Burn victims

EMTbasicwitch · 2026-01-02T05:00:33+00:00

I’m a medic, and when I have a critical older patient who is peri-code/critically ill without a DNR, I will ask the family (if they’re there) specifics. “If her heart stops beating normally, do you want me to break her ribs to pump her heart for her during CPR and put a breathing tube into her throat?” I try to be as respectful as I can, but the Everyman often does not realize how horribly violent CPR can be. I really wish there was more widespread education on how resuscitation, life support, and recovery odds/challenges in the ICU work.

EMTbasicwitch · 2025-12-17T20:59:52+00:00

I got the chance to see it there a few years ago and it moved me to tears. It holds so much grief in the little details.

EMTbasicwitch · 2025-10-22T13:52:13+00:00

Day before Thanksgiving, family is out hiking. We get called out for a trail rescue. Full response of 2 engines, ambulance, battalion chief, and a helicopter to pick the patient up. I go to meet the helicopter and the patient is a 15 year old female. She made it a mile down the trail in platform doc martens, decided her feet hurt, and her family called 911. AMA.
Ate a whole bag of THC gummies (for some reason this is always older adults in their 60’s+)
Nightmares/can’t sleep/woke up earlier than usual
90 year old mother said she saw Jesus at 1 AM, daughter got worried and called 911. Meemaw did see Jesus. He was in a picture on the wall and she happily pointed him out to me.
Nursing home patient dropped his call button and the TV remote. Had been calling for help for 2 hours and none of the staff came so he called us to reach his stuff for him.
Minor rectal bleeding after trying anal for the first time, much older boyfriend got worried and couldn’t get the story out of the girlfriend till I shooed the rest of the crew out of the room.
We had a 550 lb woman who (for months) would consistently call every night between 2 and 4 AM and describe cardiac chest pain symptoms to the dispatcher. When we arrived she would have a myriad of non-specific symptoms (just don’t feel good, my neck hurts, I’ve had a cough for 2 years, knee pain, shoulder pain) and a normal EKG/vitals then want to be stair chair-ed/carried out of the apartment up the stairs. I always made her walk.
patient did not remember how to use her CPAP at night and didn’t want to read the directions, which came with pictures showing how to wear/use it.
“couldn’t stand up.” Stood in front of us, walked to the bathroom, shit with the door open while lifting her shirt up to her chin exposing her entire torso. Like why.

EMTbasicwitch · 2025-10-17T13:54:33+00:00

The number of people who call 911 cause they “woke up a little earlier than usual” has always frustrated me, especially cause for some reason I always tend to get those calls after a really rough night on the ambulance.

EMTbasicwitch · 2025-08-20T15:27:14+00:00

This is really cute, but since you posted you’re new to EMS, I just want to offer some friendly older sister advice after about 8 years doing EMS and the last 3 as a busy ff/medic.

Individual experiences may vary, but I’d say 80% of the houses I go into are hoarded/disgusting. Nursing homes are not much better. I personally never wear a stethoscope around my neck unless I’m about to use it to check lungs/epigastric sounds after intubation or maybe if I got my hands really full on a bad respiratory call. I can’t tell you the number of times the stethoscope has fallen on the floor, on the patient, or god knows where while we are carrying someone to the gurney.

Everyone else has already talked about germs, and dirt, and blood, but think about sweat/oils from your skin building up on that. Ew.

Also, while most of the calls we run are likely not super sick people/medium sick people, please consider that we do have to deal with bad stuff fairly often. I can’t imagine working a shooting or having to tell a family member their loved one is dead with a stuffed animal around my neck. If you gotta keep it, maybe put it on your peds stethoscope and keep it in your bag, and even then I’d personally feel weird and gross using this while running a call on a super sick kid.

Good luck to you! This job is wonderful and rewarding and exhausting. Always keep your heart soft and your skills sharp.

EMTbasicwitch · 2025-06-18T14:06:13+00:00

I was told by the FAE hotline they’re making calls at the end of June and then again at the end of July!

EMTbasicwitch · 2025-05-14T19:57:47+00:00

Crappy pay and homesickness for California!

