Scott Tatum is a seasoned veteran in the fields of emergency medicine and tactical medical support. With over 35 years of experience, Scott's career has spanned the adrenaline-fueled roles of helicopter rescue work, street medic, and currently, the med team leader for a county sheriff's Bomb Squad and Tact Team, in addition to teaching tactics to aircrew members for US Customs and Border Protection Air & Marine Operations.
This episode, however, takes us on a different kind of mission: Scott shares the profound and personal story of fulfilling a promise to his mother as she faced the end of her life due to aggressive cancer. The decision to ensure her passing was without suffering, the conversations had, the goodbyes shared, and the ultimate act of love and duty performed.
Scott opens up about the mental and emotional toll this experience exerted on him, leading to a complete erasure of his memories of his mother before that fateful day. Despite undergoing extensive therapy, including EMDR, the memories remain elusive, sparking questions about the impact of high-stress professions on personal relationships and mental health.
Join us as Scott reflects on his incredible journey through medicine and rescue, the challenges of compartmentalizing professional and personal identities, and the silent struggles that professionals like him face.
