If you have read any of my previous blogs, you might be shocked to find that I have held a beating heart in my hands. That's right...an already opened chest, via a rib spreader, reach right in and hold the beating heart, IN MY HANDS! It is one of the most awesome yet terrifying events of my life, ever- bar none!
Actually known as open chest cardiac massage, it is a extreme measure in very "progressive" emergency room medicine, that keeps the life blood flowing.
Picture a scene from Grey's Anatomy, high anxiety, life saving, chaotic mess where people are pushed to the edge in the biggest fight of all, they are busting ass to save a life!
Me, I did that...let me share with you some of the beginning!
For over 20 years, I worked on the "bloody bus" better known as an ambulance, here in the U.S.
Kind of interesting, but for most of my life I have done things that I don't really think I should have been doing; things that stretched my boundaries to places I could never envision. Stuff that was so scary to me, if I had thought too much, I may not have never done it. Then again, you gotta eat, right?
I started out in a really destructive marriage at the tender age of 19 and when forced to get out, I had to scramble for a job. I had been pretty much working since age 12 and earning my own money, but this was the first time that I had to figure out a way to support my entire life. You know roof over your head and all that crap, it was a bit daunting for me.
I waited tables for a while, which I was pretty good at. Problem being "the joint" was a small family business. They were okay, but "Crazy Papa" was the driving force of the whole thing, while his older son "managed" the staff. So, wives, brothers, sisters and girlfriends, the connections never ended in that small diner! The underlying relationship fracas was ever present, but as long as you avoided the iron fist-ed, red faced, fowl mouth Papa, you could comfortably keep your head above water.
I was managing to make it in this Italian circle of love, because I do fit in... my Great Grandmother from Sicily covered that connection for me.
Also, being the ever angelic, conscientious person that I am, I was there on time, worked extra did not eat the expensive items on my meal breaks. It was a seafood restaurant, which in my neck of the swamp, is nothing short of a fantastic fare.... we could eat whatever we pleased on our meal breaks, although you had better steer clear of Papa's precious crabs!
The story had been told that "Crazy Papa" had once thrown a guy clean- out through the kitchen door screen for chomping down on one of his precious, soft shell crabs! And that this guy had created further havoc by having the nerve to knock over 10 hampers of live crawfish, as he scrambled out of the direct path of the old man while running for his life. The "boiler boys" had to chase the damn crawfish all over the parking lot for an hour to get them into the boiling pot for that night's menu... the guy poor guy never showed his face again.
But me, I had dreams and ambitions. I wanted to do other things with my life. I had skills you know! I had already worked in small town journalism and with the added joy of getting a picture published now and then! I went to college for just a short time and I really was into journalism and psychology.
Long story, short~ I was tossed from the loving bosom of the Italian restaurant family, because it was rumored that I was looking for another "work situation". Damn "Crazy Papa" forced his son to let me go, because I might just walk out on them and leave them waitress-less.
Translated, sweet cousin Ana from down the road in Boutte just got divorced and needed my shift!
I took up work, in telephone sales, on short order...it was the fastest thing I could find. Needless to say, that was less than an ideal work situation.
A friend of mine who worked for an answering service/ambulance emergency dispatch service (okay, stop laughing it was a small town and 911 had not yet been invented) was going to take a course for Emergency Medical Technician. The class was 6 only months long and our local ambulance service was looking for employees to use in the field .
Hmmmm, no long haul of education needed for this job, when I was a kid I thought that I might want to be a nurse, the pay was decent and so far I had never fainted at the sight of blood. Sounds like it might this might be right up my alley, besides what could I lose, my crappy telemarketer gig?
End of Entry 1: The Bloody Bus
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