Don't Stop - the Pocono mountains section COMPLETED About This Page:

[lindawdw]

Great update Mark - can't wait to hear if you got to experience going on a call!

[clio]

Great update Mark.
Liz

[Wendyismyname]

I know what a Touron is!


I Pinwheels cookies!

I can't wait to read the rest Marky Mark!

[chezp]

Wednesday 30 December – part six: “do you log off for lunch?”

Continuing Mark’s day out working with paramedic Sue in his words..

11am
Yippee!! We got a shout and we are off to the infamous Camelback ski slope or should that be broke-back for our first victim, sorry patient, who had a reported head injury (now why any sane person would strap themselves to a piece of wood and the throw themselves down a mountain beets me). Now how they remember the directions to these places amazes me, but I am a bloke.

Now to ride in the back of the ambulance is an interesting experience and is worthy of an E-ticket ride at any park. The problem in the jump seat is that you face backwards looking out the rear windows, this is great but your body moves one direction whilst yours eyes are saying you are going the other. Best way to describe this adventure is the backward part of Expedition Everest. No safety warnings here just strap in and think of England or keep a stiff upper lip!


After the rollercoaster ride, we reached Camelback and the nice cool fresh air was just what the doctor ordered to reset my head. On entering the medical room, we were met with a lot of patients with various injuries. Our patient was waiting, sitting up on the bed with oxygen and his so called mates were filming him with their phones for You Tube, Facebook etc. Anyhow with Sue assessing the young man, Margo got me to work - free slave for the day, I’m sure there’s a law about that somewhere. Packhorse Mark, here we come:

• 1 bag of neck collars of various sizes
• 1 bag of straps
• 1 back board

After that little lot was presented to Sue, Margo and myself went to get the stretcher. Like all good trolleys, these have a mind of their own but not as bad as a shopping trolley.

With the patient fitted with a neck collar, he was moved to the trolley. After he was securely strapped on, he was moved to the ambulance. Now I take my hat off to all ambulance personal throughout the country, positioning a trolley and putting it on the vehicle is no mean feat and there has to be an easier way? The medical shows on TV make it look easy, but then they are only lifting a PVC Dummy, not a dead weight of person.

Anyhow, with the trolley secured, we made off with lights and sirens. While Sue dealt with the patient, I rode up front with Margo, let’s just say the view was better and no feeling that I had been slapped around the face with a wet kipper. What did amaze me was the fact that car and truck drivers alike fail to move aside for them. Back home, we move out of the way as soon as possible, as you never know whether it’s a family member in the back.

Margo got me to do the radio checks to control which was cool, but somewhat confusing for control to get a Brit on the line?

Sue and Margo checked the patient in and I waited in the lobby and made small talk with the booking in woman, who inquired (I quote) “where did you get that lovely voice from?” Answer was simple: “England of course”, which then led into “we have a nurse that comes from there.” Margo returned with clean sheets for the trolley and I assisted in making the bed up, sorry trolley. Sue returned and we were ready to rock n roll back to the house.

Now, with me seated back in the jump seat, we made our bid to return to the house. But unbeknown to me, we got another shout. I only realised this, when we were met by the security van to escort us to where the patient was. This case was a reported heart attack with chest and arm pains.

While Sue and Margo sprang into action and entered the building, I waited outside. It was during this time that I discovered the free Hershey chocolate samples I procured from our visit to Hershey’s. Ok it’s not Cadburys chocolate, but it will do, as I was peckish for something to nibble. I never got the chance to unwrap the chocolate as Sue and Margo re-appeared with the patient on trolley complete with the machine that goes beep (heart monitor in Monty Python).

Again Sue travelled with patient and I rode up front with Margo. We arrived at the hospital and Sue & Margo disappeared with the patient and I waited in the lobby. The patient we brought in earlier was sitting up on a trolley in the corridor (hey it’s just like home with patients in corridors, but here you pay for the privilege). His mates had arrived and carried on where they left off at Camelback, still filming him, they found it very amusing that the back of his gown was undone.

Sue and Margo returned and I offered them a Hershey which Margo accepted, but Sue declined as I only had dark (didn’t know what I acquired). Now I thought being a man, that women liked any chocolate but hey ho! So Margo had the other piece saying how nice it was. (note, should have taken the Cadbury’s)

1.30pm Lunch time?

Sue and Margo mentioned lunch, so off we went to a store across the road from the hospital (Sue will remember the name), this had a deli and hot food counter. Now what surprised me now was that we parked the ambulance up, but left the engine running in the car park. Now back here, the van would have grown a set of legs and gong for a walk, if you know what I mean.

