Thursday, September 30, 2010

Ambulance Adventure

Monday- The week started out like any other, we had 9 new volunteers working with us this week, 3 women from ohio and washington and 6 older folk from the Church of Brethren (a group that works with SBP a lot). I was so much more mentally prepared for new volunteers that the first day of orientation was a breeze! We had a lot of sanding, taping, and mudding to do, which can get pretty boring, but everyone was able to participate and help out, because they aren't very hard tasks. One obstacle that got in the way was that almost all of the church group volunteers had recently had shoulder surgery, so they couldn't sand, tape, or mud the high areas/ceiling, which made for a lot of extra work for the 3 other women who could use ladders and their shoulders to their full potential, but everything worked out!
Tuesday- The day started much like the previous day, with more sanding, taping and mudding, but ended very differently! We had to leave the worksite a little early to get ready and head to volunteer at the theatre, so we cleaned up and sent our volunteers off early, and Joe, Eric and I started walking to the Dollar General to change into our AmeriTux's. While on this walk, Joe said that his heart was hurting again (it hurt the night before, but went away after 15 mins of sitting and eating a banana) so we walked a little slower, but I wasn't too worried, because it hadn't lasted too long the night before...but then he stopped and had to put his hands on his knees and couldn't walk anymore...that's when a sheriff happened to drive by and pulled over to check on us. We told him what was going on, he called an EMT, which came in the form of a huge fire truck and then an ambulance, rushing over and putting an oxygen mask on him. Everything happened so fast, it was crazy...it made it a lot more real for me and a little scary, so I can't even imagine how Joe was feeling through all of this, but he was so brave and strong! They said they were going to run some heart tests, so they had to bring him to the ER and I rode along with them in the front of the ambulance. It was quite a rush, riding in the front of an ambulance, it was definitely a new perspective for me. It took us almost a half an hour to get to Tulane Medical Center in New Orleans, which was way longer than it should have taken, but you would not believe how many ignorant drivers do NOT pull over when an ambulance with flashing lights and sirens is right behind them!! It was crazy. I was also surprised to realize that ambulances still have to stop at red traffic lights...I had thought that they had some magical sensor that turned green so they could go through, but I was wrong, because we had to stop at just about every light we got to! The driver was getting really frustrated on this drive, as I would have been, so it was pretty quite, I didn't want to distract her and didn't know what kind of conversation to have anyway, I was just worried about Joe in the back. So we got to the ER and I had to go into the waiting room for 10 minutes, then go into the lobby and pick up a random phone on the wall, say Joe's name, and they would tell me where to go to find him. This was also a new experience for me, I have not spent much time in the ER, thank goodness, so the atmosphere was all very new to me. Now, I enjoy people watching, but the ER is such an intense place to people watch that it was actually really overwhelming. After 10 mins of waiting, I picked up the phone and they told me where to find Joe, except I got confused and ended up wandering around the hospital for a good 10 minutes, asking random people where I could find Joe Barry. They each sent me somewhere different until I finally got to the right place! meanwhile, the rest of my team is being dropped off at the Theatre for the Cirque Dreams show that we were all supposed to be working at that night. The team leader and one of my teammates dropped them off and then came over to the ER to wait for Joe to get out, which ended up being a good 4.5 hours later. Anyways, Joe was feeling a lot better, so I was relieved and switched with the team leader so she could go in and check in with him, because only 1 visitor was allowed at a time. While I was waiting back in the waiting area, one lady came in bawling her eyes out, being chased by a nurse asking her what her daughters name and birthdate were. A couple hours later, the waiting room was filled with the woman's family, and I knew there was bad news when a boy who was probably about 13 ran through the emergency room with his hands on his head, moaning, and collapsed on the ground crying when he got out the doors. The whole family then got up and followed him, crying and screaming themselves, because as it turned out that the daughter, who was 18, had died...The whole experience was so personal and private, yet I was witnessing all of it and didn't know what to do, because there was nothing that I could do.... I wanted to run around and scream with the family, or hug them, or something, anything, because I couldn't even imagine what they were going through, and it made me realize that life and death are so real...and that I will, we all will have to deal with those things at one point or another...and it brought tears to my eyes because I don't want anyone I am close to to ever have to go through that much sadness and pain and all I could do was picture my own family in that situation and it made me so sad and miss them all so much. Their screams outside were louder than the ambulance's sirens going by...it was really intense and when I got back after the ER, I felt like I needed to call someone to debrief, but it was 11pm and I didn't want to wake anyone up, so I saw that Aleena was on facebook and asked if I could call her...so thank you Aleena! I just needed someone I could talk to and cry to and process everything that had just happened before my eyes. Anyways, It was a really intense night, but Joe is okay now, he had to wear a 24 hour heart monitor and has a stress test on Tuesday (so keep him in your prayers!) and I came home with a very real life lesson that I have heard a million times, but "live everyday as if it is your last, because tomorrow's never promised today."
Wednesday- This day was much better/more normal than Tuesday's excitement, which was nice...we did more sanding, taping and mudding, and had 2 meetings after work. Some of my teammates and I got Sno Balls after work, which was amazing! I love them so much, I think I am legit addicted to them now...and then it was my turn to cook dinner for the team, so my cooking partner, Neva and I made my mom's pistachio chicken salad, with avocado/lime dressing, and it turned out really well! WOOO! I had never cooked chicken before in my life, so it was really exciting that I could actually do it! Everyone seemed to really like it too, so that made me happy :)
Thursday- Today was an awesome day all around. Our volunteers worked really hard and we are basically all ready to texture/prime most of the house so we can paint next week! Yayy! Painting is so much more exciting than mudding! Although I am getting really good at it. Anyways, we left work a little early to bring our volunteers to the Sno Ball stand, where they treated us to sno balls ( I got birthday cake flavored, which was amazing!) and we chatted some, while they all ate their sno balls, which they loved too! And then we got dropped off at our house early, so I was able to shower and get ready for the Cirque Dreams show that we worked at tonight! I was a ticket scanner again, and said "how y'all doin tonight?" to at least 10 groups of people :) Its becoming so natural now, and I'm loving every moment of it! Then we got back here and I am updating my blog, doing laundry, and eating Ben and Jerrys, so it's a great night :)

3 comments:

  1. Awwwwwww Brittanyyyyyyyy...I got all teary reading about that family's terrible loss at the hospital. :( I'm am glad Aleena was there for you! :)
    Hope Joe is feeling well. That must have been scary for him!
    Ben and Jerrys...the delicious way to a great night! Love you, ~mama xoxoxo

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  2. Omygosh Brittany that's awful!! I have to say I have experienced some really sad things working at a dr office but nothing like that. I am glad you were there for Joe and I hope he continues to feel better. Your right life is short so I would like to tell you how very much I love and miss you and that you mean the world to me!! Please know you can ALWAYS call me. Day, night, weekend WHENEVER.
    Wait didnt we make chicken on our big cooking lesson??? LOL I thought so.... I am very glad that your chicken came out good!!

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  3. hahaha....I thought of your cooking lesson, too, Lynelle, but I figured Brittany must not have contributed much during that cooking lesson, so it didn't count!
    And Britt...you have LOTS of people you could call anytime, anywhere!!
    Love you bunches, Brittany! xoxo ~mama

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