The night before Mardi Gras.

The last I'm allowed to work before holidays.
Worked just past the airport where Jeff Fenech came from.

83F - Air Ambulance to big hospital, Mitral valve regurgitation.

33F - Forty minutes of 180bpm+ with reversion and a sharp pain without intervention. No cardiac history, very interesting, no cocaine, caffeine or other stimulants.

Vita Call - false alarm.

73M - Wife thinks he's febrile. everything checked out Ok but both of us knew that she wasn't going to be happy till we took them to hospital.

52M - from small hospital to the big hospital I took him too on the first proper day shift.

55M - Claims alcohol withdrawal symptoms despite having 20mg of Benzo's and some more booze. Again demanding transport, triage gave him a serve and straight to the waiting room.

76F - Lateral muscular neck pain, had a fall two days ago.

Dialysis pt who has Dementia, one of the nursing home staff had to help me drag her out and then other dialysis pt came out and helped me get her out and took her inside. They told me they look after her to stop her wandering off.

Damnedest thing is, you know how dialysis pts always look sick and portly!
She had a trim figure and looked in excellent health?
She got good genes for some things.

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

Taz

Late call for overtime.

39M - One of our regular callers, gets drunk and depressed and threatens self harm. Tonight he had used a broken bottle on his wrists, very out of character for him.

26M - Got assaulted at a public telephone, called us and just wanted the blood cleaned off refusing offers of transport for any kind of check up.

20M - IP, had fallen over and split the underside of his chin. He was funny as hell to watch we had to hold his hand so he could walk nearly straight, just comical.

76M - Lung CA with pain unrelieved by own meds.

20F - IP and vomiting, UTL.

65M - IP passed out in the back of a taxi. Police attended also and gave him a lift home after they woke him up.

81F - Hypertensive, without any interventions by ourselves or the hospital her BP came down all by itself. Suffers anxiety attacks.

32M - IP, ?head injury, ? fractured arm, ? seizure, ? a prat. Hospital staff confirmed the the fracture and prat status later.

72F - Dry throat thought she couldn't breath. Another anxiety sufferer.

87F - Syncope sitting on the toilet. It was either a NOF or pelvic fracture. Last job of the night so we didn't get to come back later to find out.

And now I'm on days off, two of them before my next block of three weeks holidays start but I have put my name down for O/t.


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

Taz

Second night.

More hoax calls to the same address. It's from a default mobile so it's hard to trace but Police are onto it, four ambulance calls today with two by me tonight.

70M - with an Hb of 72 from a nursing home to the hospital for a refill of the red stuff and to find out what's happening to it.

49M - Bi-Polar, feels frustrated and wants to talk to his Dr at one AM. Again I have to transport and let the hospital tell them to bugger off. He's frustrated because his group home wont let him travel to Western Australia alone to visit a friend.

18M - IP, bumped head but needed looking after due to the effects of intoxication.

30-40M, decontamination post Capsicum Spray by the Police. Lesson Number One,
If the Police point anything at you obey their instructions because none of their toys are nice.

71M - Thirty kilometres across town for an appointment for day surgery. At quarter past knockoff we are just unloading him and our return trip will be with morning peak hour traffic.

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

Taz

First night.

Hoax call, female with ?fractured leg. This address had four fire truck attendances last week too.

53F - Institutionalised Downes Syndrome Pt who likes to ride the trains and then call an ambulance for a trip to hospital rather than the group home.
I'm required by SOPs to take her if she requests but triage bundled her straight into a Taxi with an ear full and sent her packing.

40F - Wanted her crisis team at two AM. Not going to happen Lov, you'll get me and the Police.

20M - IP who didn't understand that if you make drunken threats to me I will still call the Police and if you keep getting mouthier then rather than at best a ride to hospital and a blanket, sandwich, coffee and somewhere safe you end up in the back of a cage truck and then the cold concrete thrill of a lockup cell.

Back up the ICPs with an arrest but the pt had been down too long so it got called and we stuck around to help reset their car while they did the paperwork.

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

Taz

So this would be my fourth day shift.

My rostered partner for this shift was off so I had the pleasure of working with one of our senior level two officers who will start his last required attendance at our education centre this Monday to complete his training to be a Qualified Officer.

25F - To a Medical Appointment. Poor dear had busted her ankle two weeks ago and was going in for a review but she lives on the sixth floor of an apartment building with no elevator!
Our reason for attendance?
To stand beside/in front/behind or near as she hopped, foot swivelled and bum walked her way door the stairs.

