"One of these things is NOT like the other one!"

There are things in our field that can be mistaken for other ailments and diagnosed medical problems. However, in the world of BLS...there are very few. Today, we had the priveledge of experiencing a "foot in mouth" kind of moment with the EMT's Blue...
Iced Grande and I have been running...ALL day. We clear from *Insert Local ER here*, immeadiately to be handed our next. "Possible on the corner of Heart of the City & N. Busy Ave". Typical spot in a frequent flyer part of town. "En route", says Iced Grande *Head dropping back* as he rolls his eyes. I open up my chart...this is a GUARANTEED hospital visit. Bet I could guess which patient it would be too so might as well get it started.

Lights...Siren...ACTION! A couple jumps in tandum to the yelp from our rig. Usually people stand facing the street they are about to cross folks...GOTCHA!!

As we cruise through the streets, we pass Street Drum Bands & Hot Dog stands...Balloon Animal Clowns & disgruntled 9 to 5-er frowns to our OBNOXIOUS "Ambulance theme song" blaring from our bus. Thank you Mr. Sunglasses for making your distaste known by your over-exagerated mouthing of choice words and shaking head while scowling. (No lip reading experience needed here!!) Your look of death will make me try harder next time to be courteous of your ear holes...*sigh* I apologize for the buildings having been built so close together where the sound bounces all too perfectly to p*ss you off. If only my Sick Bus had a "12 inch voice"...

Latte Mecca street- in this part of town are home to one way's going exactly the ONE-WAY you do NOT want to be going...of course. HI FELLA'S!!-We make a loop around the block. Firefighters give us the nod, yet everyone else looks confused as to why we don't stop.

"On-Scene" to the Voice in the Sky as we see Firefighter #1 hop across the busy street like Frogger...No logs taking him out THIS time! Lucky him. Next level? Obtained.

We pull up. All head's turn...then- the universal sign we as BLS enjoy like a paid day off: *Knife hand to neck*...We're cancelled. Nice. But...this isn't a frequent flyer at all. Weird...*eye brow raising*. "So, maybe we SHOULD be transporting??!?"- as I look back at Iced Grande. "Guess we'll see?" He says, slowly as the grinning LT approaches my window.

LT stops...Sets down the Aid kit...places his clipboard under his arm. He's avoiding direct eye contact. His smile is crooked...the one we see rarely when a "boo-boo" has been made.. *Tilting chin down* While placing pen in pocket and sliding stellar shades down his nose, "So...*stiffled chuckle* Uuum, you guys are good to go.". Iced Grande- "Okay, what's up?"... LT. Stellar Shades- "well, we thought he was a CVA...turns out? He's just deaf."

THIS just happened! HA! Iced Grande and I laugh. *Chuckling, wiping tear from cheek* "Uuh, Sick Bus...you can show us cancelled." LT. Stellar Shade's laughs with us. He grabs his kit then proceeds to Frogger hop across the street like the first.

Iced Grande and I laugh as we get handed our next...how do eff THAT one up?! Apparently his signing looked more so like "seizing". I guess ASL could possibly resemble "Seizure-like" behavior ;-) And bravo Sidewalk Sightseer for calling 9-1-1 for "not responding" since the patient didn't reply to your "Hello". In this day and age, how many random people acknowledge YOU when you walk down the street??

This was almost....ALMOST as funny as the comment "He gets really angry when you call him "Spread Eagle"... I'd be a tad angry if too if that was the first thing someone said to me LOL!!!

CVA...ASL...Cerebral Vascular Attack....American Sign Langauge...Hmmm....Soooooooo SIMILAR!! Hurry! QUICK!! Alert the Stroke Team...STAT!!!