I think today I've gone 'troppo' - help!
Mar 31st 2013, 10:18 am
#511
Yorkshire Lass
Joined: Feb 2013
Location: West Yorkshire
Posts: 1,416
Re: I think today I've gone 'troppo' - help!
Lol! Well let me tell you about my Easter weekend to cheer you up! Are you sitting comfortably? Let me begin..................
So I get called out code one (bells and whistles) to a 48 year old female who has collapsed and is semi conscious. Can't get into house until pts hubby turns up, panting, sweating and panicking to let me in. Up 2 flights of stairs I go with ALL my resus equipment to find a fat sniveling woman lying on the floor crying down the phone to the 000 operator. Whats wrong with her? Tummy pains for an hour, feels sick and oh she has period pain too - sigh. Obviously I am also delighted to see she has no knickers on - how nice!
She's wailing like a banshee saying "last time the paramedics gave me morphine!" for period pain? Really? Hubby tells me they have just moved up here - great. So I check her over find nothing wrong but offered her a jab for the nausea and 2 panadol. She then gets up pushes past me, sits on the loo and proceeds to have a huge s*** in front of me. I walk out and SLAM the door while she is yelling out at me "now I've got diarrhoea!" Grrrrr!
The other crew arrive, see my face and start to chuckle and tell them that under NO CIRCUMSTANCES WHATSOEVER is this woman getting a carry chair to which they agree. Finally she is calling me back in, I give her a jab of Maxolon and two panadol, she throws them to the ground and demands morphine I say NO and asked her if she wouldn't mind flushing the bloody toilet. I tell her take the panadol I say to her hubby get her some knickers and a sanitary pad get her dressed and let me know when you are done, back out I go - face like thunder.
So she comes out, finally dressed, see the boys and throws herself on the bed saying she can't walk. I ask them all to leave the room and then I let her have it, both barrels. They come back in and down the stairs she walks, crying all the way, calling me a bitch and saying she is going to complain, go ahead I tell her, feel free we are here to save your arse NOT kiss it.
Onto the stretcher she goes, in the back I go with her and she SCREAMS like a 5 year old, throwing herself around for a full 20 minutes all the way to ED. I am busy typing my notes and fighting the urge to slap her! At ED she starts carrying on again and the nurse (my mate!) gives her what for as does the doctor lol! An hour later she is discharged - with some panadol - ha!
I have 8 weeks to go today, please please please Lord give me patience as its kinda wearing thin today!
So I get called out code one (bells and whistles) to a 48 year old female who has collapsed and is semi conscious. Can't get into house until pts hubby turns up, panting, sweating and panicking to let me in. Up 2 flights of stairs I go with ALL my resus equipment to find a fat sniveling woman lying on the floor crying down the phone to the 000 operator. Whats wrong with her? Tummy pains for an hour, feels sick and oh she has period pain too - sigh. Obviously I am also delighted to see she has no knickers on - how nice!
She's wailing like a banshee saying "last time the paramedics gave me morphine!" for period pain? Really? Hubby tells me they have just moved up here - great. So I check her over find nothing wrong but offered her a jab for the nausea and 2 panadol. She then gets up pushes past me, sits on the loo and proceeds to have a huge s*** in front of me. I walk out and SLAM the door while she is yelling out at me "now I've got diarrhoea!" Grrrrr!
The other crew arrive, see my face and start to chuckle and tell them that under NO CIRCUMSTANCES WHATSOEVER is this woman getting a carry chair to which they agree. Finally she is calling me back in, I give her a jab of Maxolon and two panadol, she throws them to the ground and demands morphine I say NO and asked her if she wouldn't mind flushing the bloody toilet. I tell her take the panadol I say to her hubby get her some knickers and a sanitary pad get her dressed and let me know when you are done, back out I go - face like thunder.
So she comes out, finally dressed, see the boys and throws herself on the bed saying she can't walk. I ask them all to leave the room and then I let her have it, both barrels. They come back in and down the stairs she walks, crying all the way, calling me a bitch and saying she is going to complain, go ahead I tell her, feel free we are here to save your arse NOT kiss it.
