That Bloody Girl

Long time, no see. Some stuff to talk about. Mainly: I officially quit EMS. I am such a loser. Okay, I don't really think that about myself, but c'mon, I know some of you are thinking that--especially those of you who work nights. What is the deal with nightshift medics? You're not cooler than the rest of us. You're not! (Okay, maybe you kinda are.) Anyway, it does kind of suck, you know, 'cause I don't have a job now. And I need that for money. And I need money for stuff. But, it also wasn't a good idea to go serve at a forty-eight hour service all burnt out and bitchy, which I totally am and am not ashamed to admit. I'm already mean--I have heard this said to me multiple times this week. Nice, huh?--I don't need to be around people that rub me the wrong way and piss me off ON TOP of having to deal with burn out whilst still working in the industry. It's just bad for everyone, especially the patients. Because, it's about the patients, y...

So, firstly, I want to say something about the "STEMI" we had this weekend. It wasn't an MI. At least me, and my ex-partner, don't think it was. See, I have seen a lot of strips and a lot of EKGs in my short time as an EMT, and I know what a paced rhythm looks like. On this call, it looked an awful lot like a paced rhythm. BUT, I am just an EMT. I am no para. I have had no formal EKG training, so I cannot say for certain. So, here this: 84yom, complaint of ShOB, warm, dry, pink, no obvious signs or symptoms, no pain or trouble breathing, sats good at 98% and BP within normal limits. We do everything but run a 12-lead--which, you know, if we are ruling shit out, we kinda need to do one, but you know, whatev--and see nothing of note. In fact, the only thing I say other than ask the pt if he is comfortable is loudly acknowledge the presence of a pacemaker implanted in his left chest. Huh. So, we run him in cold. Because it is a new city and my partner mishears my qu...

First night ever at the station, doing a forty-eight. I am tired, but I can't sleep. Firstly, this whole thing is weirdly like camp. Secondly, I am insanely jittery from a breathing treatment I did so I wouldn't wake up coughing if I ever got to sleep. I am tired. Definitely. Woke up a bit after five so I could be here by eight. Two hours in the car here and then most of the day in the truck. We ran a transfer to OKC which took forever and then ran a discharge and an emergency--that actually turned out to be an emergency. See, we thought the nursing home was full of shit, but when we pulled up to the ED, he suddenly went all ST elevated MI on us. Guess that explains the "shortness of breath," or maybe it was fate. I've even had two whole meals today. Like, actual meals. I did just try to get some Cheetos from the vending machine, but apparently that wasn't meant to be, because I can't get them out. Some problem with the flaps you push up to open it......

Did you know Sean Patrick Flanery, Mr. Badass Boondock himself, is a motivational writer? Like, he has a website and a blog and he's working on a book and he answers your tweets and reads all the comments. He's all, interpersonal. I love him more now. Anyway, I was in need of some of that aforementioned shit, so my discovery came at just the right time. I'm not into resolutions or New Years or days...but I have been thinking about what I want this year to mean and what I want to do with it. If I get to just work forty-eights and have five days off a week...I mean, can you imagine what I could do with that?! I could write a book, I could learn a language, I could finally get skinny. But over a month into this year, I haven't done any of those things. Well, I have signed up for six credit hours at TCC alongside my surg tech courses--so, you know, I can get that elusive degree I have been chasing for YEARS (by the way, I just found out I've been spelling elusive wro...