22M - Epigastric Pain. Had celebrated a wedding and then another day of drinking with the families that finished yesterday and his guts were crook. Yes I did a primary and secondary survey, full Obs, history and discovered him to be possibly suffering Softcockitis.
He was at the Casino at nine o'clock in the morning for crying out loud.

94M - Questioning a TIA, has a history of same.

92M - Been taking the opiate pain meds but not so the Stool softeners, Constipated.

28F - with a bleeding (haemorrhage) pimple on her tongue! Did not transport.

41M - Postictal, by the time we arrived at triage the story appeared to be a history of fatigue caused seizures from early adulthood. He now has a four month old and is not getting much sleep.

37M - Pizza delivery man skittled by an non observant motorist. Abrasions only.

Not our last job but moved here because it was interesting.

29M - Odd behaviour. Gf states his behaviour has been changing all day, distant, non attentive, distracted, incoherent speech at times, vague, restlessness they had arrived by taxi at his fathers address but would not go inside was just wandering up and down the road.

Sometimes in a crab like stance others just a normal forward facing one but behaving for want of a better word Zombie like.

He was not combative but was resistive of attempts to get him in or even near the ambulance.

I'm happy with the Gf's story of no drugs when with her but before he arrived at her place last night he had been at the pub with some mates and had stated to her he had hit his head, severity, location all unknown.

Fruity smell on his breath, check BGL while he still wanders up the road, normal, it wasn't going to be that easy. There's heaps wrong with this picture, I'm not happy with what I see and really want this guy at hospital so we call for a cold response from the local constabulary and get out our padded restraints.

Without incident we get our restraints on and him on the stretcher loaded before they even arrive and off we go. HR regular, BP good, RR good, No Obvious trauma or injury,PEARL but then in the controlled environment of the rear cabin rolling up of eyes and left deviation.
Resus Bed,
CT looking for a bleed,
Medical history - Bi-Polar, nil allergies only meds Sodium Valproate.

Check up the next day, diagnosis Hyperammonaemic Encephalopathy after Valproate therapy.
Yea, that's what I thought it was too(bullshit), this might help.

Probably never going to see that again but if I do I'll never forget the presentation it was just so wrong to the normal, junked out, psycho job we normally get.



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

Taz

Eight shifts straight!

That was two o/t days directly before my normal two.
Two extra nights after my regular two nights.

That's eight shifts.

I'm now going to sleep for a day or so and post and catch up on the blogs I follow then.

Night.

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

Taz

An answer for Squeezey.

Four on, Five off.

Two twelve hour days and then two twelve hour night.

Start time at my station is seven o'clock, it does vary between stations particularly those with less staff they can work some odd sounding rosters but all the metropolitan stations are the same.

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

Taz

Third Day straight.

As I have made abundantly clear in previous posts, I don't like our twelve hour day shifts.
I'm so exhausted at their end, so now having completed three and with one more to come before the longer break leading into nights. I am struggling.

18M - Assaulted last night still on stretcher with the night crew so we went and babysat for an hour or two.

80F - Non productive cough.

50M - Who thought it a good idea to discharge himself from the oncology ward where he was being treated for leukaemia.

38F - Regular caller usually with psych problems, today abdo pain.

36F - Hosp to Hosp transfer, kidney problems.

39M - in the company of police. he says he was bumped in the head and kicked in the gonads.

66F - Medical centre patient with suspected cardiac ischaemia.

27F - Abdo Pain with some PV haemorrhage.

Luckily I'm treating tomorrow and I think that's much less taxing.

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

Taz

Two days of Overtime.

Both spent on the Intensive Care Ambulance at my ol' station near the race track the Pope used on his visit.

Five jobs the first day and three the next.

Not a single one couldn't have be handled by a Level 2 with a Trainee.

The Level 5's I was with said it was slow.

I would have been unbearable if it was two shifts like that at our home station.

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

Taz

I had a nanna nap!

And now I can't sleep.

That was stupid of me.

Nothing much going on in the home front, took a ride yesterday to find a Dymicks Book store to use a Christmas present, one Fantasy novel of a writer I have followed before and the Seven Week training book by Chris Carmichael, Lance Armstrong's old coach.

No I don't intend to start competing in Masters Games it does also direct itself toward the much more common (99%) Commuter/Recreational user.



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

Taz

Three Paediatric patients in four shifts.

That's a high percentage.

5M - Collies fracture of the left forearm. Wouldn't have a bar of the inhaled analgesia so I had to play Bad Ambo while Dad held his head and squirt some Fentanyl up his nose. It worked well enough that he let me give him some more later.

79M - Vomiting, turned out it had been just one earlier in the day but he wanted to go to hospital.

