A Paramedic Gets it Right

I have great respect for paramedics.  Having to be on the frontline and running into situations without knowing what to expect in order to help others is among the highest levels of bravery.  I really love, though, when I hear stories like this one, taken without permission from a blog of one of our family friends:

Let me paraphrase the backstory: This man (one of the greatest men I've ever known, incidentally) fell off of his roof last month and broke several ribs along with a collarbone and some other injuries, leaving him in the hospital for three days and off work for a month.  Fortunately, he is doing better now, but here is the story he tells of a great blessing he got (with names removed):

About 10 days after the fall, and after a big wind storm which left our yard strewn with branches, [my wife] was again outside working by herself. A firetruck pulled to the front of the yard and 5 firemen got out - they told [her] that they were responding to a false-alarm fire nearby, when one of the 5 (a paramedic who had assited me to the hospital) noticecd [her] working outside and knowing the situation, suggested they take 20 minutes and help out. What a blessing they were to her - the whole yard was cleaned up in those 20 minutes - it would have taken [her] several hours. We've been truly blessed!

Finding that kind of love and service anymore is so rare, and I give huge props to these firemen for giving of their time when they could easily have just gone back to the fire station to rest and get ready for their next call.  What a great story to embody the spirit of Christmas.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Nashville Pulse, But Not For Long

It's late, and I'm too tired to figure out exactly what dysrhythmia Nashville Pulse is using for their logo (came across it in the app store), but I think it is some kind of heart block.  Among the many problems with this heart rhythm, I'm a little concerned about the length of the pause immediately before this dying blip.  Also, this patient appears to have a U wave and an S-and-a-half wave, and is it just me or is that atrium not getting much loving?

Z-Coil Shoes

I have always laughed at that those shoes that are becoming more and more popular with nurses with a giant spring on the back.  They look goofy.

And yet as my plantar fasciitis continues and I go home from work in pain every day, I've become a little desperate.  Tonight, I stopped by my local uniform store and tried out some Z-Coil shoes.  I was a little bit dismayed at how comfortable they were, because I didn't really want to talk myself into getting silly looking shoes.  I was also a little bit dismayed at how much they cost.

That said, I think I am going to pull the trigger and get them anyway; unless someone who has worn them can talk me out of it.  That's where you come in.  Go ahead.  Do your worst.