Anyhow lunch, Sue had hot soup, sorry cannot remember the flavour (must take notes like Chez). Margo went with a packet of Lays crisps and a tortilla wrap. While I had the chicken noodle soup, we paid for the items and collected the food and then we were off back to the house.

Now that we were back in the house and sitting around the table, I enquired about whether they logged off for lunch? The answer was no and to eat quickly, as we may get a shout. Hmm spoke too soon with lunch not started, we got a shout and I was getting the blame. No surprise there then, as this morning they were complaining that they had nothing to do and now we off on our third shout in a row. With lunch left on the table, we headed off to the ambulance with Sue and Margo discussing the best way to the address.

Now this shout was way out in the sticks and the roads were not marked, so Sue and Margo had to keep asking for information from control. Now if I thought the journey earlier was bad, this was a triple E-ticket ride, as the roads seem to lack tarmac and it was more off road than road. This was pothole city and these trucks with the equipment in bounced, rocked and swayed about.

We finally reached our destination with me not redecorating the inside of patient area some (this was down to thinking about how crap my football team is and closing my eyes). I decided to keep clear, as it was fairly apparent that the woman was in distress. Sue and Margo went in with the beep machine to assess the male patient with a suspected cardiac arrest. Sue came back and I assisted in getting the trolley up the stairs to the rear patio area. With the patient wired for sound and breathing oxygen, he was transferred onto the trolley. With me guiding Sue backwards down the steps, we made our way the ambulance. With the man loaded, Margo carried out final checks and Sue radioing in to say we were off.
The two women made their own way to the hospital in their own car. With Sue driving and Margo with the patient, we were on our way. During the journey, Margo asked me to pass her the drug cabinet key. This was so she could administer the morphine that the doctors told her to use. Journey there seemed shorter considering were we where, but hey, I don’t know the area.

When we arrived, there were doctors and nurses all waiting for him and he was rushed through on the trolley to be assessed and transported to the cardiac unit on the trolley. This poor gentleman was actually having cardiac arrest! Now, as this patient was being seen to, the air ambulance arrived and I had to get photos as Chez would probably have me admitted with the camera embedded in my head!



Ok, photos done, Sue and Margo returned and we were off to the house for lunch part two. Steve phoned to say he and Chez had a great day with the cows and were on their way over, so Chez could see the house. We got back and finished our lunch which was very nice.

Chez and Steve arrived and introductions were made all round. Chez went into overdrive telling me about all the cute COWS she had seen and how she fell in love with a three week old calf and the young bullock which was going to be kept for stud.

When she had finished, we made our way down to the garage, so she could see the ambulance. This is when she asked what’s it like seating in the back and my comment “it wallows like a humping pig” had everyone laughing. Chez took photos and Steve was talking about the good old days when he was a paramedic on the road. Chez & Steve left to go and get more photo’s of the area (more on that later)....

3pm
The saying “all quiet on the western front” sprang to mind here, as there were no calls. Sue and Margo were talking to their work colleges and I did some more multi-tasking. Twice in one day I think I need a lay down!

4pm
Sue had a call from the staff looking after her farther who was in hospital. After which, I think it’s fair to say she was about to explode let’s say at about a level four. She phoned her dad and that increased to about a level six, but I think he got the message. Well I did anyhow!

For reasons you’ll understand, we’ll come back to Mark’s last entry in a moment... We’ll be returning to the regularly scheduled trip report shortly....

Next: “what do you mean – uh-oh?”

[claytrgtshooter]

Really enjoying Mark's report. Keep it coming.

[KMB733]

Another great update from Mark!

[rescuesk]

Mark was almost as bad as Donna when it came to call volume....

He did pretty good, considering. The roads are NOT very well maintained and 423 is one of our bouncier rigs. And it was NICE to have an extra set of hands on the last call...that guy was pretty sick.

[lazanya]

Great updates Mark!

[disney_duke]

What a great experience for you Mark. Well, for anybody for that matter! I'm sure they truly appreciated your extra help. Glad you finally got to finish your lunch!

[Colexis Mom]

Another great update Mark!

[chezp]

Wednesday 30 December – part seven: “what do you mean – uh-oh?”

Once we were done there, we headed out with Steve taking a detour to show me some sheep on the way. I didn’t manage to get any photos and, after the joy of the cows this morning, those hardly compared. Sorry guys.

From there, we stopped briefly at Radio Shack, as Steve had to get something for his sister and then we took the back route, so that I could get some shots of Shawnee Mountain at night. The trouble was that it didn’t work out that way....