25M - Found on the street with multiple facial abrasions that looked like he had just fallen over against a wall. He was well plastered and could give us any reason or cause for the injuries nor give us the D/M/Yr so collared and transported him.

18F - Backpacker with abdo pain.

17M - Feeling faint after antihistamines for an unexplained hives reaction??? transport for further investigation.

71F - Just discharged post op for three cardiac bypass grafts, woken by chest pain and palpitations. That's going to get a trip to hospital I don't care that it feels better now, way too many risks here.

One more week before I have to take more holidays, they're going to be hard to take.

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

Taz

Happy Valentines Day.

Valentines day oddities!

In 1986 my first wife borrowed my sporty Toyota T18 coupe for her driving test.
She passed.

It's a very humid, wet Valentines day here in Sydney,

42F - Had planned a romantic evening cruising the harbour, not slipping whilst boarding fracturing the ankle in two places.

7/12M - Rolled of the end of a standard height bed onto plush carpet with good underlay. Totally uninjured but lots of reassurance given.

87M - Chest pain, shoulder pain, knee pain most everywhere pain.

18M - Very drunk but also very polite, that's all you have to do, be nice and I'll bend over to care for you. His best mate came with us and had to be moved to the rear cabin when the booze got the better of him.

39M - A prisoner in the remand cells who may of had a seizure or may of had something organic ??? even in the cells contraband still gets in.

21F - Passed out in the back of a taxi. He took her to the cop shop, they rang us when she wouldn't wake up. We got the power to wake 'em up but!
She was on 'G', too easy.

57F - Got out of bed, did the man thing of walking around without putting on the lights and kicked/clipped a wall with her little toe. It was at right angles, ouch. Analgesia and a wheelie chair ride to the ambulance. X-rays showed dislocation and a fracture.

Ambowife and I didn't exchange gifts.
There was a kiss and a cuddle at some stage.
Do you really need more than that to tell someone you love them?

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

Taz

Very big rain storm in Sydney last night.

There were cars being washed down suburban streets that normally don't flood and both our locker rooms at work flooded. Palm fronds in the gutters.
But importantly it was dry when I got on the treadly at 0445hrs.

83M - Regular dialysis Pt.

87M - Chest pain, very significant cardiac history, full treatment. First chest pain since the pacemaker was put in nine years ago, after the triple bypass had been done eleven years earlier.

75F - Hosp to Hosp transfer.

??M - fitting. Duplicate call and Comms didn't twig so we arrived as the first ambulance was disappearing around the corner.

89F - Hypoglycaemia event, 1.1 BGL. No illness, well controlled normally, had eaten and taken insulin today, she said it was her first ever Hypo so it demanded transport for further investigation.

??M - Unconscious in a Pie Shop. Had woken up and buggered off before we arrived.

35F - Cafe Syncope. Very warm muggy day, sitting in the windless courtyard of a restaurant, lots of vaso dilation going on for the heat. Just finishing eating, ?? Vagus nerve stimulation with decrease in heart rate leading to syncope. Pt liked it, she didn't want to go to hospital and I couldn't find any reason to take her.

There was a really big music party on in Centennial Park yesterday.
We're getting calls not only to the Med Tent inside the park but to residences around the park where the partiers are dropping. This what we found on just one patient.

25F - But there was an Adams Apple? and by the very small outfit being worn nothing else so maybe a post op tranny, anyway that stuff doesn't matter.
Much consumption of GHB, GCS = 3 until enough stimuli and then as most G pt's do they sit bolt upright, look at you in a befuddled way and then drop back to the bed.
What did I find in the purse,
Another fishy (a Sushi fish sauce plastic bottle) of blue fluid, that's GHB.
A glass crack pipe.
Crystal Methamphetamine.
LSD paper stamp.
And some Benzo's to bring it all under control and slow it down.

Now was that a party pack or what.
Total GCS of 8 (E=2,V=2, P=5) increased to 9 because she said 'ouch' with a chest rub at hospital. Shame she peaked too early but at least we were there to look after them all.

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

Taz

And right back into the saddle.

It was threatening to rain today after four lovely days off weather wise.
It didn't, instead it reached 38C or 100.4F.

80F - Regular dialysis Pt.

50?M - unconscious, UTL

24M - Pedestrian v Taxi, fractured Tib/Fib at least with possible other damage to the ankle.
My partner has just qualified last week and now has to get her supervised on-road cannulisations done. This pt was always going to need Morphine so one down.

87F - Two skin tears, grabbed the trial kit with the gel dressings. Re-rolled out the skin, established that it was a simple mechanical fall, rang her own GP who was happy to arrange wound care at the pts home. Everybody happy and pt stays at home.

