Tomorrow is the day!

School starts again! I'm excited. And a wee tiny bit nervous. This last week went by so much faster than I expected (it always does, but it always surprises me nonetheless). I've still ironing and boot polishing on my to-do list (as well as reviewing a couple chapters for tomorrow, yay for pre-class assignments) but I'm mostly ready.

Looks good, right? I also have Pharmacology: An Introduction and Bates' Pocket Guide to Physical Examination and History Taking but they are the e-version so I can't put a picture of them up.

I must say, it's not my biggest pile of books ever but I think it may be the scariest. But it's going to be fun, and a challenge, which I need.

On a related though different note, this song came on my radio and I realized ... maybe I should take a chocolate frog to school with me tomorrow...just in case!

Lazy summer days...

...bore the tar out of me.

I decided this morning that I wasn't getting up to my alarm. This is by no means an unusual occurrence, as I firmly believe morning shouldn't happen until around 12pm. So, I got up at 1230. Wandered around looking for my glasses which I'd knocked off my bed sometime in the night. Then I made coffee.

I'm of the opinion that the inventor of coffee should be knighted, sainted and given a public day so we can celebrate.

Anyway, since I know we'll be taking a "I bet you haven't cracked a book since EMT class" test on the first day of medic school I actually went back to my old EMT book to review the bits that I'd had trouble with. Namely cardiac emergencies. For some reason, cardiac calls freak me out.

I think it has to do with the fact that my second ever call on an ALS truck was a cardiac arrest. My medic told me later that her first ever (serious) respiratory call left her nervous whenever she gets one now. We spend respiratory calls with me watching the patient and her watching the road.

Regardless, I read the medication/pharmacology chapter of my EMT book, and part of the cardiac chapter. It only makes me more eager to start class again, because now that I've seen a (tiny) bit, I -know- there is so much more to these calls that I'm missing.

I know that they're not as simple as the scenario's we ran through in class. For example, this is rarely the case:
  PT: My chest hurts.
  QLC: Oh! Your chest hurts! Let me check your ABC's, decide which hospital we are going to, then I shall perform a focus exam while getting SAMPLE.
  PT: My chest hurts. It's a 10/10.
  QLC: Well, from what I gathered, I can tell you you're probably having a cardiac event. Here, chew up this aspirin and since you have been prescribed Nitro, why don't I assist you with taking those?
  PT: Oh, that's lovely. My chest doesn't hurt any more, but  now I have a headache!

No, never that simple. After a couple runs, I could fumble through setting up the ECG - though I still have no idea how to read them. And I figured out how to spike a bag pretty easily, and pass things. But I want to know more!

I want school to start!

I want my ambulance rides back!

I even want my captain's chair back. I figured out how to make it into a roller-coaster feeling seat when we go lights and sirens.

I just came to a random conclusion: It's a good thing I'm not filthy rich, I'd die of boredom if there was nothing to get me out of the house. Huzzah for school.

Yeah!

Scored a new couch today. Well, a new old couch. It's new to me, even if it is pretty banged up. But now I have somewhere to sit!!

I used to sit on a futon that was covered in plywood upon which sat a very thin pad. But now I have a lovely green love seat and it's soft, and squishy and I'M SO HAPPY!!

What the world says...

And what is true seems to be totally different.

For example: Past students straight up told our class that getting a "C" for an internship is extremely difficult. Getting a "B" is amazing. And getting an "A" is nothing short of impossible.

The teacher who leads the internship hinted the same thing. He never specifically said it, but he did say he grades hard and that they were using this class to weed out the number of applicants to Core.

I got my grades back today.

I have accomplished the impossible.

My bestest best athiest called me insane and an alien. I was told that because it's a skill based class and not book lore that I could not be considered a nerd.

And then the insurance confirmation person congratulated me on my GPA. I'm not sure why she asked about my GPA in the first place, but she did. It was nice to hear though.

Sunless tanning lotion...

Stinks. As in, it doesn't smell very good.

