Restless
Forum Ride Along
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Im not sure if this is the right place to post this......or if I should even be posting here--period.
You see Im not a Paramedic, EMS, EMT, Fire, LE et al. Im just somebody with a little story about "one of them"
Ive never personally had to call any of the above--for myself or even a Loved one. Ive always admired and respected the "Profession" as listed. Always wished Id had what it takes to be "one of them" but alas, I knew early on I didnt so I sufficed with admiration and respect for ALL of "YOU" :wub:
I was in an accident with a semi truck a few years back. A loaded semi pulling two trailers on the interstate decided he didnt want to exit and would rather be where I was so he merely swerved and pushed me out of his way and kept going. The first hit spun me (in my pickup truck) around in front of him and the second hit almost literally threw me down the exit ramp sideways up on two wheels for several hundred feet. When I came to rest...I was still upright, nose down in a ditch many many hundreds of feet from where I started. It was 5am and Im alone facing down a deep ditch in the dark ALIVE but scared spitless. The guy that hit me never even broke stride, needless to say he also didnt stop. My fiance' was 3 vehicles behind the guy that hit me, in his own semi headed out and basically saw it happen but couldnt get stopped and turned around quick enough. (Had to go down to a cross over , swing back, hit another crossover and come back again) etc etc etc.
As I sort things out I grab the cell and call 911. I cant figure out where exactly I am in reference to anything else to even begin to tell dispatch anything other than a semi hit me, ran me off the road and kept going. I feel stoopid beyond belief...this is a road Ive traveled twice a day for 15 years....I KNOW every bump, every turn every pot hole etc. YET I cant tell dispatch where exactly I am. I mentioned I had seen a cop in the median about 2 miles back (what that had to do with anything was beyond me but for some stoopid reason it seemed important.)
Here's where I swell with pride, admiration, respect and ALL other good things for the job (??) YOU PEOPLE DO!!!
This dispatcher was one of the best most soothing calming inteligent people Id ever ever talked to. I was torn between tears, anger and being hyper and yet she settled me down, got me to tell her exactly where I was and how to get to me, what happened and even a little about me, where Im headed, where I was from et al. She refused to let me hand up til LE got there. 2 state cops appeared out of nowhere soon followed by two or three more...as they came running up to me talking talking talking, I hand one of em the phone as another is crawling in my truck with me and the other two are blocking the road with blueberries and cherries just a flashing. I will never forget their names and would love to personally thank them as well as dispatch.
In comes the Ambulance crew. Forgive me if I dont know the difference between your levels (EMT, EMS, Paramedic etc) I mean NO disrespect. Now first off, Im a big ol girl!!! Chubby as hell but incredibly cute :wub: The EMTs wont let me get outta the truck..wont let me even open the door or unbuckle the seat belt. They pummeling me with questions which at the time seemed absurd if my brain rattled head. (I took a nasty hit to the head on the seat belt housing as I got thrown) Now Ive got two EMTs in the truck with me...all the doors are open on the truck and they're trying to figure out how to backboard me. The whole time this is taking place....I feel strangely but EXTREMELY calm. Im joking with em....Im threatening to take the cutest one home with me, and keeping the others "just in case". Hell, even LE was laughing. I have a huge (to me anyway) group of awesome caring kind and gentle men hanging around ya know...I gotta mess with em
I knew I wasnt seriously hurt so Im trying to convince them to let me get out of the truck and walk to the ambulance. No way are they falling for that but dont have much choice. I "watched" if you will, two...just TWO young men backboard me, lift me to the stretcher and place me in the ambulance without breaking a sweat. They kept me calm, relaxed even. They asked me which hospital ...they wanted me to go to the trauma 1 place (?? sorry I cant think of the term for it) I wanted another. I won because we all knew I wasnt seriously hurt but did need to be transported. The one EMT stayed with me thru the whole process at the hospital til the doctor actually came in and said he'd contact me in a few days to see how I was. AND HE DID
ALL this to say.. PLEASE never underestimate the job you do. NEVER underestimate the care and compassion you show us NEVER let anyone tell you that what you do is "just a job" Its not. You're valued, you're counted on, trusted even. Y'all have my undying respect and admiration and Id walk an extra mile or ten to make sure y'all had a hot cuppa coffee, a warm meal, or just an extra hug if I had the chance. You ARE important. :wub:
I aint nobody in your world....we've never met and probably never will. Y'all werent personally on the scene of my accident and never laid a hand on me during it. But..each of you were there, each of you did help, and each of you are THANKED FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART
You see Im not a Paramedic, EMS, EMT, Fire, LE et al. Im just somebody with a little story about "one of them"
Ive never personally had to call any of the above--for myself or even a Loved one. Ive always admired and respected the "Profession" as listed. Always wished Id had what it takes to be "one of them" but alas, I knew early on I didnt so I sufficed with admiration and respect for ALL of "YOU" :wub:
I was in an accident with a semi truck a few years back. A loaded semi pulling two trailers on the interstate decided he didnt want to exit and would rather be where I was so he merely swerved and pushed me out of his way and kept going. The first hit spun me (in my pickup truck) around in front of him and the second hit almost literally threw me down the exit ramp sideways up on two wheels for several hundred feet. When I came to rest...I was still upright, nose down in a ditch many many hundreds of feet from where I started. It was 5am and Im alone facing down a deep ditch in the dark ALIVE but scared spitless. The guy that hit me never even broke stride, needless to say he also didnt stop. My fiance' was 3 vehicles behind the guy that hit me, in his own semi headed out and basically saw it happen but couldnt get stopped and turned around quick enough. (Had to go down to a cross over , swing back, hit another crossover and come back again) etc etc etc.
