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.

I do not like...

Drunks puking in my truck.

Scheeze.

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?

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.

It's official!

I am now a Nationally Registered Emergency Medical Technician (NREMT).

Be afraid, be very afraid!

Today is the day!

Today I find out if I have the knowledge to become an EMT (evidently they say I already have the skills). In less than one hour, I'll be wandering down towards the testing center (nearly an hour early, prepped with very specific directions from my friend who has taken this already) and sitting outside the room chewing what's left of my nails (that'll teach me to cut them short!).

My friend (same one) says I'm more prepared than he was (which is very sad, given that I didn't have my reference materials for three weeks) and that he passed, so I should do great. Regardless, my toes and fingers are crossed.

Results will come tomorrow...if they're good. If I fail, I'll probably go stick my head in a bucket somewhere and go back to cop school. Just kidding...

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!

Busy week

Hey! It's Saturday! Welcome to the weekend!

Monday was fun. I scored well on my last chapters test of my EMT book (89%!!) then spent AAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL day Tuesday reviewing for the skills practical of my registry exam. My class and I (six of us total) down a 12 pack of Mountain Dew, a 6 pack of pepsi, untold number of sodas/energy drinks from the vending machine and a bag full of candy and snacks. It was fun. Then we took our test - and we ALL passed. Even me!

Wednesday was the highlight of the week, with three major tests (one of which was scheduled for next week!!) but it ended well. I passed my anatomy lab practical on nervous and endocrine tissue, despite thinking that all the slides looked exactly the same. I also passed my surprise final, which wasn't as hard as I thought it'd be, and it saves me a trip into school next week.

But the best part of all? I rocked my Readiness Exam for EMT. We had to have a 70% minimum to pass. I took the cake with 84% and then we all went to Applebees for happy hour.

I think I slept most of Thursday after watching LotR and other movies all night at a friends. Thursday night was a repeat as we finished LotR FotR and TTT, then watched Clash of the Titans (twice, as we got distracted talking and it replayed) and crashed out to King Arthur sometime around dawn.

Then I found out my little brother, who I haven't seen in more than a year, is going to come TONIGHT to see me. Then I'm giving him a ride out to his rig...can you say ROAD TRIP?

All in all, it's been a lovely-if slightly stressful week. Only one more test and it's Christmas Break!

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.

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.

When generously sharing animal crackers

you should always hand a classmate the butt...

Classmate 1: "Here is the butt-end. You can have it."
Classmate 2: "Assman"

In regards to back-boarding...

"When there is man-cleavage, I think it's tight enough."

Cardio test!

75%

So far, one of the highest scores!

Rocking the house

For the first time in my adult life, I found myself hosting an unexpected and unplanned party at my pad.

I can say it here, I love my EMT lab group. They're beyond awesome.

We'd gone to the bar to celebrate the belated birthday of one of the guys, but unknown to us, the bar closed at 10 that night. We'd only intended to drink a couple beers, then go home as we either had work or school (in my case a histology test) in the morning. 10 o'clock rolled around and we decided we'd not have enough fun, so two beers in I said "Hey! I only live six miles from here!"

So, directions were given, phone numbers exchanged and we all headed out. We took a detour to help one gal unload her car then met back at my house with whatever adult beverages we could scrounge up. Madness ensued. Hide and go seek in the yard at 3 am, complete with very drunken hand-to-hand from yours truly (I lost spectacularly to a former rugby playing bouncer who outweighs me by 100lbs) and traditional face painting of the first drunk to fall asleep on my floor. Silence descended around 6 am and when I woke at 10:30 my house was empty and the plethora of empty beer bottles, the half empty bottle of rum and whisky, the top-less bottle of taquila and the poured but undrunk glass of mead was the only evidence that anyone was here.

I decided that the morning after headache was due to falling against the metal frame of my bed. But on the upside, I got an 87,5% on my histology test. I consider that damn good as I was having trouble focusing my eyes.

World, watch out for class of 2013.