July 2007

This blogging thing takes a lot more time than I anticipated. I checked to see when my last blog was. Would you believe that it was back in December? My how time flies. So today as my wife and children are out of town celebrating Jen's grandpa's 90th birthday, I have all the time in the world. I do however miss them and all the noise they bring to our home. It's not the same without them.

Today as I catch you up, I have to give props to Dr. Wade and the staff at The Eye Center of Texas. Last week they performed Lasik surgery on me. It is a beautiful thing to be able to see all of God's creation without glasses and contacts. Vision is a beautiful thing that I don't take for granted. I think I cried like a little girl after the surgery realizing how blessed I was to see. But I didn't let anyone see me cry. I'm a real man... Hahaha. So here goes a little catch up for all my little hulkaniac fans out there across the globe and the universe. I mean to all those bored people who have nothing to do but read this poor soul's blog.

VIOLENCE: Another rapper was shot. Ever since Tupac, Biggie, and 50cent, getting shot is the only way to get "skreet cred" and sell more records. My experience is that the harder they pretend to be, the bigger babies they are when they do get shot. He whined the whole way to the ER. -----A much tougher victim came in the form of a 14 year old boy who was shot in his stomach by his friend who was showing off his new gun. The friend ran and didn't stick around to make sure his friend was okay. ----Bullets do kill. That's what they are made to do. An 18 year old male was shot point blank in the forehead as he attempted to rob/car jack a bar patron. Is that justice? Maybe. ----A wannabe rapper/producer/dj was stabbed in his shoulder by a friend after the friend drank his "drank" while he went to the bathroom. The stupid thing is that the genius called 911 two days later and told the dispatcher that he had been stabbed. 4 police cars, a fire truck and an ambulance were sent to his aid. We should have given him a new stab wound. ---One hard working young man was waiting for a ride home from his second job when he was stabbed in the back by a gang banger looking for money. Here's a novel idea, if you don't have money, get a job. If your job doesn't pay enough, get an education so you can make enough.
DRUGS: Using drugs while working or at work can be hazardous to your health and career. Just ask the fella who showed up to work drunk and high. It just so happened to be his evaluation day. He passed out during the review process. I'll be he got rave reviews. And there was an older gentleman who passed out at work as well. He claims no drug use, but his pinky fingernail was substantially longer than all of his others. The co-worker who found him had the same long fingernail. I asked the manager if there was a work related reason for the long pinky nails and he said no. Hmmmm...-------Probably the happiest druggie I ever met was a youg guy who said he smoked some "fiend." I don't know what it was, but it was some good stuff. He was laughing the whole way. Anything I said was funny. I could have been the last comic standing. He giggled the whole way. It was a shame I had to take him to the ER. ------"Fry" is a drug that makes people paranoid and just plain stupid. Yesterday after smoking some "fry" a man got behind the wheel of his car and drove 100 yards in a ditch before being stopped by a telephone pole. When we got there the man thought we were the cops and hopped back in his car and tried to drive away through the telephone pole. Then he got out and started to walk with us and then ran as soon as we got onto the road. He ran down the middle of a busy street. HPD chased him down and almost tased him. Then they cuffed him and put him in our ambulance even though it was clear he was not injured. Had he not been 300 pounds with his crack showing, he might have gotten away. He tried to get out several times and then laughed while he was at the ER.

Another young man was not so happy. He was down right depressed. His heart was racing, his body wasting and his hope was fading. He looked like trash and didn't want to live anymore. A teenager with all hope gone. I tried to encourage him and let him know that there is more to life that what he knows or thinks he knows. I pray he finds the hope that comes from Jesus.

MEDICAL EMERGENCIES: A young girl and an older woman both had an allergic reaction to an unknown substance on separate occasions. An allergic reaction will give you hives, make you swell up, cause breathing problems and can send you into shock. We gave them both shots of Benadryl and Epi. Works almost every time.

We just got a new CPAP machine that allows people who have fluid on their lungs to breathe better by using positive pressure to push the fluid out of the lungs. They say it will revolutionize how we treat these types of patients. The first time we used it. The lady got absolutely no relief and when we got to the ER, the Drs didn't do much better. The second person we used it on happened to be autistic, mentally retarded and unable to speak. As soon as we entered the house we could hear the fluid in his lungs. It's like when you slurp your straw when your beverage is almost out. We put the CPAP on him and almost immediately he slowed his breathing and we couldn't hear the fluid without the use of a stethoscope. Then the Dr at the ER had the audacity to ask why we are bringing in patients on the CPAP instead of putting a tube down their throats. He should let me stick a tube down his throat while he is awake and see how he feels. Moron.

CARDIAC ARREST: One thing is certain in this life. We will all die. That's it, it is a reality that my job forces me to live with. Lately we've made several people in either nursing homes or personal care homes who have passed. Their caregivers/nurses are never doing CPR when we arrive and expect us to do everything to save them when they themselves have done nothing. I know not all places are the same. It would be wise for you to do your research before placing a loved one in the care of complete strangers.

The most memorable cardiac arrest came to a man in his 40s. This man had been separated from his wife and had a lady friend over for some extracurricular activities. We got the call as a breathing problem. When we were a couple of blocks from the house, we got a message saying he had stopped breathing. When we arrived the man was butt naked in a chair with secretions on his leg-you can guess which kind. He had taken too many sexual enhancement pills and died while being pleasured. At the ER while we were finishing our record the nurse came to tell us that the man's mother was there and that she wanted to know why her son had a tube in his mouth and was dead. The mother said the lady friend told her he was awake and breathing when he left the house with us. Then the man's wife arrived and wanted to know who the lady was. It was a huge mess.

I've learned that the truth will be revealed no matter what. We can lie to friends, bosses, co-workers, spouses, police, EMS, and even ourselves. Sooner or later the truth always comes out. God sees all and knows all. So it is best to do the right thing and treat others the way we wish to be treated. It's the "golden rule" set by Jesus himself. That's all I got for now. Until the next episode. Peace out!