firetender
Community Leader Emeritus
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When I left EMS, in 1985, who knew I’d spend the next twenty-five years assimilating what I learned into a book? I’m happy to announce it’s finally here and you get to see it FIRST! Let me tell you why, and then I’ll ask you for a helping hand.
The world I experienced in my career as one of the first MICU Paramedics in the U.S. went beyond anything I could have imagined. I was assaulted by moments of incredible intensity having little to do with the mechanics of the task at hand; saving lives. These were emotional, psychic, spiritual, moral and interpersonal challenges that few in the field – to this day – are encouraged to bring out in to the open with each other.
I watched many of my peers in other branches of allopathic medicine as well don hardened shells to insulate themselves from experiencing what they, as human beings, were going through both during AND in-between calls to action. These layers of protection did not come off at home. It led many to burnout. I was one of those Flesh Mechanics; all aspects of my life started to get hobbled and soon there was little joy in being a human being with other human beings!
And then I found myself on calls that simply wouldn’t allow me to walk away in denial. So I started writing about them. I intuitively knew that if I didn’t face them, I’d run screaming. Like most, I was in love with the work, and hated its collateral damage; in any moment a call could pop up with my number on it!
After I left the field, exploring other aspects of the Healing Arts, I kept coming back to the themes of my time in EMS, trying different forms (I had a movie made.) and getting some exposure in Literary Journals. I also kept track of what other medics were writing about. To my frustration (and as motivation as well!), I saw they missed the incredible, multi-layered depths of working on the edge of life and death. Somehow, they kept missing the wonder of the incredible view you get of humanity, yourself and the Great Mystery. Most everything they wrote about took place on the road to Burnout!
Here’s where rejection, and YOU, come in. One form of the book was “ready” ten years ago, but no one would publish it. In 2004 I finally landed a NY agent! By 2005, he dropped his practice due to ill health and my book with it. I still had unfinished business with the themes, however, and was getting very curious about how EMS was evolving, so I joined up with this site and started learning and contributing; literally testing the waters to clarify my themes.
I went back to my original true stories at the mid-point of my career and started to understand better the impact I wanted the book to make. Here I was exposed to a wonderful diversity of experience. To my joy I found pockets of individuals not only sharing the deeper aspects of their responses to calls, but getting support from others here as well. Sure, there was still the dominant, detached stance made popular by Johnny and Roy, but you know what? I even saw grizzled veterans chime in with heartfelt and deeply personal responses to help FNGs get through the day!
What that taught me was there is a significant proportion of individuals out there wanting to share on deeper levels, but in the “real” world, there’s not that room. This is my attempt to make the room by sharing my very human experience. The book’s agenda is quite simple; let’s broaden the conversation! Here’s my permission to talk about such stuff as if it mattered; my prayer is you will begin sharing with your peers.
I’m publishing the book myself because I believe it is time and you are ready to expand your understanding of yourselves in relation to the work you’re asked to do and the burdens you are asked to carry. Here’s my personal take on it all to get you started! I also think you’re ready to support each other accordingly. You WILL see how the end effect will strengthen the profession. So now, I’ll ask you to buy my book by clicking the link below.
My call for help is this: This book is OUR story and that story is an extremely potent metaphor. Anyone who deals with human beings in distress and is discouraged from speaking honestly about the personal traumas he or she suffers in the work will be able to relate. I’m asking you to spread the word to other health care professionals who may be struggling with some of the themes I talk about. Please write reviews and send them to whoever will publish them, keeping in mind the world we know so well is a pressure cooker that provides insight into a much deeper human experience. If I reflect pieces of your world here, please let people know.
Thanks for your support in advance, knowing full well that I can expect getting thrown to the wolves as well! This, however, is the only site I’d take that risk on!
(My full website for the book is not up yet. I will have a Blog and room for comments/reviews etc. You’re getting first crack and basically it is YOU who will offer the definitive reviews. I’ll let you know as soon as the website is up so you can get more involved in the conversation.)
Thanks and Blessings!
