Professor quote of the day

“Worked with a guy, we called him Lucky*…He defibrillated himself five times. He had really curly hair…”

*Nickname changed to protect the *cough* innocent

(Note: This is meant to be humorous. We thought it was anyway.)

Learning point of the day...

Evidently Spock has green blood because he is a copper based organism.

The things we learn...

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.

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.

Drifting along with the tumbling tumble weeds

I got assigned to a mentor today, and assigned to an ambulance service! I'm so excited (terrified) to start. I'll be meeting my mentor next week and working 12-16 hour shifts for the next foreseeable future.

The best thing about it? I'll be working afternoon/night shifts. I HATE early mornings!

Oh, and another great thing that happened today. Someone I have never met (and only contacted through my official email) got my nickname right - spelling and all - without being prompted! That never happens. It's a fairly common nickname for my name, but most people don't spell it right. I am quite thrilled.

I'm sorry to tell you

But it is difficult to field diagnose a tension pneumothorax without a BP cuff, vitals or SAMPLE/OPQRST history. Did you even get his name?

Spring Break

It's officially started. I have a week off of school and no official plans (other than to catch up on my studies and work towards my new fitness goals). But I'm sorta bummed. I've really been liking my Ambulance Operations class.

Scenario's have been amazing, and last week I had the most amazing team. We fit in three scenario's in the three hour period (we lost an hour of class for tests); an MVC, respiratory distress and a cardio. Our team was just amazing, I can't say it enough. I mean, we managed our MVC and were off scene in 6 minutes (the goal is 10, and it was the first time we'd worked as a team AND our first MVC period). I'm not trying to brag (much), I'm just very thrilled about class.

Besides missing this class, I am excited to be out of class for a while. Time to just relax, work on my run time, and rearrange my house. Should be nice...

At least it's not broken.

Ah, Thursday. I get my Girl Scout Cookies today. I can't resist Girl Scout Cookies, the Thin Mints especially. It feels like Saturday, even though my week was insanely short (I love the fact that I don't have school Thursdays and Friday's this semester, though I really need to be more disciplined about using my time wisely.)

My ambulance operations class on Tuesday went well. I didn't kill anyone (unlike last week, when I killed my manikin dead-dead-dead and would have shocked myself if I hadn't been using a trainer AED. "Clear" means clear of the cot as well, just FYI). In fact, my team was the only one to not kill our 16 month old anaphylaxis patient (what can I say, I'm terrified of anaphylaxis and I epi the tar out of it). I even led our team for an abdo pain, though I need to work on radio communications. Next time, I'll delegate it (not).

Gym however was painful, and after my Ops class ended (10 PM) my buddy and fellow EMT decided to take me to the ER. I didn't argue much.

We went out to dinner immediately after class as we were both starving and he made a comment that I was -still- limping. My reply was along the lines of "Yeah, my foot hurts. Something cracked in gym earlier." So, of course, he says let's see it. I mutter about the idea of taking my boot off at the restaurant but we're both too curious so...off it comes.

As I suspected, it was quite swollen (medial part of my arch), with the veins standing out nicely (my buddy commented on it) and bruised. We debated it back and forth for a bit, then I decided not to argue over much about seeing a real doc with letters after his name. I didn't want to drive though, since braking made me want to scream, so my buddy took me.

The official word was nothing is broken. I was vastly relieved, because I -CAN'T- miss classes. My entire income is based around school (grants, student loans and my VA stipend) so I'm really glad it isn't broken.

My only complaint is about the attitude of the nurse at the VA. Yes, I'm an EMT- that doesn't mean I can diagnose a broken bone, but it does mean I can and will work with severe pain until it is a reasonable time for me to see a doctor. Yes, I know to ice things, but when you have nearly 14hrs with only minimal breaks and the 'school nurse' closes at four, there's no where to get ice between school and the ER. And just FYI, I HATE going to the ER as a patient. I've only done it three times in the last 25 years. I know that Doc's and Nurses need to sleep at night, but 11 pm was the only time I could get there, since missing classes is not an option, period.

I understand that he was tired, that I didn't ice the foot before I came in and that I could sorta walk. But I really wanted to make sure it wasn't broken, because being able to stand is vital to my future career and I've taken too many idiotic risks already. However, it's not broken (thank God!) and ice and Tylenol work wonders.

Oh, and I now have an awareness of water rescue. I think I want to pursue actual water and ice rescue training when I can. I find I really enjoy the challenges of "rescue" work (at least the scenarios). I love the medical part of EMT/Paramedic training, but I want to go further with it I think. I'd like to get qualified in high and low angle rescue, HAZMAT (technician level, I think), Ice and Swift Water and search and rescue. I've really enjoyed the brief intro's we've gotten in my special rescues class. But I guess we'll see if I'm still interested after I get my medic patch.

Are you sure this is a good idea?

Lately I've been busy TAing an EMT basic class. I hang around for an hour or two and help them practice their skills, give advice on what to study and basically just make myself useful as another pair of hands for the prof.

