Ray D
Well-known member
I had a ?significant event,? yesterday. It was a ?wake up? call! My whole family knew about it, within minutes, as did the neighbors and a lot of friends. (Neighbors saw the Paramedics, Fire and Police, sirens blaring - lights flashing, in front of MY HOUSE! Everybody has a phone, or several. Word spreads fast!) So, today I am well, and to make sure no one was missed, sent an E-Mail summary to friends and family. That E-Mail is below.
I participate in several discussion boards, including this one. In most I am the senior member. In this one, I have to remind myself that I am among peers. Lots of old geezers, here! ;D Lots of disabled Vets. Decided this might jar some useful thinking, for others, in my boat or similar boats. Hence, the post.
(If I am out of line or the issue is not appropriate to the forum, staff, please feel free to delete. I won?t be offended.)
My wife, Dani, and I, each, have a ?Medical Information? sheet that we update, from time to time. It has our names, phone numbers, contact names and numbers, VA medical coverage information with doctor?s names and appropriate phone numbers at the VA. It lists our medical issues and current treatment. It lists our medications and has a daily medication schedule.
It is one page long, for each of us. We have two copies in our stick house, in appropriate, handy locations, and two more, for each of us, in the motorhome. Paramedics, last night, really appreciated the list. It had everything they needed, and then some. They did not have to rely upon our memories, and my memory was out to lunch, anyway.
Questions - issues:
Who makes the decision to call 911? Does everyone agree? Is there going to be an argument?
Would you rely upon memory, or do you have a hard copy of vital medical information, to help the medical team get started? Would someone be likely to find the hard copy, if you have such?
Do you have the means to take temperature and blood pressure?
Who will take care of your furry family, and how will they accomplish that?
For those here, who carry: Have you ever wondered what happens, if they wheel you into a VA hospital (or any other hospital) and the emergency medical staff finds a gun on you? They ARE GOING TO FIND IT, you know! Any ideas? Thankfully, I remembered last night, and didn?t have to deal with that!
Is there a doctor in the house? How about a paramedic?
Friends and Family E-Mail follows:
CODE THREE
November 9, 2006, 5:18 PM: I was in the kitchen, and had just poured a glass of wine. As I turned from the refrigerator, the room began to tilt, and I lost my balance. I was able to quickly set the wine on the counter, and grab at the counter for stability. My right hand made it, but I missed the counter with the left, and continued downward. Second grab with the left got the counter, but I was unable to stabilize myself, and continued the fall, more slowly.
I felt Dani grab me, from behind, and the two of us were able to keep me off of the floor. (Don?t know where she came from.) She assisted me to the couch, 10 ft or so away. She wanted me to lie down. I wanted to sit down. She wanted to call 911. I objected.
She got the blood pressure machine and took my blood pressure. 227/125! She wanted to call 911, again. I knew the machine was goofy, and asked her to do it, again. 215/105. She threatened to call 911, again! I asked her to do it, once more. 197/97.
I was unstable, faint, and nauseous. I had a visual aura, somewhat blurred. I was out of arguments.
?Well?? she asked, glaring at me!
I figured I was losing the argument. I thought, if this was her, and I was standing there, there wouldn?t be any argument. If I saw this in the parks or Greenbelt, I wouldn?t even ask. I?d make a radio call, Code 3. That would be it - no discussion - ?Police business.? If they wanted to argue, they could do that with the Paramedics.
I said, ?Yeah, go ahead. Make the call.?
In the ambulance, before they started moving, I asked where they were taking me. ?We are on the radio with the VA Emergency Room. We?ll take you there, or wherever they want us to take you. It?s up to them. If they are fully staffed, tonight, they?ll probably tell us to take you there.?
On the way to the hospital, they quizzed me, third degree, the whole way. The also hooked up an EKG. They took my BP, continuously. EKG normal, for me - showing Atrial Fib. BP very high. Nauseous and disoriented.
At the VA Emergency Room, one nurse took my pressure, again, while another hooked up another EKG. They withdrew enough blood to do a surgery, for blood tests. After 2 hours, I was stable, could walk as well as I can walk, BP 133/64, EKG - Atrial Fib. Blood tests - all negative. No stroke. No hear attack. No aneurysm - internal bleeding. Pro Time down to 2.4 - ideal for me - dead center on the target Pro Time.
They gave me a diagnosis and sent me home. For several days I have had fluid in my inner ear, interfering with my hearing aids. This happens, from time to time, and they told me it is associated with my tinnitus. This time, it disrupted my balance. (Hasn?t done that, before.) My blood pressure regulation mechanism got confused and raised my BP in error.
