Learning has taken place

So we are back to the new year. Real patients, clinicians and new topics.
We have started with Dermatology (skin for those that are not of the medical persuasion) I start this block with some ideas of what was involved and how to treat it.
This ideas was formed and assisted with some of the friends I have that are working in medicine at present.

"Yeah don't worry about it, there are loads of conditions but only three treatments.
if it's wet dry it
if it's dry wet it
give steroids."

I am happy to say I know know more and find the subject, I am loathed to admit it, interesting. But in real terms there are only a few more treatment. apart from the above

You can give
Antibiotics
Antivirals
Photo-therapy
Leave it alone

and when in doubt cut it out.

I am enjoying the subject and now have the ability to identify loads of different changes in the body surface.
this in future will allow me to avoid shaking hands with contagious people.

Did you know

The skin is the largest of the body organs.
And you can wear away the entire top layer with 30 strips of sellotape.
these are just some of the interesting facts I found out this last two weeks.

Catching up

It has been to long life speeds by and you race just to stand still.
That's not trying to be an excuse just the truth.
So from the last post it's been5 1/2 months.
What can I say so much has changed and yet I'm still the same.
Life has taken a few unusual turns. By the end of this all hope of anonymity is gone.
Here we are standing on the door step of the world. I'm still working, only less often. For those of you who don't know it was my choice and because of bigger plans. I applied, it took months, but and after a couple of refusals and a couple of interviews I had my place.
Now a new approach
I'm not the Allied Heath Professional by day.(well except for holidays)
Now I am a student(again).
Yes I am pretty much the oldest student on the course at scuttle bug University.
So with some work and a little luck maybe a Doctor in a few years.
Who knows.
Leaving work was interesting. But that's for the next post.
studying to be done so I will try and post before the next 5 mths.

Time for a talk

It has been months since my last blog. To those who still occasionally check this I have not fallen from the earth. I am sorry but I have been ... I don't know but my time has been taken up in all manner of ways. so here I am 2 and a bit months down the line.
Work wise I have been very busy extra courses:- paediatrics, trauma, life support, driving. You name it I've been doing it.
Now you maybe thinking what's happened but nothing that interesting.
There is no other reason than I wanted learn and to keep everything up to scratch. But it has kept me mainly out of trouble.
The next few months will be providing me with a lot of changes. people leaving, people joining, people moving on, up, down, sideways.
So I have been thinking about change in general.

Most are comfortable with the status Quo, Some because it allows them to relax and have a routine, Some because it is easier than the effort to affect the change they want. This does not mean that they don't dream. But they need real incentives to push that dream or conviction to say this is my dream and I will make it happen. The problem with this is that it can leave you open and vunerable and unless you are really focused you will worry so much about the ground that you won't reach for the stars.

So I have continued with my desision that I will not be one of the people who in years to come will say I wish I had......

A bit touchy feely I know. But, it's my blog.

more will follow

To Be Cont....

We want you

Dear Druss
We will extend you an unconditional offer, congratulations.
I'll just make my way down from the ceiling and tell you about it later

HE HE

Coffee

'Rant warning'
Ok so I think I am a coffee snob. I hear you denying it but, I think it is true and I must confess. Real coffee made well is an art form however it seems to be a dying art.

Across the world I am sure there are many places which make very good coffee. Late last year I visited a coffee plantation in Mareeba, Cairns. A long way to go for a cup of coffee but what a cup. As the group of us drove into the car park of the plantation and parked our tonka toy. There were ambulance, fire and police 4x4s with people walking back to them with coffee's in hand. In OZ that is a great recommendation. I had the best coffee I have ever had at that plantation, ok it was followed by another and another for the journey and some packets of coffee for home. But it really was great.

I bring this up because Last night I spent an amazing dinner out at 'The Seafood Restaurant' in St Andrews the food was amazing each dish lovingly prepared. A taste extravaganza with each bit. I kid you not the meal was delicious. I then ordered coffee. I differed slightly from my tradition in that I had a caffitier instead of an expresso.
what arrived was a very average cup of coffee yes it was coffee tasting it was dark and wet, but the quality of the food had set a standard, it lead you to believe it would be good if not great. I was disappointed so I asked if something could be done could they have another attempt, they did and it was the same.
I just feel that with the standard of food they provide and a wine list to die for they should possibly spend a little more time on their coffee.

As I said at the start I am a coffee snob and some people get embarrassed when I send coffee back, but if you are paying for something why should you settle. If this was on the continent they would be complaining.
I feel that if a bar or coffee shop have a proper machine and the staff can't use it properly or if they can't make a proper coffee by the third attempt I am quite happy to go behind the bar and make it myself and show them how. This has happened on a number of occasions now. On one occasion I made two coffees and gave one to the chap behind the bar, who thanked me and said it was really good and he didn't realize that the machine could make coffee like that. He then charged me for the coffee I had made myself.
I don't really think that's fair but in the end it was a good cup of coffee.

