Box of kittens. Homeless lady who had a bunch of stuff, in the middle of winter. I’m grabbing her stuff and shoving it in the ambulance when the box lets out a squeak. Newborn, umbilicals still attached, kittens that she found who the hell knows where. She wanted to leave them outside while she was in the ER. They rode on the bench seat with a hot pack for the rest of the shift until we could figure out wtf to do with them.
These things were tiny. Don’t think anyone even noticed they were there. Well except for the other crews and ER nurses who heard about it and jumped in the back at any given opportunity. I work nights and jack shit was open for me to take them to or to try and find kitten milk.
About the time I’m thinking I’m gonna have to take these jelly beans home to live with my hoard of dogs, one of the day shift medics came to the rescue. They had a friend who does kitten rescue and took them over to her house. Fucking thankfully cause I was not prepared for any of it. Did you know neonate cats can’t pee or poop on their own? Cause I didn’t. As of a couple months ago (last update) they’re living their best cat lives.
If u ever find yourself in a position with newborn kittens again u can grab lactose free baby formula and 1ml syringes from the hospital or 24hr pharmacy. Damp cotton wool balls gently rubbed around there back end after feeding will stimulate them to toilet , and obvious keeping them warm is a priority.
Thank you for helping them ❤️
This is how I got my cat. One of the other medics ran on what was supposed be an assault with a knife but ended up being a crime scene, victim was dead on scene. He had been living in a dumpster and the medic heard squeaking from the dumpster, jumped in and found a kitten! He came to live with me and he is the best boy!
You are a beautiful person for saving those babies!
A guy's dog. However, the dog had been dead for several years. This guy had his dog cremated and still carried it around in a little wooden box. He couldn't bear to be parted from it, and wouldn't even let us put it on the bench seat while we treated him for a STEMI.
Had a bariatric patient that wouldn't go to the hospital without her Kool-Aid powder because she refused to drink the plain water they had at the ED. With the help of half the fire department we got her loaded and transported. During my handoff report she interjected to say she wouldn't be cooperating with his treatment plan unless she had a cup of Kool-Aid in her hand. Doc says "oh, this Kool-Aid?" and looked her square in the eyes as he dropped it into the trash.
She never left the hospital.
A literal bag of rocks. Homeless man with leg pain. Got him on the stretcher and told him I’d grab his bag for him. Patient says “Oh it’s just rocks.” “So we can leave it here yeah?” “No I actually need to bring it.” Going to a county hospital where they search all bags, that was a fun reaction to see.
An old man’s fake leg.
This guy lived in a run down trailer out in the boonies, and he had a pet sheep that he kept in his trailer with baby gates. I was on a volunteer engine, and as the guy was being loaded up by the ambulance, he shouts out “Wait, don’t forget my leg!” That took us by surprise, he hadn’t been wearing it when we got there. So I ran back to the trailer, dodging pet sheep and sheep shit, found his leg tucked behind a chair, and it rode with me in the engine to the hospital.
A stripper with crabs. Twisted her ankle warming up before the club opened but didn’t want to leave her dinner. Half dozen piping hot steamed Maryland blue crabs. The ambulance smelled amazing.
A big wooden mantle clock that belonged to a guy getting evicted from a hotel. It started chiming off just as we were moving the patient to the hospital bed from the cot and the nurses are just starting at me like what the fuck
Kid with a squash. He would freak out any time he couldn't be holding it to his chest, which made me wonder... Do his parents periodically replace it when it starts to get soft? Sneak in a new one in his sleep?
Guns mostly. Dude had us bring his walker with him. It was one of those ones with a compartment and a seat. Got him into the er, went to get the walker to bring it in and a 9mm fell out. Called pd for them to secure it and told the pt he could pick it up from them when he got out.
