the restaurant windows.

After lunch was over, Hilda and I took a long walk on the beach.  The camera came with us…

On the way home, we stopped at Camp 18, conveniently located at MP 18 on Highwy 26 between Portland and the coast.

The boys played checkers while we waited for the food.

All in all, a very good day surrounded by people who love me and who I love in return.

Upgrading The Photo Bidness

What to do with my increased time off?  Not only are Hilda & I reconnecting, I’m also taking the opportunity to work on my photography business.

After being hired to shoot a wedding, I got re-inspired and this has injected some positive attitude into that aspect of my life.

To compliment the new camera, I’ve purchased some new books, am working on business/marketing plan, and have been putting together a website:

So far, I’m not happy with the results.  I’ll be spending more time getting the result I want.  I’m currently limited by some very non-useful templates.  I think I’ll have to invest in some software to get where I want it to be.

Never fear – I won’t be giving up EMS, haiku or the motivational posters!  I’m just expanding other areas…

Hilda & I have started an LLC, gotten our tax ID number, and are getting the administrative stuff/paperwork in order.

Photography Bonanza

LIFE magazine has archived all of their wonderful images and can be searched in Google.

My Favorite images (so far) after searching ‘Coast Guard’:

Tom McAdams – Tom has retired from the Coast Guard, from the Newport (Oregon) Fire Department, and at well over 70 years old, still does aerobics and can kick all of our asses.

Amphibs – Sea-going airplanes, baby.  I’m a sucker for them.

ATN - I love the glow from the lantern on the Coastie’s face.  He’s probably in Alaska

Then I searched ‘Alaska’ and got these results:

Dennis – His father was the first Governor of Alaska, and I worked for him at a radio station in Juneau.  Dennis is in the background.

City & River - River?  That’s the Pacific Ocean!  This is Japonski Island at Sitka.  Most of the small buildings are gone.  Some of them I helped to burn down.  The long 3-story building at the bottom of the image is where I took my first EMT class.  The large concrete slab on the left is an old U.S. Navy Seaplane base, now a community college and residential high school.  The large white building in the middle was built as a Tuberculosis sanitarium, and is now a regional Native American hospital.

Whaaaa?

“On a scale of 1 to 10, people are stupid”

This was a comment made to a very sad news article.

Am I the only one who thinks that the 1-10 scale should be eliminated?  My last agency had a 1-10 NAUSEA scale.

Most patients I’ve ever asked about pain, in relation to the 1-10 scale, tell me “Oh, it’s a 15 (insert your own meaningless number here)”, as they drift off to sleep.

I would conservatively estimate that less than 1/3 of those asked provide a relevant number.  The other 2/3rd are just looking for Dilaudid.

For those who are unable/incapable of providing a number, the Wong-Baker Face Scale is provided.    The most useful I’ve ever seen that particular scale is on the final exam for CCEMTP, where is asks you to name it.  One of the answers is Wang-Chung… which was good for a laugh.

I’ve seen medics (and others, too) out there ask about emotional issues, depression, shortness of breath, and even the ability to swallow, all coached in the dubious relativity of the 1-10 scale. 

It just makes it meaningless, in my opinion.

Interesting web site devoted to the 1-10 scale…

I once heard a nurse (and former Paramedic) explain to the patient that a 4 or above meant they were unable to sleep through the pain.  I thought that was a good explanation and put some relevance into the estimation.  Not that it did any good.   The patient claimed she was a ’23′…

I’m not advocating that we don’t treat pain.  I am quick to jump on the narcotic administration wagon if I think my patient needs it.  I just feel that the 1-10 scale is irrevelant.

I Am Not A Nerd

  

 

   

As Seen At The Obsessive/Compulsive Store