# Broke Down



## MedicPrincess (Jul 30, 2006)

We had a transfer to Birmingham. Patient in Respiratory Failure. There was a team of Surgeons waiting for her to arrive at UAB so they could do a trach on her. Nobody in our area would touch her due to major problems with her anatomy.  Patient having significant difficulty breathing, sats in the 70's on highflow O2 (not able to intubate due to previous trauma from intubation), just in crappy shape.  Pt should have flown, but the hospital said no they wanted us to take her by ground.

So we are responding the nearly 300 miles it is from the hospital she was in to UAB. About 130 miles into the trip, 40 miles south of Montgomery Alabama, in hicktown USA, and at a fairly decent rate of speed, our truck goes *POW!!! *It didn't lose power, and didn't start shaking funny, but since it did sound like something blew up I figured I'd pull over. So here I am on the side of I65 crawling under the ambulance to see if one of the inner tires was compromised. Nope. My partner says Eh, maybe I ran something over. Lets get going. Ok...truck wouldn't go over 20 MPH. Pull back over, open the hood and there are just hoses everywhere just hanging. Crap. Call our Shift Commander, tell him we broke down and please get the mechanics on their way with a tow truck. Then call our dispatch to get Life Flight on their way b/c no way are we getting this patient to where she needs to be.

So about 30 minutes later and countless phone calls to coordinate where Life Flight would put down and which Helicopter we were getting, an Alabama State Trooper pulls up. Right behind him his the Local EMS crew. And then the Sherrif (not a deputy, THE Sherrif wanted some air so she came out to help), the Chief of police for the town we were closest to, and then the FD. And right behind all of them were a man and a woman from the town paper. OH Dear God, help me now!

What a mess. The local EMS crew was 2 EMT's. Their dispatch sent them to see if we would need them to take the patient. Thanks, but my Medic won't turn over a patient in respiratory failure to 2 EMT's. Okay then, they will just fix my truck for me. So in between dealing all the agencies who decided to come and help, and both my personal nextel and our trucks nextel ringing then beeping then ringing and beeping - and both of them almost got "dropped" into oncoming traffic - I look up and the EMT's have the hood of my ambulance open and they are elbow deep with duct tape and tools. Dont worry they say, they'll fix'er right up so we can get home. OMG!! Please don't....Here, I hand them the nextel, talk to our mechanics. So now their feelings are hurt b/c "that girl over there" don't want their help.

And if all thats not enough to send me to the nuthouse, now it seems everyone in our county has found out that we are broke down and they all want to call and "check on us." Seriously, if it were anyother crew, except "B shifts Angels" (its what they call us. has to do with how when we get sent out of county all hell will break loose, but when we get back it calms right down - relatively speaking....) they would have left them there figure it out....but me and Tammy, oh no, they are convinced we'll kill ourselves.

So anyway, Life Flight has a 5 min ETA and we shut down the major highway through Alabama at 11 am to land a helicopter. I go to the ambulance to let my medic know there is a 5 min ETA and she and the patient have got out the DVD player and are watching Grease. OH, the patient says, is there a problem? Ummm, yea....you get a helicopter ride after all. She was so sweet. Now she is worried about us. How will we get home? Do we need some money for lunch? How about money for a cab home? Does one of us want to fly with her (umm, sweetie this isn't Greyhound, there is no companion fare.)? Don't worry about her, she'll be fine she says. Oh, can she have that other pill they sent with her. 

So we finally manage to get her in the Helo, and the Sherrif and Police Chief go into the traffic that has backed up forever to find our mechanic. 45 minutes later, here he comes with a police escort to us. He can't fix it there, so theres us, the mechanic, the AHP, the Sherrif, and the Police all traveling at 20 MPH down I65 so we could go park in the Cracker Barrell Parking lot and wait for our tow truck.

NEVER again will we volunteer to take a long distance transfer. We both very much agree we'd rather just stay in town and take whatever the 911 gods send our way.


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## Wingnut (Jul 30, 2006)

Good Lord. You have the most eventful shifts I've ever heard of. Sounds like a big cluster you-know-what at the end there lmao. I think you need another vacation. (To Naples!)


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## MMiz (Jul 30, 2006)

Princess,

I'm at a loss for words.

That's our princess!


