09/09/2025
The aftermath of a call.
After responding to a "bad call", which could be one of normal circumstances for us like a cardiac arrest, we perform with the same professionalism as we always do. We run through the call like all the ones before it, but then the aftermath comes. It's when we get back to the station and find downtime or our shifts over and it's time to go home.
How many people outside your work friends can say that today I saw a dead body or performed the physical tasks associated with a cardiac arrest? Chest compressions, inserting an airway, defibrillating someone, suctioning their away, inserting an I-O, or telling their loved one that they no longer have a pulse while your crew is working behind you in their living room.
Normal day at work? not for many.
After doing this and it's time to go home, now your mom or dad, husband or wife. You walk away from the shield and its back to being a "normal" person. The stress of pushing down the feelings of the call, trying to smile, or just trying to be present weighs down on your shoulders as your brain is still trying to process the events of the day. The stress is overwhelming and the feeling of being different really bothers you mentally. Why do I have to feel like this?
It's important to remember that our normal isn't what society would call normal and that's ok. What we see and what we do isn't normal, but what we feel IS normal. We need to remember that after time our baseline normal becomes something different and we need to express this to the ones we love and live with. Being open with how we feel or what we need is the only way those around us can possibly understand when you're dealing with a hidden injury.
Don't let the aftermath of a call be the part that weighs you down more than the call itself.