Thank you, all of you

[gradygirl]

Last night I received a message on Myspace from a young man I don't know. He simply thanked me.

Yeah you don't know me. But I just wanted to say keep up the good work. I know you EMTs and Paramedics work hard and have a stressful job. I had a buddy who was a paramedic and he was tired or sick from working all the time. So I just wanted to say I appreciate what you guys do.

It touched me and made me realize that I can count the number of times I've been thanked on one hand. I don't require or expect thanks, but each time I've received it, it's made all of my hard work worth it.

I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank you, all of you, for doing what you do.

Peace.

 

[joemt]

I second that emotion!

 

[rescuecpt]

A patient sent me a basket of sweets once... but the other crews ate it before I got there and all I saw was the card that came with it... but it meant A LOT to me.

 

[MariaCatEMT]

A patient sent me a basket of sweets once... but the other crews ate it before I got there and all I saw was the card that came with it... but it meant A LOT to me.

Nice friends LOL!

 

[MariaCatEMT]

Last night I received a message on Myspace from a young man I don't know. He simply thanked me.



It touched me and made me realize that I can count the number of times I've been thanked on one hand. I don't require or expect thanks, but each time I've received it, it's made all of my hard work worth it.

I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank you, all of you, for doing what you do.

Peace.

Thanks...and thank you! ^_^

 

[Guardian]

A patient sent me a basket of sweets once... but the other crews ate it before I got there and all I saw was the card that came with it... but it meant A LOT to me.

The same thing happened at my vollie fire dept, the only difference, I was on the eating end of it...lol

 

[joemt]

Why am I not surprised Guardian? LOL

 

[DT4EMS]

When I worked in South Florida, I never remembered a single "thanks".

Within a month of being in Missouri, I had an elderly gentleman come to me in tears and hugged me in the ER. (A dangerous move on his part since I am pretty particular abot my personal space)

Anyway, we had just worked what looked like a minor MVC. I decided to take his wife out pretty quick. No one else appeared injured. There was minor damage to the vehicle.......

We started down the road and she started getting worse. A radioed ahead for a helicopter to meet us to take her to a trauma center.

Apparently the local MD spoke to the husband and told her I made a decision that probably saved his wifes life. I don't know if that is true or not, but that's the way it was. Needless to say I appreciated that.

Then almost every base I have worked at since 1994 there is always a ton of food brought in around the holidays. I was always humbled.

It may just be ther area you work in. At least that has been my experience.

 

[HFD EMS]

Yea i dont think people realize how vital we are until we come to their rescue but sadly i have only been thanked once. What we do is something that is overlooked unfornately. Atleast, we know what we do makes a huge difference in a persons well being. Especially, when you are volunteer and all of your time and energy is all donated to help save somelses life. To me though its all worth it!!!!

 

[MedicPrincess]

Dropping off a little old lady yesterday at our most frequently visited nursing home, we were talking to the nurses. I started to feel something rubbing my butt. Now I don't normally get felt up at the nursing home, and if it is happening its usually a nightmare!

When I turned around, the littlest old lady who looked like she might snap in two if bumped just right grabbed my hand and began rubbing it.She had tears in her eyes and in the crackliest old lady voice I've ever heard she says

Thank you for doing what you do. Thank you for taking care of us. You girls are amazing people and more people need to be a lot nicer to you girls. Thank you....she sort of hugged my arm at that point and just held on for a minute.

Almost made me cry a little. She was so sweet.....

 

[emtwannabe]

Kinda almost makes it worth while after the day you had today, eh, Princess?


Jeff

 

[Anomalous]

A patient from three days ago just left our house. She stopped to drop off 12 ears of corn, 6 tomatoes, 2 squash, and 3 zuchinnii (isn't that the plural?). I hate squash and zucchini.

 

[Chimpie]

Also remember this, EMS providers are usually thanked over and over. We're just not usually there to hear it.

 

[MariaCatEMT]

My volunteer department rolled on a medical in our district to a home we unfortunately have been to a few times before. Elderly couple, very ill wife. We arrived at the same time the ALS ambulance service did, and the crew asked us to stick around. I went in to assist in any way I could as our crew's EMT. The paramedic did his assessment (he was awesome with the patient and husband) and it really appeared that the wife/patient was, or just had had, a major stroke. We packaged her, and the ambulance rushed her off to the hospital with one of our firefighters driving. As we were preparing to depart, the husband walked over to me and just grabbed me in tears and thanked us (I hadn't done anything really, but help package her, and ask him if he had a way to the hospital). I was so touched, and had a hard time to keep from tearing up. There was decades of love and devotion to his wife behind that, and the worry in his eyes....was palpable. We stayed long enough to ensure he had a family member on the way to take him to the hosptial and to make sure he was alright (as well as he could be anyway). Sometimes I think when this happens with my vollie FD some of this gets directed my way because I'm usually the only female on-scene, I'm not really sure.

Another time I had a peds patient reach up and stroke my face in the middle of an assessment when the little guy asked me "Am I going to be okay?" (he had been in an MVA and I trauma-assessed him and was holding c-spine from the front due to patient accessability issues) All I could tell him was that I would do my best and stay with him, pretty much. He was cooperative, listened to me, kept still, had allowed me to assess him, and did not complain when I held c-spine. Perfect patient. Mom even stood right behind us, observing, quiet, allowing us to do what we needed, and staying near her son, she was great! So anyway, when I answered him, he had the hugest tears in his eyes, but he smiled, and looked me dead in the eye, reached up and touched my face, and simply says, "Ok." (I did find out later he was fine, treated and released later in the day).

I know I am not a good story teller like a lot of people in here. But that little guy, and that elderly man....their simple expressions, blew me away. Doesn't happen often, but wow, when it does....it can be profound.

I also have a question for you seasoned folks....that do this every day for a living, as you have daily patient contact and I do not. When a patient asks you if they are going to be OK.....what do you say? I remember in class our instructor told us to stay away from answering that question directly? I always say something like "we're going to do our best" or something along those lines because I simply don't know what to say. I'm sorry if this is a dumb question, but this happens a lot.

I find myself in situations where I am with a patient for a long time...like in the vehicle with them holding c-spine while they are being extricated, getting them packaged, etc. Patients talk to you, ask you things. I desire to be a positive contact for them. So how do you answer that question...."Am I going to be OK?"

So a few words up from those of you that do this for a living, guidance would be appreciated.

 

[Sineath02]

Yes I start EMT-B october 3rd and people I have told already give me props and thanks. It's kinda like me being a marine reservist, I have gotten many thanks and appreciations for that. It feels good to be loved. B)

 

[Jon]

I try to avoid telling a patient that 'everything will be OK" because it usually won't... either they are FUBAR'd because they were run over by a DUI driver, or they were drinking and smoking weed when the one guy had a seizure, and now he seems fine, but is going to get thrown out of college...