Onto the stretcher she goes, in the back I go with her and she SCREAMS like a 5 year old, throwing herself around for a full 20 minutes all the way to ED. I am busy typing my notes and fighting the urge to slap her! At ED she starts carrying on again and the nurse (my mate!) gives her what for as does the doctor lol! An hour later she is discharged - with some panadol - ha!
I have 8 weeks to go today, please please please Lord give me patience as its kinda wearing thin today!
No matter how I am feeling, no matter what is going through my mind, you always know the right thing to say to make me roar with laughter So thanks for that! I just don't know how you have the patience not to just inject them with something and knock them out completely for the trip to the ER..lol. But I'm glad you don't hold back with them, because it would just all build up and build up and then you'd literally BLOW!!!!
Lord, grant me the patience to put up with these lunatics...and the wisdom to realise the jail time I'd serve if I belted each and every one of them..LOL
Mar 31st 2013, 10:22 am
#512
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Nov 2012
Location: Back in the UK!
Posts: 2,404
Re: I think today I've gone 'troppo' - help!
Lol! Well let me tell you about my Easter weekend to cheer you up! Are you sitting comfortably? Let me begin..................
So I get called out code one (bells and whistles) to a 48 year old female who has collapsed and is semi conscious. Can't get into house until pts hubby turns up, panting, sweating and panicking to let me in. Up 2 flights of stairs I go with ALL my resus equipment to find a fat sniveling woman lying on the floor of the bathroom crying down the phone to the 000 operator. Whats wrong with her? Tummy pains for an hour, feels sick and oh she has period pain too - sigh. Obviously I am also delighted to see she has no knickers on - how nice!
She's wailing like a banshee saying "last time the paramedics gave me morphine!" for period pain? Really? Hubby tells me they have just moved up here - great. So I check her over find nothing wrong but offered her a jab for the nausea and 2 panadol. She then gets up pushes past me, sits on the loo and proceeds to have a huge s*** in front of me. I walk out and SLAM the door while she is yelling out at me "now I've got diarrhoea!" Grrrrr!
The other crew arrive, see my face and start to chuckle and tell them that under NO CIRCUMSTANCES WHATSOEVER is this woman getting a carry chair to which they agree. Finally she is calling me back in, I give her a jab of Maxolon and two panadol, she throws them to the ground and demands morphine I say NO and asked her if she wouldn't mind flushing the bloody toilet. I tell her take the panadol I say to her hubby get her some knickers and a sanitary pad get her dressed and let me know when you are done, back out I go - face like thunder.
So she comes out, finally dressed, see the boys and throws herself on the bed saying she can't walk. I ask them all to leave the room and then I let her have it, both barrels. They come back in and down the stairs she walks, crying all the way, calling me a bitch and saying she is going to complain, go ahead I tell her, feel free we are here to save your arse NOT kiss it.
Onto the stretcher she goes, in the back I go with her and she SCREAMS like a 5 year old, throwing herself around for a full 20 minutes all the way to ED. I am busy typing my notes and fighting the urge to slap her! At ED she starts carrying on again and the nurse (my mate!) gives her what for as does the doctor lol! An hour later she is discharged - with some panadol - ha!
I have 8 weeks to go today, please please please Lord give me patience as its kinda wearing thin today!
So I get called out code one (bells and whistles) to a 48 year old female who has collapsed and is semi conscious. Can't get into house until pts hubby turns up, panting, sweating and panicking to let me in. Up 2 flights of stairs I go with ALL my resus equipment to find a fat sniveling woman lying on the floor of the bathroom crying down the phone to the 000 operator. Whats wrong with her? Tummy pains for an hour, feels sick and oh she has period pain too - sigh. Obviously I am also delighted to see she has no knickers on - how nice!
She's wailing like a banshee saying "last time the paramedics gave me morphine!" for period pain? Really? Hubby tells me they have just moved up here - great. So I check her over find nothing wrong but offered her a jab for the nausea and 2 panadol. She then gets up pushes past me, sits on the loo and proceeds to have a huge s*** in front of me. I walk out and SLAM the door while she is yelling out at me "now I've got diarrhoea!" Grrrrr!
The other crew arrive, see my face and start to chuckle and tell them that under NO CIRCUMSTANCES WHATSOEVER is this woman getting a carry chair to which they agree. Finally she is calling me back in, I give her a jab of Maxolon and two panadol, she throws them to the ground and demands morphine I say NO and asked her if she wouldn't mind flushing the bloody toilet. I tell her take the panadol I say to her hubby get her some knickers and a sanitary pad get her dressed and let me know when you are done, back out I go - face like thunder.
