Brian had him in the back, doing vitals when I looked in. When the pulsox monitor went on his finger, he started to rock. Then he swung his arms back and forth and started to growl. Then his head began rocking, harder and harder until he was smashing it against the wall above the bench seat. Brian told him to stop, the patient growled louder. I had one foot in the side door when he attacked. It was quick, in an instant he was on his feet, charging. Brian got in close to avoid the punches, I attacked from behind. Thirty seconds later is was over, the guys from Engine 11 joined in, it took five of his to subdue him, and keep him subdued. We called for police back-up, and kept him down. He put up a heck of a fight, there was an incredible amount of rage built up that manifested itself in the back of Rescue 1.
Brian ruined his hand during the struggle and I called for an additional rescue for him. The patient continued to growl and seemed to gain strength. Eventually the police arrived, cuffed him and helped us restrain him, face down on the stretcher.
It was ugly.
Minutes prior to all of this, he had walked out of the home that he shared with his wife and year old daughter. The wife had called us because he was acting strange, and had been since returning from Afghanistan. The plan was to take him to the VA for a psych evaluation, all that changed now. He’ll be charged with felony assault on a firefighter, his wife and daughter will be without him for a while, and I’ll be without my partner for who knows how long.
There is a war going on, and has been raging for ten years. The fighting is done mostly “over there,” but also finds its way here, at home. Our soldiers are deployed, and do their jobs, and come back, and everything is supposed to be okay. Well, it’s not okay. There is a lot of pain and suffering going on behind closed doors, and closed mouths just waiting to turn outward. I’m sorry my partner was hurt, and the rest of us have our bruises, and we had to manhandle a United States soldier, but I thank god his wife called for help in time.
There were two hunting knives on the kitchen table when we first arrived, and the soldier was eyeballing them. We got him past those, and into the rescue before he snapped.
Because of the web, we hear or read about this common occurrence for some returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. But this is not a new syndrome.
This was just as common, (if not more so) with our guys coming back from Viet Nam. Other than we didn’t hear about it much, we didn’t know how to properly diagnose it much less treat it. I spent many a night and sometimes days trying to talk down a buddy that was back “in country” barricaded in his own bedroom.
This should be a wake up call for us to not take for granted how quickly a patients demeanor can change especially when dealing returning service men and women who might be suffering from PTSD or other psychological disorders.
A frightening situation, indeed. And the wave doesn’t splash over you until well after it has happened.
And you are right about the war. It rages.
Be safe, ami.
Thanks for stopping by, old man, it’s been a while! Great comment.
Hello Walt, good to hear from you. Marines always welcome!
As the wife of a soon-to-be-deployed Army officer, this is the scenario that I hope I won’t have to face…