Dani had to leave, a few minutes earlier to go home and take care of the dogs. They had been crated for more than three hours, too long, and needed out. Bruce drove me home.
I feel fine, this morning.
Highlights:
(Well, and lowlights.)
Dani was doing all the paramedic stuff, as if she did it, every day. I suddenly realized I had another problem. It is unlawful to take a gun onto Federal property, and civilian hospitals don?t like guns in their Emergency Rooms!
?Dani! The sirens are close! They are going to transport! I?m armed. Get my gun off of me! Don?t let any of them see it!?
She did. She it put it under the keyboard cover on the piano, and closed the cover.
So, what do they do - they bring in someone who is (otherwise) legally packing, and in the course of getting his clothes off - Oh, my! There?s a gun! He?s in violation of Federal Law! He has a gun, on Federal Property! Now what? ????
The dogs behaved amazingly well. Kudos to both of them! The cat was a bit of a poopy head.
We keep a ?Medical Information? list posted on the wall in the office, and several other places in the house and motorhome. It is a summary of our names, address, phone numbers, VA contact information, medical conditions, medications and a medication schedule. When the Paramedics got here, Dani handed them a copy.
?Wow! This is great!? the Paramedic exclaimed. When I got to the hospital, the staff was similarly impressed. I am impressed that Dani had the presence of mind, under those conditions, to grab a copy of the list off of the office wall. Shouldn?t be surprised, of course, as that was the plan! That is why it was there.
Basically, Dani just went into ?Paramedic? mode, and didn?t come out of it. I asked her how she avoided a flashback, after I got home.
?I got a bit ?scattered? a couple of times,? she replied. ?I?m a Paramedic, and I fought to stay that way. I?m still there! I?ll come out of it, tomorrow. Don?t know what will happen, then.?
Medics, in the ambulance, complimented me on her preparations. Said she did everything right. Particularly impressed with the Medical Information List. They asked if she had been a Paramedic. I told them that she had, and had been injured, disabled, in the OK City, Murrah Building bombing. They were very nice to her.
Bruce beat the ambulance to the Hospital! He was the first thing I saw, when they opened the doors in the back of the ambulance.
I asked him if Dani was there. (I had been worried that she was driving, under these circumstances. Needn?t have worried.) He said ?she just parked her car, right over there. She?ll be here in a minute.? A paramedic told me, that she had followed the ambulance down there. Boise has a system that turns the traffic lights for approaching emergency vehicles green, and all others, red. We got green, all the way, as did anyone behind us.
Guess I have to compliment both, on their driving.
Ray D
I participate in several discussion boards, including this one. In most I am the senior member. In this one, I have to remind myself that I am among peers. Lots of old geezers, here! ;D Lots of disabled Vets. Decided this might jar some useful thinking, for others, in my boat or similar boats. Hence, the post.
(If I am out of line or the issue is not appropriate to the forum, staff, please feel free to delete. I won?t be offended.)
My wife, Dani, and I, each, have a ?Medical Information? sheet that we update, from time to time. It has our names, phone numbers, contact names and numbers, VA medical coverage information with doctor?s names and appropriate phone numbers at the VA. It lists our medical issues and current treatment. It lists our medications and has a daily medication schedule.
It is one page long, for each of us. We have two copies in our stick house, in appropriate, handy locations, and two more, for each of us, in the motorhome. Paramedics, last night, really appreciated the list. It had everything they needed, and then some. They did not have to rely upon our memories, and my memory was out to lunch, anyway.
Questions - issues:
Who makes the decision to call 911? Does everyone agree? Is there going to be an argument?
Would you rely upon memory, or do you have a hard copy of vital medical information, to help the medical team get started? Would someone be likely to find the hard copy, if you have such?
Do you have the means to take temperature and blood pressure?
Who will take care of your furry family, and how will they accomplish that?
For those here, who carry: Have you ever wondered what happens, if they wheel you into a VA hospital (or any other hospital) and the emergency medical staff finds a gun on you? They ARE GOING TO FIND IT, you know! Any ideas? Thankfully, I remembered last night, and didn?t have to deal with that!
Is there a doctor in the house? How about a paramedic?
Friends and Family E-Mail follows:
CODE THREE
November 9, 2006, 5:18 PM: I was in the kitchen, and had just poured a glass of wine. As I turned from the refrigerator, the room began to tilt, and I lost my balance. I was able to quickly set the wine on the counter, and grab at the counter for stability. My right hand made it, but I missed the counter with the left, and continued downward. Second grab with the left got the counter, but I was unable to stabilize myself, and continued the fall, more slowly.
