It is extremely cold here at the Home of the Gnome (relatively speaking, of course). I haven't experienced such low temps and wind chills since Antarctica. And no, that is not an exaggeration. Living in a townhouse on a concrete slab with 20 year old windows is not conducive to keeping a warm house. I'm reluctant to turn the heat up anymore, given the increase in energy prices, and so I am relegated to cuddling under blankets. Sadly, my other heat source is on his way to NJ for the week, and therefore is not here to help me warm up. I suppose it's all for the good...colder temperatures are supposed to be better for your metabolism...burning calories to stay warm and all. Though I'm not sure that the temps in the house are low enough to suffice for that.
The holidays are over, and for one I am grateful. I love the holidays, but this year just seemed to sneak up on my from out of nowhere, and before I knew it, it was a week before Christmas, I had no presents purchased, and I had to get the house ready because I had to head to St Louis, and Chris was not home (he had to work the weekend before Christmas, and was in NJ). The blizzard didn't help much, but overall didn't crimp my overall plans. The dogs loved it though...
I was supposed to have surgery this coming Friday, to remove my gallbladder (after one attack, and the confirmation of gallstones). Given the craziness of the past few weeks, I forgot to schedule my pre-op appointment, and therefore will likely have to reschedule the surgery. This leaves me with a timing issue, what with classes starting up on January 27th. Given the surgeon's indication that I will require at least 2-4 weeks for recovery, postponing surgery could push into the beginning of classes. Then there is the whole surgery thing overall. I have not had any problems since Labor Day, which was the only attack I have ever had. I have since tried (and mostly succeeded) in decreasing my overall fat intake, and I hope to continue doing so. So I wonder if I should go through with the surgery, when, if I watch my fat intake, I may not have another gallbladder attack for years, if ever again. Getting surgery will set me back at least one month, if not more, in several areas, such as fighting, the gym, and other things. Not to mention that the insurance company has not been making this easy at all. I am quickly reaching the point where I am going to crawl through the phone and confront people face-to-face on this issue, since evidently, sarcasm does not translate well through the phone lines.
At any rate, things are going to be boring for the next few weeks. I have to order books for classes, and determine if I want to add a class to my schedule for this semester. I will be severely lacking in human contact over the next few weeks, given that everyone is working, Chris is in NJ, and if the surgery is done, I'll be stuck in the house, unable to drive. You may get more posts then.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Friday, December 4, 2009
Nothing new here...
Nothing new has been going on recently. The end of the semester is coming up, and with it, the final push for, well, finals. Next week is the last full week, and then finals. So far, grades are ok..I'm holding steady at B's, and a few borderline A's, which isn't as good as I had hoped, but better than it could be. At least I understand the stuff.
We are finally learning 12 -leads. The guy goes a bit fast, but it's more than I learned in EMT-I all those years ago, so it's something. A few take-home tests are due next week, and then it's just the tests. I'm excited for break, even if I am getting my gallbladder out just after New Year's.
On the station front, I am working with the new membership committee to help revamp the probie program. I really like this department, but it has a lot of things that make me say "WTF" On the other hand, Rockville was the same way. One of the things that makes me twitch about this station is the long-time officers. They're nice guys, but they have a bit of a warped sense of things, in my opinion. While working with one of the newer EMS officers, we decided that perhaps a solution to the 'lack of pride' issue we see in some of the kids and newer members (mostly the younger ones) would be to add a bit of history to the new member orientation. Nothing really in depth, but just a sense of where we came from. Things like when the department was started, maybe some pictures of the early days, stuff like that. The fact that we we had an LODD last year would be added in too, just to make sure that the newer members know and understand, and don't forget. When I asked an officer for help on the history (there isn't anything on the website) I was asked why, and when I said it was for the new probie book, the reply was "Why would you want to bore them with that stuff?"
I was floored. Why is the history of the department such a taboo issue? No wonder there are issues with people showing up and taking care of the station (we have to have 'clean-up weeks' to make sure that the station gets cleaned on a regular basis, and there are no dishes left in the kitchen cause no one cleans up after themselves and people just throw the dirty dishes in the trash after a few days). The officers bitch and moan about the 'young kids' and how no one has station pride and all that, and yet their attitude isn't helping. If the kids knew where they came from and had a little history to have pride in, maybe they would take more responsibility (then again, maybe not).
