Do you have you travel papers Madam?

Sounds like something from an old B&W war time movie doesn't it?

But the answer is yes, or will be in ten days or so.

The very pleasant and approachable young man behind the counter of another Australia Post Office was a credit to his manager and training. When getting to the part of her story where Tracy changed surnames his simplistic and accurate take on it was but you current correct name is this and therefore proved at the time of gaining her Australian Citizenship case closed no problem.

Now this doesn't mean we're off overseas.
Our priority is our possible pregnancy and we have the blood test on Monday for that.
Now if it is good news we will be letting everyone know because there has been a surprising amount of interest and support.

But if we don't or maybe if we are as a last splurge before the reported poverty of having a family it's better to have the passport just in case we even win a trip!!!!!!

Be careful out there and I'll see you at the Big One.

Taz

We are water proof.

It was drizzling nearly all day.

Not a heavy rain just light drizzle.

So a Pedestrian pulls their Hoodie up and dashes across the road.

Not seeing the bus bearing down on them.

BANG!

Dual head trauma, frontal and occipital.
Road rash abrasions like you only see on motor cyclists.
But not a broken bone.
No neck pain, no pelvic pain, no abdo pain.

In fact no pain that isn't associated with the abrasions on almost every bony prominence.

Was it the quick reaction time of the bus driver?
The pedestrian did nothing but place themselves in extreme danger not knowing what hit them!

The fickle Gods of trauma missed this one.
Banged up good but at home tonight with their family.

Very, very lucky

Be careful out there and I'll see you at the Big One.

Taz

Tracy's Passport!

I thought for Tracy's birthday this year I would give something more lasting and useful.

A Passport - in case we had the opportunity to travel we could and it's also a very useful identity document.

Bloody hell the hoops we are having to jump.

Tracy was born overseas, in a British Army hospital and came to Australia thirty odd years ago on her parents passport when they emigrated.

She has born a son who has been involved in the military also, she has worked and paid taxes been a model citizen.

We applied for and received a marriage license.
She has applied for and received her Australian Citizenship.
And we have today had a very unsatisfactory interview at the post office with a mildly offensive and condescending little man who became fixated on the fact that her birth name is different to her current name even though we had the supporting documents to support the change.

When a women take her husbands name, as Tracy did, the only thing you need is the Marriage Certificate to change all her other official identity forms, - Drivers license, Bank statements, Electoral role.

But little dude down at the Post office could not get past 'but her names different'. Yes it was once and now the only thing that shows her maiden name is the birth certificate.

God it was frustrating. So much show that I scooped all the paperwork off the counter, thanked him for his time and told him we would be going to another post office.

No one will ever know who he is,
He will never read this,

But I feel better for the spray anyway.

Be careful out there and I'll see you at the Big One.

Taz

New concept!

All the IP's (intoxicated person) from this Saturday night just gone were people of refined character, class, charm, grace, bearing and dignity seldom seen in the drunk.

Now we all know that the drunk suffer from the associated inflictions of;

Mangle Tongue - inability to speak in the acceptable local dialect!
Gyroscopic Dysfunction - inability to sit upright even against supporting structures!
Wobbly Leg Syndrome - inability to operate functionality of one or both legs!
Gastro/Physical Self Defence - vomiting, you poisoned your body, it's getting rid of the poison!

Lesser liked symptoms that inflict both sexes when drunk are;

Spitting - Not at my foot, Not on my bed, Not in my ambulance and NOT AT ME!
Abuse - can be presenting with either or both verbal and physical.
Crying for their Mummy - this one really fu*ks with your friends minds, they stop trying to help you and ring for us because they are so disturbed by this action.


All our IPs were of an underlying goodness.

They would try slowly and carefully to communicate and would have the good grace to nod and shake their head to my questions because that worked better.

They had the dignity to accept that they were solely responsible for their current state and not seeking to deflect with claims of 'I didn't have that much' or a spiked drink.

They had the class to be embarrassed by their actions and apologetic for their actions to friends, rubber neck bystanders and the Ambos.

They had the bearing to indicate when they were going to be sick and to seek the vomit bag and try not to splash it on any of our clothing or equipment.

Charm to make me pleased to have helped what must be a truly remarkable person when they're sober.

Strength of character to accept the remedy (an anti emetic and a bag of fluids) and a trip to a safe environment (a hospital).

Weird fact, that night the little non trauma inner city hospital where we take these patients only had one male under the 'afluence of incohol'! All the rest were female.

Well done guys.

Be careful out there and I'll see you at the Big One.

Taz

Steep!

Don't you just love the difficult extrication first job.

No single obsticle was incermountable it was just that everthing was a problem.

Long Narrow driveway,

Long Narrow Steep driveway,

Long Narrow Steep Concrete Walled driveway,

Long Narrow Steep Concrete Walled Fractured Crumbling Surface driveway,

So the drive was difficult.

Nice bit of room at the top of the drive to turn, that's a bonus!

The concrete is very uneven, fractured, loose and crumbling. That's nice to roll the stretcher over!

Patient was on the ground floor (bonus) but from front door to driveway was a 9o degree right, 180 degree left, 90 degree right & 45 degree left turn all going down tiled steps.

