Hell Week
The Swine flu is just now really hitting Alaska, so at 1 am my phone rings and we have a house call, I give the family a call back with an e.t.a. and ask if there are any special circumstances such as stairs, weight, ect. that I need to be aware of so that I can bring the right equipment; she response "well yeah there are five little stairs up into the house" okay no problem I say, that's pretty typical. So we drive out into the boonies to this crap shack, mind you Alaska sees no importance in house number so sometimes I randomly knock on doors to see if someone died inside. I go up to the house and they are expecting me so so far so good. I talk to her for a few minutes and I can tell she looks like she doesn't feel good; she discloses to me that everyone in the house including herself has H1N1, I think to myself wow should put a mask on before I came in her but whatever. So I ask her to take me to where so and so is so I can see whether to bring in the cot or a back board. As I proceed inside the place is filthy and I mean filthy pack full of junk she takes me through the living room to a very small room about the size of the closet in your basement spare room and there sits a 400lb man in a recliner with junk packed all around the chair; beer cans, trash, just plain filth and trash in front of him is another little chair packed with clothes and such; he must of has his feet up resting on the little chair or something and also there is a dresser packed so full that you can't close the drawers in it. So we have about two feet of room to work with to climb in there and somehow get a 400lb man out; also there are no lights in this room they brought me in with a flash light. I just stand there in awe and say okay and go outside to talk to my coworker. I tell her we should just drive away right now, tell them can't help and go back to bed. I was willing to pay the owner $1500 that he would have lost on the call. I cover my body in hand sanatizer get my mask and gloves on take her inside to see exactly what I mean. We called the troopers back and asked them to return to the home to assist us, they say no, of course because they have been there and seen that there was no way he was coming back. we ended up calling the fire department and it took five of us to get him out of the house. We basically drug him across the floor and down the stairs into the mud by our stretcher and then lifted him on to the cot. It then took five of us to get the cot into the vehicle. Needless to say I still think we should of left. I am assuming that they are poor and the state will be paying us for it, which in around about way means I am paying for it with my taxes and I only get $55 for doing a removal in town. So not worth it!!! I came back to the funeral home and showered, scubbed my skin for a long time and threw my clothes in the wash immediatly. I then had to make arrangements with the family the next day. Everyone comes in sick as fuck and coughing everywhere without even thinking of covering their mouths.
The rest of our house calls that we have had in the past two weeks all seem to think it would be a good idea to die upstairs. I told my cowoker if I felt that I was having a heartattack or a drug overdose I would throw myself down the stairs to save anyone the trouble.
I haven't had a day off I probably a month if not longer, I can't even remember what time off feels like. And I sit here wondering how I haven't met anyone or made any friends but I guess that would be nearly impossible when I never leave the office. I wish that Thanatogenous was here; somehow we manage to keep a pretty positive additude even in the worst of times and I really miss that right now. Mainly I just here my coworker talk about how tired and worn out she is, when in all reality she had two weeks vacation just a few weeks ago and I have kind of been on call since before she left for that. She has also taken a few mornings off this week and I haven't been able to get the option. I understand that she is worn out and so am I but bitching about it doesn't change a thing it just makes me more irritable. Either way it is what it is. I can't wait till I go on my cruise in December!!
The Swine flu is just now really hitting Alaska, so at 1 am my phone rings and we have a house call, I give the family a call back with an e.t.a. and ask if there are any special circumstances such as stairs, weight, ect. that I need to be aware of so that I can bring the right equipment; she response "well yeah there are five little stairs up into the house" okay no problem I say, that's pretty typical. So we drive out into the boonies to this crap shack, mind you Alaska sees no importance in house number so sometimes I randomly knock on doors to see if someone died inside. I go up to the house and they are expecting me so so far so good. I talk to her for a few minutes and I can tell she looks like she doesn't feel good; she discloses to me that everyone in the house including herself has H1N1, I think to myself wow should put a mask on before I came in her but whatever. So I ask her to take me to where so and so is so I can see whether to bring in the cot or a back board. As I proceed inside the place is filthy and I mean filthy pack full of junk she takes me through the living room to a very small room about the size of the closet in your basement spare room and there sits a 400lb man in a recliner with junk packed all around the chair; beer cans, trash, just plain filth and trash in front of him is another little chair packed with clothes and such; he must of has his feet up resting on the little chair or something and also there is a dresser packed so full that you can't close the drawers in it. So we have about two feet of room to work with to climb in there and somehow get a 400lb man out; also there are no lights in this room they brought me in with a flash light. I just stand there in awe and say okay and go outside to talk to my coworker. I tell her we should just drive away right now, tell them can't help and go back to bed. I was willing to pay the owner $1500 that he would have lost on the call. I cover my body in hand sanatizer get my mask and gloves on take her inside to see exactly what I mean. We called the troopers back and asked them to return to the home to assist us, they say no, of course because they have been there and seen that there was no way he was coming back. we ended up calling the fire department and it took five of us to get him out of the house. We basically drug him across the floor and down the stairs into the mud by our stretcher and then lifted him on to the cot. It then took five of us to get the cot into the vehicle. Needless to say I still think we should of left. I am assuming that they are poor and the state will be paying us for it, which in around about way means I am paying for it with my taxes and I only get $55 for doing a removal in town. So not worth it!!! I came back to the funeral home and showered, scubbed my skin for a long time and threw my clothes in the wash immediatly. I then had to make arrangements with the family the next day. Everyone comes in sick as fuck and coughing everywhere without even thinking of covering their mouths.
The rest of our house calls that we have had in the past two weeks all seem to think it would be a good idea to die upstairs. I told my cowoker if I felt that I was having a heartattack or a drug overdose I would throw myself down the stairs to save anyone the trouble.
I haven't had a day off I probably a month if not longer, I can't even remember what time off feels like. And I sit here wondering how I haven't met anyone or made any friends but I guess that would be nearly impossible when I never leave the office. I wish that Thanatogenous was here; somehow we manage to keep a pretty positive additude even in the worst of times and I really miss that right now. Mainly I just here my coworker talk about how tired and worn out she is, when in all reality she had two weeks vacation just a few weeks ago and I have kind of been on call since before she left for that. She has also taken a few mornings off this week and I haven't been able to get the option. I understand that she is worn out and so am I but bitching about it doesn't change a thing it just makes me more irritable. Either way it is what it is. I can't wait till I go on my cruise in December!!
VIEW 6 of 6 COMMENTS
menacer5000:
nothing much is new with me. i've been laying low for awhile. whats new with you little lady?
arctcknight:
thanks doll im thinking about running down next weekend if you can take that saturday off.