Yes, random, I know.

But at least I'm not pasty any more. I'm not an avid tanner (I have a strong dislike for being sunburned - which is what happens to my fair Irish skin if I'm outside for more than 30 seconds without sunblock...Ok, that's a bit of an exaggeration, but not much) but it is nice to have a little color. Even if it is fake.

Granted, if I stand next to someone who's been outside all summer in shorts it is VERY obvious that I am 1. a homebody who doesn't go outside 2. a person who wears pants (yes, thank you uniform) almost year round and 3. very pale even with a "tan".

At least by staying out of the sun, my freckles aren't readily apparent. And I'm (hopefully) minimizing the risk of skin cancer in a few  years.

Ok, enough distractions. Back to studying pharmacology. Though, it annoys me when my textbook tells me "other types of agonists exist although it is not critical paramedics know specifics about these". Maybe it is or is not critical for me to know them but...I'm going to look them up anyway. If you're going to mention them, then tell me about them. If you don't think I should know about them, don't say anything at all. However, I'm a firm believer in knowing things - even if my own knowledge is woefully lacking.

Goal of the Day: Work on that. Stop accepting things because someone says "it is so"...ok, that's maybe more of a Goal of the Lifetime. I'll work on it.

*~*edit*~*
I found another phrase that irritates me. "You should be familiar with the various receptor types, however it is not important to memorize the physiology involved in each of the receptors and their binding process." What I get from phrases like this is: "Just know the medicine you give when x=y and don't worry about what you're actually doing to your patient." I don't really want to be a protocol dependent medic - I got sucked into that when I started EMT. I'd much rather (and yes, I know it'll take time and a lot of work, but hey, I'm young) know -why- I'm giving a medication, what it's going to do and what are the potential side effects.

I'm glad we're not using this textbook for Core (our teachers have decided it's out of date - but still a good reference).

And since I'm quoting it, I should cite it. *dutifully cites in accordance with English class expectations*
Chapleau, W., Burba, A. C., Pons, P. T., & Page, D. (2012). The Paramedic. (Updated ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Higher Education.

And the world sleeps...

For a couple weeks anyway.

Summer classes are over (as of the 2nd of August) and the days find me waiting on my final grade for my internship class (I got an A in the Literature class I specifically took to get an A so...). Since I was allowed to attend the orientation and register for fall classes, I'm confindent that I did pass...but I want to know my grade!

Ok, I'm a bit obsessed with grades. I'm a nerd.

Anyway, I arranged my fall classes - well, tenchincally I was told which once I could sign up for and did so. After all of last year of hearing how hard and difficult and sleep depriving the Medic Core could be I was slightly worried. We all were, actually. It's one of the better conversation topics in the hallway at school. Then I looked at my schedule.

Yes, it is a lot of courses. Yes, there is a lot of knowledge and procedure I have to cram into my brain. Yes, it is probably going to be stressful.

Except I have 1,5 days off...not counting the weekend. Granted, that day and a half is supposed to go to my clinicals - both in hospital and on the rig, but still! That's a whole 3,5 days off a week...I'll be able sleep, do my homework (which we traditionally don't have much of anyway), study and practice my skills.

I don't see what they were fussing about. I mean, sure, there is going to be a lot to do, but with proper planning and a solid schedule it's not -that- bad. It's no worse than the 10hr days I put in studying a language for two years, plus fulfilling other duties. Granted, I was younger...but I'm not old yet. Even if I complain that I am sometimes.

So, therefore...come August 27th, I'll be starting Core. My days will revolve around Shock and Trauma + Practicum, Medical Emergencies Pharmacological Interventions I + Practicum, Field Skills Lab I, Introduction to Pre-hospital Pharmacology and my field and hospital clinicals (150 hrs per semester minimum). Now all I need to do is finish sorting out finacial aid so I can get my textbooks and start pre-studying.

I can't wait to get the green light to hook back up with my medic. It's crazy how much I've enjoyed working on the ambulance. I miss it.