What A Planet Rebooted - Stories from the World of EMS

[Meds]

I meant Vancouver.

I'm not in Vancouver.....and this is almost a daily occurrence.

[Cornuck]

I meant Vancouver.

Yeah - I got that. I've been to Vancouver (the city) maybe once in the last 10 years. I haven't been near the DTES since the mid 90s. I spent a LOT of time at the Cambie and the surrounding area when I lived up there. From everything I've heard, it's a wasteland now.

My comment about people not 'seeing' this - was meant more for daily 'in the news' - in your face - vs driving through, looking ahead with the doors locked that most of the general public would do.

[Cornuck]

I'm not in Vancouver.....and this is almost a daily occurrence.

Just curious to know if there are resources up there that someone, if they wanted to, could get actual help. I get the impression that most of the people in this recent story (and others) are regular abusers who won't go looking for help.

[donlever]

There's no driving through with doors locked Corn.

Its in your face everywhere and anywhere down there 24/7.

Its legit dangerous....

I won't let the woman downtown without me no matter the time of day.

Help?

Lol.

For safe injection sites maybe.

[Meds]

I'm not in Vancouver.....and this is almost a daily occurrence.

Just curious to know if there are resources up there that someone, if they wanted to, could get actual help. I get the impression that most of the people in this recent story (and others) are regular abusers who won't go looking for help.

There are resources available. 3 of the individuals in this story have been through rehab programs at least once (some more) before, and these programs are fully funded. They return to their home community and are back on their stuff in under a week.

[Meds]

The Dispatch.....

28 year old female, 8 months pregnant, claiming she is having contractions and that based upon previous child deliveries feels it is imminent.

Location: Park Bench at Emergency Department entrance. (this should be your first wot da fok)

Key Info:
Contractions less than 5 minutes apart.
Feeling weak and dizzy.
Cannot get into the hospital.
Used weed, cocaine, and crystal meth yesterday. (giving the child a fighting chance and all that)
States hospital is refusing care and wants to go to a different hospital. (wot da fok number 3 or 4)


When we arrive:

She is sitting on the bench as described with her boyfriend next to her. She tells us she wants to go to the hospital in a neighbouring community.....by neighbouring I mean 70 km away. When you factor that with imminent birth this is probably wot da fok number 8 or 9.

She tells us that this hospital is refusing her services.

This is my cue to go into the ER and ask wot da fok.

Security guard and hospital porter are just inside the entrance and tell me they thought she had just gone out with her boyfriend for a smoke.

Triage nurse is shocked we're there and tells me that she has been triaged, registered/checked-in, but does not want to wait. Also informs me that she is NOT pregnant, she just looks like she's 3 weeks overdue with triplets.

I go back out and tell her that she has been registered and checked-in and that they are not refusing her.

She then says they are taking too long and she doesn't want to wait so she wants to go to the other hospital.

We tell her that we don't do that, we transport to nearest facility.

The hospital she wants to go to is minimally staffed, and a patient like her that presents at 11 o'clock at night would be immediately transferred back to this hospital by ambulance.

Turns out this patient is the very same that one of the RN's told me about last month.....showed up at 2 AM, told the triage nurse (agency staff unfamiliar with this one) that she was 5.5 months pregnant and having contractions and that her water had broken at home and that she thought she might be bleeding too. They rapid-fire sent her upstairs to labour and delivery and called in the OB/GYN and Peds. 20 minutes LDR calls back down to ER to tell them that she's not even pregnant.

This person is a well known mental health case. Should be committed to a facility.

Your tax dollar at work Canada.

What a planet.....

[Cousin Strawberry]

I wouldn't last 5 minutes doing that job. How you hold your tongue is a testament to your composure

[Topper]

Just looking for a ride home from the streets of the city

[Cornuck]

I wouldn't last 5 minutes doing that job. How you hold your tongue is a testament to your composure

Same.

