Confessions of a fun sponge.

Drac, I wish I had something profound to say but I’m lost for words and so many people here have said it so much better than I could, but genuinely, thank you for everything you’ve done, I hope you can take some satisfaction that you have genuinely made a difference in this world. Very best wishes going forward.

Thanks again guys.

Yeah I do take a lot of satisfaction from what I have done over the years, those I’ve saved, brought into the world, help get social services support, help protect from abusers and helped on their final journey. Sadly still struggle at times to silence those I couldn’t help, the trauma I’ve seen and the emotional damage I’ve seen to their relatives. I have also listened to some staff issues which I’ve been amazed they felt they could share with me about their personal lives so they could get support.

Never regretted joining just wish it had been at a time when I could have had more support.

I hope you find your feet again soon enough @Drac (sorry, still not sure how to tag after all this time!). Twelve years in over here, and after my head properly fell off for a couple months last autumn, I’m casting about for an exit plan from paramedicland. Problem is, though I won’t miss NHS management one bit, I realise I’d properly miss the Yorkshire folk I serve. So I’m bloody stuck driving the big yellow taxi for the foreseeable until I can figure something else out.

May your shoulders feel lighter one day to the next. Here’s to your next chapter x

Cheers Cheeky. There’s a lot of opportunity out there for Paramedics other than frontline, look at GP land. NHS management tries it’s best to do what it can, but there are some who just don’t listen to feedback even from other managers. I’m not sure it’s unique. 6 months I’ve been off work, nearer 7 really, I have not missed a lot if for the last 8 weeks or so. Saturday I had a trip to Newcastle, got off the train and a I left the station here are 2 ambulances attending what was probably a c1 but wasn’t. I gladly walked passed with no feeling the need to assist them.

Hope you get sorted with something that suits you, there is life outside.

Hero. In the company of Hero’s.

I cant begin to imagine what you have given in your job mate. But I’m eternally thankful that you and your ex colleagues continue to do so.

My partner is ex police, she did the full 30 years and some of her stories absolutely make me shudder. I have the utmost respect for all you emergency workers.

Now get busy living mate. You know where I am if you ever want to rekindle to love of riding a bike. Be good to have a pootle with you and a beer.

All the very best mate. Dave.

I hope you enjoy retirement Drac and that you feel like you can decompress now and realise all the good you have done.

I left the army after injury, and thankfully escaped with just a dark sense of humour and slight alcoholism, I lost one friend to suicide and a few friends have horrific PTSD even 20 years after.

Any one who will selflessly place others before themself will always have my utmost respect.

I watch my wife now as a consultant therapy radiographer on a cancer ward get paid for 35 hours a week, and work 70, switching on her laptop at 8am on the weekend and often still sat there at 8pm on her days off, her workload is ridiculous since COVID and as much as she tries not to let it effect, she is burning out and cannot keep watch she has done for last 3-4 years, so many of her staff have left, and not one other of 6 girls she trained with at uni who she counted as close friends remain in the NHS.

We need to learn to look after those that look after others a lot better…

Hi Drac, respect and thanks for your years of service. I retired early from a stressful job working with abused teenagers and found even after I left that I couldn’t forget what I had experienced, it would go round in my head as if I were still at work. I set up psychotherapy sessions and used them to offload, and my therapist suggested techniques to help me move on. If you find yourself in the same situation can I suggest you do something similar for yourself

Thanks mildbore. I’ve had EMDR which has worked well and use when I’m struggling, I also have the contact details for the counsellor who I used should I need it.

Not sure some will ever go away, I’ll just get better at coping.

Thanks mildbore. I’ve had EMDR which has worked well and use when I’m struggling

EMDR is a right bag of laughs isn’t it. I’ve had it a few times over the last five years or so, first lot, first session I was scrunched up on the floor dry heaving into the psych’s waste paper bin and she just goes “Yeh this is quite a usual reaction.” 😀

It does work though for shifting traumatic memories and at my latest round the psych suggested an emdr light like one of these;

https://www.emdr-store.co.uk/products/37-emdr-light-bar.html

mine was only about £250 on etsy. Her view was not only are they good for one to use at home if one’s having a bad spell but they’re also quite useful just to clear one’s mind even if it’s not trauma related.

It’s very odd. Yes.

I’ll take a look at that but not sure as some types of light is also a trigger.