That is the question that I have gotten so tired of hearing.
Yea, I drive an ambulance. On a normal shift I take atleast 1 nap and drive over 200 miles. Sometimes I even get to go to playgrounds and parades, or even fairs. I get to drive fast and run red lights and stop signs every now and again. I get to go shopping and hang out at malls and stores, I even get to joke around and nearly pee my pants laughing. The kind of service I work for has me driving you're old decrepit ass around town, all at the expense of your insurance/medicare/medicaid provider who pays my 11 dollar an hour wages.
However, I don't just do the above mentioned activites. I love my job. I love being able to help someone who cannot help themselves. I enjoy that once in a blue moon occurrence of a true emergency call. I like helping nurses figure out why our patient's PO2 is so low when there isn't prior respiratory issues. Its fun to use my brain to get a 33 inch wide stretcher through a 32 inch wide door. I cherish when my patient looks me in the eyes and thanks me, or shakes my hand, or hugs me. And most of all, I like learning something new every time I go to work.
It's not like I just applied for this job and *bam* I got it. No, it doesn't work like that. To even get my EMT license I had to give up Tuesday and Thursday nights from 7-10pm for 6 months of senior year of high school. I had to tell friends that I couldn't hang out with them. It changed me, it changed the way I think and the way I look at things. I had to sacrifice a lot of things, many of which were social, just to get to the point I'm at today. Now this isn't a pitty party, its a plea. Next time I tell you that I just got off work and am really too tired to do anything, just take my word for it and please don't give me a guilt trip. You don't know what I've had to do at work. You don't know that I've had to drive lights and sirens against traffic from God's country just so I can get a very sick man to a higher level of care, with his wife in the passenger seat and his daughter in the back. You don't know that I've had to deal with stupid nurses and even dumber dispatchers all day. You don't know that I worked through lunch just so my patient wasn't left alone on the stretcher in the ER. You don't know, you simply don't. And you know what? It's okay. I don't expect you to. But please, just don't get on my back about canceling plans, or taking a raincheck. I know that me staying home isn't going to ruin your day, so please don't act like it. There will be other days and other plans, just please be patient and take me for my word.
Sincerely,
Scott L, EMT-B
AKA "Ambulance Driver"
November 22
5 months ago
