Attempted Suicide

Suicide sometimes proceeds from cowardice, but not always; for cowardice sometimes prevents it; since as many live because they are afraid to die, as die because they are afraid to live
I had a very rough childhood full of lies, abuse, and sadness. I have had times that I wanted for it to be over so I can understand the thought of my patients in my next few stories. However I find that suicide is giving up! An easy way out and not fair. especially when you have kids. They don't deserve it.
We got the call yesterday for a hanging. We got to the house and entered to find a younger girl crying talking to the police. She appeared extremely distraught. On the floor in the care of the firemen was a approx 20 year old male. Above the door was a hanging pull up attachment. Hanging from it was a red torn bandana. Apparently the guy took some pills drank some alcohol and tried to hang himself. He lives with his girlfriend they have a school age daughter and she is pregnant again! To me i think he is a coward. He lay on the floor and pretended to be lifeless but he wasn't. He was one of those who want the attention and it was obvious from the beginning or he would not have used licorice as a rope. He had no marks on his neck at all. The guy smelled nothing of alcohol and not a pill in sight. He did not even vomit. I transported the guy to the hospital and he played dead. Once there he kept up his act. A-C-T. Needless to say he was visited by every member of his family and per the staff kept right on playing it up.  He ended being admitted as a 5150. All in all to me he seemed to be attention seeking. If someone wants to commit suicide they do. Bottom Line.
Which brings me to my next call couple of calls...the people who have nine lives. We were dispatched to a call for a vehicle over the side of a cliff. It took us about 20 minutes to get to the scene as it was up in the mountains. We actually had to get out of our ambulance and hike another 10 to the car. We got to the car and found a mid age women. She was still upside down and wearing a seatbelt.The car had severe top damage and passenger space intrusion. I thought she was going to be dead. I thought wrong. She unbuckled her seat belt and proceeded to climb out and say "I'm fine" She had a few lacerations to her face but nothing major. I was able to talk her into transport and placed her in spinal immobilization. We took her to the trauma center....She had no internal injuries at all! Nothing! It wasn't until a few weeks later when we read in the paper what she was trying to do....kill herself. Some people die driving off a 5 foot cliff. She survived a 100 foot cliff. If that doesn't say her time isn't up I dont know what does.
My next story is a man that a friend of mine knows. With all going on in the economy at this time he decided to check out to put it nicely. He too had a wife and kids at home. So the man sets out to the desert with cans of gasoline and a pack of matches. He parks gets out and pours gas all over his truck inside and out including his clothes. He lights the match and it's done. The man wakes up in the hospital 2 weeks later to find a small twisted piece of metal on the bed next to him. The doctor realizing he's awake greets him. The man asks what is this thing and he replies that's what's left of your truck. The man didn't have a burn or scratch on him.
Last but not least the 18th attempt. Code 3 to the psych facility. We arrive to find a woman who took a bedsheet and tied it around her neck and to the door. She was already seizing when we arrived. No one knew how long she was there. We tranported her to the hospital to find out this was her 18th attempt. Her pupils were fixed and dilated and according to doctor's no brain activity noted. 2 days later she was lying in Icu with her family including her young son about 8 years old and they were discussing pulling the plug. When out of nowhere this lady opens her eyes. The doctors came in pull the tube and this lady is 100% normal.
Some people are just not meant to die.