DirteMedic

If you guys are interested in the whole story and follow me along the way I have a blog going to document the process. Ups and downs and all. If the admin don't mind me putting my website on here, I'll put it up and if they take it down then PM me and I'll give you the address. It's http://ProstheticMedic.Blogspot.com The readers digest version is that I fell 110ft off of a waterfall, nearly died, severed my popliteal artery and dislocated my knee and ankle, the docs tried to save the leg, I have been stumbling around on this dead leg for 8 months. Now I have the amputation on January 26th @ 0600. I'll be updating the blog as I go through. I'm on twitter @DirteMedic as well. I'll give you my facebook too, just PM for that. It's going to be a long hard battle, but my fiance was a combat medic and saw grunts back on the front line with prosthetics so why not a paramedic. If I can do it I'll be 54th AKA medic in the US.

Hey guys, I've started a blog following my journey going through an above knee amputation and trying to return to the streets as a paramedic. Back in May I fell 110ft off of a waterfall while hiking with my family. I destroyed my left leg, now after months of trying to save the leg on January 26th I will be losing my leg. I am determined to become a Prosthetic Medic. Please check it out. The link to the website is http://ProstheticMedic.Blogspot.com Thanks guys. Hope you enjoy following my journey.

Hello all... I'm DirteMedic. I've been a medic for Louisville Metro EMS for 6 years. We're a very busy urban/suburban service. I will be having an above knee amputation in the next month or so and hope to be Louisville's only active duty "Prosthetic Medic." Hope to see you guys and gals around. I'll be on here a little more than the past since I've got some time off in my future. See ya on the bus!!! Dirte Medic

Howdy from Kentucky, I'm Joe Riffe, A paramedic in Louisville Ky. Back in May I fell 130ft from the top of a waterfall while hiking with my family. As a result I have had a litany of injuries (Anterior knee dislocation, Torn ACL, LCL, PCL, Meniscus, Fx Femur, Fx Tib/Fib, Fx Calcanus, Fx Tavonavicular joint, severed my popliteal artery, compartment syndrome, and from this I now have a femoral-popliteal bypass, a knee that is beyond repair, an ankle that is beyond repair, and peronal nerve palsy aka foot drop) all of which have resulted in me having to have an above knee amputation. I'm here to ask for help from my fellow brothers and sisters in EMS. Due to the amount of time I've had to have off from work I am going to have to pay my insurance out of pocket and have no benefit time remaining to help while I'm off having the amputation and rehab. I've been told that I will be able to return to work with the right prosthetic, which I'm assured I can get if I keep my current insurance. It's the Otto Bock Genium, the same that is given to US soldiers returning to war, if you're interested. I have a fundraiser going on Facebook currently and am wondering if any of you have any ideas for other ideas in raising the money I need to keep my insurance and home while I'm out of commission for several months. Any ideas are welcome. Oh and if anybody is feeling generous here's the link to the fundraiser along with the information I've listed above, please send me a PM. Thanks for any ideas or support, or both. DirteMedic aka Joe Riffe

I'm a medic at LMEMS. Personally, I love it here. I've been with the service for 5 years now. We've had our ups and downs. As to be expected with any EMS service. We have to call for narcotics and some other drugs. With that being said. You are free to treat your patients for the most part. We are on the way to getting expanded protocols, at least they are in the works. We are a very busy service. Over 15,000 runs for the year thus far. In this service you get to see a little bit of everything. Medical, Trauma, BS...it's all part of the game. If you would like anymore information or if I can answer any questions for you just leave me a message and I'd be happy to speak with you. DirteMedic

Our service practices the same policy. The only caveat is that if the person is still seizing it is a code 3 run and gets ALS. If they are no longer seizing and effectively breathing then it's a code 2 BLS response. It seems to work. The only place we run into an issue is with status seizure and trusting a layman perspective on what "no longer seizing" means. These are areas where a system can get itself into trouble. But honestly nearly every 911 run you make you are basing your dispatch information on layman perspectives.

Hey guys, I'm looking for some insight on helpful ways to make a new medic feel comfortable but still make sure he gets everything done that needs to be done. A major issue is a set routine for each patient contact. Also, working with him on pathophysiology of a number of disease process and our treatments. any advice is greatly appreciated. thanks again, DirteMedic

I work for a fairly busy service in Louisville Ky, we do not have the option of RSI or DAI, so we use BNI. Having intubated several patients with this technique I find it an invaluable resource to have for pt's who are desaturating due to a variety of reasons. I have never seen a trauma pt that has been nasally intubated have a tube insert into the cribiform plate or basal skull. When done correctly nasal intubation is possible without creating epistaxis. We are very aggresive with airway in my service so we use this technique quite frequently with great success. Without it several pt's would be far much worse for wear.

Has anyone's service actually put these ITDs into their collective repertoir? My service (Urban/Suburban service in Kentucky) is planning to roll out the ITD's soon. Just wondering if there is anyone who has used these yet.