'Rant over'

Visit the restaurant it is well worth it you will not be disappointed The Seafood Restaurant

our wheels

Just thought you might like to see where we spend most of our day

A4C

Ok for those not aware agenda for change is coming to the publication stage
and we are not happy
Covering Wages conditions contracts of employment
not that we thought we would get a fair deal but we were ever hopeful

So we now have bandings
are they the same as was expected --- yes
are they the same across the country -- no

Paramedics get to move into band 5 at the very top so you can't really move anywhere and there are no incriments, no additional for long service, for training qualifications, instructor qualifications, APEL pretty much anything so where is the value for the staff where is the incentive to better ones self.
how do you motivate staff when you treat them so badly
YOU can't


so lets all move to west yorkshire or surrey and be in band 5 for techs and 6 for paras

grump over
Forward with the appeal

funny thing happened on the way to the forum

Different days at work.

This week I could not think of two more diverse days at work. 1st a nice quiet start to the day a collapse - Vasovagal due to an infection, assesed and into hospital. then other side of the nook to collect someone with an obstruction who wandered down the hall to us carrying their bags in one hand and their sticks in the other. as my partner said 'Taxi for one?' the pt then walked out to the ambulance and got in. so we toodled off to hospital. Then we had just called clear when someone came up to ask directions.
I must look approachable in the drivers seat.
So as i give slightly confusing directions to this member of the public I am aware of the vehicle mobile ringing. my partner answers it and i over hear only
'.....cardiac arrest.....building site....'
so with that I tell the lost person sorry bye and drive away. I'm then told slightly more. there has been one at a near by sight and they are also despatching the rru. at the round about we use a bus to cut off the traffic and the rru oops and we get to the job arrive on site and ask some one who says 'don't know anything about it have you got the right place?'
someone on a platform moving very slowly down says yeah guys he's on the roof.
so we look up at the 4 storey building and think oh! we move towards the lift platform and the guys on it says you can put your stuff on it but you will be better going up the ladders. hmmmmmmm not so sure but ok
SO rushing round the corner and a ladder goes up through the scafolding tied in at the top with bailing twine, and it moved as we went up, got to the top then on to the next ladder. Ariving at the top I was met by someone saying 'don't worry about the roof you can step pretty much anywhere.'
'What do you mean pretty much anywhere?'
with that encouraging info I carefull made my way across the roof to the patient. as the equipment made it's way up the side and across the roof to us.
sliding and fall as we made our way across the roof we begain the acls intubated

ups and downs during work

There are some shifts where you can do no wrong and everyone is better for it. To quote line.
'there are time when my hands move with a skill and speed which is not my own'
then there are shifts where you should really call in sick as the general public would be better of that way, well almost you can do everything and still have a negative result.
These are both days you can Identify and live with.
Then there are days when leak proof seals will, universal fit joints won't and the unbreakable does.
then again your fluid skill and practice can be thrown off by the inclusion of another professional. They arrive first they work in a way that for you and your partner is like working with someone to complete a delicate maneuver in a foreign language.
But then it gets better you learn this new language and things need done and we get them done. The job starts to get better. Things start to go wrong with the pt again. We worked at it they improve slightly, then go down again. We finally managed to get into the ambulance. Down turn again but we were working as a team. But downward spiral of the patient continued. The three of us left in the ambulance we warned the hospital we were coming, 10 mins later we arrived. Everyone worked as a team the hospital the crew and additional crew helped. Not a good day

The final job of the shift lets break into a house to find a body then break the news to the relative.

Anyone who has not read 'Bringing out the dead' by Joe Connelly and seen the film, do not even contemplate becoming a Paramedic without doing so. It is an essential survival manual

Perspective

The last few week since I have been away have given me a further insight into life. Things change, opinion varies and the world moves with them. After a recent death in the family I have changed my views slightly.
My relative became ill. My first thoughts were with the training I have received.
Right lets get some fluids up to rehydrate lets change the medication to combat the confusion and assist with the AF and a broad spectrum antibiotic for the infection.
I was then asked why?
Who was I trying to save?
me or them?

I thought about it more and more. It was difficult to accept that I was wanting to treat for me so I could say I tried. Until that point I had not really been objective. If this had been someone else family and we had been called we would have considered quality of life and wishes of the individual as well as that of the family. Because this was so close I thought I could so I should not I could so should I?

We attended the funeral a couple of weeks ago now, I think it was the right treatment choice to make comfortable but it doesn't make it any easier for anyone.
But we live and learn and what doesn't kill us makes us stronger.

A New Hope

So I think this might be me getting back on form. Another busy week under my belt. and we are getting near that time again the dreaded changeover. This time just to confuse the allied health professionals they are making the changeover a week later. The new docs the consultant cover is boosted 'just in case' and the M&M meetings become more of a teaching forum. so If you get ill in the next couple of weeks you might just want to go skiing, or on a quiet beach somewhere because that's where you will find all the consultants who managed to swing an early week away. They hide now and comeback when people are settled.

I've been using my skills and I think made a difference. I've also realised, with a little help, that In the long run do the things we do matter to the big picture, May be not (probably not) But do we all look at the big picture all the time, the answer is no so is it not true that in the life we lead, is it not just the things we are doing that matter.

This might be a little strong for the first real Blog of the year but there we are. I have been thinking whilst I've been away.

I think I should apologise to those who still even check this site for letting my rantings dwindle over the last couple of months. Things have been hectic and not really getting better yet. Everything seems to be in a sort of limbo at present. The post that some saw and was then withdrawn has led to some further activity. not the posting but the job. so that is still ongoing. But Here is a new year and hopefully more fun and exciting times. Sorry for not posting and those peopl I have not spoken to or phone recently, sorry I will be in touch.
Keep safe