Then my fellow TA disappeared. He has good reason, so I'm not blaming him.

But then I get a text: "Hey, you remember that study group I put together at [insert restaurant name]?"
My reply: "Yeah."
Long wait as I go in and out of service: "Would you mind leading that? I can't be there now."
Me, mentally: Oh shit, you want me to be IN CHARGE?? I'm a baby EMT. I just got my patch. OMG WHAT?........ect.
My reply: "Of course. I'll let them know on Wednesday."

I guess I better review their cardio chapters.

Spelling matters...

But so does knowing your vocabulary.

It is important to write ilium when you mean ilium and not write ileum, but when you use the example in class, it's best to use ilium and ileum not ischium and ischeum.

Though, Google searching ischeum kept me well amused in class. Evidently it's in Florida.

To all the math folk out there...

Question posed today in class (and no, it's not supposed to be a math class...yet)

You are hosting a party, with your significant other. You invite 20 couples (yes, it must be couples). Sometime during the party, you go around and ask each person how many people he/she has shaken hands with. The person cannot have shaken his/her SO's hand, or his/her own hand. Each person gives you a different number.

How many people did your SO shake hands with?

Why do you think your answer is right? I did end up with the right answer, however, my logic was flawed. And very very wrong.

Almost the end...

Meeting up with the last of my classmates that have to pass the Readiness exam today, to help them study. They have one chance to pass it (and the class) and since passing is required to take the NREMT-B we're gonna knuckle down.

Tomorrow I have my A&P final, so I need to review that as well. Yay for action potentials and calcium (has to do with muscles, I know that much) and the endocrine system. But hey! Then it's break!!

I can't wait to dig my snowboard out of storage, and take Shortie sledding. I'm so EXCITED!

No shit, really?

Prehospital Emergency Care, 9th Edition

Chapter 41, Page 1347

"The ambulance is the vehicle that brings care to the patient in times of emergency and transports the patient to a medical receiving facility for follow-up care. It is a crucial part of the EMS system."





Really? REALLY??? 1347 pages in and you're just telling me what an ambulance is?

Oh, and EMS system is redundant.

Wander Woman

Led me in circles around the ER on Thanksgiving.

But you know, it was all good. She was a total sweetheart, an absolute doll. We didn't believe the medic's when they reported that she'd been skipping down the hall in her nursing home, and they transported her because she fell while doing so. However, after an hour and a half of walking (mainly because we were too kind to lock her in a room) we decided that this sweet, old woman with dementia could very well have been skipping down the halls.

The rest of the clinicals were interesting. CHF who fell off his scooter in the Walmart parking lot. Little girl who caught her hand in a bullet blender. Infected toenail removal. All in a day's work in the ER.

The BLS transport was good too. I got to watch a woman (as we transferred her from the ER to our cot to take her home) go into severe respiratory distress and get nebbed. Her SpO2 stats dropped from mid nineties to thirty in two minutes. We decided she wasn't stable enough to transport. And ran. Fast.

Had a crazy woman. She wanted to take me home, which was kinda weird. She didn't like guys so I ended up keeping her calm and distracted during the ride to the hospital. We no more than dropped her off than picked up a baby with respiratory distress and took her to the Children's Hospital. She was adorable, other than the wheezing and coughing. Very happy baby over all, which we decided was a good thing. Last two patients were non-ambulatory, which meant I got to practice lifting and moving. My preceptor was bitten- not hard, but he definitely bit her. And I learned how to move in the back of a moving ambulance. That's a slightly unnerving feeling, especially when the patient I'm trying not to bump, jar or fall on complains of the slightest movement.

Ah well. Clinicals are over, I lived. And learned a lot. It was fun.

Quote of the day: MRSA

"MRSA- It’s gone rogue. It’s the Sarah Palin of bacteria."

Physics lesson in EMT-B

1/2mv^2= Kinetic Energy.....yes? Somewhere I learned that once.

Today I learned just why that matters.

I'm never driving above 15mph again. Never, ever.

Teres....something or other.

Two muscles, on two seperate stations. I swear they were both either teres major, or teres minor.

At least I spelled platysma right...

Thoughts and Prayers

Found out tonight that our EMT-Basic professor is in ICU with pneumonia. Never a good thing, and double bad now.

Get well soon!

Initial Impressions of Messed-up Mental Patients

"Your general impression of the patient is a big deal.

*flash image on screen*

Big man, big stick- See ya, Bye!"

Head, meet desk

So, I'm filling out paperwork for my clinicals, turning in my immunization record and I see this:

If you have not had  an annual TST (tuberculin skin test), the 2 Step Test is REQUIRED.

If the first result is negative,  a second test must be done 1-3 weeks later.

No big deal, right?

It is a big deal. I HAVE to turn this in by Monday. Term started in August, and we were told to get our Mantoux done, so we all went out and got one. ONE. That's what our syllabus, professor and EHS website told us to do.

That was MONTHS ago. Shit like this makes me want to strangle people.