So she comes out, finally dressed, see the boys and throws herself on the bed saying she can't walk. I ask them all to leave the room and then I let her have it, both barrels. They come back in and down the stairs she walks, crying all the way, calling me a bitch and saying she is going to complain, go ahead I tell her, feel free we are here to save your arse NOT kiss it.
Onto the stretcher she goes, in the back I go with her and she SCREAMS like a 5 year old, throwing herself around for a full 20 minutes all the way to ED. I am busy typing my notes and fighting the urge to slap her! At ED she starts carrying on again and the nurse (my mate!) gives her what for as does the doctor lol! An hour later she is discharged - with some panadol - ha!
I have 8 weeks to go today, please please please Lord give me patience as its kinda wearing thin today!
I couldn't do that job for any amount of money. Thanks for the chuckles though 
Mar 31st 2013, 10:23 am
#513
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Nov 2012
Location: Back in the UK!
Posts: 2,404
Re: I think today I've gone 'troppo' - help!
I just adore you! No matter how I am feeling, no matter what is going through my mind, you always know the right thing to say to make me roar with laughter So thanks for that!
I just don't know how you have the patience not to just inject them with something and knock them out completely for the trip to the ER..lol. But I'm glad you don't hold back with them, because it would just all build up and build up and then you'd literally BLOW!!!!
Lord, grant me the patience to put up with these lunatics...and the wisdom to realise the jail time I'd serve if I belted each and every one of them..LOL
No matter how I am feeling, no matter what is going through my mind, you always know the right thing to say to make me roar with laughter So thanks for that! I just don't know how you have the patience not to just inject them with something and knock them out completely for the trip to the ER..lol. But I'm glad you don't hold back with them, because it would just all build up and build up and then you'd literally BLOW!!!!
Lord, grant me the patience to put up with these lunatics...and the wisdom to realise the jail time I'd serve if I belted each and every one of them..LOL
Mar 31st 2013, 10:32 am
#514
Practical Paramedic
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2011
Location: The Beautiful South, UK
Posts: 931
Re: I think today I've gone 'troppo' - help!
Ladies you are most welcome! My other 2 most interesting cases this weekend have included a 'drowning' in a swimming pool yesterday where I arrived to find the patient smoking a fag and "feeling a bit shaky". She'd been swimming, swallowed a bit of water and had a coughing fit in the pool. Thankfully she was dragged to safety, given a smoke and the ambulance called 
The other one was at 2 in the morning to a 4 year old girl who woke up, had a coughing fit and then cried for a bit. I sat on scene - patiently - for 40 BLOODY MINUTES - which the parents discussed with her "Now darling do you feel like you'd like to go to hospital?" Seriously. Oh and yes, she went to hospital as her throat "had a tickle". Meanwhile I'm being paged for a fractured leg which I couldn't attend to so they had to send a crew who were an hour away.
I've said it once and I'll say it again - there is no cure for stupid arrrgghhhhh!!!!! Ha ha ha!!!
The other one was at 2 in the morning to a 4 year old girl who woke up, had a coughing fit and then cried for a bit. I sat on scene - patiently - for 40 BLOODY MINUTES - which the parents discussed with her "Now darling do you feel like you'd like to go to hospital?" Seriously. Oh and yes, she went to hospital as her throat "had a tickle". Meanwhile I'm being paged for a fractured leg which I couldn't attend to so they had to send a crew who were an hour away.
I've said it once and I'll say it again - there is no cure for stupid arrrgghhhhh!!!!! Ha ha ha!!!
Mar 31st 2013, 10:41 am
#515
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Nov 2012
Location: Back in the UK!
Posts: 2,404
Re: I think today I've gone 'troppo' - help!
