We've had all three fertilised eggs transferred so lets hope they take!

Nice hot day here in Sydney for the beginning of the weekend.

Took a patient in for a check-up after a low speed single car accident.
Got a fella with renal colic, he's never felt pain that bad. I got him dosed up with some intranasal Fentanyl (because the Service wont pay me extra to accept the responsibility of Morphine - Union action).
A gent in the company of some local Police who felt unwell in some of the small transport vehicles they use, just claustrophobic.

And the big news of the day!!!!!!!!

Look out world it looks like we made it into an episode of Bondi Rescue almost a year to the day from the last time and in the same location (the skate park).
So keep your peepers open for any episode in a month or so that talks about a young nine year who bumped his head while skating.

Well I had fun and it was a buzz I hope for my partner.

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

Taz

So end total of eggs is three.

They get implanted tomorrrow.

Then we wait.

Tracy can't do without her external hard drive.
The shop from which she purchased it have sent the AC adapter away to be replaced only after I pointed out that the unit was covered by a three year warranty and it will take five weeks!!!

Bravely as she battles depression, sour face sulker this morning pulled the whole unit apart to see if it could be installed on my PC, no it couldn't.

Now she's off to the computer shop down the road to look for the bits to construct her own external drive.

That's my girl.

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

Taz

Eggs

Well we only got eleven.

A phone call this afternoon will tell us how many fertilise.

And looks like I'll miss the implant because that will be on Saturday morning and I'll be at work.

And when we get back home, Tracy's 500Gb external hard drive seems to not be working.

She not a happy camper about that.

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

Taz

You've got to love a long weekend.

'I have a sore throat',
'It comes on as soon at the restaurant starts cooking',
Patient lives above a Thai Restaurant, it's environmental!!!
What do you want me to do about it at 2200hrs on a Sunday?
And I did not use the line 'If you don't like the smoke get away from the kitchen'

'I have a sore throat',
'I've had the sore throat for four months',
Patient has had a confirmed diagnosis of tonsillitis, there is no airway involvement.
'You will spend six hours in the waiting room!, are you ok with that?, alright lets go then!'

Several bashings, robbery seems to be the main aim but with failure there, just a thuggish bashing instead.

Two good head injuries, one stable and compliant and one a combative wrestle.

We had Blood,
We had Variation,
We had Regulars,
We had 'what the' moments,
We had a good Australia Day long weekend,
Thank you Sydney and all the tourists here to celebrate our special day with booze, sun and more booze.

Tracy and I have an egg retrieval tomorrow, all scans indicate that this will be the largest quantity ever.

Another blogger in the growing Australian Medical Blogger community has created a 'Blogroll' of known sites. It's not just doctor stuff, the emergency health services start with pre-hospital care by ambulance officers.

They have also called for nominations for the Australian Medical Blog Awards. these are the links, please read and act as you feel.
http://www.scalpelsedge.net/2008/10/the-australian-medical-blogroll/

http://applequack.com/2009/01/26/announcing-the-inaugural-australian-medical-blog-awards/

And a wonderful bit of news about my little question booklet for trainee officers, the Tasmanian Ambulance Service will soon have copies from the Australian College of Ambulance Professionals(ACAP) to issue to their trainee officers. I wonder if that will work in my favour for not having a degree when next I decide to apply to the Tasmanian Service.?

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

Taz

Sweltering Days.

35 and 39 odd degrees C, we had been so lucky that at most jobs we had been able to just pull up and either deal with the patient right next to the car or they were all easy walk out's from their homes so the Air Conditioner kicked right back in.

My partner observed me apply some interesting techniques for patient management (sometimes you have to be the pure essence of their dad or be able to SHOUT LOUDER THAN THEM!!!!!)

It's the Australia Day long weekend and the temp has been down today.
It's the middle of the three day weekend so tonight might see some good work.

You never know, I can only hope.

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

Taz

Well that feels better.

Hb of 144 and a BP taken before they stick a fricking great needle in your arm of 116/64 with a pulse of 60bpm.

Very good

So a bit over an hour later and a bag of plasma and a double lot of platelets. I'm a big supporter of blood and blood products donation and encourage everyone to consider becoming a donor if their not already.

I'm lucky to have only needed these products once,, well three times as a teenager I had my hips pinned and required three surgeries during a five month period.

I'm doubly lucky that I have a large amount of platelets that allow me to donate a double lot each time and that my blood group is O neg, I'm a universal donor, suitable for anyone.

