Once upon a time (aka yesterday) I was on shift just
starting in the evening ready for the night to bring it on. Our second call in the hour and a half was a
man calling from a pay phone stating that he had a broken leg. “Here we go, another lame-oo” I thought we
fly on over there lights and sirens with a very unexcited face. We arrive, I walk out to see a man with a
knee immobilizer and crutches, I think great this guy is has already been taken
care of… Lame-o. We put him on the cot
take him back in the ambulance, and start asking questions. Turns out this guy had surgery 3 days prior on his leg putting in a rod to repair his femur and another one to repair his
tibia. He was prescribed meds but had no
way to get them and no way to pay for them.
This homeless man crutched out of the hospital after his surgery
hitchhiked to a local homeless shelter who would not accept him because of his
injury and lack of ID (also I think he had a history with them that he was not
telling us). So he had been staying behind
a Circle K drinking alcohol for the pain. That’s when I think man it sucks to
be this guy. If I had this surgery my
mom would be doing everything for me including feeding me spoon full by spoon
full (everything besides going to the bathroom, I would still need to do
that).
So this man had no antibiotics or pain meds. I think, “oh snap, that has to be infected.” I opened the knee immobilizer and this thing
is inflamed like all get out, then the smell, barf. I looked at him and said “you sir just earned
some fentanyl (pain narcotic),” I pushed the med then oh boy, with the pain
gone he became a hilariously inappropriate comedian. For the next 30 minutes during the transport
we are bombarded by nasty jokes by a homeless, faded old army vet.
But the real reason I post this is because I realize how
good I have it, I have a family that
loves me, a future job that will provide for me, a church that teaches me
correct principles, and a secure future.
I am still humbled everyday.
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