# One second



## Phridae (May 12, 2005)

These past few days have been kinda weird.  Wednesday morning at about 3:30 we get a call for a possible DOA. The street is just on block over, but I didnt hear the house numbers wo I just went to teh station. I figured we were going to this apartment building. There are quite a few older people who live there. We pass the apartment building. "okay" I think to myself. Mind you, this street is only about 4 blocks long. We get to the end of the street and stop. I know where we are. I look out the window, hoping its a different house. But its not. It's my friend Rochelle's house. I keep repeating "Oh god oh god oh god" as I'm hauling bags inside. I'm hoping that he just hit the floor, that maybe there a chance. I pass my friends mother inside sitting on the couch. She gives me this horrible look, like she doesnt know whats going on.  Unfortunately, her husband died in his sleep probably about 1am.  She said she went to wake him up. He doesnt hear his alarm in the morning so she just shoves him until he gets up. She said she touched his shoulder and he was really cold.  About 15 minutes later everyone is clearing out but the PD. They dont even ask me if I'm comming back to the station. Its not till they're back in quarters that someone calls me and asks how I'm going to get my car. I said not to wrry about it, I'll get someone from the PD to give me a ride later.  We have to wait about 3 hours for the funeral home to show up. All the while her husband is laying on the beedroom floor. I had to call his work and tell them that he has passed away during the night. The hardest thing I had to do was call my friend Rochelle. She's currently living in North Carolina.  Her parents had plans on going down there next week to visit. I had to call and wake her up. I told her that she needed to come home, that her father had died in his sleep. She started screaming on the phone. That was hard.

I never knew that he had such a cardiac history. They dont want an autopsy. So its just going to be ruled a cardiac death.  

His wife told me that she just can't believe how in one second everything can change. One second shes getting up to wake him up, and the next, she knows hes dead. She said it didn't feel real. Like she was dreaming.

I didnt know him very well. He was my friends father. I spend a week on vacation with them. He was a funny guy who liked to watch wrestling.

The funny part in all this? He had just been to the doctor Tuesday. The doc said he was doing great.

Now I have a funeral to go to on Saturday. And a birthday party on Sunday. From celebrating death, to celebrating life.


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## ECC (May 12, 2005)

I am sorry to hear of your friends (and your) loss. Working locally has its perils, and this is one of the worst of them.

I am sorry.


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## usafmedic45 (May 13, 2005)

That sucks.   I'm sorry you had to be the one to deal with that, but in the long run it's probably better for your friend and her mom to have had someone they know running the call.  It oftens gives them some peace of mind that they know you well enough to know you did everything you could.  Trust me. I've been there.  It does help.  It's probably small comfort at this point, but in the long run I think you'll see what I am saying.


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## Chimpie (May 13, 2005)

[gives you a chimpie-hug]

I'm sorry.


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## SafetyPro2 (May 13, 2005)

Very sorry to hear that. Working in a small town, I can relate. I haven't had to work anyone I know (yet), but in every arrest I've worked except one, at least one of the FFs on-scene has known the PT. 

Take care.


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## Jon (May 13, 2005)

That sucks. I'm the same way...hat was that book title - Rural Fire Department - Meeting your neighbors one siren at a time????


Jon


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## Wingnut (May 13, 2005)

I'm so sorry, my heart goes out to you.


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## TTLWHKR (May 13, 2005)

> _Originally posted by MedicStudentJon_@May 13 2005, 07:10 AM
> * That sucks. I'm the same way...hat was that book title - Rural Fire Department - Meeting your neighbors one siren at a time????
> 
> 
> Jon *


 Population: 485
Meeting your neighbors one siren at a time



And it's the truth, when I lived with my parents we ran a call one night on a ranch outside of town. It looked like a modest, three story ranch, some rich family probably; but you couldn't see it. 

We get up there, the man that owns the home was a National Geographic Photographer in the 50's. Now he's retired, and living his pasttime... Railroading. He had a REAL steam locomotive in his back yard...

His house was full of Railroad stuff, so we got to talking, I was the person who wrote on local history for the town newspaper. Visited him alot, he read the articles I had written, got familiar w/ local railroad history. Then one day a couple years later we had another call, he came in from messing with his narrow gauge railroad.. and died. But if it weren't for the ambulance, I never would have known him.


