Thanks for not hitting me....

That is the thoughts that were going through my head as I was being strapped to the spinal board yesterday morning, you may wonder why I was think this or even in fact why I was being strapped to a board, but it was because I was involved in a collision in my Ambulance returning back from a call as I lost control on the un-treated M9 motorway, spun 3 times on ice and collided with the crash barrier causing the passenger door to blow open and nearly ejecting my partner, who luckily was wearing his seat belt.

This all occurred at 0647hrs, 13 minutes before we were due to finish our night shift.

As we were sitting in the Ambulance we both called our respective “loved ones” to let them know what had happened, this was after we had placed a priority call to the EMDC informing them what had happened and that we were now facing on-coming traffic, in the outside lane of the motorway with only our roof blue lights working (Not very good considering the freezing fog gave you a visibility of 100 meters!)

The EMDC Dispatcher asked if anyone was injured and if we needed another Ambulance etc, we were both shook up and sore so we confirmed that this would be appropriate and that we urgently needed the Police to make the area safe. After several more phone and radio calls the cavalry arrived in the form of the Day shift at our station (I was never so glad to see the blue lights and flashing head lights of an Ambulance). They parked in the Fend-off position to protect us, put on all their outside lights to try and illuminate the scene and prevent any further vehicles nearly colliding with us. Whilst we were sitting waiting on the crew arriving we had witnessed 4 vehicles stomping along at high speed in our lane, heading straight for us and only noticing at the last moment that there was in fact a smashed up Ambulance facing them, they all managed to swerve to avoid us, both my shift partner and I had various moments of terror seeing this happening and we both discussed which would be safer, staying with the vehicle, belted in or getting onto either the hard shoulder or central reservation and taking the chance of being hit or aggravating any possible injuries further…. We decided to sit tight and pray for a quick response.

Once the first crew arrived, it was apparent that both of us were going to get the full treatment and would be collared and boarded as a precaution and because we were both complaining of neck / back and I had right shoulder pain. The second crew arrived and I was transferred to their vehicle for further care, whilst my colleague was secured to a spinal board, checked over and transported to Stirling Royal AE (Because we were facing that direction on the Motorway). I was given the same treatment, collar applied to my neck, placed on a board, blood pressure, ECG and Oxygen levels monitored, I even trusted my colleague who was attending to me to cannulate my arm and give me some stronger pain relief for my shoulder. I was taken on a strange journey to AE, when I say strange it felt strange because I was the patient, I was the one lying there being cared for and not being able to do anything but just lie there. When I arrived at AE I was undressed, examined and x-rays were taken, I had the AE Consultant looking after me, which was comforting, as I knew I was in very safe hands.

Throughout the entire process my Station Officer (Area Service Manager) was floating between me and my injured colleague seeing if we were ok and if we needed anyone contacted. My flat mate was the first to arrive as Kal had called her telling her what had happened and she offered to come to the AE until he arrived (Because the M9 was now completely closed and she could come via the back roads until Kal arrived by train). Kal arrived fairly soon after I had been assessed and was with me before I went for x-rays, My Station Officer went to my colleague to keep him company until his wife arrived. We were both given the all clear after our x-ray results had been checked and were discharged with information re ongoing care for neck / back pain.

I went home, via the station to collect my car, had a very long hot shower and a big mug of tea and went with Kal to Edinburgh to visit my folks, I dropped him off at his work (for which he was now 5 hours late) and spent the rest of the day with my parents being pampered and fed numerous cups of tea etc.

I met Kal after his work (for which he had stayed late to catch up on the stuff he should have done during his time in AE with me) and we had a lazy night in front of the TV with a Chinese take away and that is when it hit me, what had happened, what might have happened and how it could have turned out horribly different. I was glad to be safe in his arms, maybe a bit sore, but still safe….