We all do them, but I thought to take some non identifying photos.

Be careful out there and I'll see you at the Big One.

Taz

Where has all the good work gone???

Fickle aren't I!

A few quite shifts and I'm belly aching!

Well Tracy has gone and got the Health Care rebates for the IVF, covers about 50% of it or something close to that. We still have another week this Monday until we have the blood test so keep whatever it is you've had crossed, crossed.

Saturday night should provide some fun.

Be careful out there and I'll see you at the Big One.

Taz

Yep, nothing interesting.

One Aero-Medical transfer from the airport to the hospital, standard stuff

Four Abdo pains that were sick, looks like there is a gastro bug doing the rounds.

And a gentleman who rang for an ambulance to drive him 500 meters and we did measure it, to hospital because he had the flu (probably a very severe case of man cold http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXLHWmjA5IE ) and didn't like being sick.

My station is short a player tonight so I'll be going in to help them out and they had some really interesting stuff that I heard over the radio last night.

Be careful out there and I'll see you at the Big One.

Taz

Interesting News article.

No large organisation runs smoothly.
Management may be blind enough to publicly state that it does.
It doesn't matter if it's private enterprise or government.
When the majority of your employees believe your screwed then there has to be fire with that much smoke!

This http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/blowing-the-siren/2008/10/17/1223750333666.html appeared in the Sydney Saturday Morning Herald 18/10/08.

As I have stated in previous posts, I have been a union member in both of the jobs I have held during my life but I don't totally agree the militant views of some.

This article however does I believe discuss and disclose a true picture of the facts.


And enough of that.

Pulled an overtime at the other CBD station tonight.
It's Monday so I don't expect too much fun.


And I have proof that Ambos don't sit around and drink tea like a stupid (obviously mis-quoted) management media statement made recently.

Well known within the service locally for a possible obsession with shiny boots I have discovered that I have worn mine down to the under sole during a polish for tonight!

How's that for proof!!

Be careful out there and I'll see you at the Big One.

Taz

Friday & Saturday night DOUBLE!!!!!!!!!

I love 'em.
Nothing stunning as far as work, not like last week with the stabbings.
Last night, nine hours into the shift we had done ten jobs including a PFO with a closed head injury shown later on scans.

I think we only rolled over another four jobs in the last five hours.

In between the two nights Tracy and I had our embryos returned to the natural environment from the test tube. In the past the most developed has been at the four cell stage. This round of fertility drugs has included human growth hormone (shit! there goes her chances of a professional cycling career) and while also increasing the quantity, at implant the embryos were at seven and eight cells.

So a few more IMI and in for the blood test in a fortnight?

Fingers crossed then!

Be careful out there and I'll see you at the Big One.

Taz

More about the IVF

Five of the ten split and grew!

Not half bad!
Ha, Ha, Ha
Sorry couldn't resist it!

Be careful out there and I'll see you at the Big One.

Taz

Further Update!

Under the microscope one wasn't any good but ten have been fertilised.

We await the call tomorrow!

Be careful out there and I'll see you at the Big One.

Taz

Egg Update.

Just got home from collecting Tracy.

The procedure went well, mind you we're old hands at this now.

From Tracy's perspective she feels the best she ever has after an egg retrieval

The official count was eleven, the other follicles must have been empty?

Next step, a phone call tomorrow to tell us how the fertilization went and how many we might have. As I said in the last post two to put in would be nice and maybe a few to freeze.


Be careful out there and I'll see you at the Big One.

Taz

Pulled a daytime overtime shift in the Burbs on the days off.

Nothing hard, nothing urgent, nothing interesting besides being called to a young women crying.
She had arrived home hours early and had no key to get in.
My partner and I could find no way in for her and she wouldn't stop crying long enough to give me her boyfriends number.
I pulled enough bits of paper out of her handbag to have a small phonebook and pieced together what his name was to give him a call, nice dude, we waited for him to arrive rather than leaving her alone.
Not a bad way to earn extra cash.


I'm going to be a shift short this week.
I am taking some Family carers leave on my first day because Tracy and I have another egg harvest with the IVF and as that involves her going under general anaesthesia I have to pick here up and care and observe for the day.

On our last Ultra Sound scan (that I didn't attend due to work) Tracy tells me that they stopped counting at the 15 or so they found easily so that is a really big number for us.

So what we would hope for is;-
Two embryo's with four or more cells for implant on Saturday,
A fist full of likewise fertilised eggs that we can save in the cryo bank for later if they were needed.

Now is that really too much to ask?

One thing this whole process has taught both of us,

You never know what might happen!

Be careful out there and I'll see you at the Big One.

Taz

Someone has asked, no it was only a half moon out so I can't blame it on the lunar cycle.

I may have a conspiracy theory???????

You rarely see Ambos on the news at a scene, mostly its the Police or Tinheads (Fireies - they always wear helmets, everywhere????) The Ambos are long gone with the sick person, so when you do see us in the news it's pretty fresh news or there was a news team lurking somewhere near.

Well, at two of these attacks there were professional photographers on scene before we left and our on scene times were like under three minutes.