Ladies you are most welcome! My other 2 most interesting cases this weekend have included a 'drowning' in a swimming pool yesterday where I arrived to find the patient smoking a fag and "feeling a bit shaky". She'd been swimming, swallowed a bit of water and had a coughing fit in the pool. Thankfully she was dragged to safety, given a smoke and the ambulance called
The other one was at 2 in the morning to a 4 year old girl who woke up, had a coughing fit and then cried for a bit. I sat on scene - patiently - for 40 BLOODY MINUTES - which the parents discussed with her "Now darling do you feel like you'd like to go to hospital?" Seriously. Oh and yes, she went to hospital as her throat "had a tickle". Meanwhile I'm being paged for a fractured leg which I couldn't attend to so they had to send a crew who were an hour away.
I've said it once and I'll say it again - there is no cure for stupid arrrgghhhhh!!!!! Ha ha ha!!!
The other one was at 2 in the morning to a 4 year old girl who woke up, had a coughing fit and then cried for a bit. I sat on scene - patiently - for 40 BLOODY MINUTES - which the parents discussed with her "Now darling do you feel like you'd like to go to hospital?" Seriously. Oh and yes, she went to hospital as her throat "had a tickle". Meanwhile I'm being paged for a fractured leg which I couldn't attend to so they had to send a crew who were an hour away.
I've said it once and I'll say it again - there is no cure for stupid arrrgghhhhh!!!!! Ha ha ha!!!
Mar 31st 2013, 10:51 am
#516
Practical Paramedic
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2011
Location: The Beautiful South, UK
Posts: 931
Re: I think today I've gone 'troppo' - help!
There must be no charge for ambulance calls in OZ then. Here in the US, WITH my insurance I would have to pay $300. Cuts down on the frivolous calls, I can tell you that. In fact, I witnessed a car accident and waited around for the cops so they could take my name if needed. There was a guy all covered with blood wandering around, obviously in shock, but he refused the ambulance. Probably knew how much it would cost him.
People from overseas or out of state get charged so the parents of that child will be getting a bill for a $1000.00. Unfortunately the other two live here so won't be charged, however I don't think Mrs Period Pain will call again after the American doctor had finished with her from what I heard ha ha ha!!!!
Mar 31st 2013, 4:03 pm
#517
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Aug 2008
Location: Wirral, UK
Posts: 402
Re: I think today I've gone 'troppo' - help!
I love reading Miss Betty's posts they are so entertaining 
I hope you consider writing a book or something soon, it would be a best seller.
As to the period woman taking a sh*t in front of you, well there's no amount of money to compensate for that is there??
On a side note of how people waste time and resources when the health care is 'free'. . . I was once with my MIL in the ER a few years back in England after she collapsed at home. Anyway, you could hear all the others in the next beds explaining to the nurses what had brought them there that day, and I was so angry when I overheard one woman say " I just can't gain weight, no matter what I eat I can't put on an ounce". Now in my mind that is not an emergency, you don't suddenly discover overnight that you can't put on weight !
I wanted to shout through the curtain "eat cake you stupid bitch and make an appt with your GP" but I expect I'd have been thrown out for causing a disturbance.
It makes my blood boil when I think of all the non urgent cases that show up in the ER and create loooong waiting times for those who really need the help
I hope you consider writing a book or something soon, it would be a best seller.As to the period woman taking a sh*t in front of you, well there's no amount of money to compensate for that is there??
On a side note of how people waste time and resources when the health care is 'free'. . . I was once with my MIL in the ER a few years back in England after she collapsed at home. Anyway, you could hear all the others in the next beds explaining to the nurses what had brought them there that day, and I was so angry when I overheard one woman say " I just can't gain weight, no matter what I eat I can't put on an ounce". Now in my mind that is not an emergency, you don't suddenly discover overnight that you can't put on weight !
I wanted to shout through the curtain "eat cake you stupid bitch and make an appt with your GP" but I expect I'd have been thrown out for causing a disturbance.
It makes my blood boil when I think of all the non urgent cases that show up in the ER and create loooong waiting times for those who really need the help
Mar 31st 2013, 4:17 pm
#518
Practical Paramedic
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2011
Location: The Beautiful South, UK
Posts: 931
Re: I think today I've gone 'troppo' - help!
I love reading Miss Betty's posts they are so entertaining I hope you consider writing a book or something soon, it would be a best seller.
As to the period woman taking a sh*t in front of you, well there's no amount of money to compensate for that is there??