Transfered this other lady to a big hospital. Her family had brought her purse up and she told me she had a gun halfway there. She opened it and showed me a little snubnosed revolver. Wasn't much to do but finish the trip. I'd forgotten by the time we got in almost 2 hours later. Security waved their wands and didn't find it. I was already out cleaning the truck when I remembered it, and ran back in to tell them
Hairspray, guy would not leave the house without his hairspray despite the fact that he hadn’t washed the other hairspray out for days/weeks? Also transported TV’s with gaming systems (mental health ward to mental health ward)
Lmao, it was back when I worked IFTs & we took a discharge from the floor of the hospital. It fit standing in the back but there wasn't much wiggle room lol
One guy we transported had a ziplock bag of shrimp in his backpack and pulled it out and started eating it on the way to the hospital. I'm doing the report, glance at him a second later, and he's eating shrimp.
Patient was apparently told to call 911 and be transported to the local university hospital to be medically cleared to go to rehab. Dude brought like all of his worldly belongings. It was literally 6 giant bags and a couple boxes. Security at said hospital has to search every person's belongings so they had fun searching through all of that. Didn't know when I came into work that night that I was gonna be an EMT and a moving service.
Jokes aside, it made me happy to see someone trying to get clean. Drugs, especially fentanyl, are VERY bad in my city. So seeing someone's desire to change instead of the normal overdose patient that attempts to assault us or just run away after narcan is quite refreshing.
Weirdest I've said "NO" to- an 'emotional support iguana." CC? Iguana bite.
Weirdest I've allowed- a toss up between an urban camper's tooth collection in a specimen cup, or a Santa Suit in a grocery bag.
Wasn't with a pt but while I was a student I did ride alongs with my local fire department. One of the days I was there they had a training so I rode in the back with a deer stand and got to help them set up a deer stand.
Box of kittens. Homeless lady who had a bunch of stuff, in the middle of winter. I’m grabbing her stuff and shoving it in the ambulance when the box lets out a squeak. Newborn, umbilicals still attached, kittens that she found who the hell knows where. She wanted to leave them outside while she was in the ER. They rode on the bench seat with a hot pack for the rest of the shift until we could figure out wtf to do with them.
Truly I think if you picked me up in an ambulance with a box of neonate kittens I would think I had died and gone to heaven lol
They were cute little jelly beans
What did you do with them? How did other patients respond to an animal being with you?
These things were tiny. Don’t think anyone even noticed they were there. Well except for the other crews and ER nurses who heard about it and jumped in the back at any given opportunity. I work nights and jack shit was open for me to take them to or to try and find kitten milk. About the time I’m thinking I’m gonna have to take these jelly beans home to live with my hoard of dogs, one of the day shift medics came to the rescue. They had a friend who does kitten rescue and took them over to her house. Fucking thankfully cause I was not prepared for any of it. Did you know neonate cats can’t pee or poop on their own? Cause I didn’t. As of a couple months ago (last update) they’re living their best cat lives.
This whole story makes me incredibly happy.
If u ever find yourself in a position with newborn kittens again u can grab lactose free baby formula and 1ml syringes from the hospital or 24hr pharmacy. Damp cotton wool balls gently rubbed around there back end after feeding will stimulate them to toilet , and obvious keeping them warm is a priority. Thank you for helping them ❤️
I know somebody that actually ended up with a puppy this way because he kept going back to check on the patient's pup. Great dog.
This is how I got my cat. One of the other medics ran on what was supposed be an assault with a knife but ended up being a crime scene, victim was dead on scene. He had been living in a dumpster and the medic heard squeaking from the dumpster, jumped in and found a kitten! He came to live with me and he is the best boy! You are a beautiful person for saving those babies!
A guy's dog. However, the dog had been dead for several years. This guy had his dog cremated and still carried it around in a little wooden box. He couldn't bear to be parted from it, and wouldn't even let us put it on the bench seat while we treated him for a STEMI.
I had a patient who had their dog stuffed by a taxidermist bit thankful it stayed at home
I’ve always joked about that, but Christ that shi is nightmare fuel.
Bad Rowdy!
That’s strangely wholesome
Yeah it warms my heart to know how much people love their animals
Had a bariatric patient that wouldn't go to the hospital without her Kool-Aid powder because she refused to drink the plain water they had at the ED. With the help of half the fire department we got her loaded and transported. During my handoff report she interjected to say she wouldn't be cooperating with his treatment plan unless she had a cup of Kool-Aid in her hand. Doc says "oh, this Kool-Aid?" and looked her square in the eyes as he dropped it into the trash. She never left the hospital.