I felt Dani grab me, from behind, and the two of us were able to keep me off of the floor. (Don?t know where she came from.) She assisted me to the couch, 10 ft or so away. She wanted me to lie down. I wanted to sit down. She wanted to call 911. I objected.
She got the blood pressure machine and took my blood pressure. 227/125! She wanted to call 911, again. I knew the machine was goofy, and asked her to do it, again. 215/105. She threatened to call 911, again! I asked her to do it, once more. 197/97.
I was unstable, faint, and nauseous. I had a visual aura, somewhat blurred. I was out of arguments.
?Well?? she asked, glaring at me!
I figured I was losing the argument. I thought, if this was her, and I was standing there, there wouldn?t be any argument. If I saw this in the parks or Greenbelt, I wouldn?t even ask. I?d make a radio call, Code 3. That would be it - no discussion - ?Police business.? If they wanted to argue, they could do that with the Paramedics.
I said, ?Yeah, go ahead. Make the call.?
In the ambulance, before they started moving, I asked where they were taking me. ?We are on the radio with the VA Emergency Room. We?ll take you there, or wherever they want us to take you. It?s up to them. If they are fully staffed, tonight, they?ll probably tell us to take you there.?
On the way to the hospital, they quizzed me, third degree, the whole way. The also hooked up an EKG. They took my BP, continuously. EKG normal, for me - showing Atrial Fib. BP very high. Nauseous and disoriented.
At the VA Emergency Room, one nurse took my pressure, again, while another hooked up another EKG. They withdrew enough blood to do a surgery, for blood tests. After 2 hours, I was stable, could walk as well as I can walk, BP 133/64, EKG - Atrial Fib. Blood tests - all negative. No stroke. No hear attack. No aneurysm - internal bleeding. Pro Time down to 2.4 - ideal for me - dead center on the target Pro Time.
They gave me a diagnosis and sent me home. For several days I have had fluid in my inner ear, interfering with my hearing aids. This happens, from time to time, and they told me it is associated with my tinnitus. This time, it disrupted my balance. (Hasn?t done that, before.) My blood pressure regulation mechanism got confused and raised my BP in error.
Dani had to leave, a few minutes earlier to go home and take care of the dogs. They had been crated for more than three hours, too long, and needed out. Bruce drove me home.
I feel fine, this morning.
Highlights:
(Well, and lowlights.)
Dani was doing all the paramedic stuff, as if she did it, every day. I suddenly realized I had another problem. It is unlawful to take a gun onto Federal property, and civilian hospitals don?t like guns in their Emergency Rooms!
?Dani! The sirens are close! They are going to transport! I?m armed. Get my gun off of me! Don?t let any of them see it!?
She did. She it put it under the keyboard cover on the piano, and closed the cover.
So, what do they do - they bring in someone who is (otherwise) legally packing, and in the course of getting his clothes off - Oh, my! There?s a gun! He?s in violation of Federal Law! He has a gun, on Federal Property! Now what? ????
The dogs behaved amazingly well. Kudos to both of them! The cat was a bit of a poopy head.
We keep a ?Medical Information? list posted on the wall in the office, and several other places in the house and motorhome. It is a summary of our names, address, phone numbers, VA contact information, medical conditions, medications and a medication schedule. When the Paramedics got here, Dani handed them a copy.
?Wow! This is great!? the Paramedic exclaimed. When I got to the hospital, the staff was similarly impressed. I am impressed that Dani had the presence of mind, under those conditions, to grab a copy of the list off of the office wall. Shouldn?t be surprised, of course, as that was the plan! That is why it was there.
Basically, Dani just went into ?Paramedic? mode, and didn?t come out of it. I asked her how she avoided a flashback, after I got home.
?I got a bit ?scattered? a couple of times,? she replied. ?I?m a Paramedic, and I fought to stay that way. I?m still there! I?ll come out of it, tomorrow. Don?t know what will happen, then.?
Medics, in the ambulance, complimented me on her preparations. Said she did everything right. Particularly impressed with the Medical Information List. They asked if she had been a Paramedic. I told them that she had, and had been injured, disabled, in the OK City, Murrah Building bombing. They were very nice to her.
Bruce beat the ambulance to the Hospital! He was the first thing I saw, when they opened the doors in the back of the ambulance.
I asked him if Dani was there. (I had been worried that she was driving, under these circumstances. Needn?t have worried.) He said ?she just parked her car, right over there. She?ll be here in a minute.? A paramedic told me, that she had followed the ambulance down there. Boise has a system that turns the traffic lights for approaching emergency vehicles green, and all others, red. We got green, all the way, as did anyone behind us.
Guess I have to compliment both, on their driving.
Ray D