75M - Lethargy. Under treatment for cancer, radiotherapy last done yesterday. Transported for investigation.

53F - Face planted the footpath during luchtime walk. 3cm horizontal laceration superior to left eyebrow needing sutures.

14M - Got hit on the top of head with a deodorant bottle, there were a few spots of blood.Neuro Exam OK (you think? sarcasm), Mum is there with him, we explain the facts, looking at Mum we ask 'are you happy to just keep an eye on him at home'.
Mum says he's a man (I very much doubt it) and asks him.
He says ' well in case I have a bleed in my head (we hadn't even mentioned that, don't want to put scary thoughts in their heads) I better go get it checked out'!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Management say if they request transport you have to take them. Arghargh argh!!!!!!!%^$*&^.

30F - one week post op, SOB went and had an x-ray, pulmonary emboli.

Third car on scene to a ?traumatic cardiac arrest, it happened during a rugby (fast gridiron without pads) tackle. One shock got him back and everything was good when we arrived. A helicopter had been dispatched so the playing field was cleared and I grabbed some flares and played with the chopper. Some how the Flight Paramedic and Dr stuck the pt in my car and we transported by road, if it were to go pear shape in the back of the chopper there just is not enough room the work well.

So that made up for that twit of a boy and we finished the shift chasing around the Cross looking for a supposed stabbing victim, UTL.




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

Taz

Fw: Are you for real mate?

--------------------------------------------------
From: "Craig Hartgrove" <craighartgrove@me.com>
Sent: Thursday, February 11, 2010 5:52 PM
To: <taztheambo@gmail.com>
Subject: Are you for real mate?

>
> You have to be the biggest belter I've come across.
> A man of seconds is probably not the best thing to advertise.
>
> Craig Hartgrove

I don't know Craig.
But thought it fair to display his thoughts as I don't restrict any comments,,,,,
So far.


See you at the Big One

Taz

Bike Computers!

Took it back to the store I purchased it from today and bingo, someone who knew what he was about.

While I followed the diagrams from the instructions, the magnet has to pass over one particular spot on the sensor that isn't indicated in those instructions.

With that done the cadence started to work!!!!!

Now I have to figure out what the readings mean in relation to my riding.

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

Taz

Anybody know anything about wireless Bike Computers?

After breaking the $20.00 cheapie I had, I bought a Sigma model with cadence.

I've got the speedo working but I can't get the cadence.

I've double checked the instalation position of the transmitter and magnet.
I've moved it several times.

I've moved the reciever around from stem to handle bars without success.

I've checked the distance between the magnet and transmitter as well as the distance from the reciever all good there too.

The battery checks of each unit show they're fine.

I'm stumped!

If you have any knowledge and suggestions drop me a line on,

taztheambo@gmail.com


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

Taz

Walsh Bay Jazz Festival.

Never heard of it?
Well this was it's inaugrual year so it's not surprising.

Jazz isn't really my thing as an audience member but one of my really great mates was here in Sydney with the new partner in his life and he suggested we meet there.

I've known Rob for something like Thirty Four years and he was the second Groomsman at our Wedding. Our friendship is one of those where we don't have to contact regularly, it can be a year or two but it's like we only talked last week.

So anyway, we spent about five hours watching atrists, ensembles, etc and catching up and getting to know Miriam, who in a very Tasmanian way works with our Son!!

The venue was very apt for jazz, and the performances was excellent so if your interested in Jazz put it in your diary for the first weekend of February 2011, but get tanked and feed before coz' the prices are a killer.

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

Taz

The rain has beaten me, I drove to work.

57F - Allergic reaction, urticaria was more worrying to the pt than any airway restriction. Some adrenaline because I can't give antihistamines any more for allergies and transport to get some at the hospital.

26F - Syncope episode was feeling dizzy in the hot bar and stepping outside for fresh air.

25M - God this sounded good, four mails fighting with knives!!!!
Our dude had two very shallow long lacs across his back and a decent one on the skull.
What a complete prick he was to the,
Coppers,
Us,
Nurses,
Doctors,
His two brain celled Gf,
Anyone else within his gaize, and he didn't have a brain injury, well not from this incident.
It's bad enough dealing with the drop kicks we breed locally but to have the overseas ones as well.

18F - decided walking in bare feet in a good idea in the city, stood on some glass. First Aid rendered and she was off, still carrying the shoes?????

17M - We wrote the chief complaint as lethargy because we didn't know what else to call it.
Maybe his parents should have used birth control about eight kids ago and they wouldn't be such a large dysfunctional lot.