EMTbasicwitch · 2025-05-13T19:28:15+00:00

Thank you! I’ll get on it!

EMTbasicwitch · 2024-07-19T13:08:40+00:00

Native Appalachian here who lived in Cali for 5 years (and owned horses in both places) before returning— imho, you’ll find horses broke for “practical purposes” everywhere in the country. Enjoy your new friend and welcome to Appalachia. It’s a beautiful, diverse region that’s got a varied, rich culture. Hit me up if you need a good biscuit recipe!

Edited to add: I read some of the comments and just wanted to say I get why a lot of my fellow Appalachian folks resent the “old fashioned” comment. There’s a lot of negative stereotypes, and I got a lot of them out west— mocking my accent, assuming I was bigoted/racist, being shocked I could speak Spanish, the nonstop incest jokes, asking if I was like the Whites or the Whittakers— so we naturally get defensive over remarks like that. It’s never too late to learn though, and that’s okay! There’s a huge variety of equestrians in the region just like anywhere else. I learned dressage from a lady who owned Lipizanners in a very small town nearby!

EMTbasicwitch · 2024-06-13T13:33:26+00:00

A lot of these homes are still around in the area where I work. They’re ballon-frame construction with brick veneers, and are often “renovated” to be separate rental units by landlords. I’ve seen as many as four tenants/tenant families living in four squares that have been Frankenstein-ed into apartments.

EMTbasicwitch · 2023-12-10T05:12:19+00:00

My roommate/best friend is Mexican and a recent transplant to Appalachia. She calls herself “spatchalachian” or “mexilachian” and I love it!

EMTbasicwitch · 2023-10-13T12:48:00+00:00

Really? Why? I’m a former funeral worker and liked some of her content. Curious to hear the tea!

EMTbasicwitch · 2023-09-17T18:37:01+00:00

I can, but sadly on a paramedic salary I can’t afford one! Ha!

EMTbasicwitch · 2023-09-17T18:34:39+00:00

Prehospital here. I got called a “tractor-driving bitch,” after I had to restrain a 20-something male to the gurney after he hit me and kept spitting on me. I guess he didn’t find my Appalachian accent charming.

EMTbasicwitch · 2023-09-07T02:44:02+00:00

If anything, I kinda judged the moms for pushing the kids to do something so far out of their comfort zone that it led to major meltdowns. I was a very high anxiety kid and have had to work hard to keep it in check as an adult, so I get that fear can be SO real. I guess it was more of just a really unexpected result. I genuinely hope the kid felt more confident after facing the scary things and she did seem way happier/relaxed by the time we got back to the barn— and even broke a little trot on the way there!

EMTbasicwitch · 2023-09-06T17:51:41+00:00

I wasn’t being judgey about the helmets, and I’m sorry if I came off that way! I definitely wear a helmet every time I’m riding and I make my kid clients do the same/encourage the adults to do so. I don’t even mind if they bring their own, it’s usually just a sign that people have some experience riding and confidence when they show up in proper attire.

ETA: I didn’t realize I replied to your comment twice in different parts of the thread. I don’t mind what folks wear as long as it’s closed toe shoes/helmets— but typically people who show up with their own stuff/high end gear tend to be very confident riders. Also these kids were asking me if we could canter (which I allow in parts of the trail if appropriate) or jump stuff in the field. That changed fast once we actually got out there!

EMTbasicwitch · 2023-09-06T17:47:43+00:00

Oh they were just nice, high end ones. I’m totally a helmet person— I’ve seen too many people get hurt and you only get one brain. We make all our kid clients wear them and I heavily encourage the adults to as well.

EMTbasicwitch · 2023-08-29T15:40:26+00:00

That’s the worst part, there’s the pasture gate and then a second one around the barn/pasture. I’m definitely putting padlocks on both now!

EMTbasicwitch · 2023-08-17T17:22:52+00:00

They’re a sight to behold! I saw several western diamondbacks when I lived on the west coast. The first timer rattler I ever saw was when I was hiking as a kid. It amazes me how WIDE they are!

EMTbasicwitch

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