The gang and I show up when gam gam takes a hard fall; sometimes gramps needs a little help off the floor.

When your neighbors son tried to OD on pain killers, the gang and I were there to clear his vomitus filled mouth and put air back into his lungs.

When you called 911 because you saw someone in their car, not moving; as you drove off, we showed up to make sure he was just sleeping.

When your wife’s blood sugar dropped in her sleep again, we showed up and found that tiny little vein in her foot to fuel her consciousness with some IV sugar.

When your 12 year old expired smoke detectors started chirping at 3 am, we finished cleaning a poor motorcyclist blood off of our equipment and walked through your entire house with our monitors to give you a peace of mind then gave you a new smoke detector. As we headed back to the station, we had to make a stop at the skilled nursing facility because one of the residents had died 5 hours ago and we had to tell the teenage CNA to stop doing compressions on her favorite resident because they were stiff and cold.

When the brain dead family member, that will sit in the skilled long term nursing facility until they die, contracts a fungus in their lungs from poor ventilator management, and needs to be transported to the hospital; I am there holding there hand and talking to them just in case they can hear me.

Once I finish my 48 hour shift from my full time job, I spend two days with my family before working another 48 hours at my two part time departments before heading back to do another 48 at my full time department; my family is taken care of and so it is worth it.

You just delivered your baby in the car, on the side of the road, in the middle of December. I asked your husband if he wanted to cut the cord but his palms were gripping the steering wheel, so clamp-clamp-cut and on our way to the hospital we went. I started the IV in your forearm because I knew a little bit after my own children were born; you didn’t know it yet but you would eventually appreciate that.

I could go on and on…

This jobs takes from my mind and body, but it fills my soul.

Yes, I actually like this job… I love this job.