On a side note of how people waste time and resources when the health care is 'free'. . . I was once with my MIL in the ER a few years back in England after she collapsed at home. Anyway, you could hear all the others in the next beds explaining to the nurses what had brought them there that day, and I was so angry when I overheard one woman say " I just can't gain weight, no matter what I eat I can't put on an ounce". Now in my mind that is not an emergency, you don't suddenly discover overnight that you can't put on weight !
I wanted to shout through the curtain "eat cake you stupid bitch and make an appt with your GP" but I expect I'd have been thrown out for causing a disturbance.
It makes my blood boil when I think of all the non urgent cases that show up in the ER and create loooong waiting times for those who really need the help
I hope you consider writing a book or something soon, it would be a best seller.As to the period woman taking a sh*t in front of you, well there's no amount of money to compensate for that is there??
On a side note of how people waste time and resources when the health care is 'free'. . . I was once with my MIL in the ER a few years back in England after she collapsed at home. Anyway, you could hear all the others in the next beds explaining to the nurses what had brought them there that day, and I was so angry when I overheard one woman say " I just can't gain weight, no matter what I eat I can't put on an ounce". Now in my mind that is not an emergency, you don't suddenly discover overnight that you can't put on weight !
I wanted to shout through the curtain "eat cake you stupid bitch and make an appt with your GP" but I expect I'd have been thrown out for causing a disturbance.
It makes my blood boil when I think of all the non urgent cases that show up in the ER and create loooong waiting times for those who really need the help
The only way I keep my sanity is through my sarcasm, I always say everything with a smile though which tends to confuse people. I have, sometimes, when people have been really nasty to me, pulled over by the side of the road and told them to get the hell out of my ambulance!
A few weeks ago I went out to a horrible drunk girl who just abused myself and the police officer for ages until we got her into ED. I was being a bit more restrained than normal as the officer was taping it all.
This girl was so grubby, thick black eyeliner, big nose, long black hair piled up on top of her head wearing miniscule shorts. Once we were in the hospital she said to me "I hate you, you're an ugly bitch!" I said "Really love? Well you're no looker yourself and, by the way, you are quite frankly the WORST Amy Winehouse tribute act I have ever seen!"
Cue much laughter from the doctor and nurses, she was still screaming at me as she was being sedated - nite nite love ha ha ha ha!!
I shall write a book one day but I guess it'll have to be a nom-de-plume so I can tell it how it really is - warts, abuse, s*** and all!
Last edited by MissBetty; Mar 31st 2013 at 5:45 pm.
Mar 31st 2013, 6:02 pm
#519
BE Enthusiast
Joined: May 2012
Location: Nebraska by the Sea
Posts: 987
Re: I think today I've gone 'troppo' - help!
Ladies you are most welcome! My other 2 most interesting cases this weekend have included a 'drowning' in a swimming pool yesterday where I arrived to find the patient smoking a fag and "feeling a bit shaky". She'd been swimming, swallowed a bit of water and had a coughing fit in the pool. Thankfully she was dragged to safety, given a smoke and the ambulance called
The other one was at 2 in the morning to a 4 year old girl who woke up, had a coughing fit and then cried for a bit. I sat on scene - patiently - for 40 BLOODY MINUTES - which the parents discussed with her "Now darling do you feel like you'd like to go to hospital?" Seriously. Oh and yes, she went to hospital as her throat "had a tickle". Meanwhile I'm being paged for a fractured leg which I couldn't attend to so they had to send a crew who were an hour away.
I've said it once and I'll say it again - there is no cure for stupid arrrgghhhhh!!!!! Ha ha ha!!!
The other one was at 2 in the morning to a 4 year old girl who woke up, had a coughing fit and then cried for a bit. I sat on scene - patiently - for 40 BLOODY MINUTES - which the parents discussed with her "Now darling do you feel like you'd like to go to hospital?" Seriously. Oh and yes, she went to hospital as her throat "had a tickle". Meanwhile I'm being paged for a fractured leg which I couldn't attend to so they had to send a crew who were an hour away.
I've said it once and I'll say it again - there is no cure for stupid arrrgghhhhh!!!!! Ha ha ha!!!
Mar 31st 2013, 6:52 pm
#520
Practical Paramedic
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2011
Location: The Beautiful South, UK
Posts: 931
Re: I think today I've gone 'troppo' - help!
