I hate long blogs, so I broke this one up..at the ER

So, when the nurse came out to triage and asks "are YOU my patient" with a smirk on his face, it makes you feel really good...I love being known in all the ERs. This time I was VERY grateful that I hadn't delivered a difficult patient to them that day. The nurse saw me writhing in pain, and my blood pressure of 140/100 and decided that something was up. They took me back to a room (the room that we always put our really sick patients, by the way...I didn't think I was that sick). I saw the doctor that was working and recognized him from when I did my clinicals in school. I loved this guy, he was just a generally good guy. Well, they told me that one of the P.A.'s would be seeing me, more than likely. So, my supervisor went and talked to Dr. Goldenburg who then said "oh, yeah, I'll see her right now." The doctor came in (much to my relief), poked around on my belly, asked me the usual questions, and then said "how about you get and IV and some pain meds, then we'll talk." YES!!!! I knew I loved this guy. So, to sum up, one IV, two narcotics, and one anti-puke drug later, I felt pretty dang good. They did an ultrasound and saw no gallstones, but said my gallbladder was a little enlarged. Dr. Goldenburg said "well, the tests were pretty much inconclusive, but my gut (no pun intended) is telling me that it was your gallbladder. You presented as a classic case. You could have had a single stone that passed before we could catch it on the ultrasound." So, they sent me home with a prescription for Prevacid and Lortab and told me to follow up with my primary care doctor. My supervisor was amazing, staying with my up until 10 minutes before I was discharged, seeing to it that I got the care I needed, and even offering to drive me across the county, to my home afterwards. My very close friend, when she heard I was in the ER, dropped what she was doing, and came up to stay with me and drive me home. While initially, I thought that the urgent cares being closed was a "curse", later I realized it was truly a blessing. No way would I have gotten all the tests done so quickly (or the pain meds, either) if I hadn't been in an ER. Just goes to prove that "someone" is watching out for our best interest, even if we don't know it at the time.

Never ask 'what else?'

So the title of my last blog was 'What Else?' I would like to retract that statement...I don't want to know the answer. Yesterday, I was at work having a blast with my partner. Between her trying to combine the word 'fit' with the word 'tuck' and accidentally dropping the f-bomb on scene in front of a patient (don't worry, the patient was gorked, so she didn't notice), and my partner almost yelling at the entire county by talking into the radio mic instead of the P.A. mic on the ambulance while she was pretending to yell at the drivers that wouldn't pull to the right. It was a great shift. Then we ran a basic diabetic call. This guy's blood sugar was low, but he was awake, so we were watching him eat and patiently waiting for his blood sugar to raise. I started having what I thought was really bad heartburn. I wiggled around enough to tolerate it, but towards the end of the call I was just thinking "would this guy hurry up and get better already!" So, we finish that call, and go back to the station. That's when it hit. I couldn't sit still because the pain was so bad. My partner, watching me wiggle and rock in the office chair said "that's it, I'm sending you home." Well, after calling all the urgent cares and finding that they were all closed (convenient, huh), we decided (well, my partner and supervisor decided) that I needed to go to the ER. So, the ambulance went out of service until someone else showed up at the station, and my supervisor drove me to the ER....

Geez, what else?

So, I was working on a snowy, slushy day. People were getting into little (and big) car accidents left and right. My partner and I just finished getting fuel in the ambulance when we get another 911 call. Okay, no big deal right? Well, on my way to the call, all of a sudden another car collides with the ambulance. Luckily, no one was hurt, except another ambulance had to be called to handle the 911 call we were supposed to be running, and the bumper of the car that collided with us was no longer attached to the car...Well, it is county policy that the driver of the ambulance has to immediately go and do a pee drug test and a breath-a-lizer. Well, I had already gone to the bathroom an hour or so before. Those of you that know me...know that this posed a problem. My camel-sized bladder caused me to have to down 24 oz of Dr Pepper and almost empty the hospital of apple juice...all in about 20 minutes. You will be happy to know that my breath-a-lizer test came back at 0.000. The company that does the testing will probably call me and say "your drug screen was negative, but we think you may be diabetic." I ALMOST made it to my mission without wrecking an ambulance (even though, I didn't wreck it...there wasn't even that much damage, just a minuscule dent in the wheel cover.) I have to admit, there is never a dull day in my life.

Mission update...part 3

So, I have officially given my notice at work. May 9 is the last shift I will work. While I am really sad to leave a job that I LOVE, I am excited for this next step in my life. I am SOOOO grateful for all the support I've gotten at work. I am really surprised at how excited everyone is that I'm leaving (I don't know if that is a good thing.) I have luckily been told by several people that I should be able to come back after my mission (i.e. I haven't burned any major bridges yet.) So, I am in the process of finalizing everything at work...getting someone to cover prom crashes/presentations next season. I am REALLY grateful that I am going to be able to move back to my old station for my last month. I have been at different stations for the past 2 months. While I like the station I'm at now, I really feel at home at my old one. The fire crew there just feels like family and we've really "bonded" (that's a whole other blog...hehe). So I anticipate that it will be hard, but a smooth transition out of paramedic life. Give my notice to work...check!

Mission update...part 2

I hate having one post that takes up the whole screen, so I'm breaking it down...
I scheduled my dentist appt for last monday. Well, I got a call from work before that asking if I wanted to pick up some overtime for Sunday night. More money? Do you really have to ask? Well, thanks to a last minute 911 call, having to cover someone elses district after that, then ANOTHER 911 call, I missed my dentist appt...I was not happy, but what are you gonna do? I rescheduled and went in today. My mouth feels like it is going to explode from the throbbing! I had to have a crown put on. Well, in the process of drilling, apparently they exposed my nerve. Talk about pain! I want a permanent shot of novacaine until tomorrow when I get the pleasure of having a root canal. FUN!!!! My dentist won't sign off on my mission papers until after all that is finished, so that won't be until my follow-up appt on April 8. Dental papers...in the process.

Mission Update

Okay, so here is an update for all you that are interested. I had my physical two weeks ago and had my mission forms filled out by my doctor. Well, while I was there, my doctor and I discovered that I have never had my Hepatitis A shot...WHAT?!?!?! Well, this is one of the shots that you get one, then another in 6 months. My physical was on March 2. 6 months from then is Sept 2...right when my availability date for my mission is. THAT was close. Also, the doctor walked in and this was our conversation
Dr. Graham: "Do you normally wear contacts or glasses"
Me: "I have my contacts in right now."
Dr. Graham: "Really? When was your last eye exam?"
Me: "Five months ago."
Dr. Graham "Well, I can sign off on everything, but your vision tested at 20/30 with your contacts in...You need to get another eye exam before you leave."

SOOOO, thanks to my amazing friend, Stephanie, who works at an optometrist's office, I got my vision checked. It has changed 2 steps in 5 months...whatever that means. So, I have new contacts ordered for that. Medical clearance...check!

Job Security...

Oh goodness...some days you just wonder. Today I was working and got a call for a "choking infant." This makes anyone's stomach drop, but so far, in my 3 years on an ambulance, each time the baby has been screaming by the time we got there and it's been no big deal. Here is a tip for all of you parents out there. Don't feed your 7-month-old taquitos. That's right this mom had given her 7-month old little girl fried, crispy-shelled, shredded beef taquitos. Seriously...what do some people think? Just FYI, it didn't work too well. The little girl was fine and laughing at us all by the time we got there. So, at least it had a happy ending. Just thought I'd share that bit of wisdom with you. Generally, they should have teeth BEFORE they eat fried food with shredded meat.