Russ Reina,
a firetender
Moments in the Death of a Flesh Mechanic…a healer’s rebirth, available at
Moments in the Death of a Flesh Mechanic...a healer's rebirth
GO TO Search
GO TO Reina
CLICK on Cover for details
It’s in paperback or e-book; any format
http://www.firetender.org (a resource for healers of all stripes)
The world I experienced in my career as one of the first MICU Paramedics in the U.S. went beyond anything I could have imagined. I was assaulted by moments of incredible intensity having little to do with the mechanics of the task at hand; saving lives. These were emotional, psychic, spiritual, moral and interpersonal challenges that few in the field – to this day – are encouraged to bring out in to the open with each other.
I watched many of my peers in other branches of allopathic medicine as well don hardened shells to insulate themselves from experiencing what they, as human beings, were going through both during AND in-between calls to action. These layers of protection did not come off at home. It led many to burnout. I was one of those Flesh Mechanics; all aspects of my life started to get hobbled and soon there was little joy in being a human being with other human beings!
And then I found myself on calls that simply wouldn’t allow me to walk away in denial. So I started writing about them. I intuitively knew that if I didn’t face them, I’d run screaming. Like most, I was in love with the work, and hated its collateral damage; in any moment a call could pop up with my number on it!
After I left the field, exploring other aspects of the Healing Arts, I kept coming back to the themes of my time in EMS, trying different forms (I had a movie made.) and getting some exposure in Literary Journals. I also kept track of what other medics were writing about. To my frustration (and as motivation as well!), I saw they missed the incredible, multi-layered depths of working on the edge of life and death. Somehow, they kept missing the wonder of the incredible view you get of humanity, yourself and the Great Mystery. Most everything they wrote about took place on the road to Burnout!
Here’s where rejection, and YOU, come in. One form of the book was “ready” ten years ago, but no one would publish it. In 2004 I finally landed a NY agent! By 2005, he dropped his practice due to ill health and my book with it. I still had unfinished business with the themes, however, and was getting very curious about how EMS was evolving, so I joined up with this site and started learning and contributing; literally testing the waters to clarify my themes.
I went back to my original true stories at the mid-point of my career and started to understand better the impact I wanted the book to make. Here I was exposed to a wonderful diversity of experience. To my joy I found pockets of individuals not only sharing the deeper aspects of their responses to calls, but getting support from others here as well. Sure, there was still the dominant, detached stance made popular by Johnny and Roy, but you know what? I even saw grizzled veterans chime in with heartfelt and deeply personal responses to help FNGs get through the day!
What that taught me was there is a significant proportion of individuals out there wanting to share on deeper levels, but in the “real” world, there’s not that room. This is my attempt to make the room by sharing my very human experience. The book’s agenda is quite simple; let’s broaden the conversation! Here’s my permission to talk about such stuff as if it mattered; my prayer is you will begin sharing with your peers.
I’m publishing the book myself because I believe it is time and you are ready to expand your understanding of yourselves in relation to the work you’re asked to do and the burdens you are asked to carry. Here’s my personal take on it all to get you started! I also think you’re ready to support each other accordingly. You WILL see how the end effect will strengthen the profession. So now, I’ll ask you to buy my book by clicking the link below.
My call for help is this: This book is OUR story and that story is an extremely potent metaphor. Anyone who deals with human beings in distress and is discouraged from speaking honestly about the personal traumas he or she suffers in the work will be able to relate. I’m asking you to spread the word to other health care professionals who may be struggling with some of the themes I talk about. Please write reviews and send them to whoever will publish them, keeping in mind the world we know so well is a pressure cooker that provides insight into a much deeper human experience. If I reflect pieces of your world here, please let people know.
Thanks for your support in advance, knowing full well that I can expect getting thrown to the wolves as well! This, however, is the only site I’d take that risk on!
(My full website for the book is not up yet. I will have a Blog and room for comments/reviews etc. You’re getting first crack and basically it is YOU who will offer the definitive reviews. I’ll let you know as soon as the website is up so you can get more involved in the conversation.)
Thanks and Blessings!
Russ Reina,
a firetender
Moments in the Death of a Flesh Mechanic…a healer’s rebirth, available at
Moments in the Death of a Flesh Mechanic...a healer's rebirth
GO TO Search
GO TO Reina
CLICK on Cover for details
It’s in paperback or e-book; any format
http://www.firetender.org (a resource for healers of all stripes)
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