Mar 31st 2013, 7:34 pm
#521
Concierge
Joined: May 2006
Location: ex ex-pat, in Taunton
Posts: 27,334
Re: I think today I've gone 'troppo' - help!
I suspect anyone who worked in an A&E dept would have a lot of funny stories along with the sad. I know because I sometimes, in my early days working on call in the lab. had to go to the A&E to collect the samples. I remember one New Years Eve just after midnight going up there and there was a young couple waiting for a taxi to take them home, well I say waitung, but they weren't really, all the time they were in the waitinf room all he wanted to do was to get her top off and get stuck in, a nurse had to keep stopping him, finally the taxi came, they got in the back, and before the driveer had started to move he had her topless on the back seat. We did wonder just how far the pair would go before they got to their destination.
I also remember going to collect a sample for blood to be cross matched, and the girl was in a cublcle, they had been in an accident, ans she had been almost scalped, the whold scalp had been peeled odd and was just attached for about 4" at the back, their car had gone under the back of a lorry, and had the top torn off and hte rear of the lorry had scraped her scalp almost off. She did make a full recovery and hhe scalp was reattached, so a lucky escape.
I also remember going to collect a sample for blood to be cross matched, and the girl was in a cublcle, they had been in an accident, ans she had been almost scalped, the whold scalp had been peeled odd and was just attached for about 4" at the back, their car had gone under the back of a lorry, and had the top torn off and hte rear of the lorry had scraped her scalp almost off. She did make a full recovery and hhe scalp was reattached, so a lucky escape.
Mar 31st 2013, 10:48 pm
#522
Iwannagohome.
Joined: Mar 2013
Location: Lovely BOP but bloody pricey!
Posts: 47
Re: I think today I've gone 'troppo' - help!
[QUOTE=MissBetty;10634209]Ha ha ha!! Yes I agree with that 100%, its so frustrating that we have to deal with people who really don't need us and we can't attend to those who do.
The only way I keep my sanity is through my sarcasm, I always say everything with a smile though which tends to confuse people. I have, sometimes, when people have been really nasty to me, pulled over by the side of the road and told them to get the hell out of my ambulance!
Thank you Miss Betty for the biggest laugh I've had all week!! If only I could've responded in the same way with some of the patients I've had to deal with in the past!
You have a great gift of conveying the utter exasperation you and I (and millions of others like it in the health sector) have experienced, and with great wit and humour to boot. Of course you couldn't say half of what you do without having a decent sized pair of methaphoric b..ls! Certainly not in this day and age of epidemic complaining. Good on you! Keep up the good work at home - I'm sure you'd end up missing the paramedic game if you gave it up too soon. Anyway, as previously suggested, when you're finally 'burnt out' you can always write "Confessions of a Ping Pong Paramedic"!
And... the Easter weekend post; what the hell? How did you keep it together? Unfortunate woman sounds like a sandwich short of a picnic!?
Will be looking out for progress re moving back to UK, I'm from Kent and had good memories of visiting Hastings in the summertime. I'm sure you'll do well over there, best of luck!
The only way I keep my sanity is through my sarcasm, I always say everything with a smile though which tends to confuse people. I have, sometimes, when people have been really nasty to me, pulled over by the side of the road and told them to get the hell out of my ambulance!
Thank you Miss Betty for the biggest laugh I've had all week!! If only I could've responded in the same way with some of the patients I've had to deal with in the past!
You have a great gift of conveying the utter exasperation you and I (and millions of others like it in the health sector) have experienced, and with great wit and humour to boot. Of course you couldn't say half of what you do without having a decent sized pair of methaphoric b..ls! Certainly not in this day and age of epidemic complaining. Good on you! Keep up the good work at home - I'm sure you'd end up missing the paramedic game if you gave it up too soon. Anyway, as previously suggested, when you're finally 'burnt out' you can always write "Confessions of a Ping Pong Paramedic"!
And... the Easter weekend post; what the hell? How did you keep it together? Unfortunate woman sounds like a sandwich short of a picnic!?
Will be looking out for progress re moving back to UK, I'm from Kent and had good memories of visiting Hastings in the summertime. I'm sure you'll do well over there, best of luck!
Mar 31st 2013, 11:43 pm
#523
Practical Paramedic
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2011
Location: The Beautiful South, UK
Posts: 931
Re: I think today I've gone 'troppo' - help!
