What A Ride!

Hello my Blogville friends. Thank you for stopping by and joining me in a cup of tea and a read. Today I am drinking an orange pekoe tea with a drop or two of milk. It is my usual tea and I really need to get back into my usual routine. Trust me when I say, normal is underrated because when normal changes it is overwhelming!
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As you know, my husband and I were just on a beautiful East Coast of Canada trip. About two weeks or so before our trip I had some unexplained and sudden back pain. It was very random. The first time it happened, it mostly cleared up on its own but I made an appointment to have it looked at before our trip. At that appointment the pain flared up significantly and actually resulted in an unexpected short ambulance ride. 

So, after the ambulance was called, I ask the health care practitioner to please dial my husband’s number. Oh, and I suggest you rethink the face recognition unlock feature on your cell phone, lol. After a couple of attempts trying to line up my face, I just finally gave them my password (I mean, what secrets do I really have on my cell phone?). So they tried my husband; straight to voice mail. They tried my husband’s employer; straight to voice mail. Finally I conceded and asked them to try my eldest daughter. I mean, I needed someone to move my car, after all I only had 45 minutes on the meter!

I think it is noteworthy to mentions that I am an absolute fan of Emergency Responder television shows and watch them regularly. As a result, I know all about ambulance rides. Well, I thought I did until I had my own experience. 

So the paramedics arrived, assessed my pain complaint, and (though I hoped they would just stand me up and the pain would recede like last time) decided transport to hospital was in my best interest. You know, you do not really know how self-aware (maybe even a little vain) you are until you are about to be put on a stretcher and transported out of a busy office building and on to a very public street. 

Oh, and in the meantime, two of my daughters had arrived to witness my transport from the office to the ambulance. They reassured me they had my stuff and would get my car home. In the meantime, I gratefully noticed that the kind receptionist had cleared the waiting room of other patients so I was spared at least that humiliation. I will be eternally grateful for that.
So, of course there is someone in the elevator and they actually had to be asked to step out as the paramedics needed the space for the stretcher and themselves. Personally, I like to think that, in this scenario, I would just have stepped out automatically, or maybe even helped by holding the ‘door open’ button. The fellow in the elevator took a little convincing to step out but finally relented. Again, maybe a little vanity here, I literally covered my face with my hands as we left the office building and travelled the short, but surprisingly bumpy, distance to the ambulance. I mean, I’m sure it has improved from the old style manual lift and shove technique of loading the stretcher, but even the more modern and smoother lift and slide technique into the back of the ambulance was painfully jarring. An inappropriate word or two may have escaped my lips. Admittedly, not the first to have escaped since they arrived to help me. My apologies. 

The paramedics were absolutely amazing both in the medical office and on the ambulance ride. Their professionalism cannot be overstated. I have to note that when I am in distress, humour is my coping mechanism. For example, when I suggested that the fellow in the elevator or the people standing around on the street outside might have something for my pain that they could purchase for me, the paramedics simply smiled and said ‘no’. Despite that, lol, I honestly respect the job these people have to do and how well they do it. The ability to deal with someone in medical distress, and often the family members in attendance as well, with such calming and reassuring professionalism, cannot be taught. It must be alive within that person’s heart. I do not know the names of the paramedics who took care of me that day but I offer them my sincerest thanks.

Oh, sorry, my blog does not end here, although I wish it did. Again, as you know from my previous blog, “Go East My Friend” my husband and I were able to take our anniversary trip despite my little medical setback. Following our trip we planned to visit with our son who lives in Ottawa with his wife and toddler. I mean, we really needed to do some laundry as you can imagine, lol. Ok, seriously, it was a wonderful opportunity to visit on our way home; maybe even drop off a souvenir or two. 

However, in the middle of one night during our visit, due to my husband’s mis-step in an unfamiliar environment, an ambulance ride was required again. (I am sharing this with his permission.) I cannot tell you how relieved we were when the flashing lights announced the ambulance’s arrival in the driveway. It was absolutely incredible how these paramedics were able to get my husband up from the floor in one fell swoop with a preciseness that preserved his head and neck, as well as his dignity. What professionalism, training, and ability these young women modelled.  

Being the accompanying family member and not the patient offers a whole new perspective on an ambulance ride. So at 3:00 a.m. we were loaded into the back of the ambulance, my husband’s discomfort evident, as mine had felt a few weeks ago, from the jolting of the automatic stretcher roll-in. I was assigned a bench seat within his line of site, a comfort to both of us I am sure. The paramedic fastened a lap belt on me as we prepared for the journey. Each bump and dip brought agony to my husband’s face, superseding the pains shooting in my own back. What a pair we were! One of the paramedics sat just above my husband’s head, keeping an eye on his vital signs and chatting to keep our minds at ease. At one point I looked at her and said, “OMG this is rough, I thought all the roads in Ottawa were paved with gold!” The driver laughed and said, ‘I’m afraid not, and we are also currently in a construction zone.’ Now I’m not sure where all my taxes go lol! Oh, wait, they are probably paying for the construction! Ha!

Compared to my short, 10 minute ride to our local hospital, my husband’s journey was a little over 30 minutes to the hospital the ambulance was directed to. I felt great sympathy combined with empathy for him. I was also grateful that he was not alone, as I had been, during one of the most painful and confusing rides one can have. In my husband’s case, I can only recall one of the Ottawa paramedic’s names (Emma) and the ambulance number (4115) so I am unable to actually thank them personally. Therefore, I would ask that if you know a paramedic, please thank them for their service! My two experiences with them have been nothing short of positive while experiencing very negative situations. 

Home now, both of us healing, I thank you for stopping by to join me in a cup of tea and reading my story. If you want to share a comment here, I welcome you to do so. If you prefer a more private format feel free to email me at [email protected]. Stay safe my Blogville friends!