WI Notes
Before Bob Jones- a semi retired Paramedic came to talk to us ,I thought
I'd check out his website. It said-----Humorist, Comedian, Poet (he's
appeared at the Edinburgh Fringe) Speaker, Writer, Suburban Child, City
Accountant, Dairy Farmer and Paramedic. I stand up, I tell stories, relate
anecdotes and make audiences laugh.
This he certainly did! He said when he'd put the post code for Reach (we'd retired there as our own hall was closed for maintenance) his Satnav had said "you must be joking!" He'd qualified as a Paramedic on his 50th birthday- in his own words-a late starter- and now semi-retired was working just two days a week.
Patients vary of course from the VERY large -when assistance from other agencies is sometimes required to get them to hospital (risk assessments having been completed) to their favourite kind-those that walk to the ambulance! There was very little about the drama of his profession-apart from that is of course,the tale of the holy water sprinkled on the defibrillator, but gentle and amusing annecdotes about the people he and his colleagues had been called to.
The blind man who'd navigated them from Addenbrookes all the way to his home- almost faultlessly. The "collapsed behind the door" (CBD, in ambulance speak) couple who'd got their Zimmer frames and lower limbs locked in an impossible tangle on their landing and who were still arguing-having been disentangled, as the ambulance drove away! The stone deaf old lady quietly watching "the Bill" who was deeply shocked when a policeman flew in through her window, as the paramedics thought she may have collapsed. The 91 year old lady who'd fallen and cut her leg-and refused to go to hospital because she'd be late getting her son's lunch. He was 73! Those that have diagnosed what is wrong with them before the paramedics arrive-what can you say?
999 calls are now monitored but still some absurd and inappropriate ones get through-from the extremely constipated- entonox solved his problem, to the alcoholic who'd called them, as she'd needed some cigarettes. Time wasters get short shrift.
Even off duty, his professional skills are sought-particularly it seems in the air and on one occasion, the champagne he'd received from the captain of the plane, by way of thanks, was confiscated by German customs. Not a happy ending to that story. But to end the report, I think my favourite one-the dear old gentleman who'd died peacefully in his sleep who was being carried to the ambulance in a chair, carefully wrapped in a cosy blanket, was cheerily greeted by his neighbour "Well hello Fred-you're looking better today"!
Every one is very welcome to our meetings which are one the third Monday of each month, in the Village Hall at 7.30pm