Some of us on the EMS side have instituted a buy-in dinner for anyone who wants on drill nights (Tuesdays and Fridays). Someone makes dinner, and then it's a $5 buy-in to eat. IOU's are accepted. Not a single one of the officers has eaten that dinner. I've seen some of them come in and ignore the invitation to eat, not even bothering to ask what is for dinner, and go out and buy something. How is that a good role-model to the new people? If the officers won't even sit around the kitchen table and eat with everyone else, what signal does that send to the new people? This place has to be the most disfunctional firehouse I've ever been a part of.
On the other hand, they do some things really well, and the disfunctional-ness means that they aren't uber-concerned with a lot of the Mickey Mouse bullshit I had to put up with at the other place. No 4 hour meetings because everyone is arguing Robert's Rules of Order, or spouting off just to hear themselves talk. Still there is a lot of growing room. And I like it there.
We are finally learning 12 -leads. The guy goes a bit fast, but it's more than I learned in EMT-I all those years ago, so it's something. A few take-home tests are due next week, and then it's just the tests. I'm excited for break, even if I am getting my gallbladder out just after New Year's.
On the station front, I am working with the new membership committee to help revamp the probie program. I really like this department, but it has a lot of things that make me say "WTF" On the other hand, Rockville was the same way. One of the things that makes me twitch about this station is the long-time officers. They're nice guys, but they have a bit of a warped sense of things, in my opinion. While working with one of the newer EMS officers, we decided that perhaps a solution to the 'lack of pride' issue we see in some of the kids and newer members (mostly the younger ones) would be to add a bit of history to the new member orientation. Nothing really in depth, but just a sense of where we came from. Things like when the department was started, maybe some pictures of the early days, stuff like that. The fact that we we had an LODD last year would be added in too, just to make sure that the newer members know and understand, and don't forget. When I asked an officer for help on the history (there isn't anything on the website) I was asked why, and when I said it was for the new probie book, the reply was "Why would you want to bore them with that stuff?"
I was floored. Why is the history of the department such a taboo issue? No wonder there are issues with people showing up and taking care of the station (we have to have 'clean-up weeks' to make sure that the station gets cleaned on a regular basis, and there are no dishes left in the kitchen cause no one cleans up after themselves and people just throw the dirty dishes in the trash after a few days). The officers bitch and moan about the 'young kids' and how no one has station pride and all that, and yet their attitude isn't helping. If the kids knew where they came from and had a little history to have pride in, maybe they would take more responsibility (then again, maybe not).
Some of us on the EMS side have instituted a buy-in dinner for anyone who wants on drill nights (Tuesdays and Fridays). Someone makes dinner, and then it's a $5 buy-in to eat. IOU's are accepted. Not a single one of the officers has eaten that dinner. I've seen some of them come in and ignore the invitation to eat, not even bothering to ask what is for dinner, and go out and buy something. How is that a good role-model to the new people? If the officers won't even sit around the kitchen table and eat with everyone else, what signal does that send to the new people? This place has to be the most disfunctional firehouse I've ever been a part of.
On the other hand, they do some things really well, and the disfunctional-ness means that they aren't uber-concerned with a lot of the Mickey Mouse bullshit I had to put up with at the other place. No 4 hour meetings because everyone is arguing Robert's Rules of Order, or spouting off just to hear themselves talk. Still there is a lot of growing room. And I like it there.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Clinical
I can't say I was super-impressed with my clinical this weekend. Only 3 real calls (the others were crap calls that didn't really require us to be there, and the medic didn't even write a refusal). No IV sticks, and the medic I was with was not nearly as cool or nice as the one I was with last weekend. On the other hand, it did teach me how NOT to interact with my coworkers. In fairness to the medic, he was very good with the patients. Just not me or his partner.
Again, on the other hand, I ran an OB that actually gave birth, for the first time in my 11 years in this field. Thankfully, it was not in the back of the medic unit, but it was on the stretcher. The patient was a multiple pregnancy, multiple birth, and the kid just flew out. We did make it to L&D, but the nurses and doctors there were too busy arguing over which monitor to put on her and weren't quick enough in moving the patient over to the hospital bed. It would have been nice, since even though her water broke on our stretcher, I would have liked to NOT have to clean up after the actual birth. Still, it was nifty, but I am damned glad it happened in the hospital.
Nothing exciting happened after that, aside from the IV I missed because it was a crappy vein, and then got pushed out of the way by the medic, who was very easily frustrated. It made me mad, because her AC was a pipe, and her hand was a little spidery thing that you see in arthritic people. Irritating, because I wanted to go for the AC first, and he said that you had to do hand first, and when I couldn't get it, took the AC himself. Later he said 'You can put down that you did IV's if you want, I don't care.' I'm not so desperate that I'm going to cheat, jerk.
