Friday, August 03, 2012

 

This One Goes Out To The One I Love

O hai.

Yes, I've been gone a long time, and I'm quite sure there are only two people still reading. I had some things to work out, and I had thought I had nothing left to say.

Apparently that was untrue.

Now I'm back -- and there are things about which I still feel I need to write. There will be posts about knitting and fibre fests and so forth (and I still owe you a post about how I lost my virginity at Denny's in Portland), but tonight I want to talk about something else.

I was talking on Facebook tonight -- that's one of the reasons I've been gone so long ... Facebook ate my brains. It's like CRACK! And it's so much easier to post five times a day with two or three sentences than to write a whole blog post. And I'm lazy.

But I digress.

I was talking on Facebook tonight and a friend of mine posted "The mortifying sight of an ambulance in the fast lane, all lights flashing, stuck behind several cars and a van who are clearly steadfastly ignoring its presence."

That hurt my heart, so badly.

Here in Canada, we are required by law to make way for emergency vehicles, and we do so. We are required to slow down and move to the other lane if we're on the highway, and I've actually seen cars get up on the sidewalk to let ambulances and fire trucks through if we're in the city.

Well, except for the folks who drive Hummers, but that's a rant for a different time.

And so, a request. When you see an emergency vehicle on the road with the lights and the sirens on, please pull over.

A few minutes in the time that it takes to get to a person, cut them out of their car, put the fire out or get them to the hospital can be the difference between life and death. And I'm sure most of you know that.

But what you don't know ...

I work at a hospital. Actually I work at two hospitals, and I've worked at two others. I like the work and I'm well-suited for it. The place I'm working now, it'll be ten years this year since I signed on.

I work on the switchboard. I have no contact with patients, which is good for them because I have no medical training whatsoever. But, what I do is I call the codes. Code Blue (cardiac arrest), Code Pink (pediatric emergency), and the trauma codes in Emergency. And all of the other codes. We're all about the codes.

I'm the calm voice overhead that calls Dr. Kildare back to the Emergency Room, stat. (I think I've actually said "stat" four times in the combined time that I've worked at this hospital -- ten years -- and the last one -- eight years. We actually don't say that, no matter what TV tells you.)

But the thing that you don't know, and that you likely should, is that if you or your loved one is in crisis, there are more people than you know of who care.

When a trauma call comes in, I fret. I rejoice when you go home in one piece. I cry when you don't.

It's not just the people doing the hands-on work who are pulling for you.

So, from the calm voice overhead; I love you, and I'm working like hell to keep you safe.

(Enough of the serious stuff. Next up, knitting porn.)

And apparently I don't know how to work Blogger any more, as there aren't any paragraph breaks. I have to sleep now but I'll fix it in the morning.

edited to add: a) I've figured out the paragraph breaks and b) the day after I posted this I actually did have to say "stat" overhead. Made me want to laugh.

Comments:
Well said. Nice to see you back.
 
Welcome back!

I read once that the people who prepare tray of instruments for surgery pray for the patients as they work.
 
I'm still here! x
 
Hey, I'm still here! Good to hear from you. I always, ALWAYS pull over for emergency vehicles, but thank you for the reminder. And thanks for all that you do.
 
Thank you, Google Reader, for this nice surprise today! Welcome back.

And good luck with the spacing in new effing Blogger. I usually end up with extra spaces I can't delete, which drives me nuts.

Denny's?
 
Missed you!

Thank you for this. Pulling over is second nature when you live in the burbs, which is bother weird and fabulous.

Been to the ER too much lately and it's always so reassuring to get a kind word from the discharge lady or a supportive glance from the big dude working security. It's clear that even our non-medical people care and, at times, that makes all the difference.

xo
 
Glad to read your post, but sorry the rant was necessary. I always feel like driving people off the road when they do that, which would just compound the problem.
 
We're required to get out-the-way for emergency vehicles here in Pennsylvania too. And we're also required to move to the other lane if possible when there's a police car, ambulance or other emergency responder pulled over on the side of the highway, for the safety of those who may need to be out of those vehicles in the course of their duties. It's instinctive with me...can't understand why anyone would fail to do it.

Glad you're back, Miss Bunny. And I'm happy to learn what it is you do when you're not puddling around in vats of dye and twisting fiber and such.
 
happy to see you poking your head outta the rabbitch-hole. i've missed you. still haven't found the sweater pattern worthy of the bloodlines worsted i bought from you at sock summit 2.

i totally concur in your anger at people who don't move aside for emergency vehicles. got a midnight ride in one once, and was glad there was no traffic, because i know there are some morons here in the u.s. who ignore that law.

i am blessed/cursed with extraordinary hearing for sirens, and have been known to piss off people behind me by pulling over "too soon" to suit them when i hear an ambulance, fire truck or cop car. tough shit.
 
Just when I was getting tired of waiting, welcome back.
When do we get the Denney's story?
 
Hear, hear. My husband is in the hospital right now (back surgery 3 weeks ago, home, then re-hospitalized with a wound infection), and I spent Monday evening at the emergency room (different hospital) with 23yo younger son, who had been semi-t-boned by a car while riding his bike back to his apartment after running some errands. He seems to be okay, and husband is making noises about coming home tomorrow, but what you said about all those people who care? Totally correct.
 
Hi! Welcome back! I think every state in the US also has that law about giving way for emergency vehicles.
 
I am quite happy to see you back. I couldn't help but hang around waiting for those posts that just make me laugh like no other.

People have no respect for others. It amazes me each time we see emergency vehicles who have to slow down because some ass decided he didn't want to move out of the way.

Can't wait to hear more from you!
 
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