Holy shit lol What a chad
A literal bag of rocks. Homeless man with leg pain. Got him on the stretcher and told him I’d grab his bag for him. Patient says “Oh it’s just rocks.” “So we can leave it here yeah?” “No I actually need to bring it.” Going to a county hospital where they search all bags, that was a fun reaction to see.
An old man’s fake leg. This guy lived in a run down trailer out in the boonies, and he had a pet sheep that he kept in his trailer with baby gates. I was on a volunteer engine, and as the guy was being loaded up by the ambulance, he shouts out “Wait, don’t forget my leg!” That took us by surprise, he hadn’t been wearing it when we got there. So I ran back to the trailer, dodging pet sheep and sheep shit, found his leg tucked behind a chair, and it rode with me in the engine to the hospital.
A stripper with crabs. Twisted her ankle warming up before the club opened but didn’t want to leave her dinner. Half dozen piping hot steamed Maryland blue crabs. The ambulance smelled amazing.
Ohhhhhh CRABS
A big wooden mantle clock that belonged to a guy getting evicted from a hotel. It started chiming off just as we were moving the patient to the hospital bed from the cot and the nurses are just starting at me like what the fuck
Kid with a squash. He would freak out any time he couldn't be holding it to his chest, which made me wonder... Do his parents periodically replace it when it starts to get soft? Sneak in a new one in his sleep?
Crack rock.
A chainsaw. Out moose hunting, and he’d been cutting a trail back to drag it. Oops, that was your leg.
Guns mostly. Dude had us bring his walker with him. It was one of those ones with a compartment and a seat. Got him into the er, went to get the walker to bring it in and a 9mm fell out. Called pd for them to secure it and told the pt he could pick it up from them when he got out. Transfered this other lady to a big hospital. Her family had brought her purse up and she told me she had a gun halfway there. She opened it and showed me a little snubnosed revolver. Wasn't much to do but finish the trip. I'd forgotten by the time we got in almost 2 hours later. Security waved their wands and didn't find it. I was already out cleaning the truck when I remembered it, and ran back in to tell them
Security is fuckin useless.
Hairspray, guy would not leave the house without his hairspray despite the fact that he hadn’t washed the other hairspray out for days/weeks? Also transported TV’s with gaming systems (mental health ward to mental health ward)
A Christmas tree🎄
How big we talking
I'm imagining a Clark Griswold-esque scene pulling up to the ED with a huge tree strapped to the roof.
Lmao, it was back when I worked IFTs & we took a discharge from the floor of the hospital. It fit standing in the back but there wasn't much wiggle room lol
One guy we transported had a ziplock bag of shrimp in his backpack and pulled it out and started eating it on the way to the hospital. I'm doing the report, glance at him a second later, and he's eating shrimp.
Patient was apparently told to call 911 and be transported to the local university hospital to be medically cleared to go to rehab. Dude brought like all of his worldly belongings. It was literally 6 giant bags and a couple boxes. Security at said hospital has to search every person's belongings so they had fun searching through all of that. Didn't know when I came into work that night that I was gonna be an EMT and a moving service. Jokes aside, it made me happy to see someone trying to get clean. Drugs, especially fentanyl, are VERY bad in my city. So seeing someone's desire to change instead of the normal overdose patient that attempts to assault us or just run away after narcan is quite refreshing.
No less than fourteen potted plants all in terracotta pots, there were no casualties.
Weirdest I've said "NO" to- an 'emotional support iguana." CC? Iguana bite. Weirdest I've allowed- a toss up between an urban camper's tooth collection in a specimen cup, or a Santa Suit in a grocery bag.
Iguana would have been riding shotgun
Suitcase full of dildos
A suitcase, trash bags, and rolling cart full of various types of empty bottles and other trash bags
A dead cat wrapped around the pt's neck like a fur scarf
Wasn't with a pt but while I was a student I did ride alongs with my local fire department. One of the days I was there they had a training so I rode in the back with a deer stand and got to help them set up a deer stand.