A Paramedic's Story: Life, Death, and Everything in Between [Paperback]

Steven ""Kelly"" Grayson (Author)

Book Description

Release date: March 2, 2010

Welcome to the life-and-death world of an EMT—sometimes bloody, sometimes even funny, but always compelling.

When someone dials 911, Emergency Medical Technician Kelly Grayson is there—to restart the heart that has stopped beating, deal with dangerously high blood alcohol levels, or pull a body from a mangled car wreck. As an EMT, Grayson sees people at their best and worst, in situations that can be gruesome, moving, and heart-breaking. Regardless of the emergency, Grayson is the first line of defense, picking up the pieces and saving lives—or, sadly, watching them slip away.

A Paramedic's Story is bursting with stories that run the gamut from lighthearted to heart-wrenching. With his brutally candid style, Grayson gives readers his special insight into the human condition, and shows us what it feels like to hold lives in his hands every day.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Steven “Kelly” Grayson, CCEMT-P, is a critical care paramedic and EMS instructor from Monroe, La. He has extensive experience in EMS education and was the president of the Louisiana EMS Instructor Society and a board member of the Louisiana Association of Nationally Registered EMTs. He operates the EMS training and consulting firm MEDIC Training Solutions.

Kelly also writes a monthly column for EMS1.com entitled The Ambulance Driver’s Perspective. He is a frequent lecturer at EMS conferences around the country, and is known for his engaging, humorous and often inspirational presentations. Kelly is single and currently lives in Kinder, Louisiana. He enjoys hunting and the shooting sports, and spending time on the water with his daughter. When he is not teaching, Kelly prowls the streets in search of little old ladies who have fallen and can't get up.

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Kaplan Publishing; 1 edition (March 2, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1607146576
• ISBN-13: 978-1607146575
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.9 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #57,535 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #81 in Books > Medical Books > Medicine > Internal Medicine > Emergency

More About the Author

Steven Kelly Grayson is a critical care paramedic and EMS educator in southwest Louisiana. He is the father of an enchanting six-year-old daughter, and enjoys hunting, shooting and outdoor activities.

By day, he is a mild-mannered author and EMS educator, but by night, dressed in his superhero costume of Day-Glo traffic vest and multi-pocketed EMS pants, he prowls the dark recesses of the city in search of little old ladies who have fallen and can't get up.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A beautifully written book January 11, 2013

By L. Mack

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I admit I'm a fan of ER blogs in general, and I heard about this book after reading Nurse K's awesome blog. Grayson's book is hard to put down and I finished it in about two days. It became apparent from the get-go that this was going to be an amazing read just after getting through the first story dealing with a patient's yappy little rat-dog getting lit up with a defibrillator (by accident). The tales Grayson tells truly give an amazing insight into the world of EMS and lets you hear things from the perspective of the folks who are struggling to keep people alive en route to the emergency room. The people who wade through blood and mucous and really get their hands dirty, deal with combative nutcases, and who know how to rush to the rescue rather than buckling under pressure.

Many of the stories are absolutely hilarious, either by nature or just the way they're told, but there are more serious and depressing things Grayson shares with his readers. And this makes sense - after all, EMS is not a stroll in the park. People die, and the lesson you're taught is that if you want to be a successful paramedic, you learn to appear reassuring to the patient, cry when you're not at work, and the most important thing is to not let the things you see and deal with follow you home because they will haunt you. Some of the stories he shares are downright gruesome or heart-wrenching and, after reading them, it makes you wonder how anyone could find it in their heart to get up and go back to work to do it again every day.

I know there are a lot of people who get right offended over ER staff and paramedics making jokes about people's critical or life-threatening problems, but what these people (who I can almost guarantee have never worked in emergency medicine) don't realize is that those who work in fields where they are stressed and see people die a lot have to sometimes use humor to cope. As a favorite blogger of mine (with a stressful career that she loves) once said, "I laugh to keep from crying." Same often goes for the brave folks who save your life when you're stroking out or having an MI. If every single paramedic let every single thing get to them, there would be no paramedics. They would all burn out and quit and there'd be no one to save you during an emergency. That's why I'm so glad to see this book has been so well-received - most of the readers are familiar with EMS or understand how difficult the job is.

One thing that actually surprised me is that there weren't many stories regarding drug seekers. I understand Grayson did not work IN the emergency room, but it's not all that uncommon for someone looking for their narcotic fix to call an ambulance for nondescript pain.

Mr. Grayson has an amazing way with words, and while lay people might not get some of the medical jargon, you can kind of get the general idea of what things mean just by continuing to read. Whether or not you're looking to pursue a career in EMT, I would recommend this book. Odds are, you'll be in tears at least once - either from laughter or sadness. And you'll not only hear about patients, but also Grayson's relationships with fellow paramedics, doctors and nurses in the ER (one of whom he married). You learn that sometimes it's not the patients who are the biggest pain, but your co-workers.

If I could give this book more than five stars, I would. I salute Mr. Grayson (and all paramedics) for all the crap he puts up with - the belligerent patients, the ignorant nursing home staff, the sleepless nights, the things he gives up in his own life, the calls for trivial things, the not-so-incredible salary - in order to help people, and also for taking the time to share his experiences with others. It's a job few are capable of doing.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Not a bad book for the price January 9, 2013

By NHTFR

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This isn't a bad book for the price. I sometimes hate hearing old EMS stories from people, but the stories contained in this book are very entertaining and some are easy to relate to. I was reading this every night until I started school again and have yet to pick it back up, but will be finishing it sometime soon. If you're looking for an EMS book to read, I'd recommend this one at a good price.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars It's not just about EMS, it's really about US. August 24, 2011

By R. E. Digati

Format:Paperback

As a 911 EMT I certainly related to many of the stories in this book. It's all here... laughter, tears, the good calls the bad calls anyone in public safety will relate to the stories Kelly Grayson tells with humor, wit, honesty and style because we have lived them. But what about the rest of the world? Why would someone outside of "the job" want to read this? Because you're in here too. You're the patients, the families, the friends and the very grounding factor in the lives of first responders, "Ambulance Drivers", EMT's and Paramedics et al. It's a great read and I enjoyed it immensely because it's not just a collection of war stories; it's about the human condition and all of the emotions and trials that combine to make common experience an uncommon thing. See the world through Kelly's rose colored emergency lights, see EMS for what it really is and see who we (and you) really are.