Andy Anderson is a former Firefighter & First Responder for Suqualena VFD, Paramedic with Metro Ambulance, former part-time SWAT Medic with DPS backing up MBN & MHP. He currently works as a part-time Deputy with Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Department’s SWAT Team, ER Physician at a Level I Trauma Center, Medical Director for Central Mississippi EMS District, and Medical Director for Hinds CC Paramedic program. He also teaches firearms classes at Boondocks Firearms Training Academy.
Andy AndersonBy Andy Anderson
One of my tenets as a medic was that you always responded to every call as an emergency because you never truly knew what you had until you got on scene. Some situations sounded dire but turned out to be minor; others seemed routine but ended up being life-threatening. On this particular day, we were paged to a patient complaining of “ringing in my ears.”
My partner flipped on the lights and sirens and we set off toward the address provided by the 911 dispatcher. As we raced through town, I found myself trying to piece together how ringing in the ears could constitute an emergency. I knew that Ménière’s disease, an inner ear condition, could cause ringing, dizziness, and hearing loss. Aspirin overdoses could also lead to tinnitus. But beyond that, I struggled to imagine what could make this an urgent medical crisis.
When we arrived, we found ourselves standing in front of an old but well-kept house. We climbed the steps and knocked on the door, which was promptly opened by a petite, elderly woman. She looked strikingly similar to Granny from the old Tweety Bird cartoons. One thing was immediately apparent—she was not in any obvious distress.
She greeted us with a warm smile and, as if we were long-lost grandchildren, invited us in, offering tea, coffee, or water. We politely declined and asked where the patient was. She looked at us, puzzled, and then said, “I’m the patient.”
I paused for a moment before asking, “Well, ma’am, what seems to be going on today?”
“I’ve had a ringing in my ears for years,” she said, “and it seems to be getting worse.”
“Does it hurt?” I asked.
“No.”
“Has there been a sudden change?”
“No.”
I took a deep breath before finally asking, “Ma’am, if this has been going on for years and it doesn’t hurt and there hasn’t been any change, why did you call 911?”
She looked at me sincerely and said, “Well, I was telling my friend about it, and she told me I needed to see an EMT. And the only way I know to get an EMT is to call 911.”
And then it clicked. The ringing in her ears must have affected her hearing as well.
With as much politeness as I could muster, I said, “Ma’am, I think she meant for you to see an ENT, as in an Ear, Nose, and Throat doctor.”
The realization spread across her face, and her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
“Well, that makes a lot more sense,” she admitted with a sheepish chuckle.
She was incredibly apologetic for calling us out and insisted, once again, that we take some refreshments before we left. My partner and I assured her it was no trouble at all, and as we made our way back to the ambulance base, we couldn’t help but laugh at the mix-up.
Looking back on moments like these, I realize just how many unique and sometimes amusing experiences shape the life of a medic. Any seasoned EMT or paramedic has a handful of similar stories—some more bizarre, some more intense. But every call, no matter how small or unexpected, adds to the tapestry of memories that make this job so unforgettable.
And in the end, I’m just glad that sweet little lady didn’t have an actual emergency — just a minor misunderstanding that gave us all a good story to tell.
