Learning To Deal With It...

[PairoDocs]

Dear Group,
Today the air ambulance (helicopter) flew over our heads and landed in front of the ER at our hospital. The kids and my husband were very excited, and we were able to get close enough to see the paramedics getting the patient out of the helicopter. The helicopter then flew off and landed on the helipad in back of the hospital. My husband really wanted to get closer, since he doesn't remember his helicopter ride at all. We were able to pull up close, and my husband was commenting on the mechanics of the rear rotor, etc, when the pilot turned off the engine and hopped out. We thought we were in trouble, but he said " Just a minute, I have something for you". He gave both kids a nice " Air St. Lukes" hat and a flashing light for their bikes. Then he invited us for a closer look, which involved even putting both kids in the pilot's seat! He showed us how the bed moves, explained how the patient is placed, where the IV's are hung, the IR coatings, etc. We got to see and touch everything. It was all very informative.

The point? I had been having flashbacks whenever I would hear or see the helicopter fly in or take off. My husband was also curious about the helicopter. It seems that both of us had some questions answered. Perhaps we will both sleep better as a result, but even if we don't, there is a little more closure.

I feel saddened when I read about some of the experiences people in this forum have had with the medical profession. Overall, I think most medical people are in it because they truly care for people, as this pilot did. There are certainly easier ways to make a living. Oddly enough, my husband's OHS both affirmed my belief in the medical system and added to some doubts. He may not even have had to be life-flighted in the first place if we didn't have to sit in the ER for 3 hours while I begged them to admit him; I knew something was wrong. And he was admitted for atypical pneumonia, not his heart. Once the problem was discovered, however, the wheels were quickly set in motion, and then it was medicine at its best.

Things looking up in Idaho,
-Laura

 

[Ross]

This is Deja Vue for me. The pretty yellow and blue helicopter responsible for me still being here flies over my house several times a day. Thank God for the pilots, flight Doctors and Nurses.

 

[hensylee]

Laura, please forgive us for sounding off from time to time about the medical profession, in general. If it were not for the medical folks, lots of us here in VR would not be here in VR. Please know that we really do appreciate all that you give to your patients.

It's kinda like atheists. Denying God, but calling on Him when in great need!

We appreciate you.

I think your visit with the helicoptor and its pilot is so exciting. At our hospital one day the helicoptor was there to pick up someone so I stayed around to watch. So very interesting how the team worked with the patient to settle him/her and get needed help.

 

[Nancy]

I am one of the ones who is very vocal about problems with some medical personnel. I was my husband's strong advocate and I mean strong!

I have had the unfortunate experience of having dealt with an enormous number of medical people of all different stripes because my husband had a very long medical history with multiple co-morbidities, huge numbers of hospitalizations, huge numbers of medical procedures. You name it, he has probably had it done.

I have seen the excellent, the good, the bad and the ugly.

I have learned that mistakes can and do happen, and one must be extremely vigilant to make sure that everything that can be done is done, and is done right.

It takes a huge effort for a lay person to learn about whatever medical condition they have, tons of reading, tons of questions and much observation. But it is vital for anyone with difficult medical problems to learn as much as they can about their condition.

Joe was fortunate that he did have superior doctors and he lived longer as a result. This was no accident.

We got rid of the ones who didn't measure up.

 

[Susan BAV]

Flashbacks...

Flashbacks...

Laura - I'm so glad you're signing off that "things are looking up" .

Shocks can be horrendous. What you wrote about the helicopter reminded me of when we nearly lost one of our sons in an awful freak accident several years ago while we were vacationing in another state. The paramedics wouldn't let me ride in the ambulance to the hospital from the accident site and then they wouldn't let me ride in the lifeflight hospital to the next hospital; I didn't want to cause any distraction to the medical people so I didn't challenge their policy and just pushed my feelings aside and dealt with it. In fact, throughout the entire event and recovery I kept pushing my feelings aside and dealt with things. But those few driving hours were ghastly and I recall them vividly. Things turned out amazingly well for my son and us. (I'm on the verge of gushing my expressions of joy right now but I'll refrain. One of my favorite scriptures though is James 1:17.)

