Same Challenge

Or at least take them to the small hospital in town if they don't need the services of the large!

29F - Booked herself out of drug detox and then rang up after she had shot up. No need for Naloxone but she needed to be observed and her friends who arrived after us were not comfortable to do that so we Tx to the little hospital.
60F - Gastro symptoms, common sense, some advise and an information sheet on self treatment, stay at home.
52M - IP, fell on head, ??? LOC, amnesic. At the big hospital we find out he had a subdural bleed last year after a similar fall.
36F - Smoked synthetic cannabis a and had a bad reaction,felt spaced out, seems to have lost her common sense, we looked but couldn't find it. Left at home.
72M - Missing person for nearly three days when found by police. Dementia sufferer, has some minor ?fall injuries Tx for a quick once over and maybe review of care plan.



Be Excellent to Each Other and See You at the Big One!

Taz

The Challenge!

Is to keep the masses out of hospital.
The masses generally don't need an Emergency Dept because it isn't an emergency, but you all know that.
The shit has hit the fan, the wards are full, ergo the A&E is too, this is the time to step up your game and delve into Low Acuity options, Community Health and God forbid, Common sense.

93M - Assist off floor, called off.
86F - Oesophageal spasms was my where my money was by a long complicated Hx with GI cancer was worrying. This has potential to go pear shaped so needs Tx.
84F - Assist off floor, called off.
92F - Simple mechanical fall 4-5 hours ago, they continued the family dinner party and then rang because the bruise was up.Low acuity, common sense stay at home but call if you need to.
15F - Street kid, had cold symptoms for three days which is about how long since she last had drugs. I'm still not sure what we were called for but she went to a friends house to score. I know it sounds callus  but legally she is allowed to lead this life style and advise is all I have if she wants to listen.
63F - Anxiety attack.

Challenge successful.

For now!

Be Excellent to Each Other and See You at the Big One!

Taz

A couple of car prangs.

71M - Type 2 diabetes hypo, not a common thing this, Tx him.
84F - Who tripped and banged her knee crossing a road, nothing really bad but bystanders who rang thought she had been knocked down by a car. While dressing it we also drove her to church, her original destination.
43M - Who claimed to have fallen asleep while driving at 11 AM and hit three parked cars.
31M - Concern for welfare with Police. No Tx.
52M - Severe proximal tibia # playing soccer.
58F - Glands under her jaw swollen up today and no insect bite or current illness, transported.
2 Cars, 3 people, non wanted us.

Be Excellent to Each Other and See You at the Big One!

 Taz

Now for a full block of shifts.

Bloody work!
Somewhere they've found more holidays that they claim I haven't taken and must do so immediately or there about.
Some of you will scratch your head and wonder why I fuss so?
I don't do holidays well, well I haven't for most of my working life anyway.
So here I am being forced to take an extra 6 weeks before midyear on top of the 6 weeks I'll be taking normally during the year rather than slip them over to next year with Long Service when we intend to slow tour the non-tourist spots in the US. It's just pressure I don't need.

68M - Regular dialysis patient.
37M - Like the mental health team said, 'Floridly Delusional and needing immediate heavy sedation to handle'. I told them so as I walked in.
84M - Still not sure what he did but the Cops ended up at his place due to concern for welfare and asked us to come over and have a talk to him. He's old and just getting over being sick and is seeing his Dr in three days as part of the treatment, so he's handling it well without us or his busybody neighbour.
33F - Abscess on her arm from shooting up and the detox clinic requested Tx and for us to stay with her? I explained they can come too if their concerned and they lost interest.
48F - Severe delusional/Schizoid episode, we transported but the Cops sectioned.
8M - Mum panicked when he cut his shin in a park, she was much calmer when we arrived but we dressed it and then left.
50M - Threatening suicide, by text, from a bar somewhere. After we broke into his apartment to rule out him being there the Cops said they would ring us back when he was found.
78M - Claims to suffer high blood pressure between 1 PM and 5 PM for the last three days but will see her Dr on Monday.
53M - Well known local drunk who didn't want a lift home today but Tx to hospital and then he left and walked home?

Be Excellent to Each Other and See You at the Big One!

 Taz

And that's the end of my first shifts back.

Yes it is short.
The Roster Gods had me return for my two night shifts and then my days off, which is handy because I have a university assignment due on the 24th and this will allow me the time to work on it.