Now how did they know were to be and when?????

I leave it to you to make your own opinions!

The wedding was good, so good in fact that I have a general rule of not more than four hours at any party or function. We were there for seven plus hours. Check out Ambowifes blog for the photos http://tazmanianshe-devil.blogspot.com/2008/10/carina-james-got-married-yesterday.html

We even had a dance or two.

It was good to relax on the couch and watch the Bathurst 1000 while I recovered today.

GO the BLUE OVAL

Be careful out there and I'll see you at the Big One.

Taz

Bloody Knives

What the HELL happened last night.

Stabbings, multiple incidents all within a one kilometre radius!

My car got three of them, and two of the four casualties that I know of suffered real life threatening injuries.

Found this link on Random Acts of Reality http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7647731.stm

Got to go and sleep.

One of my workmates is getting married this afternoon and I don't want to fall asleep or be over tired and crazy (well more than normal)

Be careful out there and I'll see you at the Big One.

Taz

Jagged another overtime shift!

Nice and close too, just around the corner from home.

The previous night had seen a function called the 'Sleazy Ball' (name says it all) in central Sydney and I didn't do a single job related to it.

Tonight there has been a dance party on in the same location and one of our football codes is playing their Grand Final as well so you think that I would get some work from all of that?

Well we didn't!

That's not to say we didn't get a few good jobs,
An underage person attempting to get into the rear beer garden of an establishment by climbing over the three metre high fence that was topped with those fake arrow heads.
Fake or not they will penetrate if you slip, and they did, getting caught by the medial section of the distal upper arm.

Missed the Brachial Artery.
Missed the bone.
Missed the nerves and tendons.
Missed the Bicep.

A bloody great hole torn through the dermis and adipose tissue assisted by the fact the mates pulled them off the fence doing more damage.



Intoxicated elderly male from a middle European heritage who only spoke now in his native tongue.

The Police and ourselves tried and tried to help this gent.

We can't leave him on the streets in this condition and he doesn't need a hospital and repeatedly refused offers for one of us to take him home to safety.

There was an inner turmoil that would cause him to shout and raise him fists and shake them at nothing distinct, we didn't feel threatened at all but in the end for his own safety he was forcefully removed to a cell at the local to sober up.

They just never know how much we try to help them do they?

The man who hours earlier while cissed as a pricket decide that a Morton Bay Fig Tree would be a good climb however in a stunning surprise did know, because he was now soberish and hurting.

After having made his landing on Terra firma he told me that he decided to have a snooze under the tree and see if his ankle got better.

It didn't and we rescued him from the middle of a park with no paths or roads for easy access.

Not as lively a long weekend as I had thought, but I did my part to maintain minimal staff levels and after being single and doing the lions share of the driving it was nice to treat.

Be careful out there and I'll see you at the Big One.

Taz

Got one overtime shift.

Worked with another officer also on overtime and also from my home state and we had a very cruisey night.

A young fella who had been having a bath and while Mum and Dad weren't looking had suffered a bit of tap trauma to the forehead, it just needed a little bit of medical super glue.

A couple of Mental Health patients.

Alcohol and Depression do not mix, everyone was very compliant, and I had no need to use the new powers provided by the NSW Mental Health Act 2007.

A very, very drunk man who had not eaten garlic prawns, (read June 13 post)

And my first job in a house of religious worship from the middle eastern lands. The patient was declared deceased after we had run the arrest protocol through once and they remained refractory asystole.
But think of it, a religious person, comes and says their prayers, makes peace with their god and then dies! That's a nice way to go when you think on it.


Be careful out there and I'll see you at the Big One.

Taz

As I have already posted it has been a pleasure to work with the officers that have been assigned to partner with me while I wait to get one for the rest of the roster.

Equally nice is doing ten jobs the other night, that being one every 72 minutes, and only one of them was possibly a waste of our time.

So of the nine,

Three went straight into a Resuc Bay, the rest also got beds rather than the waiting room. (Don't you love the look in their eyes when they realise their not getting a fast track just because they called an ambulance)

A very nasty fractured shoulder - lovely lady
And a nasty compound Tib/Fib - Obnoxious, Very Drunk, Drama Queen. We've all had one, enough said.

So it's a long weekend and I have myself down for availability any shift Saturday and Sunday, there's a big dance party on and the weather is hot.

Who knows what could happen,


Be careful out there and I'll see you at the Big One.

Taz

So what's the Wife been up to?

Starting what may become a financial career in Scrapbook Design.

From the link for Ambowife you will visit her blog and see what she does, the whole layout and content is of her design, created by her hand not something you just down load.

She has been on the creative team for an American based Scrapbook designer and has been increasing her knowledge and ability at every opportunity.

Last week she was approached by an American based web site that sells and promotes scrap booking to join the firm as it was and to have an on-line commercial shop to sell her own designs.

She keeps telling me that I won't become a kept man and that it may not even pay for a computer up-grade when she next needs one, but I'm totally amazed by her creativity and perspective that I believe others will be too now she can showcase her talent.

It's just another thing that makes me so proud of my wife.

Be careful out there and I'll see you at the Big One.

Taz