Dead

My partner later said she was taller laying down than she would have been standing up. An exaggeration, sure, but you get the point.

The call came in as a fall and not breathing from the police, who passed the call to the medical dispatcher who then updated us as a dead body, no attempts being made at CPR. The police when they arrived, relayed the same information.

I have to say it was a bit of a disappointment as I had my preceptee with me and he hasn't had a code yet.

When we entered the apartment we saw a police officer greeting us and pointing in the direction of the bathroom. There was a naked mountainous blob of flabby flesh crumpled and face down. A motorized lark and oxygen cannula were visible beyond the mound.

"Anyone see it happen?" I asked.

The officer shook her head. "The neighbor came over and found her."

It took two of us to roll her over on to her back. She was dead -- there was no question about that. It was just a matter of how long. She was asystole in all three leads. I touched her jaw and was relieved to feel the beginnings of rigor mortis. Her head was shaped like a giant bowling ball or the top snowball on giant snowman. No neck. Her tongue, which she had bitten, protruded from her mouth. I couldn't imagine getting an ET tube in there even if her jaw were limber. I looked at my preceptee.

We could probably make a stretched case to work her so he could get practice, but we could make a better case -- the right case -- not too. Besides -- it would have been a tough code to work for anyone, much less a new medic.

She had ever medical diagnosis there was -- diabetes to dialysis.

We put a sheet over her and later over the radio, we heard the funeral home was on the way to pick her up.

**

Did two other calls -- a high blood pressure vomiting and a dizzy woman.