A Saturday Shift with an Almost-Full Moon

The time approaching the full moon can be as insane as the time of the full moon. Considering that the moon is truly full for only a moment before beginning its waning journey through the sky, this is not saying something surprising, but most people think that the moon is full for the whole day/night. In actuality the moon will be full some time tomorrow night.

That did not change last night.

Our first call went out at 1920, a female with low magnesium. What the hell that meant, I did not know. That was a first for me. I have not been trained to recognise that nor have I heard of it on my own. Well, OK, that doesn't mean that this is not the case. But there was more to that situation, than meets the eye... I called it in to St. Clares as a low magnesium, possible PES (psych) call. I had no way of knowing the patient was not potentially PES and she was quite high-strung and certainly presented like a psych patient.

We were out with her until around 2020, and then when we got to the squad house and finished the call sheet, we heard District 5 go to a CO alarm in Rutgers Village. As per the police standards, we are supposed to be blown out to do standby for any fire call. We waited to see if the police would blow us out - that is our area, not 65's. It was ten minutes after that when we heard our tones go out. We loaded into the rig, and had just started it when District 5 called Dsipatch and told them to cancel us. OK! That is credit for an easy call.

We dispersed and went home again. It was 2103 when we got the third call, a 91-year-old male with difficulty breathing. When I came in, he was in the bathroom trying to go, but to no avail. He had swallowed enough laxative and administered enough enemas that he could blow at any minute. (I'm completely relieved to say he didn't.) He has advanced CHF and swollen legs (up past the knee) and a distended belly. He was not happy although he was a very nice, very pleasant patient, and I really liked him. I also really like Mike Gast, one of the paramedics who came with us. (The other paramedic was really nice but I don't know him. I haven't seen him before.) We took our patient to the hospital and I have a bad feeling he is on his way out. But he knew it, too. No one would be surprised. But he was very likable.

We finally got in from that and I hung out in the sunroom until around 2345 and finally went to bed. It was 0138 when the next call came out, for a diebetic emergency. We ran to that house and yes, that was a patient in severe distress. We were getting ready to load and go when David and... and... oh, crud, I forgot his name... the other paramedic I really, really like as much as David (they are both really completely wonderful, cheerful, very capable but also reassuring and friendly people). They showed up, banged in some sugar into the IV line they set up and she came 'round very quickly and - as usual - she signed off. It was an interesting call. Diabetics with very high sugar go to the hospital. Always. We really don't have anything that will lower sugar. But when a patient has super-low blood sugar (in this case, 32 - normal is between 88 and 120), getting sugar into the patient's system and monitoring the person is really what needs to be done. The patient in this case wasn't just out of it, she was unconscious and foaming at the mouth after vomiting all over. We were out there until around 0245.

It was 0257 when we were banged out for a drunk male who is sick in Montville. We were both looking a little ragged, but I hadn't fallen asleep yet and I know Bob hadn't, either. We got in and I was driving down North Beverwyck when Montville canceled. We were a little put off. We end up in Montville all the time, and we were up and prepared to take the drunk male to the hospital. (If you get me out of bed at some hideous hour because you can't control your drinking, you are going to the hospital! Sort of an "if I suffer, you suffer" sort of thing. Sometimes it works.)

We turned around and headed back to the squad house. We still get credit for the call, so it was an easy run sheet to fill out.

I was happy - I did all the driving for every call except for taking the two patients to St. Clares - Bob does that driving so that I am the senior EMT in the back. I managed to do full work-ups on all of my patients and got in a lot of practice with lung sounds, blood pressures and checking pupils. My pateints were all completely different and diverse - no commonalities. An good night. And no one died under our care. And we managed to not deal with the one drunk we might have had.

Another Saturday night with an almost full moon in Parsippany.