However, a few years later I was in the same hospital that my son had been in, staying with my dad because he was gravely ill there and his room happened to be right next to the lifeflight landing pad. I was amazed at the terror that struck in my heart when I heard a helicopter land; I had no idea I would still have that kind of reaction. During that same hospitalization, from which my dad happily recovered, we received a shocking phone call that a couple I had gone to school with had lost their wonderful son in an automobile accident. I remember controlling my emotions while trying to find my way down to an empty washroom so I could have a private cry; and I ended up going down some side stairs and accidently went straight down the hallway to the ER area where my son had been life-flighted. Suddenly all the horrific recollections swarmed down on my head and my heart. I found a nearby empty bathroom and I had such a meltdown that I didn't realize was even in me!

I cried for my friends and their loss, and I cried for how things almost went for us, and a cried with the greatest relief for how things ended up for us.

I steadily recovered emotionally from then on, from that vivid flashback. It was really the first time I'd been able to really give vent to all the shock and terror we'd gone through. We'd always been such conscientious parents but our experience of nearly losing our son was the first time that I truly realized that even if you dot all of your i's and cross all of your t's in life, that life is fragile and something awful can still happen. It was such a shocking flashback. And your post about closure and such reminded me of it all. You certainly have my empathy.

Best wishes to you, Laura, you and your family, for recovery and health and happiness. Take care .

 

[CThrock]

I had GREAT doctors in Stanford and in Arizona. They were great to me and all my family. I feel real blessed to have such a great medical team for all the situations I have been in. I also had a air trip but don't know or remember anything about it just know I made it safe and they took care of me. They sent me the bill before it went to insurance and for about 10 miles it was $1500
WOW!!!!Would of loved to remember that ride.. NOT!!!

 

[geebee]

Sounds like you had a great time touring the helicopter - glad they let you.

As far as being critical of the medical profession - I believe we talk about it more to make people understand that we have to take charge of our own care. It isn't to indicate people don't care but more that they are spread too thin and mistakes happen. If we are not aware, we could die - simple as that. The wrong pills, the wrong treatment and things get ugly very fast. I learned this at the ripe old age of 28 when I was handed the wrong meds and refused to take them. I got an arguement from the nurse who insisted she was right. Someone else might have given in and who knows what happens in those situations.

The vast majority of the medical profession are good, kind and well trained folks who keep us alive. But we still must be aware that there are bad eggs out there. Similar to driving - most people are good drivers but the bad ones can kill you.

 

[Philip B]

Helicopter

Helicopter

It's great that the pilot took some time to visit with you and show you around the ship...

I used to work closely with life flight crews when I did EMT work many years ago. I also used to spend a lot of time in helicopters during the thirteen summers that I worked for the National Park Service. I do occasionally miss the flying, but I don't miss the three forced landings I was on board for. Those machines are great when they stay in the air like they're supposed to. My wife got to the point where she didn't even want to know when I was going to fly. If she spotted me leaving the house with my flight suit bag, she would stay upset all day.

I was really bummed when my jacket with my St. Mary's Life Flight pin was stolen some years ago.

-Philip

 

[PairoDocs]

Another Interesting Fact...

Another Interesting Fact...

It's great that the pilot took some time to visit with you and show you around the ship...

I used to work closely with life flight crews when I did EMT work many years ago. I also used to spend a lot of time in helicopters during the thirteen summers that I worked for the National Park Service. I do occasionally miss the flying, but I don't miss the three forced landings I was on board for. Those machines are great when they stay in the air like they're supposed to. My wife got to the point where she didn't even want to know when I was going to fly. If she spotted me leaving the house with my flight suit bag, she would stay upset all day.

I was really bummed when my jacket with my St. Mary's Life Flight pin was stolen some years ago.

-Philip

As a resident, I used to take helicopter transports to St Louis (about 2 hours by car) from Southern Illinois. It was a few extra bucks, and the pilots would sometimes buzz the fields of the guys who were down there growing nonmedical marijuana. When the helicopter crashed one day and killed all hands, including the patient, I decided that I wasn't THAT much of an adrenaline junky and only volunteered for ground transports. My husband and I had spoken about that very incident in recent times. So, when it was his turn and he was waiting for intubation, the flight paramedic asked me if I wanted to along in the helicopter. I was really afraid that Chris would die on me, so I said "Yes, yes, I'm ready".

Well, Chris gasped out "No, the President and Vice-President always fly on separate airplanes". I though he was nuts. What did this have to do with the price of tea in China? He then said "If the helicopter goes down and we're both on board, our kids won't have parents." I got it; normally I'm not that obtuse. He also made sure I had my current registration on my car, and got the weather update from the paramedics!

His trip (110 miles) cost...cough...$15,000, but all worth it.

Breezy in Idaho,
-Laura

 

[PairoDocs]

Deja Vu...

