washed_up_medic

As a matter of housekeeping, everything has been sold, mostly on eBay. There are a lot of points on both sides about selling the gear, who buys what to make their missions happen, and on and on. Bottom line for me is the folks on here that cautioned others I feel had others best interests in mind, and that is not a bad thing. Of course, being in the position where you have to sell gear for whatever reason is not a great feeling either. Crappy situation, nuff said. One thing I have learned in this process is: Not a lot of people truly understand PTSD, especially other Medics, which is surprising. There is a reason for this- PTSD carries a HUGE stigma, both personally and with co-workers, and those who identify with it tend to be cut off from their main group they worked with before. This takes away the ability of the "non-affected" Medics to learn how it affects their profession. I put quotes around the "non-affected" group, in truth we are all affected in some manner by our job, and PTSD rates for Medics are around 33%. That means that 1 in 3 have strong enough symptoms to be diagnosed with PTSD, the other 66% display some PTSD symptoms. Years ago, in many jurisdictions (Canada included), the high rate of certain cancers and heart attacks among fire fighters were shown to be job related, so a special fund through workers compensation was set up, and when these folks experienced a certain cancer or a heart attack, it was AUTOMATICALLY assumed to be work related, and they were given access to compensation with minimal difficulty. It SHOULD be this way, it NEEDS to be this way... If you develop an occupational injury, the last thing you need is to be cut loose and left to fend for yourself. In Canada, Medics with PTSD often have difficulty with Workers Compensation, the burden of proof rests with the injured medic, who is often in a poor position to put up a fight. GPs don't often understand PTSD, access to Psychiatrists (at least in Canada) is difficult, the public mental health system is NOT geared up to deal with occupational PTSD, it's a bad situation. The solution is to have PTSD recognized by workers compensation as the occupational disease that it is, and build awareness in the GPs to recognize it, then refer those that need help on to the proper resources.

The only thing remaining is the vest, which is posted on eBay. Price has been reduced in the hopes for a quick sale. * Navy Blue Medic protection vest, the "Griffon" by Pacific Safety, threat level IIIa. Has two front opening EMS pockets, hand warmer pockets, lined collar, adjustable sides, fits XL and 2XL. Paid $1200 for it in 2007, never wore it on duty, so it is in near new condition (I took a flight position just before it was delivered). Have pics. $400 (reduced). Can be seen on eBay- http://www.ebay.ca/itm/250973640323?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649#ht_500wt_1322

tniuqs- Thanks, Brother. otoscope and opthalmoscope is yours, will mail it later today, should be delivered after you finish your tour this time. Croaker- Been over this with my Psychiatrist and Psychologist, I can't go back, been in therapy for a while, will be in therapy a lot more, already approved for retraining through workers comp., its a done deal, and I genuinely appreciate your concern. Thanks. Siffaliss- No, I never wore the vest at work, never had need to wear it on flight, when I said I used every item in my practice, I was referring to the items that AKflightmedic seemed to claim no medic would own, which is everything else, I guess, but thanks for nitpicking. akflightmedic- Thanks for insinuating that a brother flight medic was a thief. It appears that you are a moderator, and as a moderator, you should be well aware of the rules of the forum, including- "1. You agree not to post or transmit any material that may reasonably be interpreted as...slanderous..." If you had specific concerns, you could have just posted a simple "Buyer beware", rather than go on to claim that no Medic could own the gear I am posting, and imply theft. I ask anyone who would read this post; If you knew you could not go back to your career as a flight medic, what would you do with the stuff you accumulated over the years? It is a pretty small target market for this kind of stuff, where better to let other people know what you have? Either way, if anyone is interested in buying something and want proof that I was a flight medic, drop me a PM, and I can give you my name that you can verify online as being a medic and FP-C. offer is open to put items on eBay to protect both of us.

Yes, if anyone has concerns, I will sell whatever item on eBay to protect both of us. Nothing here is stolen, and I did not buy it through a bulk sale, whatever that would be. I am not "burnt out", I have PTSD, there is a difference. Too often we dance around this issue with Brother and Sister medics, it is the "Elephant in the room" with a lot of programs ignoring it, but studies show that one third of all EMS providers have it, with the Tema Conter estimating that 50% of EMS providers have some degree of PTSD. I was a Flight Medic in a remote area, and I bought stuff to make my life easier. The armour has my name on the label from the manufacturer, everything else has my name engraved on it, and I used every item in my practice. I have PTSD, I can not return to EMS, and I want to get rid of the reminders. If I can put some cash towards the bills that are piling up, so much the better.

I am hoping this is the proper area to post this... PTSD caught up with me, and I have to leave EMS. Would like to try to sell some of my gear to help with the bills. I have: * Navy Blue Medic protection vest, the "Griffon" by Pacific Safety, threat level IIIa. Has two front opening EMS pockets, hand warmer pockets, lined collar, adjustable sides, fits XL and 2XL. Paid $1200 for it in 2007, never wore it on duty, so it is in near new condition (I took a flight position just before it was delivered). Have pics. $500 * Masimo Rad5v handheld pulse oximeter, with reusable adult probe, extension cable, rubber protective case, reusable ped finger sensor, all in excellent condition. $350 * Laerdal Trachlight with one adult wand, one ped wand and one infant wand (all new, reusable), $100 * Blue bunker gear, in very good condition, recently inspected at service depot. Top will fit someone who wears an XL or 2XL top, pants size 36-42. $189 * Welch Allyn pocket otoscope and opthalmoscope, with carry case and specula, $200 * Also have a Zoll 4 bay charger, Lifepak 12 limb ECG cable (limb lead and v leads), lots of intubation gear, tactical medic backpack, e-mail if interested or PM me. Can sell direct, or put them on eBay for private sale to you so Paypal can be used.