My Morning

So tired from a strange night we managed to catch one last call of the morning. And if you were wondering, yes those are feathers. My uniform looks like I just ran through a chicken coop in some twisted three stooges sort of way. So here's what happened...

18 year old driving along the road drifted into the oncoming lane, effectively bought two cars. She was awake but did not remember the accident at all but that's common in serious wrecks. Alot of confusion, metal, glass, and the unforgettable smell of airbags deployed. Her abdomen was tender and becoming larger by the minute, probably her liver but all I can go on is probably but that's all I need. We immobilize her head and hold her still while I am ding a quick head to toe assessment. Neck pain, abdominal pain, pelvic pain upon palpation, and a strong urge to pee were her primary complaints. She was wearing a Fubu jacket, it actually made me sweat looking at it as it had been so nice out the past few days. I take no pleasure in ruining someones favorite jacket, pants, shirt etc. But on the same token I don't hesitate to cut them off a patient. Unfortunately as I began cutting the jacket to clear it from around her neck I realized it was a down jacket. What can you do though? I had already committed and besides, there was no way in hell we were getting the jacket off of her without cutting it. So we get her into the ambulance and I position equipment and begin to finish what I started and clear the jacket from her arm. I must say they are well made and there is alot of down in those jackets. So now the feathers are flying as I am getting her on the monitor and getting her vitals and I have to brush them off my face once or twice. I get her name and she denies any history of medical problems. So another more detailed head to toe while I am waiting for the blood pressure to cycle. She screams at me and keeps telling me how her belly hurts and I try my best to calm her down as we are only a minute or two away from the hospital. So then I drop a 14 gauge in her arm and now she has something else to yell at me about as I flush it and secure the line. My Observer Paramedic Partner hangs a bag of saline and then sets up the med patch for me. I give them the info, letting them decide whether to call a trauma alert on it. We are backing into the ambulance dock as I am trying to get another 14 gauge in her other arm but it won't advance so I pull the line and patch it up with gauze and tape. We open the back doors and it looks like a herd of chickens floating out. We wheel her into the ER and they have called a trauma alert due to hypo tension and the possible belly bleed. I give my story to the doctor and charge nurse as the ER staff works like a well oiled machine, stripping her the rest of the way, inserting a Foley catheter into her bladder, and doing ultrasound and x-rays, as well as drawing labs and a 12 lead EKG. I go out to the ambulance, have a cigarette and laugh as I look into the back and see the mess I made. It took an extra hour to get all the feathers out.

This is my life and I am loving every minute of it