In my job I see a lot of the red stuff lost on the road so what little I can do not only helps trauma victims but also burns patients, cancer patients and many others.

Think about it, for less than an hour of your time you too can help many people and you get a drink and feed afterwards.

The National Information Line for the Australian Red Cross is 13 14 95.

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

Taz

All dressed up and nowhere to play!

A communications error (not mine) has seen me turn up a week early to the local PCYC for my presentation, Doo!

What really hurts is that I knocked back an overtime shift tonight because I believe that I am doing something to better the general community by these presentations as more people attend that I would see in a shift!

Such is life.

I have an appointment for tomorrow morning at the blood bank to donate Plasma and Platelets so that should up my social services brownie points in the big book at the Pearly Gates?

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

Taz

What am I doing on my days off?

Tracy and I went for a bike ride yesterday down to the Cook River Bridge. About a 34km round trip in 31 degree heat.

We went to the IVF clinic today and things are looking good, another blood test Friday and a possible egg retrieval mid next week and implant at the end of the week.

I have another presentation to do tonight at the PCYC, looking forward to that after the first one last week along with the changes I will now make after my self review.

On the 1st of March the ASNSW will introduce a new extended Clinical Assessment & Referral (CARE) process. Officers who have been trained with extra knowledge and assessment tools will now have an option other than transport to an ED/A&E department.

The new CARE has doubled the presentations that can be dealt with and has re-worded and altered some of the original with the benefit of the pilot program data.

I was one of the early officers to undertake the training so I have also completed the reading of my new operational resources manual to prepare myself for the new program.

We're forecast for 35 degree Celsius (95F) so I guess we'll try to stay cool?

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

Taz

Well done Sydney.

I knew you all read my blog and you rose to the challenge.

Twelve and eleven job on a Saturday and Sunday night shifts is excellent.

Some trauma,.

Multiple facial lacerations post being hit in the face with an empty bottle. All of the damage was confined to the shin thankfully no injury to the eyes etc.

Several surgeries to patch all that up, the soft tissue of the nose was literally dropping off the face )*&^%)*&^@$%&@$+%^+@%+*@#$%&@^^)!!!!.

Current Padawan got his first big haemorrhage with a 15cm laceration to a forearm, down into the musculature and a non-compliant patient at that.

And lots of medically sick ones for me. Nice.


So now the dam has burst this little black duck (or shaggy devil) will be much happier.

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

Taz

This sucks.

The work has dried up!

Or so it would seem.

For the last two day shifts we've done a total of nine jobs on our car.

Saturday night better have something better because I'm treating!

So there, be warned Sydney.

Make me proud and PARTY HARD!

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

Taz

Community Project.

Traffic Offenders Intervention Program.

The Police Community Youth Club (PCYC) run this program as part of the court proceedings for people who have run foul of the Law and been caught committing an offence like exceeding 0.05 blood alcohol, speeding or some other Road Traffic offence.

The program runs for eight weeks and participants are required to attend weekly sessions conducted by presenters from agencies that are involved with traffic offences such as insurance companies, road safety councils, Fire, Police, Rescue and Ambulance.

At the end of each session they are given an assignment to complete and return the next week. Failure to attend is passed on to their legal council, police, the courts or probation officers so it is real life stuff.

I have a good background in public presentation thanks to the old work place and thought that this was a good program to become involved in so I applied through the Ambulance Media Department late last year and was accepted.

I received my presentation pack of a DVD and script before Christmas and did my first one tonight.

I have two hours to talk about the causes of accidents, show some television road safety ads as well as some real footage of accidents as well as throwing them stats about risk taking and high risk groups. The group was of a good mix 25 to 50 yrs, male and female and looked to cover all social backgrounds.

It went well, most referring to the note was for the stats, a few war stories thrown in and try to make them understand that although all Emergency Service members attend such incidents as part of our normal work it does have an effect on us as well as the greater community with families, friends and the general community who may be witnesses to the incident.

I left feeling that I had added to the greater good and appeared to be well received by all the attendants. Time I guess will tell.

Weather forecast has my two day shifts up in the low 30's Celsius, hot.

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

Taz

Got Overtime!

At my home station.

Four cars on for the day.

Four jobs all day for us.

I did manage therefore to get some of my station duties done and to hear this joke from a patient.

Two elderly ladies are sitting in church during a long sermon when one leans to the other and say's,
I think my bottom has gone to sleep!
The other replies,
I think your right, I heard it snore three times!