71F - Not looking down at the footpath and over she goes and smacks her head resulting in a possible brief LOC but I think she just wasn't given the right options when asked about that, I felt it was more of the pain, seeing stars and being a bit dazed, to me that's not knocked out but she was on aspirin anyway so there's a possible worry but the hospital were just full of sick and injured already so we had to wait before we could handover care to them. 5 hours.
33F - 22 weeks gestation with a day of mild constant abdo pain and Hx of one spontaneous abortion at 11 weeks.
19M - A likely lad who had been arrested and believed he had been struck with a bottle to the head. Well before the Police arrested him but he thought that would make them go away. It didn't because the story was rubbish but he tried it on anyway because Police and Ambo's all came down in the last shower and are 'stupid'.
17M - Above's mate who didn't like being arrested as well an was shooting his trap off. We discussed the nature of the idle threats he was making and the Metal Health act had he re-considered his verbal outbursts.
??? - In a park wanting and ambulance, I do have a good look for this kind of caller but I couldn't locate them.
51M - COPD who wanted a NEB, refused to come in for a respiratory assessment and went home from G/f's place.

And that's me.
So what have you been up to?

Be Excellent to Each Other and See You at the Big One! Taz

Back in the saddle.

And nothing seems to have changed,

Really!

85F - Who thinks there was something caught in her oesophagus but it's now gone but she can't control her breathing or gagging. After trying to resolve the issues on scene we transport because she's working herself into a lather.
59F - Mechanical fall to ground putting her front teeth through her lip leaving a 1" or 3cm hole.
31M - Alleged assault punched + + + times to the head and lots of very impressive swelling.
51M - Very drunk unable to walk and has a broken heart.
21M - Very drunk and unable to walk until he vomited (outside) and then left with his friends who thought we were miracle workers to cure him.
??M - Already in the Police cells and may have hit his head on the wall when he fell off the bench seat but his pottie mouth, the same one that he kisses his poor Mother with was full of foul language used with such intent the indicate that her had not, just a case of cautious cops.
20M - Very drunk also having difficulty walking but we were able to find a Taxi who would take him home.
??M - Again very drunk with wobbly leg syndrome and had fallen but was leaving the scene with his friends so we didn't stop them.
31F - Elbow injury post a single car MVC.
40F - Mental health.

So looks like the same ol' same ol'.

Be Excellent to Each Other and See You at the Big One!

 Taz

So What you doin'?

Now I warned you that I was going to be quiet because I was on holidays but everyone else seems to have gone silent as well.

Lauren reminded me that I hadn't converted the distance on my ride so it was a smidgen under 134 miles.

University has commenced for the year and my subject this semester is 'Contemporary Issues in Paramedic Practice' a warm and fuzzy subject with no direct link to actual practical practice but requires a lot of reading, naval gazing and essay writing. It does stimulate you to investigate the pathway we are undertaking here in Australia to gain recognition as a Profession such as Medicine and Nursing and the options regarding true National Registration and Regulation.

My physio has directed me to some remedial massage before he next see's me because of the strain on my legs from my ride but otherwise riding continues. I'm looking at a 102k or 63m ride for a children's hospital in May.

I have been to work once in the two weeks I have been off so far and that was to check the next roster as I will be attending Recertification Training mid May but I might have to slip in to station because there is a box of articles in the study room that may help with my next Uni assignment.

And that's my update, mowing the lawns when they need it (usually a week after they first needed it), travelling around a little, drinking beers on the couch with the little lady and watching TV as long as it's not 'My Kitchen Rules' or Master Chef' or The Block' or any of the dumbing alleged reality shows.

Be Excellent to Each Other and See You at the Big One!

Taz

My little ride

I have been spruiking a charity ride in Tasmania that was held last weekend.
Two rides one starting in Devonport finishing in the west coast hamlet of Strahan and the shorter starting high up on the picturesque Cradle Mountain with the same destination.

The web site is www.puretasmaniacyclechallenge.com.au/ if your interested go have a look, you might be interested in next years ride but be warned, it was the most challenging thing I have ever done in my life with regards the physical pain of the MASSIVE climbs cat 2 or better on three alone. The time in saddle, fatigue and sheer speed that the group went out.

They say it's not a race but there were many who took it as such.

One rider retired hurt after putting it down with a face plant at around 45kph on a descent and I scared the shit out of myself with a new personal fastest ever speed on a very steep straight run.

There are no photo's from me because I was just trying to finish and my thanks to a man named Karl who was driving the broom bus (what comes and sweeps up those that quit) who refused to let me quit and stuck close to encourage me for around 160km. I can never repay him for that.

Here instead is my data and a map from my Strava account.

Be Excellent to Each Other and See You at the Big One!

Taz