Deja Vu...

This is Deja Vue for me. The pretty yellow and blue helicopter responsible for me still being here flies over my house several times a day. Thank God for the pilots, flight Doctors and Nurses.

Yeah , the helicopter flies over our house all the time. It also lands around here all the time due to the number of motor vehicle and farm accidents. We also get the air traffic from the nearby Air Force Base and the pipeline airplane that flies over at random times to make sure there is no terrorist activity. I definitely want to leave the flying up to the professionals, and thank them every time I see the helicopter.

Seeing Earthshine in Idaho,
-Laura

 

[PairoDocs]

We appreciate you.

I think your visit with the helicopter and its pilot is so exciting. At our hospital one day the helicoptor was there to pick up someone so I stayed around to watch. So very interesting how the team worked with the patient to settle him/her and get needed help.

Thanks! I hope you didn't think I was fishing for compliments. I wish there were more docs. They want to build a medical school in Idaho, but no one will go there until they figure out a way to help defray costs. Idaho is one of the most rapidly-growing states, but has the fewest providers per capita, and our physician population is one of the oldest. The youngest person in our group is 41; I'm second at 46, and the rest of the gang is well over 50! I have been in practice 16 years and I'm still paying my student loans.

I have always found flying interesting myself, but I used to be susceptible to air sickness unless I was actually in the cockpit. It's amazing how much stuff they can squeeze onto that helicopter!


Dark Skies in Idaho,
-Laura

 

[PairoDocs]

Sounds like you had a great time touring the helicopter - glad they let you.



The vast majority of the medical profession are good, kind and well trained folks who keep us alive. But we still must be aware that there are bad eggs out there. Similar to driving - most people are good drivers but the bad ones can kill you.

Yeah, even the good ones can kill you. I liked being a rural doc-"womb to tomb" as they say. It usually meant that I knew a lot about family dynamics, etc. What started to get me in trouble was 100-hour workweeks, and inability to say no. A tired doc makes mistakes, and rural docs don't often have a lot of staff to double-check them. I had to do my own double-checking. My family needs me, so I had to go to a more humane schedule.

I'm always glad if someone tries to correct me in almost any manner except rude and obnoxious. I have had people tell me to get lost, only in a more colorful way. I have had to tell several people to get lost themselves, because they threatened my staff, my family, or myself. It's true...you have to be proactive regarding your healthcare.

A Little Chilly in Idaho,
-Laura

 

[PairoDocs]

Laura - I'm so glad you're signing off that "things are looking up" .
(I'm on the verge of gushing my expressions of joy right now but I'll refrain. One of my favorite scriptures though is James 1:17.

I steadily recovered emotionally from then on, from that vivid flashback. It was really the first time I'd been able to really give vent to all the shock and terror we'd gone through. We'd always been such conscientious parents but our experience of nearly losing our son was the first time that I truly realized that even if you dot all of your i's and cross all of your t's in life, that life is fragile and something awful can still happen. It was such a shocking flashback. And your post about closure and such reminded me of it all. You certainly have my empathy.

Best wishes to you, Laura, you and your family, for recovery and health and happiness. Take care .

Susan,
Thanks for your well wishes. I think that a sick child is probably even worse to experience than a sick husband. In my profession, the sick or hurt children always seem to grab you and can really dog your thoughts. I don't know how well I could have handled it if one of our children needed OHS. You do what you have to, I guess. And get counseling for the flashbacks. What a nightmare for you!

I'm glad that things worked out well for your family. I hope your recovery continues as well.

Stars Out in Idaho,
-Laura

 

[deogloria]

Wow, if they don't take you seriously in the ER and you're a DOCTOR, it's no wonder so many of us are getting misdiagnosed!

I feel very lucky to have learned a lot online in time to get myself checked out before I got any worse. They wanted to boot me from the ER, but fortunately they gave in fairly quickly when I insisted on getting a CT scan. Had I been in a smaller hospital ER like I went to last year, who knows if I'd have gotten a CT scan?

 

[pamela]

I am so grateful to the air ambulance crews who fly life flights out of the north. Although my son's arm was amputated in spite of the care he received, they brought him as quickly as possible to the surgeons and facilities that could save it were that possible.

I'm glad you had a chance to speak to the pilot and see the helicopter up close as an observer and not a patient or crew member. It's a blessing that you also were speaking to a crew member on a good day, too; he definitely made it a positive experience.

Take Heart,
Pamela.