Today, another treat day on the Excel spreadsheet, only this time I had all of the fun. I found out that I was being moved to another base to cover for my buddy. They only send the highest trustworthy people to cover this base, because he is well loved by his people. And the last time he was gone " SOMEONE" went in and destroyed his hand made, lovingly sanded and highly varnished furniture. Plus, "whoever" was not favored by the people. And since I know a lot of the people there...and it is my buddy, I get to go- Yippee!
So, back to paperwork...or rather learning a new trick for me. I hate spreadsheets! Whoever invented this had to be someone who did not like anyone. It was tedious at best and super boring. I see people sitting quietly at their desks working a miracle, but I had no idea. Did you know that you can't talk while you work this monstrosity? No really...or I can't because I lose my place and screw it all up. Someone once said that to keep me quiet all you have to do was tie down my hands. Nope! Put me on a spreadsheet...and then I think I may think of another creative place to put a tie. I hate them! Thankfully we have patients that need attending every so often to give me a break.
It's all about the patients, except for after dark. We're having a sale on Stomach Flu right now. I was lucky enough to be one of the first in line. Then some in the kitchen and their friends and my friends and so on. I don't mind having to drag my butt out of bed for someone puking their gut up. I'm here to help. I do mind the straggler that comes at 2AM for a cut on their finger that I can't even identify. When did it happen (I say sweetly) if may ask? When I hear the reply that it was last night and it's an emergency because they work the nightshift, my head starts to spin. My pleasantness goes right out the window and in my head I'm saying, cut that baby off and then come see me. My smile, (planted on at all times), says, You wound looks ok for right now our clinic hours are from so and so.
Clinic hours...We do have set times. But, how do I turn away people that are really sick. I sleep in the clinic, so they know where to find me. I had an odd thought when "I'm hurt" showed up on my doorstep with 2 of his friends in the wee hours of the morning. They were all laughing having a good time and tried to get into the clinic, but since no one looked to be in distress they were told to come back during morning sick call. I always worried about my young partner when she was occupying the clinic alone. I never thought about myself. They call me Mom, Doc and Sir.
I will never forget a time when I was on EMS and we were called for "an assault"... That's all they called it. Highland Park has lots of those and they're usually partners fighting, but we were nearby the street of vacant lots, overgrown weeds and chucked garbage. As we spotted the scout, who waved us over...I will never forget the feeling of disgust and horror that I experienced as I first focused on an orthopedic shoe...then looked 50 feet ahead at a frail grandmother who had ran for her life... lying face down with her polyester pants pulled down to her knees and her diaper ripped from behind exposing her. She had been raped and choked to death. What kind of an animal does that? She should have lived out all those years on a porch with her loving family surrounding her and died peacefully in her bed.
I will never forget her. Experience- I took it and ran to the only guy that works at night near me and we now have a secret code so that he can keep an eye on things and on me when I have to open my door in the dead of night.
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