Rookies

We all know rookies in EMS when we see them. Their uniform is all nice and neat and they have every piece of equipment known to ems on their belt and in their pockets. These are the ones that tend to act one of two ways either 1. they are quiet and do not do anything unless they are told otherwise known as scared sh!tless and 2. being the trauma chaser ( these tend to say the words quiet or slow on an other wise good day and then hell brakes lose and a lot of times they get in the way and tend to have to be knocked down to size and put in their place.) either way when you become their FTO a.k.a babysitter you know you are screwed until they learn the ropes. Now let me say this before I get slammed yes I was a rookie at the time and yes it was scary at first till I learned the ropes and yes I am sure I was a pain in the arse to my FTO. Now that being said, I have had a rookie on the truck for the last week and dear lord someone shoot me! I am already A trauma magnet and psych call magnet but the rookie had to go and say "man I wish we would get some action already " on a day where I was doing good as I had only had 2 calls in 6 hrs. So I figured it was time to guilt trip him.

Me: "Seriously? you want people to get hurt or sick so you can get some action?"
Rookie: "What? huh? I mean I just want work I don't want them to get hurt or sick."
Me: "Dude no medic wants to work a call, we actually want it to be quiet because that means people are safe and healthy. We are here when they need us but we hope they don't."
Rookie:" Why did you become a medic?"
Me: To help others in A time of need and the fact that I love emergency medicine. I am apart of a different breed. We tend to take the abuse and not fight back, we help all rather they have insurance or not, and we sure as heck don't get the sleep we need or a warm meal 1/2 the time but we still do it. I am sure for me that I get more out of helping these people they they get from my help. all it takes is one kids smile or a thank you and knowing you saved someone to make it all worth it."
Rookie: "My dad and brothers work as medics so I did the same thing."
Dispatch: "medic 464 please respond to XXX Pace road for a 3 car mva, police and rescue have been notified"
Rookie: "finally"
Me: " Crap!! Dude one day you will see what I mean when you will hope you don't get a call"
Me: "dispatch medic 464 on scene"

The three care wreck was bad one was a older wind star minivan with two young children and the mom driving. She was the reason the wreck happened. She was 29 and the cops at first thought she was DUI but after assessing her we found she was diabetic and was suffering from a hypoglycemia and passed out while driving. The two kids, 6 and 8 yrs old were injured one with a broken arm and cut on his forehead and was screaming at the top of his little lungs which was a relief in a sense that he was doing okay, The other much worse. The child was quiet he didn't respond to any of my questions,His vitals were up sh!t creek and we needed to get him out immed. When he was packed and ready we discovered a seat belt bruise across his chest and abdomen giving us the signal that he was high risk for internal bleeding especially with his vitals.
Mom was treated for the hypo and she received stitches from where the windshield shattered and needed urgent transport as well since her vitals were not as good as I hoped. when we got he BG it was 31 mg/dl When she awoke in the back of my ambulance she of course wanted her children and I informed her of their whereabouts and condition. I had to ask her why she was low and why she didn't stop? she said she tested before she left the house and her bg was 101 mg/dl and she didn't feel the low. I told her I was diabetic type 1 and I do not feel mine drop either so that is why I have a CGM (continuous glucose monitor) to let me know when I am out of range. She thanked my rookie and I for all the help and for taking care of her sons. The boys were life flighted to the children's hospital.  Rookie and I went to check on the boys and they were doing well the younger one was okay minus the broken arm and cut and would be released when his father arrived while the other son was in surgery to repair he fractured pelvis, lacerated kidney and his spleen. He will recover and was doing way better. the boys smiled at us and said thanks for helping my mommy she was low. We thanked him for his help because when we got there he told me his mommy was diabolical and low ( he meant to say she was diabetic and low. Bless his little heart.
Back in the truck my rookie looked at me and said " I understand now " I nodded and we went to get some lunch.

A day in my life with diabetes.........