25F - Drug induced hallucinations. Known Heroin/Cocaine user but I still feel the 'Hammer' on the streets is being cut with something like bad amphetamines from the anecdotal evidence amongst us Ambos.

22M - Witnessed to have received a 'kicking'. Was talking away to the Cops but stopped when we arrived. Denied Illicit drugs, Booze only but had that big fluctuating GCS of a GHB overdose so we took it as worst case and he saw us out till knock off time.

As with the night before not one pt who's presenting problem was intoxicated and therefore no one wants to look after them, call the Ambos.

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

Taz

Rain and more Rain.

We normally get short rain storms but these have been going on for days and don't look like stopping any time soon.

Has it stopped the punters going out on the weekend?
No!

Unknown problem, got an address only, UTL.

48F - Confused at an access gate to the International Airport tarmac, called off halfway there.

39F - Had an invasive day surgery today and was discharged without any analgesia. Panadol aren't really going to do the job so we take her back to the same big hospital where it was done.

73F - Hosp - Hosp transfer.


52F - Chest Pain, but it was like trying to get blood out of a stone that she did have what could be considered cardiac chest pain. Prior knowledge!!!! pts a nurse on a cardiac ward!!!!

71M - Vomiting and Diarrhoea, sounded like a touch of something his stomach didn't like. He was tolerating oral fluids, no pain, Obs good, happy to be left at home.

42F - A pt who has three different opiate meds daily for ??? pain has been punched in the face twice. Yes there is some reddening and maybe swelling and demands analgesia, names it correctly and includes the dosage!
You can have some paracetamol but nothing more.
Pt had left hospital before we had cleared.

20M - Wrong place, wrong time, a couple of decent lacs near the left eye that do need stitches or at least glue. Nice guy and a nice Gf too.

32M - Witnesses state that he was 'Stomped on'.
He's too pissed to know if he has any neck pain because his top lip looks like Zoidberg from Futurama, multiple lacs from lip to gum line.
Persevertant questioning getting worse, suspect a head injury and treat as such.

Did not treat one single person who's chief complaint was Intoxicated.
Very strange.

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

Taz

Lithgow photo's

The Zig Zag Railway, didn't have the steam train running this day.


An historic site we visited see me absorbed by the black smiths shed.

Ambo wife will give me grief for this one but she did take it!
A man has to learn to enjoy the simple things like a bubble bath.

It's not a Trek and I don't think it would be that comfortable either.


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

Taz

Two Cardiac Arrests in one day.

And all persons involved with each incident should have been arrested for Oxygen theft and molestation of their few remaining functioning brain cells.

27M - fell off a ladder about two metres (six foot) up, language barriers +++, cultural barriers +++, at hospital got off the spine board, ripped out the IV cannula that would of been used for analgesia, took off the cervical collar. He did lay still long enough for CT to show a base of skull fracture without any haemorrhage or complications presently.

78F - Public assistance to get back on her feet. Even took in the job book for her to sign, until I'd checked her out. All obs where fine except heart rate, 38-40bpm isn't going to do. Several phone calls later, including one to her GP to command her to go, we went to hospital. She was on a Beta blocker but still!!

74F - Nausea and vomiting, a nervous Nelly about to board a cruise boat for a tour around New Zealand after flying in from outer state. I think she needs a large box of motion sickness pills and some valium.

26F - A boil, a very large boil, 2cm (3/4 inch) in diameter on the back of her neck.

40F - having an out of body experience post low dose anti depressant meds. I think this was a real case and was very happy to help this poor lady.

4 month male, just learnt how to roll over and rolled off the bed while mummy wasn't looking. She freaked, called us, we arrive and,,,,,,, just calm the situation down. The young fella cried straight away then stopped, smilled at us when we walked in, reacted to both parents normally and didn't have a single mark on him. Offers of transport were made but they (dad) decided to keep him at home and observe.

The two arrests turned out to be, a still breathing Heroin OD and a Hoax call.

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

Taz

Not much of a day.

27M -Dislocated knee or at least patella, sport it's dangerous.
58M - Homeless, the local Mission people where concerned about his health ?? Pneumonia.
35M - Regular Psych pt, requesting admission to receive regular bed and food.
69M - Anaemic, Hb of 66.
28F - Normal migraine that was developing into and anxiety attack with muscle spasms.
49M - Hospital to bigger hospital for treatment of a fractured NOF.
16F - Syncope in bathroom but struck occipital region on the edge of the bath, spinal precautions.

Apart from some morphine for the knee Dude we gave nothing else.

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

Taz