Well I liked it

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

Taz

And the city let out a sigh and partied!

Thank God for that.

My Blessed Friday/Saturday Nights double came through and brought some work.

There were medical patients, a difficult respiratory distress - a little pulmonary oedema/a little chest infection, some signs/symptoms of both and missing signs/symptom of both.

We used,
Cervical Collars,
Splints,
Metaclopramide,
Naloxone,
Hartmann's,
Scored some good pins (a cannula),
Protected quite a few from themselves,
Assisted our good friends the Police with several jobs
Scheduled a patient, (Mental Health)
And saw a NSWP Tazer barb that was stuck in the sternum of a stupid drunk tourist who thought it wise to ignore and challenge Police authority.

Might see if I can find some time to slip into town and donate some blood (O Neg).


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

Taz

The most exciting thing about today,

Was the ride home.

Sydney weather brought on a storm around six and it was still going when I had finished and was ready to ride home.

It wasn't cold but as I do ???? share the road home with cars and it has been dry for a while I took it carefully.

We did have an a patient with an interesting underlying problem

Aperger's Syndrome
'A pervasive developmental disorder resembling autistic disorder, being characterised by severe impairment of social interactions and by restricted interests and behaviours, but lacking the delays in development of language, cognative function, and self-help skills that additionally define autistic disorder. It may be equivalent to a high-functioning form of autistic disorder'
Dorland's Medical Dictionary 30th ed.

Never heard of it before, basically alone the patient functions fine and even with one-on-one but severe dysfunction occurs when in a larger social group like a social dementia.

Anyway they had an upset stomach and had tried to get a fix from their GP but it had not helped, their social worker called us after five days of vomiting a few times each day.
Haemodynamically stable, transported to the waiting room.

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

Taz

What a munted day.

Started well,

Got up before the alarm,
Had some breakfast,
Good, strong bike ride in,
Got my designated Ambulance,
Got our first job.

Chest pain,
In an licensed establishment in Kings Cross,
Patient crying and sobbing complaining of chest pain that feels better when they push right there!
Non-Diaphoretic, Well perfused, Drunk, By-Pass history, BP good, Pulse strong & regular, three lead QRS narrow, some ST depression (like history), ANXIOUS +++++++

Valium and some Thiamine was what he got and some social work,

Next job Chest pain unrelieved by 3 GTN tablets and 3 GTN sprays, BP 130 sys!

Presents every week with similar, has a history but it all disappears when we arrive at hospital?

Next two jobs a complete cock-up, wrong locations, wrong destinations, held up other allied services for over an hour, not some of my best work.

Last job an eye problem, macular degeneration in pain, take to specialist centre who treat on the stretcher and bundle us out because they don't want them admitted due to patients mild dementia??????


The only good thing was presenting my current Padawan with my report of his period with me and our open and positive discussion of the points I made.
It's kind of like kids, seeing them grow and develop from what you do.


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

Taz

It's been a bit quiet on the overtime front also!

Or maybe I just have too many hours logged up on o/t, top of the list is the least hours, etc,,.

So Tracy and I went on a ride yesterday out the Cook River cycle path and managed to find the connection to the Sydney Olympic Park cycle paths.
Not that clearly signposted out there but we managed it.

To her credit Tracy had a silly stack at zero speed but a nice abrasion to the medial aspect of her right forearm about 150mm long.

We were only 5km into the ride and she just fell over waiting at a road crossing. Although in pain she didn't want to return and so we completed the ride with her injured.

I am a meanie, because I didn't seem overly concerned with the injury.
When we got back home 4hrs later and she had her first look clearly in a mirror and stated 'it's not that big is it!'

But I'm still a meanie?????

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

Taz

It' been quiet?

It's been very quiet really,

The punters must have tired themselves out with the New Year celebrations.

This is good in some ways because we are dealing with medical patients, those who are sick with medical complaints, not so easy for the young Padawan to pick up on.

We only have another three shifts together before the end of the roster when I pass the baton of his education on to another of our senior officers and I commence with another Padawan who has been with us for a roster already.

Tracy and I have started another round of IVF, fingers crossed this may be the one!

Welcome to a new follower of my blog from home.
I will be likewise following your blog to find out how things stand in the Apple Isle as the plan still stands to return even though they don't recognise the ASNSW P1 qualification which sounds a lot like the Ambulance Paramedic of TAS.


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

Taz