Sherry Jones Mayo

Confessions of a Trauma Junkie by Sherry Jones Mayo
This is a true story of a nurse paramedic. It is a peek into the world of EMS and ER people from Sherry's true life experiences. It talks about trauma, tragedy, redemption, humor and the reality of the nurse paramedic. My favorite part is the dedication and sleepless nights and days as she was on the scene in the critical Incident debriefer for Hurricane Katrina. "On page 162, Katrina hit on Monday September 29th in 2005.It hit the Gulf coast of Mississippi with full force, it was one of the five deadliest in U.S. history. This affected more than one million people, nothing could prepare for the actual challenges of this type of catastrophe. "
When it was finally over and Sherry returned home she realized how we each take the basics for granted every day and we need to realize there is always someone worse off than you. I was gifted this book in order to give an unbiased review. I loved the book because I am interested and experienced in the Security and Homeland Security field. I am also interested in CSI. This book is not for everyone, but I loved the book! © 2016 Jackie Paulson… (meer)

You may never have the opportunity to read a book like this again. This true life documentation is an interesting look into the quality and care presented in the most traumatic incidents. Sometimes sad, sometimes humorous, the first part deals with Sherry Jones Mayo's time served as a paramedic. Vignettes of life, injury and death on the run. As with all traumatic jobs, there must be comic relief, and so there is, the "gallows humor" method of retaining one's sanity in an insane world. I do not use the word "insane" to mean anything degrading, simply as that is how the world appears in chaotic, traumatic incidents of life. You will find all of these in this honest non-fiction book.

The second part gives the reader insight into who Sherry is, what inspired her, what obstacles she had to overcome in her own life, and where/how the breaking point can suddenly appear. No holds barred, this is again a very honest approach to her life at several stages, her love of family, and how incidents in the ER can impact her concerns for her family. She has seen it all. It is extremely difficult not to interpret what is happening at work with what might be happening to her own family. Separating family and work is definitely not as easy as in other occupations.

The third part could well be called survival of the staff from the patients in the ER. It is, for the most part, lighter and a definite theme of how to survive the abuse of the patients. Told with tongue firmly planted in cheek, it is a day-to-day list of patience above and beyond when it comes to receiving patients who are not really sick or are just simply demanding. The people who are "too sick" to tend to themselves but can manage well enough to treat the caregivers like servants. Then there are the "regulars", people trying to get drugs by acting out pain and telling the doctors what they need. Here, too, "gallows humor" reigns from necessity.

The fourth section covers in part living with grief, accepting it, healing, and remembering the positive. I found a personal connection in both getting through grief and, further in this section, the result of delayed grief. With delayed grief, it is an entirely different feeling and can hit at any time, even decades later. It lays buried, waiting until some trigger leaves a person reeling and not understanding why. The content of this section was very helpful to me personally. I highly recommend the book on the merits of this segment especially. Referring to grief, Sherry is not only talking about the need for families of patients, but for those attending to the patients, and their families too.

Hurricane Katrina brings Crisis Intervention to the forefront and demonstrates just how important this is. So little could be done by the rescue teams and yet the need to have done more haunts them. This puts a great burden on these people and consequently on their families. This distinct section is a very important read, and it explains a lot of delays that occurred at the time. This portion and the following deal mainly with the very real problems facing even seasoned ER personnel and the need for crisis intervention.

All told, this book will bring a greater understanding of just how much these very special people are capable of, how caring they are, and why some burn out so soon. I definitely recommend this book on many levels. Who has not had some connection to this field at some point in their lives? This is how it is, written faithfully and dealing more with outcomes and feelings than a gory tale.

The book is very well written with a nice balance to hold the lay person's attention. There is also a glossary at the end of the book, although most terms are either recognizable or explained along the way.… (meer)

I've always had an extreme interest in the field of medicine. And emergency medicine, especially. Needless to say, I was immediately drawn to this book, based only upon the title. I discovered that it totally lived up to everything the title promised.

Thinking about emergency medicine, you realize that the only "routine " in this field would be the non-routine, ever changing situations. Sherry Jones Mayo has the ability as a writer to draw you into the stories, you feel an affinity for both the workers and the patients. In truth, you do feel as if you are a passenger in the emergency vehicle with her. I can honestly say I felt the rush of adrenalin, the nervousness, the dread, the anxiety, and the humor of each situation. Emotionally, I was draw to each story, feelling drained by some, giggling at others, and actually feeling for every person in each story.

I couldn't put this book down. Ironically, 2 days after I read it, my elderly father fell at his home. My Mother telephoned me, I rushed to their home, and made the decision to place a 911 call for help. As I watched the paramedics and emt working with my father, I was able to realize what they were feeling, and know how much they wanted to help him and ease my Mom's anxiety. I felt a new respect for these people, and the tenderness and compassionate care they show strangers on a regular basis.

I have since passed this book on to four other people to read. All of them have enjoyed it tremendously, and agreed that it gives the non-medical person a rare view of the daily world of emergency medical personnel. I would consider this a must read for any one remotely considering entering this field of work, as well as anyone with an interest in medicine and the world of medical treatment. All patients would probably have a new respect for the emergency medical personnel who care for them after reading it.

I look forward to reading other books written by Sherry Jones Mayo. Her storytelling abilities are excellent, and she has a real grasp of personality, plot and writing… (meer)