Page 20 - BRAVO-3 | ISSUE 2 | JULY/AUGUST 2018
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BATTLEFIELDSTOBOROUGHS
Thesweatbeadsdownmyface,intomyeyesandcolectsatthebotom ofmychin.Myglassesstarttofog upandslipdownmyface,catchingatthebotom ofmynose.Icounteachcompressioninmyhead-25,26, 27,28,29,30-asmytricepsstarttoburn.Itelmypartner,whoisbaggingthepatient,breathe.Ihearthe shrieksandcriesofawife,daughter,son,mother,brother,andsisterbehindmewhilewework.Ourminds movingamileasecondbutweremaincalm,confidentandunafraidonthesurface.Wedoeverythingwecan forthis51-year-oldmanwhowasjustenjoyinghimselfwithhisfamilyforthedayatRockawayBeach.
y,everythingwedoisnotenough.Wecleantheambulancejustasroutineasanyothercal.The dayisfiledwithgloom,butitdoesn’tsinkinyet.MypartnerandIheadofforlunch,smokingandjokingasif nothinghappened.
Workinginemergencymedicalservicesyouhavetobeontopofyourgameataltimes.Youaregoingto seethingsonanambulancethatyoucouldneverimagine.Theaveragepatientyoudealwithisinthe60to 80-year-oldrange.Thesepatientsarealotdiferentthanan18to25-year-oldfitmaleintheUSMarineCorps. Witnessingdeathisalmostascertainasthesunrise.Pluggingbuletholes,andstufingstabwoundswith gauzeiscool,buthowweldoyouknowcardiologyordiferentdrugdoses?Thereisamultitudeofdiferent thingstobeproficientatwhileonanambulance.Youhavetobethejack-of-al-trades.
"DEATH IS ALMOST AS CERTAIN AS THE SUNRISE.”
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