If Mëds venting about Swedes gives him the pressure valve to do his job, then so be it.

[2Fingers]

I wouldn't last 5 minutes doing that job. How you hold your tongue is a testament to your composure

Same.

If Mëds venting about Swedes gives him the pressure valve to do his job, then so be it.

Amen to that.

Mëds when I went to VGH is was transported by an ambulance. I have never been in 1 before. I guess this was my 2nd sign something is wrong with me (first was a private meeting with a doctor at ER).

Well these 2 young good looking guys come up and take me away. We get to VGH and it seems all the ambulance drivers are young and good looking, at least to my wife they did. To this day she can’t stop talking about it and she feels a tremendous amount of gratitude to them and we are always trying to see them at Starbucks or Tim’s to pay for their coffee, just to say thanks.

Keep up the good work.

[Meds]

I wouldn't last 5 minutes doing that job. How you hold your tongue is a testament to your composure

Same.

If Mëds venting about Swedes gives him the pressure valve to do his job, then so be it.

Amen to that.

Mëds when I went to VGH is was transported by an ambulance. I have never been in 1 before. I guess this was my 2nd sign something is wrong with me (first was a private meeting with a doctor at ER).

Well these 2 young good looking guys come up and take me away. We get to VGH and it seems all the ambulance drivers are young and good looking, at least to my wife they did. To this day she can’t stop talking about it and she feels a tremendous amount of gratitude to them and we are always trying to see them at Starbucks or Tim’s to pay for their coffee, just to say thanks.

Keep up the good work.

Thanks Reef.....I'll accept gratuities in the form of donations to the site.

[Meds]

Last call of the night. What a doozy.

The Dispatch.....

21 year old female, complaint of chest pain, slurred speech, difficulty breathing.

Location: Her residence, an address approximate 15 km out of town.

Key Info:
Was on a Snapchat call with her friend when she was complaining about these symptoms and then the call dropped and she is no longer answering her phone. (Yes, that is correct, the friend who is NOT there is calling 911)
Has been drinking tonight.
Recent emotional upset because of relationship stress.

When we arrive:

I see a late-40's dude standing in the living room window looking at the ambulance with a puzzled look on his face. He answers the door and confirms the puzzled look. I tell him we're there for someone who was having chest pain and also drinking. Him: "Oh that's probably my roommate, shes hammered and passed out in her room. I'll tie the dog up and you guys can go up and check on her."

House is a fucking disaster btw. Like someone took a two-story cabin and smashed it together with a mobile home. Trash everywhere, but a 50" TV with the World Cup going.

Girl is indeed passed out on her bed with her phone in hand.

Wakes up pretty easily and goes from 0 to 100 in a heartbeat when she see's 2 paramedics and 3 firefighters standing at the foot of her bed.

Story is she had a breakup, got smashed, called her friend in town, and then passed out while talking. Her roommate was sick of listening to her go on so he switched off the wi-fi so that's why she didn't answer the Snapchat call.

She then decides she wants to go to the hospital, which I was actually OK with to save myself 15 minutes on the phone with our doctors and go through the litany of paperwork that comes from an intoxicated person refusing care.....our society is stupid as fuck right now btw.

She proceeds to pack a bag while screaming obscenities at her roommate about how much she hates him and they go back and forth with him calmly just egging her on with little comments.

This is why the legal drinking age needs to be 25 and why social media of any kind should be restricted to 30 years old and above.

At the hospital she demanded room service.

What a planet.....

[Cornuck]

What per cent of your calls are these wastes of time? I hope you have enough 'real' calls that make the job worth it to you.

[Meds]

What per cent of your calls are these wastes of time? I hope you have enough 'real' calls that make the job worth it to you.

75%

[Cornuck]

What per cent of your calls are these wastes of time? I hope you have enough 'real' calls that make the job worth it to you.

75%

Wow - that sucks - can you get a MAID unit to tag along with you?