Another from the 2012 archives. A sad story about a lovely lady, and a very unpleasant job.
Betty’s toes
When you work in a particular area for some time, you soon get used to the ‘regulars’. These are patients with chronic illness or disease, drug users, alcoholics, asthmatics, diabetics, and housebound people requiring different kinds of help and assistance. Betty was in this category. She was in her 70’s, and she had Diabetes, as well as circulation problems and arterial disease, caused by decades of heavy smoking. She may have been a widower, or divorced, as she lived alone, in a small terraced house, not too far from our base.
It was common to receive calls to attend her address, either emergency calls made by Betty, or as an arranged admission by her G.P. She was a cheery character, and seemed to manage well, despite constant pain in her legs and feet. When this got too bad, or life got on top of her, she would either…
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beetleypete 
Great told, Pete! Somehow though, I’m glad I haven’t had those experiences. Even if you can and will certainly help here, but it would put too much strain on me. Respect for you, and your previous work. Michael
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Thanks, Michael. All of those experiences are ones you can do without, unless you have chosen that career of course.
Best wishes, Pete.
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So true, Pete! I dont miss them, but its real life, and you and your colleagues are honored doing this for us. Michael
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Great post, but a sad one at the same time. I can’t imagine the pain somebody goes through after getting their arm/arms or leg/legs (in this case, it was the latter) amputated. Anyway, keep up the great work as always 🙂
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Yes, poor Betty suffered a great deal before she died.
Best wishes, Pete.
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This is beautifully written. Thank you for this lovely story
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Thanks very much, Michelle. Truth is often stranger than fiction, and just as compelling.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Betty’s story brought tears to my eyes.
Warmest regards, Theo
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Thanks, Theo. I still think about poor Betty all the time. Some of the patients stay with you, and she is one of those.
Best wishes, Pete.
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I have been fortunate to (so far) not have any chronic anything to require that kind of attention. Did you guys have some way to decompress, process things? Tragic.
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We didn’t really have any time to think about things, Edith. It was so busy, that once we had dropped Betty off, we immediately got another job to go to. It was just ‘the way it was’.
Best wishes, Pete.
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“Ambulance Stories” would make a great collection to be published in a book!
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Maybe one day, David. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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Oh my! things that people go through…. so sad.
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Yes, life isn’t much fun for some people, Wilma.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Oh I gritted my teeth all the way through reading that, you’re bringing back so many happy memories 😳🤣
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I guess you know all too well what that’s like, FR. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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Indeed, rotting flesh is never forgotten. 😳
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Gosh, those experiences you encountered during your EMT days might have made you strong.
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You had to develop a strong stomach, Arlene. If you didn’t, it would have been impossible to carry on in that job.
Best wishes, Pete.
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I could imagine Pete!
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