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## MMiz (Jul 30, 2006)

"B-shift Angels" eh?


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## gradygirl (Jul 30, 2006)

MMiz said:
			
		

> "B-shift Angels" eh?



I just laughed so hard that soda came out of my nose.

Princess, you are incredible. Can I get in line to do a ride along with you?


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## MedicPrincess (Jul 30, 2006)

OMG!! Thats hilarious!! I wish I looked half as good as she does!!


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## fm_emt (Jul 30, 2006)

So what happened? Blow a radiator hose or something? 

Never underestimate the power of determined country folks with a roll of duct tape. :-D

Glad you guys are ok. I vote we all buy you a camera phone so you can send us photos.


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## MedicPrincess (Jul 30, 2006)

Turbo Hose.  And then they found Oil where there should be water and oil where there should be oil.  Apparently Oil and Water really aren't supposed to mix. 

Truck is out of service and in Dothan for repairs.


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## ffemt8978 (Jul 30, 2006)

fm_emt said:
			
		

> So what happened? Blow a radiator hose or something?
> 
> Never underestimate the power of determined country folks with a roll of duct tape. :-D
> 
> Glad you guys are ok. I vote we all buy you a camera phone so you can send us photos.



I vote they bring back that series "Paramedics" and just follow Princess around for their footage.


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## fm_emt (Jul 30, 2006)

EMTPrincess said:
			
		

> Turbo Hose.  And then they found Oil where there should be water and oil where there should be oil.  Apparently Oil and Water really aren't supposed to mix.
> 
> Truck is out of service and in Dothan for repairs.



eek. yeah, that's bad. Glad you guys didn't break down in the middle of nowhere at 2am!


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## fm_emt (Jul 30, 2006)

ffemt8978 said:
			
		

> I vote they bring back that series "Paramedics" and just follow Princess around for their footage.



I second that vote! Maybe they could just call the show "EMT Life!" ;-)


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## MedicPrincess (Jul 30, 2006)

Seriously, you guys should all come and ride.  Anytime we have a third rider we don't do hardly anything all day, and we sleep all night.

Its funny though, stuff happens to everyone.  Its all in how you view it while its happening to you.

Take being broke down, in 105 degree heat, on the side of a major highway with everyone and their freaking brother coming out to see you....

A lot of the people are the get P.O'd, b**ch and complain their way through it types...

Me...I laugh and can still find the bright side (at least it wasn't pouring down rain).  Everything is how you view it....


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## GaEMT (Jul 31, 2006)

I can relate to UAB mishaps and transfers.  In 1986 I was taking a cardiac patient from Middle GA to UAB and I lost total power 3 blocks from the hospital in Birmingham.   It is a long drive back to Middle GA with my partner, me, the wrecker driver and his buddy from Birmingham.


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## Jon (Jul 31, 2006)

Nice, Princess..

Is UAB the closest "Regional Resouce" center for you?

I've played with their Fixed-wing flight crews a couple of times... they bring kids into CHOP for heart repairs.


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## MedicPrincess (Jul 31, 2006)

Jon-

Pretty much, UAB is the closest.  We also take patients to the USA Burn Center in Mobile.  

But for the most part, our service will take anybody where ever they want to go as long we either get approval from their insurance company for payment or they pay the $500 or $800 plus $8/mile upfront.

Furthest I have been is St. Petersburg, which is about 400 miles.  A crew recently took someone to a nursing home in the Key West area though.


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## GaEMT (Aug 1, 2006)

Furthest I have ever been in my career is Rockford Illinois from Middle GA.   In January, with snow.   Now being from middle GA we don't due much snow driving.  What an experience


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## Tincanfireman (Aug 1, 2006)

...and everyone says 911 is where the excitement is... =)


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## fm_emt (Aug 2, 2006)

EMTPrincess said:
			
		

> Seriously, you guys should all come and ride.  Anytime we have a third rider we don't do hardly anything all day, and we sleep all night.




*thinks*

How are we all gonna fit in the ambulance?!


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## FF894 (Sep 2, 2006)

Wow that sucks!  Rough shift.  Just out of curiosity, why didnt you fly to begin with?


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## MedicPrincess (Sep 2, 2006)

Tried to fly her.  Denied by the hospital, said they'd rather her go by ground.  And being her current care providers it was their choice.


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