Heart Failure, that is.
Go take a read:
http://www.emsworld.com/article/10319823/f-is-for-failure
Truth
Bleeding
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Tired. I'm so very tired.
I shouldn't be, though.
Been getting a decent amount of sleep.
Sitting at a computer 8 hours a day doesn't help.
Trying to write a term paper for grad school doesn't either.
Attempting to stay caught up on my EMT class reading is going, well, not so well.
3 cokes and a half gallon of tea today. Nothing is perking me up.
So. In half an hour I go over to the ambulance bay to grab our rig, head for the classroom for 2.5 hours more ofwork fun.
God, I'm tired.
Been getting a decent amount of sleep.
Sitting at a computer 8 hours a day doesn't help.
Trying to write a term paper for grad school doesn't either.
Attempting to stay caught up on my EMT class reading is going, well, not so well.
3 cokes and a half gallon of tea today. Nothing is perking me up.
So. In half an hour I go over to the ambulance bay to grab our rig, head for the classroom for 2.5 hours more of
God, I'm tired.
Monday, October 24, 2011
currently reading...
Pink Warm and Dry
http://pinkwarmdry.com
Nice to read another chica's story every once in a while.
Also reading:
Emergency Care (12th Edition) by Daniel Limmer, Michael F. O'Keefe, Harvey T. Grant and Bob Murray
(Obviously, for EMT class)
The Only EKG Book You'll Ever Need (Thaler, Only EKG Book You'll Ever Need)
Malcolm S. Thaler
(Haven't made it through this one yet)
And one for fun, like a chat with an old friend:
The Drawing of the Three (The Dark Tower, Book 2) by Stephen King)
http://pinkwarmdry.com
Nice to read another chica's story every once in a while.
Also reading:
Emergency Care (12th Edition) by Daniel Limmer, Michael F. O'Keefe, Harvey T. Grant and Bob Murray
(Obviously, for EMT class)
The Only EKG Book You'll Ever Need (Thaler, Only EKG Book You'll Ever Need)
Malcolm S. Thaler
(Haven't made it through this one yet)
And one for fun, like a chat with an old friend:
The Drawing of the Three (The Dark Tower, Book 2) by Stephen King)
Friday, October 21, 2011
Busy
Saturday morning. Been a week since we had a call, either in the local village or in our still-busy tourist trap. A WEEK with no calls, sigh.
Football game starts at 1000 and the nephew's playing, so I get to sleep relatively early, around 0300...
BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEPP
Tones go off at 0745 for a female with chest pain outside the gym. Just happens there's a paramedic there as well. So with the dearth of calls, we end up with 3 paramedics, an EMT-I, two EMT-B's, and the lone EMR (me). 12 lead shows nothing suspicious, but our ambulance heads north to the hospital for the tearing left chest pain. Thad takes the ambulance, since I want to watch the football game.
Back in bed at 0810, set the alarm for 0940 so I can make it to the game in time for kickoff.
BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEPP
I slap my palm down on the alarm, but it's the pager. 70 yo male with syncope in the village. I call throw the action adventure pants on and call in as on my way, 15 mins out. Village ambulance is on the way, a couple of volunteer EMTs and EMRs have called in as on scene.
BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEPP
Football player down on the field. Possible spinal injury. 5 blocks from the guy with syncope. My nephew's playing in that game...sounds like plenty on hand for the old man. Call in and request to divert. Diverted to football field. First on scene. Not my boy's number (phew) grab my bag and walk on the field like I know what I'm doing. I don't.
12 yo female (yup, the girls get to play too) point tenderness to mid-back (just below the pads) following a pretty hard helmet hit. She's laying on her right side, pads and helmet still on. First responder on scene has hooked up 2 liters by NC, but the kid's crying and pretty snotty, so the cannula is in her mouth. Not what they taught us in class, but OK I guess. ABC's, CSM intact. Start getting the jersey cut off to do a full exam when the cavalry arrives. A couple of the village crew grabbed the quick response vehicle (QRV) which is a crew-cab pickup containing extrication and packaging gear. The boys take over, get the pads off, and strap the poor kid to a board with her helmet on. (Note - pads off = helmet off too, or a bunch of padding). We move her off the field to the QRV to await an ambulance. Thad shows up with the Type 1, they load, and are off.
Not bad for a rag-tag bunch on a Saturday morning.
What reallysurprised scared the crap out of me, was how blank my mind went when I arrived on scene. I mean, it's a responder's dream, right?
Football game starts at 1000 and the nephew's playing, so I get to sleep relatively early, around 0300...
BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEPP
Tones go off at 0745 for a female with chest pain outside the gym. Just happens there's a paramedic there as well. So with the dearth of calls, we end up with 3 paramedics, an EMT-I, two EMT-B's, and the lone EMR (me). 12 lead shows nothing suspicious, but our ambulance heads north to the hospital for the tearing left chest pain. Thad takes the ambulance, since I want to watch the football game.
Back in bed at 0810, set the alarm for 0940 so I can make it to the game in time for kickoff.
BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEPP
I slap my palm down on the alarm, but it's the pager. 70 yo male with syncope in the village. I call throw the action adventure pants on and call in as on my way, 15 mins out. Village ambulance is on the way, a couple of volunteer EMTs and EMRs have called in as on scene.
BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEPP
Football player down on the field. Possible spinal injury. 5 blocks from the guy with syncope. My nephew's playing in that game...sounds like plenty on hand for the old man. Call in and request to divert. Diverted to football field. First on scene. Not my boy's number (phew) grab my bag and walk on the field like I know what I'm doing. I don't.
12 yo female (yup, the girls get to play too) point tenderness to mid-back (just below the pads) following a pretty hard helmet hit. She's laying on her right side, pads and helmet still on. First responder on scene has hooked up 2 liters by NC, but the kid's crying and pretty snotty, so the cannula is in her mouth. Not what they taught us in class, but OK I guess. ABC's, CSM intact. Start getting the jersey cut off to do a full exam when the cavalry arrives. A couple of the village crew grabbed the quick response vehicle (QRV) which is a crew-cab pickup containing extrication and packaging gear. The boys take over, get the pads off, and strap the poor kid to a board with her helmet on. (Note - pads off = helmet off too, or a bunch of padding). We move her off the field to the QRV to await an ambulance. Thad shows up with the Type 1, they load, and are off.
Not bad for a rag-tag bunch on a Saturday morning.
What really
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
I'm in - on to the next step
All the work by my colleagues has paid off. We are going to have an EMT-B (or just 'EMT' in the new standard scope of practice) course. It starts next week. Runs 2.5 hours twice a week, some Saturday skills days. October through April.
We all had to write a letter of intent in order to be considered for the class, so here it is:
Who would accept that letter?
Apparently our EMS director would.
Me and 13 others will be working together for the next 7 months to become better practicioners and frankly, well, I'm freaking out a bit.
I guess you will all have to get used to those type posts for the next 7 months.
We all had to write a letter of intent in order to be considered for the class, so here it is:
******************************************************************
Why do I want to be an EMT-B?
Do you want the real, full story about how an aging GIS professional falls in love with EMS after years of dabbling in WFA, WFR, and CPR courses? I didn’t think so.
The truth of the matter is, I don’t know if I will be a good EMT.
There. I said it.
I am struggling as a First Responder/EMR to provide solid patient care. After every run I find something I could have done better or differently. My lack of knowledge frustrates me. I am constantly looking up terminology or reviewing protocols to try and fill in the gaps.
If I’m having this much trouble as an EMR, why go on to EMT?
It is because I’m struggling that I want to continue with my EMS education. I want to be able to do more, to help more, both with the Government EMS crew and with the volunteer Village EMS. To do that, I need more education and experience and I believe the course offered this winter/spring will help.
So, take a chance on this wannabe-EMT/mapping geek.
Thank you for considering my application
-A. Ranger
******************************************************************
Who would accept that letter?
Apparently our EMS director would.
Me and 13 others will be working together for the next 7 months to become better practicioners and frankly, well, I'm freaking out a bit.
I guess you will all have to get used to those type posts for the next 7 months.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Loss
My paternal grandfather died last night. He was 94. He had a stroke 6 weeks ago and was under hospice care at home, but somehow you are never prepared for the end. My dad is trying to hold up, but his voice is shaky on the phone. Dad lost his mother almost 40 years ago to lung cancer (she used to send him to the store to pick up her packs of unfiltered Pall Malls...). So my dad no longer has his parents.
People are passing out of my life, both personally and in EMS and I don't know how to handle it. Sometimes I cry, mostly I feel the loss, but then I try to get on with my life. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not. Am I just storing those bodies away in a locked cupboard in the back of my mind? Will one day the door burst open and overwhelm with emotion?
People are passing out of my life, both personally and in EMS and I don't know how to handle it. Sometimes I cry, mostly I feel the loss, but then I try to get on with my life. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not. Am I just storing those bodies away in a locked cupboard in the back of my mind? Will one day the door burst open and overwhelm with emotion?
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