Tis the season...and other things

Tis the season to be ridiculously busy. I've spent the past three days sitting in EMD class. It wasn't that bad, except that class started early in the morning and I've been doing night shifts so the hours about killed me. Not to mention we've been crazy busy at work lately so I've had to stay and help after I got out of the eight hours of class. I was scheduled to stay last night, but tonight I got asked to stay over. I don't mind too much, but I'm exhausted.
Something I don't understand though, seems like people I talk to who have been in the EMS profession for any extended period of time finds it necessary to tell me not to get in the field. Even my professors tell me that I'm young, that I should just get into nursing now. It hasn't changed anything, I'm pretty well determined to get my red patch. I just wonder why people in the field caution me about it so much. At this point I do plan on going on to my RN, hopefully through a bridge program, but the one I'm looking at requires experience as a paramedic, which makes sense and I'm perfectly ok with. I don't know what the eventual plan is. I'd kinda like to do flight nurse I think, maybe do some overseas work if the opportunity ever affords itself. I'm only 20, so I guess I have some time to decide...
Merry Christmas, happy holidays, and all that jazz out there to you bloggers. And for those of you working over the holidays, take care of yourself and be safe out there...

And the excitment grows...

So my last blog post was actually at around 1am...
It is now 20 minutes to 4am. And I just got done showing the local FD, EMS, and sheriff officers out of my house.
Apparently, someone called 911 for my address.
SO showed up and knocked on the door, bringing me out of my sleep, due to the time, I didn't get out of bed, then the rang the door bell, and knocked, and rang the door bell and knocked...and well you get the picture. Finally my father made it to the door and asked what was going on. I beat a hasty retreat from the couch to my bedroom and attempted to go back to sleep. That was not to happen though, because shortly the FD showed up with their bright lights. Followed very shortly by EMS...the EMS company that I work for...
Everyone commented on the fact that my company rain jacket was in the kitchen, and I told them all separately, that yes, I do work for big company EMS.
Well..the plot thickens to find that it was my cell phone that called 911...And it wasn't just a call..someone talked and gave them my little brothers name. It was rather embarassing. And now it will probably be 4:30 before I get to sleep...and I have to work tomorrow...oh this shall be fun!!

I'm a lil' pissed off

After work tonight I came home and found out my mother had gone to the local ER without telling me, so I leave as soon as I get home and go wait with her. My mother hurt her back 15 years ago and has been in pain for 8 weeks with her back, has tried numerous different medications, and finally three days ago began to find some relief. Well today she started having a leg cramp around 11:30 this morning, I didn't really think anything of it, but it never went away. Her leg proceeded to cramp up off and on for the remainder of the day. I finally talked her into taking her flexeril to see if that would relieve the pain, and it did for a bit. Apparently her foot went numb extending up mid-calf and she started crying when my dad came home so he took her to the hospital. Well I met them so my dad could go home, and we waited for only an hour and fifteen minutes. I thought that was pretty good considering the ER was full. Then instead of taking us into the ER we were put in triage, and they had a PA come and do an "exam" that was really nothing more than taking an extended history. He then proceeded to tell her that this was just due to her back hurting and that eventually the foot numbness would go away. Maybe I'm just naive, but that doesn't exactly fit my definition of an exam. The thing that really bothers me about this is the fact that my mom left in the same amount of pain with no relief in sight, and the fact that we'll get charged out the butt for this "exam". We'll be charged for an ER visit, but we never made it to the ER. We'll be charged for seeing the doctor, but only saw his PA. It just doesn't seem quite right...

I must say....

That I surely miss being on the truck. Dispatch isn't too bad, but it gets old sitting there looking at the same computer all day. I'm hoping either my job will bend and let me on a truck part time, or that I'll find somewhere that will allow me to volunteer. Most of the places around here are volley FD, but I'm not fire certed, and have absolutely no desire to do fire. I'm thinking about also looking for a part time job as an ER tech. I really enjoyed my time at the hospital, so I wouldn't mind doing either one. I just want to be doing something more than answering phones all the time. I don't mind doing it, but I miss being out in the mix of things...suppose that makes me "Sparky"....

Scared

My mother asked me to go pick up my lil' brother from church, no big deal. I went and got in my car, looked both ways before backing down the drive way, and I was on my way. After a few minutes I came up to a car, nothing special about it, aside from the fact that the driver was driving 10mph down my street. I guess I got too close, cause she slowed down and then came to a complete stop. No big deal, they just got where they were going...Then she started driving again, Alright, this person is gonna be a little tard, I'll show them...I didn't back off, but didn't get closer either. Maybe 100 yards down the road they did it again. Alright...this person is really starting to get on my nerves...At least we're almost to the stop sign, maybe she'll turn Right and I'll go left...When we got to the stop sign though...I could see her car shift in to park. Oh shit...is this maniac really gonna get out of the car? She is...holy cow..it's an old lady..Is my car door locked? Yes, it locks when you shift in gear, ok..stay in the car, stay calm..She started walking closer, I talked to her..told her to get back in her car, said you need to go away, tried to be as big and scary as I can, I'm not a big and scary person. She kept walking..coming closer to my car...then standing outside my window. She didn't have anything in her hands, but I was scared none-the-less. She was screaming and I couldn't understand what she was saying. I kept trying to tell her to go away, making the "shoo" sign with my hands, but she wasn't paying any attention. She started waving her hands outside my car, I was near tears by now. I told her I was going to call the cops, and she just stood there. By this point I was really wishing I was 21 and had my concealed hand-gun license...not to shoot her, but hopefully to make her get in her car and leave, but I'm not, and I don't. So, I called 911. Of course, I got the city rather than the county and had to be transferred. She stayed outside my car though, still screaming indistinguishable words, still waving her hands. I was doing everything I could not to cry with the lady on the phone. About the time the county answered the phone she started walking towards her car, got in and drove away. They offered to send an officer out, but I told them not to worry about it, not wanting to inconvenience someone's night...I was shaking as I drove off. Instantly wishing I had gotten her license plate, I'm scared she lives down my street, if she's crazy enough to get out of her car in the middle of the night and approach someone...she's probably crazy enough to target me later...

First and last

Today was my last rotation for the intermediate section. I'm so glad to have my clinical's over. Now maybe my schedule can calm down for a bit. I'm also registered to go through school next semester, on to paramedic. I just hope I have what it takes...time will tell.
Today I saw real CPR for the first time. We walked into the hospital, a large trauma center here in town, and walked past the resus room and our attention was immediately diverted to the code that was being worked. They were already going on 20min, and it was a traumatic code, so I had no expectation that the guy would come back, and was just waiting for the doc to call it. We never got a full story, but from what we could tell he was either hit with a chainsaw, or cut with a knife on his neck...but managed to miss all airway structures, and missed his carotid. He took 8 units of blood, but once the last unit was in, after one more shot of epi he got a pulse, and his rhythm went to a pretty sinus rhythm, and once he had some blood his BP was better than mine. I couldn't believe they got him back...that's not supposed to happen. And even though I didn't get to work it or anything, it was still pretty exciting.