[QUOTE=pintaguiness-pickledegg;10634548]
Lol! You are very welcome re the laughs, it keeps me sane to share on here as can't do that on Facebook anymore, got into so much trouble over that one but hey, that's another story............
Yes back in good old Hastings soon, where in Kent are you from?
Anyways I see that you are new on here so I'd just like to say a BIG welcome to BE They are a brilliant group of people on here and if you want any info, advice or just need to vent then just start up a thread - you will get heaps of advice, support and sympathy I promise you!
Yes the old complaints business, I guess after a while I just got tired of being scared about that. I don't deserve to be abused in my workplace, I'm a good paramedic, I work hard and I go the extra mile for my patients so I'm not taking crap off idiots - no way Jose!
I'm careful though, I don't shout or swear at people and I'm different with different people. Young drunk rude patients get a lecture and I call their parents (snigger!),nasty/violent people? I just get up and walk off with them yelling after me "You can't do that, I'm sick!!" Oh really? Yes I bloody can - just watch me - there you go, there's my arse, walking out the door - bye bye!!!! Snotty posh people just get an icy stare, a heavy sigh and complete silence - how can they complain if I haven't actually SAID anything?!
I rarely get complaints funnily enough. One in the past 5 years, a German woman who told me her husband was 'fitting' when he was in fact shivering. I pointed this out to her as she was complaining we took so long. We had just been to a nasty car accident and there they were, standing OUTSIDE their house, bags packed, ON THE SAME ROAD AS THE HOSPITAL - yup. She told me I was an idiot if I couldn't see he was 'fitting' I told her I thought she should get herself an English dictionary and learn the difference between fitting and shivering - it didn't go down too well! She complained, I told my boss I didn't care and it was pure prejudice - she didn't like me cos I was English pure and simple. Then I mentioned the war...................
The complaint went nowhere
Ha ha ha!! Yes I agree with that 100%, its so frustrating that we have to deal with people who really don't need us and we can't attend to those who do.
The only way I keep my sanity is through my sarcasm, I always say everything with a smile though which tends to confuse people. I have, sometimes, when people have been really nasty to me, pulled over by the side of the road and told them to get the hell out of my ambulance!
Thank you Miss Betty for the biggest laugh I've had all week!! If only I could've responded in the same way with some of the patients I've had to deal with in the past!
You have a great gift of conveying the utter exasperation you and I (and millions of others like it in the health sector) have experienced, and with great wit and humour to boot. Of course you couldn't say half of what you do without having a decent sized pair of methaphoric b..ls! Certainly not in this day and age of epidemic complaining. Good on you! Keep up the good work at home - I'm sure you'd end up missing the paramedic game if you gave it up too soon. Anyway, as previously suggested, when you're finally 'burnt out' you can always write "Confessions of a Ping Pong Paramedic"!
And... the Easter weekend post; what the hell? How did you keep it together? Unfortunate woman sounds like a sandwich short of a picnic!?
Will be looking out for progress re moving back to UK, I'm from Kent and had good memories of visiting Hastings in the summertime. I'm sure you'll do well over there, best of luck!
The only way I keep my sanity is through my sarcasm, I always say everything with a smile though which tends to confuse people. I have, sometimes, when people have been really nasty to me, pulled over by the side of the road and told them to get the hell out of my ambulance!
Thank you Miss Betty for the biggest laugh I've had all week!! If only I could've responded in the same way with some of the patients I've had to deal with in the past!
You have a great gift of conveying the utter exasperation you and I (and millions of others like it in the health sector) have experienced, and with great wit and humour to boot. Of course you couldn't say half of what you do without having a decent sized pair of methaphoric b..ls! Certainly not in this day and age of epidemic complaining. Good on you! Keep up the good work at home - I'm sure you'd end up missing the paramedic game if you gave it up too soon. Anyway, as previously suggested, when you're finally 'burnt out' you can always write "Confessions of a Ping Pong Paramedic"!
And... the Easter weekend post; what the hell? How did you keep it together? Unfortunate woman sounds like a sandwich short of a picnic!?
Will be looking out for progress re moving back to UK, I'm from Kent and had good memories of visiting Hastings in the summertime. I'm sure you'll do well over there, best of luck!