We must’ve been about 100 yards from the car park entrance, when Steve said “uh-oh”. It turns out that we were out of gas. Now the back story to that is that Steve did stop a bit earlier at a gas station, but left there without filling up, because of the “tourons” (apparently a mixture of the words “tourist” and “moron”, which he uses to describe those who’ve moved into the area) who were driving him insane. Now had I known how much we needed gas, I would’ve tried to insist that we got some there, but I didn’t think twice about it.

Anyway, “it’s not an issue”, Steve tells me, as there’s emergency gas in the trunk. So off he goes to use that, taking the car keys with him. Remember this, as it will be important very shortly.... He finished doing that and got back into the driving seat and asked me where the keys were. I told him very firmly that he had taken them with him and he asked me if I was sure. Yes, I was sure – I saw you take them with you. Another “uh-oh”. He checked his pockets and went outside to check the ground for them. No sign of any keys anywhere. That means they’ll be in the trunk then, he told me. OK, so just pop the trunk then. Well, apparently, in this car, you can’t do that, without the keys.... Oh goody....

For the next 10 or 15 minutes, he then tried to get into the trunk, which at first was hysterically funny to me, until I started to think that we might be stuck out here for hours....


Just a little deserted here...

Steve trying to get into the trunk...

Fortunately, Steve phoned Sue and she headed out on a rescue mission. We sat there and we sat there, waiting for Sue and Mark and I decided to get some video of the whole thing, which Steve didn’t seem too keen to do. I can’t imagine why.... but I called it revenge for all the time that he’s taped people in their hour of need!


”Why won’t this darned thing go?”

Here’s Mark’s description of things, as he saw it with Sue:

Time moved on and 6pm came round quite quickly and, just as we were about to leave, Steve phoned to say that he had broken down with a fuel and key problem? In laymen’s terms, I’ve run out of fuel and locked the keys in the boot, sorry trunk. I think the level went nearly atomic as Steve had done this four times, I repeat four times already!

Now for this part, I can only apologise, as if Steve hadn’t been taken Chez out and about to get photos, they wouldn’t have run out of fuel.

Sue got another phone call to say that he had got the keys and that he had put fuel in but it still wouldn’t start, so off we went to rescue them....

Sue and Mark arrived and her emergency gas was duly put into the tank as well. Unfortunately, there was no difference. The engine still wasn’t catching, so Sue headed off to get some more emergency gas and I went with her. Coming back was fun, as we had to go past them and then find somewhere safe to around. The water that Steve and I had earlier seen on the road earlier was now turning to black ice, not nice. :

We put the extra emergency gas into the car and finally the engine turned over. I headed home with Sue and Mark, as at least we knew that she had gas in the car and it wouldn’t run out.... Finally, we were home about an hour or so later than originally planned. It had been quite an adventure.

We all sat there for a while and recovered and Mark played at being the animal whisperer again....



Then we headed out for dinner at the Landmark Cafe, which is a favourite local haunt of theirs and I can see why - it’s a very nice and friendly place.


Taking the Mickey out of Steve’s earlier exploits!

We had some fun with our server, as she knew that Sue and Steve had friends staying with them, but she couldn’t remember where we were from, so Mark fooled her by saying “bonjour” to her. I then joined in with “konnichiwa”. She got there in the end.

Mark decided to go for the buffalo wings, but obviously he didn’t realise that they were hot, so he got quite a nasty shock. Sue had to try and keep him cool by waving a napkin at him.



My coconut shrimp with orange sauce was beautiful and the flavours combined together perfectly.



For entree, Mark had the chicken, which seemed to be a bit hot for him again, while I had the crab cakes. They’re a specialty here and I can see why. They were excellent.



By the time we finished the main course, we were all stuffed. We had had a great meal here.

Landmark Cafe:

Appetiser 9½ 8½
Entree 9½ 9
Service 9½ 9½
Atmosphere 9 9
Value for money 9 9

Average score: 9.15

We headed back and watched a bit of the video from earlier, when we went to see the cows and then it was off to bed, as Mark was already falling asleep, tired from his early start.

The weather today was dry and sunny, with temperatures in the low 30s.
The best thing today was seeing the cows.
The worst thing today was running out of gas.
The funniest thing today was Steve when we ran out of gas.
Today we tried going to the Landmark Cafe
And the result was it was a really nice place to go for a meal.
The most magical moment today was going in with the calves.

Next: wow, is that white outside?

[Wendyismyname]

I remember that text!!

[KMB733]

I can't believe you guys ran out of gas! At least you were rescued though. And dinner sounds wonderful!!

[DawnK]

Whoops!!!!!! Sue and Mark to the rescue!!!!

That food looks awesome and not just because I am hungry. It's pretty to look at too.

[Colexis Mom]

Too funny about the gas and the keys! Glad you got it all sorted out in the end, and had a great dinner!