Medic Shits At The Station On His Days Off

Local Medic Shits at the The Station On Days Off

The daily stressors EMS professionals face are as varied as they are troublesome. But for one local paramedic, the years of constant "fight or flight" have caught up to him

A Dedicated Professional

Ronny Rodenbostel has been serving the people of his hometown as a firefighter and paramedic for sixteen years. "He does his community proud, he's the kind of guy you'd want on your squad, as your your friend, as your neighbor. He's a real man's man, too." gushes Captain John Dunning, Ronny's coworker and bunkmate. 

The Dark Side of Helping Others

"I was always regular, you know?" asks Rodenbostel as our interview began " Like clockwork for years, shit first thing in the morning, and then after dinner. But now, after years of trying to push one out before the tones drop, I have no regular schedule." Ronny confided with this reporter.

"Now I can't drop a deuce unless I'm at the station. Even being there off duty, waiting for the tones to drop for the on duty crew is enough tension to get my bowels moving. But if I'm home, relaxed and just hanging with my kids it's not gonna happen. I'll just sit on the toilet until my legs go numb. "

When asked about the toll this condition has taken on his home life, Rodenbostel gets a little teary-eyed:

"It's caused a lot of stress with the family. We'll be out for dinner and after, if we're driving past the station or any station for that matter, I have to pull over and run in to go. We can't even go on vacation any more. Tried going to the Bahamas a few years ago, I didn't shit for a week and had to be medflighted home."

Breaking the Taboo

"If there's any of my brothers and sisters out there suffering like this, I want them to know they're not alone. It's not your fault and I got your six." Ronny tells me when I ask him about candor coming forward.