As I sort things out I grab the cell and call 911. I cant figure out where exactly I am in reference to anything else to even begin to tell dispatch anything other than a semi hit me, ran me off the road and kept going. I feel stoopid beyond belief...this is a road Ive traveled twice a day for 15 years....I KNOW every bump, every turn every pot hole etc. YET I cant tell dispatch where exactly I am. I mentioned I had seen a cop in the median about 2 miles back (what that had to do with anything was beyond me but for some stoopid reason it seemed important.)
Here's where I swell with pride, admiration, respect and ALL other good things for the job (??) YOU PEOPLE DO!!!
This dispatcher was one of the best most soothing calming inteligent people Id ever ever talked to. I was torn between tears, anger and being hyper and yet she settled me down, got me to tell her exactly where I was and how to get to me, what happened and even a little about me, where Im headed, where I was from et al. She refused to let me hand up til LE got there. 2 state cops appeared out of nowhere soon followed by two or three more...as they came running up to me talking talking talking, I hand one of em the phone as another is crawling in my truck with me and the other two are blocking the road with blueberries and cherries just a flashing. I will never forget their names and would love to personally thank them as well as dispatch.
In comes the Ambulance crew. Forgive me if I dont know the difference between your levels (EMT, EMS, Paramedic etc) I mean NO disrespect. Now first off, Im a big ol girl!!! Chubby as hell but incredibly cute :wub: The EMTs wont let me get outta the truck..wont let me even open the door or unbuckle the seat belt. They pummeling me with questions which at the time seemed absurd if my brain rattled head. (I took a nasty hit to the head on the seat belt housing as I got thrown) Now Ive got two EMTs in the truck with me...all the doors are open on the truck and they're trying to figure out how to backboard me. The whole time this is taking place....I feel strangely but EXTREMELY calm. Im joking with em....Im threatening to take the cutest one home with me, and keeping the others "just in case". Hell, even LE was laughing. I have a huge (to me anyway) group of awesome caring kind and gentle men hanging around ya know...I gotta mess with em
I knew I wasnt seriously hurt so Im trying to convince them to let me get out of the truck and walk to the ambulance. No way are they falling for that but dont have much choice. I "watched" if you will, two...just TWO young men backboard me, lift me to the stretcher and place me in the ambulance without breaking a sweat. They kept me calm, relaxed even. They asked me which hospital ...they wanted me to go to the trauma 1 place (?? sorry I cant think of the term for it) I wanted another. I won because we all knew I wasnt seriously hurt but did need to be transported. The one EMT stayed with me thru the whole process at the hospital til the doctor actually came in and said he'd contact me in a few days to see how I was. AND HE DID
ALL this to say.. PLEASE never underestimate the job you do. NEVER underestimate the care and compassion you show us NEVER let anyone tell you that what you do is "just a job" Its not. You're valued, you're counted on, trusted even. Y'all have my undying respect and admiration and Id walk an extra mile or ten to make sure y'all had a hot cuppa coffee, a warm meal, or just an extra hug if I had the chance. You ARE important. :wub:
I aint nobody in your world....we've never met and probably never will. Y'all werent personally on the scene of my accident and never laid a hand on me during it. But..each of you were there, each of you did help, and each of you are THANKED FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART