Me: 911 What is your emergency?
Mismatched: There is a fight going on in the apartment above me.
Me: Alright. Is your address *secret address* and your phone number *secret number*
Mismatched: Yes.
Me: Okay is it a verbal fight or ...
Mismatched: Oh no they are scrapping. There's yelling, pounding the walls, thumping, crying and oh my god!
Me: What? What?
Mismatched: My socks don't match.
Me: What?
Mismatched: That one is for sure green. Dark green I thought it was black and ...
Me: The fight sir?
Mismatched: Oh yeah ...
He wasn't crazy and it was an actual fight. It was just how one of those times you notice something in mid sentence and go off on that topic. Train has switched tracks.
I don't know how many people get individuals like this but I had a caller on my Non Emerg phone who only wanted to talk to a male officer. First I explained that we were civilians and not police officers which only made matters worse. He demanded I transferred him to a male co-worker and be snappy about it. Oh I wanted to be snappy but not like that. I told him I could not transfer within the same department (unless its a person looking for specifically another person, like friend, family or they were directed to ask). He was getting so mad at me, sayin every name in the book and why woman shouldn't be in law enforcement or be police officers or even really leave the home period. By the end of it I was just keeping my remarks to myself and kept on saying, "So if you don't have a police issue ..." Finally he asked how he could speak to a male co-worker up in my department. I told he couldn't we were all female. He hung up. We have 3 males on shift but they weren't in call taking then. I drink my Red Bull and get a call for a suicidal male with a wood saw. I was kinda hoping it was the same one but alas I never got my first callers name. Okay so I don't actually wish that, but it did cross my mind.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Friday, March 11, 2011
Sports Injury Virginity
So yesterday I was scheduled to work my first in my set of nights, so I try to sleep in until ten thirty. Around quarter after I am waken by a charlie horse in my right leg. It lasts for about 3 minutes then goes away. I go back to sleep. About ten thirty I get another one but in my left leg. Damn these things hurt like a bitch, rub the muscle it goes away after a few minutes. Back to sleep, hey I'm owed 10 mins or so now. About quarter to I'm ready to face the world, but, uh oh. Legs not moving. Hmm. Am I in one of those half in, half out of sleep things again? That would suck. Nope. I can move the rest of me alright, arm sort of hurts but I'm cool. Roll a bit, legs so don't want to face the day like me. I know the list of chores is daunting but come on. It takes about five or so minutes to actually get my legs rotated from the bed to the floor. At this point I realize this probably isn't good. Well I'm sitting up, might as well see if I can walk. Two tries to get up, failed, third try I am up! Woo! Standing perfectly still and sort of hunched over but it counts. I'm not really in any pain but both calve muscles are tight as hell. Feels like they have solidified and are hanging off the bone.
Sit up, standing up, done, now walking. I'll just walk it out, yeah. Walk, walk, near fall. I like that my room is small and there is a wall pretty much in arms length at all times. When I walk it's like I'm drunk, I'm so uncoordinated, balance sucks and my calves are pulling. Hmm ... walk this out a bit more. I start doing laps around my apartment to try and you know, get the blood moving. Then I feel dizzy, light headed so I sit down. Shit. I first thought it was a reaction to my remicade, it does have joint pain as a side effect but not muscle. Check in with my friend who is a RN. Find out it does have the potential for muscle pian too. Ok so maybe this will wear off. I tried to get a hold of my coordinator for my Remicade but it's one of those, leave a message we'll call you back deals. I wait a bit and it's not getting easier. Walking is hard and I start getting a headache, I make the decision to go to a walk in clinic. Not before struggling through a shower and shaving my damn legs to they are smooth, my pride will kill me.
My dad is a sweet guy and picked me up to drive me to the walk in. Very fast as he says "I cannot help you, I do not have an xray." Xray? I didn't break my legs? Apparently I might have cracked or fractured them in my sleep? I realize I probably wouldn't want his medical advice anyways. He sends me to emerg. No way. This wasn't an emergency situation. I was fine. I just wanted to sleep. I call the 811 system, which is like talking to a RN for medical advice. They wouldn't really do anything where I technically saw a doctor, so they couldn't re-triage me. Sigh, they only said I would have to do what the doctor suggested.
My dad drove me to the pharmasave first, I was still thinking it over but if I was going to go I was going to get Emla patches. As I'm waiting at the pharmacist desk I realize that I can't really stand up that long. I had to lean on the counter, my legs were twitching, my eye was twitching, headache was so bad and I just wanted to sleep. Ok. So maybe I'd go. I'd see how busy it was, I had things to do before work that night. Went in and well there was like one or two people. Shit. Now I have no more excuses and I go in.
I will say 99% of medical staff I have ever come across in this hospital were excellent, they are all so very friendly and they explain things to me so I understand. I get some bloodwork done which is , ugh but anyways. The doctor is examining my legs, I'm on my gut, with my feet dangling off. My left leg is swollen. Great. They are very tender the touch. She was pressing on the calf muscle lightly but it felt like she had pincers and hated me. Both legs but the left was definitely worse. As we are talking my headache is getting worse, I am squinting, the light hurts, all the sounds hurt. She was sweet. She turned off the light and we talked in the dark. It was better. They thought I might have a blood clot as my blood work was fine, so no nutrient defences. Ok. They wanted me to come back in the morning for an ultrasound. Ok. They wanted to give me blood thinners overnight though. Sure. Needle in stomach ... no fu*king way. Ya'll know by now I have this phobia thing of needles, veins are hard enough but in direct skin. I was no good and had a mild panic attack. After that I left to return in the morning.
I didn't go to work as when I was discharged it was already well into my shift and I had a headache which my doctor said was a migraine. I get home, I lie down on the couch, with a rag on my head and hear this 'plop'. Opening my eyes I see Lee drop his ball beside my head, his front paws on the couch and his eyes looking at me. If he could talk he'd be saying "You're legs are broken not your arm."
Got the ultrasound done, which hurt more then I thought it would. I asked the tech if she was trying to go through the other side? I said in joke so she laughed. Back in Emerg and waiting for the results. New doctor comes in. God he's cute. Sex therapy? Ok. Ha! Just kidding. He examines my legs again while telling me the ultrasound was fine. He's going over my history a bit as he too pincers onto my calf muscles. Painful as hell. There were no tears or things like that but what we've discovered is this. From January to August of 10 I barely moved, because of my fistula. I just could not walk that far and was pretty much confined to sitting. August-Mid January of this year I was getting rides to work and walking a little bit. Mid January to now I was walking all the time and really putting some stride in it. He said my body wasn't ready for it, I'd have to take it easier but that I could do it. He even showed me some stretches, that I could do for a warm up and 5 minutes in. I always thought a walk was a warm up but I've been proven wrong. So essentially I strained the hell out of those two muscles and as he said 'lost my sports injury virginity.' Didn't think of walking as a sport but hey now it's out of the way. i will take it easy for a few days and stretch before walking. I mentioned that I wanted to run and he thought it was a good idea. Just start slow and easy and build up. I can do that.
Got a redbull, vitamin enhanced water, and two chocolate eggs for tonight. Since I can't nap and have a 12 hour night shift tonight, oh it's going to be fun. Look out Crazytown, this girl is sore, tired and hyped up!
Sit up, standing up, done, now walking. I'll just walk it out, yeah. Walk, walk, near fall. I like that my room is small and there is a wall pretty much in arms length at all times. When I walk it's like I'm drunk, I'm so uncoordinated, balance sucks and my calves are pulling. Hmm ... walk this out a bit more. I start doing laps around my apartment to try and you know, get the blood moving. Then I feel dizzy, light headed so I sit down. Shit. I first thought it was a reaction to my remicade, it does have joint pain as a side effect but not muscle. Check in with my friend who is a RN. Find out it does have the potential for muscle pian too. Ok so maybe this will wear off. I tried to get a hold of my coordinator for my Remicade but it's one of those, leave a message we'll call you back deals. I wait a bit and it's not getting easier. Walking is hard and I start getting a headache, I make the decision to go to a walk in clinic. Not before struggling through a shower and shaving my damn legs to they are smooth, my pride will kill me.
My dad is a sweet guy and picked me up to drive me to the walk in. Very fast as he says "I cannot help you, I do not have an xray." Xray? I didn't break my legs? Apparently I might have cracked or fractured them in my sleep? I realize I probably wouldn't want his medical advice anyways. He sends me to emerg. No way. This wasn't an emergency situation. I was fine. I just wanted to sleep. I call the 811 system, which is like talking to a RN for medical advice. They wouldn't really do anything where I technically saw a doctor, so they couldn't re-triage me. Sigh, they only said I would have to do what the doctor suggested.
My dad drove me to the pharmasave first, I was still thinking it over but if I was going to go I was going to get Emla patches. As I'm waiting at the pharmacist desk I realize that I can't really stand up that long. I had to lean on the counter, my legs were twitching, my eye was twitching, headache was so bad and I just wanted to sleep. Ok. So maybe I'd go. I'd see how busy it was, I had things to do before work that night. Went in and well there was like one or two people. Shit. Now I have no more excuses and I go in.
I will say 99% of medical staff I have ever come across in this hospital were excellent, they are all so very friendly and they explain things to me so I understand. I get some bloodwork done which is , ugh but anyways. The doctor is examining my legs, I'm on my gut, with my feet dangling off. My left leg is swollen. Great. They are very tender the touch. She was pressing on the calf muscle lightly but it felt like she had pincers and hated me. Both legs but the left was definitely worse. As we are talking my headache is getting worse, I am squinting, the light hurts, all the sounds hurt. She was sweet. She turned off the light and we talked in the dark. It was better. They thought I might have a blood clot as my blood work was fine, so no nutrient defences. Ok. They wanted me to come back in the morning for an ultrasound. Ok. They wanted to give me blood thinners overnight though. Sure. Needle in stomach ... no fu*king way. Ya'll know by now I have this phobia thing of needles, veins are hard enough but in direct skin. I was no good and had a mild panic attack. After that I left to return in the morning.
I didn't go to work as when I was discharged it was already well into my shift and I had a headache which my doctor said was a migraine. I get home, I lie down on the couch, with a rag on my head and hear this 'plop'. Opening my eyes I see Lee drop his ball beside my head, his front paws on the couch and his eyes looking at me. If he could talk he'd be saying "You're legs are broken not your arm."
Got the ultrasound done, which hurt more then I thought it would. I asked the tech if she was trying to go through the other side? I said in joke so she laughed. Back in Emerg and waiting for the results. New doctor comes in. God he's cute. Sex therapy? Ok. Ha! Just kidding. He examines my legs again while telling me the ultrasound was fine. He's going over my history a bit as he too pincers onto my calf muscles. Painful as hell. There were no tears or things like that but what we've discovered is this. From January to August of 10 I barely moved, because of my fistula. I just could not walk that far and was pretty much confined to sitting. August-Mid January of this year I was getting rides to work and walking a little bit. Mid January to now I was walking all the time and really putting some stride in it. He said my body wasn't ready for it, I'd have to take it easier but that I could do it. He even showed me some stretches, that I could do for a warm up and 5 minutes in. I always thought a walk was a warm up but I've been proven wrong. So essentially I strained the hell out of those two muscles and as he said 'lost my sports injury virginity.' Didn't think of walking as a sport but hey now it's out of the way. i will take it easy for a few days and stretch before walking. I mentioned that I wanted to run and he thought it was a good idea. Just start slow and easy and build up. I can do that.
Got a redbull, vitamin enhanced water, and two chocolate eggs for tonight. Since I can't nap and have a 12 hour night shift tonight, oh it's going to be fun. Look out Crazytown, this girl is sore, tired and hyped up!
Sunday, March 6, 2011
What was that?
So I'm sitting writing my book, doing some corrections, research when, bing you have received a message from facebook. Good ole facebook eh? Click the link and it's a friend from work, well Ambulance dispatcher GH who commented on a picture I drew. Cool he likes it. I wrote a thanks and left it at that. Next thing I know, another bing. Message this time. We sometimes chat on here and they are normally short, like roads going to be bad, drive safe sort of thing. He said, "i poked you now don't get excited..lol " He's the joking kind of guy so I play back for a bit. As the conversation reaches our normal 3 or 4 record, he keeps going and I'm trying to ignore the fact that he is flirting with me. It's so obvious but I pretend to be oblivious and talk about other things. He is a nice guy and I do/did have a crush on him, I'll admit it but I wanted to keep things professional. Plus he's 15 years my senior and he's in a relationship already. That and his first name is the same as one of my brothers, major awkward if it ever went down that road.
Anyways this game goes on for a little bit, and it's getting harder to ignore his intentions and I simply say I was sorry for putting the thoughts in his head but we shouldn't continue the conversation like how it was going. Him being in a relationship and talking the way he was, didn't make me feel good about myself. No way would I be the 'other woman'. his response was this, "
no your not im not really sorry, just guess im a tipical man " Wow, had to end this conversation soon or my respect for him would go down another notch. I assured him I was sorry and that was really all I was going to have with that kind of conversation. Told him I wanted to be friends and that was it. He seemed cool with and we did swap phone numbers in case we ever wanted to just hang as friends. I don't mind hanging out and what have you, but like I said I won't be the other woman. He quickly excused himself from the conversation and that was it.
I don't know, I'm not really used to that kind of attention. I blame that on being shy and overweight growing up, and being sick, committed to work and still overweight as an adult. I keep telling myself that it was the right thing to do, to cut that conversation off where it was. I admit I did like the things he was saying but I do doubt their sincerity. I still want to be friends because he does make me laugh. Just might have to be one of those, keep a little safe zone with. I think me not being a one night stand, or friends with benefits kind of girl it's going to be awhile before I have to deal with this again.
Anyways this game goes on for a little bit, and it's getting harder to ignore his intentions and I simply say I was sorry for putting the thoughts in his head but we shouldn't continue the conversation like how it was going. Him being in a relationship and talking the way he was, didn't make me feel good about myself. No way would I be the 'other woman'. his response was this, "
no your not im not really sorry, just guess im a tipical man " Wow, had to end this conversation soon or my respect for him would go down another notch. I assured him I was sorry and that was really all I was going to have with that kind of conversation. Told him I wanted to be friends and that was it. He seemed cool with and we did swap phone numbers in case we ever wanted to just hang as friends. I don't mind hanging out and what have you, but like I said I won't be the other woman. He quickly excused himself from the conversation and that was it.
I don't know, I'm not really used to that kind of attention. I blame that on being shy and overweight growing up, and being sick, committed to work and still overweight as an adult. I keep telling myself that it was the right thing to do, to cut that conversation off where it was. I admit I did like the things he was saying but I do doubt their sincerity. I still want to be friends because he does make me laugh. Just might have to be one of those, keep a little safe zone with. I think me not being a one night stand, or friends with benefits kind of girl it's going to be awhile before I have to deal with this again.
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