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## Jon (May 13, 2005)

> _Originally posted by TTLWHKR+May 13 2005, 12:25 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>*QUOTE* (TTLWHKR @ May 13 2005, 12:25 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-MedicStudentJon_@May 13 2005, 07:10 AM
> * That sucks. I'm the same way...hat was that book title - Rural Fire Department - Meeting your neighbors one siren at a time????
> 
> 
> Jon *


Population: 485
Meeting your neighbors one siren at a time



And it's the truth, when I lived with my parents we ran a call one night on a ranch outside of town. It looked like a modest, three story ranch, some rich family probably; but you couldn't see it. 

We get up there, the man that owns the home was a National Geographic Photographer in the 50's. Now he's retired, and living his pasttime... Railroading. He had a REAL steam locomotive in his back yard...

His house was full of Railroad stuff, so we got to talking, I was the person who wrote on local history for the town newspaper. Visited him alot, he read the articles I had written, got familiar w/ local railroad history. Then one day a couple years later we had another call, he came in from messing with his narrow gauge railroad.. and died. But if it weren't for the ambulance, I never would have known him. [/b][/quote]
 Well... I know guys who have REAL firetrucks or ambulances in the back yard.....


Jon


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## TTLWHKR (May 13, 2005)

> _Originally posted by MedicStudentJon+May 13 2005, 12:32 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>*QUOTE* (MedicStudentJon @ May 13 2005, 12:32 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Well... I know guys who have REAL firetrucks or ambulances in the back yard.....


Jon [/b][/quote]
 Well, it's kind of odd to have a mile of railroad in your yard, and nobody knows about it.


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## Chimpie (May 13, 2005)

> _Originally posted by TTLWHKR_@May 13 2005, 10:43 AM
> * Well, it's kind of odd to have a mile of railroad in your yard, and nobody knows about it. *


 Or more impressive, in your basement.

 

(HO guage)


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## Jon (May 13, 2005)

> _Originally posted by Chimpie+May 13 2005, 12:53 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>*QUOTE* (Chimpie @ May 13 2005, 12:53 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-TTLWHKR_@May 13 2005, 10:43 AM
> * Well, it's kind of odd to have a mile of railroad in your yard, and nobody knows about it. *


Or more impressive, in your basement.

 

(HO guage) [/b][/quote]
 easy....PaRescue will become excited....


Jon


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## TTLWHKR (May 13, 2005)

> _Originally posted by MedicStudentJon+May 13 2005, 12:55 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>*QUOTE* (MedicStudentJon @ May 13 2005, 12:55 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>
> 
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> ...


easy....PaRescue will become excited....


Jon [/b][/quote]
 I used to dabble in G Gauge for the back yard, and N & Z gauge in my bedroom. The cat and I would sit and run trains for hours. It was fun. She liked to derail things, and knock the citizens of Plasticville Junction around the streets. I gave it up b/c it was trying on my patients, gluing the buildings together w/ forceps..

Sold on ebay for tons though. I credit my first eBay sale by being able to buy my first whacker bag. Galls Maxi-Medic Bag, fully stocked. I sold a G Gauge locomotive and tender, I forget what it was labeled for, but it was made out of iron, brass and steel; weighed 40lbs, used fuel tablets to make steam. It was neat, but the use of live fuel made it a fire hazard in the garden. It would drop the fuel tablets and wood embers that burned up out the bottom, so it would burn the ties and bridges. Easily solved, just turn the garden sprinklers on, but then the electric trains couldn't run. And the big live steam loco would slip and be pushed along by the cars, run into sidings, etc. Best thing to do was sell it.


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## Chimpie (May 13, 2005)

I grew up with HO which all got sold in the auction when my parents got divorced.  I always wanted to build a small layout but I haven't been sitting in one place long enough to do it.  LOL  Maybe when I'm 40 or something.  HAHA


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## Phridae (May 14, 2005)

Thanks for all your support. It really does mean a lot to me.

I just made a kick-butt italian pasta salad for the luncheon after the funeral tomorrow.

Is that how you spell luncheon? I dont know.


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