Yes back in good old Hastings soon, where in Kent are you from?Anyways I see that you are new on here so I'd just like to say a BIG welcome to BE
They are a brilliant group of people on here and if you want any info, advice or just need to vent then just start up a thread - you will get heaps of advice, support and sympathy I promise you!Yes the old complaints business, I guess after a while I just got tired of being scared about that. I don't deserve to be abused in my workplace, I'm a good paramedic, I work hard and I go the extra mile for my patients so I'm not taking crap off idiots - no way Jose!
I'm careful though, I don't shout or swear at people and I'm different with different people. Young drunk rude patients get a lecture and I call their parents (snigger!),nasty/violent people? I just get up and walk off with them yelling after me "You can't do that, I'm sick!!" Oh really? Yes I bloody can - just watch me - there you go, there's my arse, walking out the door - bye bye!!!! Snotty posh people just get an icy stare, a heavy sigh and complete silence - how can they complain if I haven't actually SAID anything?!
I rarely get complaints funnily enough. One in the past 5 years, a German woman who told me her husband was 'fitting' when he was in fact shivering. I pointed this out to her as she was complaining we took so long. We had just been to a nasty car accident and there they were, standing OUTSIDE their house, bags packed, ON THE SAME ROAD AS THE HOSPITAL - yup. She told me I was an idiot if I couldn't see he was 'fitting' I told her I thought she should get herself an English dictionary and learn the difference between fitting and shivering - it didn't go down too well! She complained, I told my boss I didn't care and it was pure prejudice - she didn't like me cos I was English pure and simple. Then I mentioned the war...................
The complaint went nowhere
Last edited by MissBetty; Mar 31st 2013 at 11:46 pm.
Apr 1st 2013, 12:03 am
#524
Practical Paramedic
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2011
Location: The Beautiful South, UK
Posts: 931
Re: I think today I've gone 'troppo' - help!
I suspect anyone who worked in an A&E dept would have a lot of funny stories along with the sad. I know because I sometimes, in my early days working on call in the lab. had to go to the A&E to collect the samples. I remember one New Years Eve just after midnight going up there and there was a young couple waiting for a taxi to take them home, well I say waitung, but they weren't really, all the time they were in the waitinf room all he wanted to do was to get her top off and get stuck in, a nurse had to keep stopping him, finally the taxi came, they got in the back, and before the driveer had started to move he had her topless on the back seat. We did wonder just how far the pair would go before they got to their destination.
I also remember going to collect a sample for blood to be cross matched, and the girl was in a cublcle, they had been in an accident, ans she had been almost scalped, the whold scalp had been peeled odd and was just attached for about 4" at the back, their car had gone under the back of a lorry, and had the top torn off and hte rear of the lorry had scraped her scalp almost off. She did make a full recovery and hhe scalp was reattached, so a lucky escape.
I also remember going to collect a sample for blood to be cross matched, and the girl was in a cublcle, they had been in an accident, ans she had been almost scalped, the whold scalp had been peeled odd and was just attached for about 4" at the back, their car had gone under the back of a lorry, and had the top torn off and hte rear of the lorry had scraped her scalp almost off. She did make a full recovery and hhe scalp was reattached, so a lucky escape.
Speaking of funny ones at hospital though you know what always made me laugh? When I'd sit in the ambulance writing up my paperwork and see all the patients, outside the ED in all weather, some of them attached to a drip and holding onto a drip stand - smoking fags in their hospital gowns and pj's!!!
Apr 1st 2013, 1:56 am
#525
Concierge
Joined: May 2006
Location: ex ex-pat, in Taunton
Posts: 27,334
Re: I think today I've gone 'troppo' - help!
Yes I agree, I have lots of sad stories too but I don't want to put them on here, sometimes I just don't want to relive them you know?
Speaking of funny ones at hospital though you know what always made me laugh? When I'd sit in the ambulance writing up my paperwork and see all the patients, outside the ED in all weather, some of them attached to a drip and holding onto a drip stand - smoking fags in their hospital gowns and pj's!!!
Speaking of funny ones at hospital though you know what always made me laugh? When I'd sit in the ambulance writing up my paperwork and see all the patients, outside the ED in all weather, some of them attached to a drip and holding onto a drip stand - smoking fags in their hospital gowns and pj's!!!