5a.m - Slam alarm clock many times then sit up and check my sugar. Morning sugar good at 124 with a nice steady line on my CGM.

5:15 - Turn coffee pot on and figure breakfast carbs since today is a running day I will have peanut butter on toast with a banana and milk. pump bolus calculated and out the door for a good 2 mile run.

5:50a.m - check sugar. chug water and BG is at 147 so good to finish out my run.

6:10 - back to the house for coffee shower and site changes and insulin refill.

6:45 - check purse to ensure I have everything ( monitor, battery spares for CGM charger and pump, infusion set, i.v preps. sensor, senserter, glucose tabs, and strips and lancets) keys, coffee, uniform,book check! off to the fire station.

10:30 - snack time cheese crackers and coke zero. check sugar first ......... 111 good.

1 or so - well god willing I won't get called out for a emergency while eating lunch but it never fails. check sugar........ 159 umm that seems a little high humm I wonder why?

2pm - nap time at the station till a call comes through.

4pm calls and studying so school stuff.

6pm - infusion site got caught on door and got riped out. got to insert new one now.

7pm - calls, calls and more calls ohh and dinner in between. sweet it looks like dinner at I hop tonight! check sugar...... 101 yeah me! bolus up meal and eat away.

10pm - more calls and sleep throughout the night.

1am - been a busy night and my body is feeling signs of low BG which of course not good check sugar..........43 eeekkkk!! juice, crackers, kitchen now! I sit on the kitchen floor for 30 mins while my partners are sleeping soundly. check again ............... 128 way better! back to bed.

7 am - get up check all the supplies on the trucks to ensure full stock. check sugar...... 131 good.

8am - off to the house to catch up on lost sleep and make a good breakfast and prepare for shift at 7 pm to 7am.

So this is about the break down on a day in the life with diabetes.

some topics bothering me right now.....

So you hear over and over again how diabetes can be controlled through diet and exercise but no where in those commericals do they mention that that is for type 2 diabetes instead they just say diabetes. now don't get me wrong I know they are trying to help but without properly educating the public only has small bits of info to go off of. Today I was in the docs office for a nasty infusion site infection uggh!! and I walk to a chair and this lady is like whats that? I said oh that is my insulin pump. she said but your not fat (God Bless her ) and you don't look like someone with diabetes your far too young and that is when I sat down and explained the different types of diabetes and she got a new understanding. I asked her though how she got her info on diabetes? she said some tv talk show. I also realized how to go about the talk without getting mad or irate since this happens more often it seems. It reminded me of the story of my DX with type 1 diabetes my Dad is a ER doc for the Army and was on deployment and my mom was talking to my dad and said I had to go to the bathroom so many times since I have been drinking so much more Juice which she thought was due too my active lifestyle with soccer and basketball and what not. they she mentioned I was really thinning out and needed new jeans so it clicked in my dads head and he told my mom to make me a doc appt to get a check up so she did and when we got there they stuck my finger and the meter they had said HI I giggled I said look mom the meter says HI and then I had lost like 15 lbs and the doc sent us to the ER where the put me in an ambulance and sent me to the Children's hospital where we were told I had type 1 diabetes. my blood sugar was sick high over 900 and I didn't understand but knew something was wrong because mom was on the phone with dad and she asked him if I was going to be okay and did she feed me the wrong food or what and that is the first time I learned how to explain the difference between t1 and t2. I wish we had a better way to let others know the difference or even better that the press or whoever would quite putting a bad light on diabetes. I did get to help some officers that came by the fire station last week learn to look for signs of diabetes in a person who may appear drunk while driving. I took them out to my car and showed them the car of one messy diabetic lol I showed them the used test strips my medic alert tattoo um my medic alert card with my insurance papers, lancets, glucose tabs um oh and the Humalog pen needles lol they also got to check out a video of 1 happy diabetic on what it feels like to have a low blood sugar and they left pretty informed. it was a good day I would say. ummm school is biting me on the behind I am on spring break but when it starts up again I am going at it with full force!