Hung at the firehouse for a bit after that, and then home. Lazy Sunday, though I did get some gardening done to clean up the yard for the winter (as noted yesterday).
Today was our last test before finals. It'll be very very nice to have several weeks without having to hurry and study for some test or another. Gotta check the schedule again...we start learning 12-leads in a few days.
Again, on the other hand, I ran an OB that actually gave birth, for the first time in my 11 years in this field. Thankfully, it was not in the back of the medic unit, but it was on the stretcher. The patient was a multiple pregnancy, multiple birth, and the kid just flew out. We did make it to L&D, but the nurses and doctors there were too busy arguing over which monitor to put on her and weren't quick enough in moving the patient over to the hospital bed. It would have been nice, since even though her water broke on our stretcher, I would have liked to NOT have to clean up after the actual birth. Still, it was nifty, but I am damned glad it happened in the hospital.
Nothing exciting happened after that, aside from the IV I missed because it was a crappy vein, and then got pushed out of the way by the medic, who was very easily frustrated. It made me mad, because her AC was a pipe, and her hand was a little spidery thing that you see in arthritic people. Irritating, because I wanted to go for the AC first, and he said that you had to do hand first, and when I couldn't get it, took the AC himself. Later he said 'You can put down that you did IV's if you want, I don't care.' I'm not so desperate that I'm going to cheat, jerk.
Hung at the firehouse for a bit after that, and then home. Lazy Sunday, though I did get some gardening done to clean up the yard for the winter (as noted yesterday).
Today was our last test before finals. It'll be very very nice to have several weeks without having to hurry and study for some test or another. Gotta check the schedule again...we start learning 12-leads in a few days.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
I can haz Christmas tree!
We got a Christmas tree today.
Yeah, I know it's early. See, I love Christmas. It's my favorite season (winter) and my favorite holiday, and not just because you get presents. It's because for just a few weeks out of the whole year, the majority of people act the way they're supposed to act, getting off the all-about-me bus and think about someone else for a change.
Anyway, we'd talked about getting a Christmas tree this year, but because C is in New Jersey over the holidays, we decided not to get one. We didn't have one last year, because he was in North Carolina. The year before, I didn't really have one, since I was in Antarctica. A tree, to me, is central to Christmas time. When I was growing up, it was a tradition for my mom and I to decorate the Christmas tree together, listening to Christmas music. When I was living at the firehouse, we had a tree that we decorated (albeit without the Christmas music). When I was living with Bee and Foo, we decorated the tree the day of the Christmas party, with all the people who came early, while Foo cooked for the party and Christmas music was playing. So yeah, Christmas trees have been rather central to my Christmas experience for a while. Not having one is hard. Not having C around is also hard, especially since we have not really spent 'holidays' together since we started going out. Yes, we are together for the actual holiday, but he's not around for the holidays, you know, the time leading up to the actual holiday when it's nice to have family around to listen to the music, see the sights, and so on. I keep reminding myself that it could be worse...at least he comes home most weekends, and he is not in a dangerous place (aside from the fact that it IS New Jersey). I have friends who's husbands are military, and are downrange for the holidays, so I know I could have it worse. It's still hard though, not to be able to share my favorite holiday with the one I love.
Anyway, we've discussed Christmas trees, and whether we should get one or wait till we have a house that will fit it. We've bought at least one ornament every year we've been together, so that when we have a tree, it's not naked. But when we went to the home improvement store today to get mulch, grass seed, and top soil to fix the yard(and how odd does it sound saying that 2 weeks before Thanksgiving?), I saw that they had little potted dwarf evergreens. We talked about getting a taller one to put in the corner of the yard where the hydrangea used to be (but died), and saw that they had cheaper one that were much smaller.
So we got one. It's only about 2 feet tall right now, and is outside now. C plans to build a small table to put it on in the corner of the living room, we'll leave it potted, and in the spring, we'll plant it. In the meantime, C, who has become enamored of the LED lights being advertised on TV, wants to put lights and ornaments on the tree while it's inside. Granted, some of the ornaments we have are bigger than the tree itself, but we'll figure it out. Maybe a bow for the top.
But for now I am excited. I have a Christmas tree, and although C will not be here during the week, he will be around on weekends, and we can do some decorating the weekend after Thanksgiving. The fact that the tree is potted means it won't dry out, and we can plant it in the spring.
So now I can have my dream of sitting in the living room, listening to Christmas music, the only light coming from the tree in the corner. The only thing missing is the fireplace.
One thing at a time.
Yeah, I know it's early. See, I love Christmas. It's my favorite season (winter) and my favorite holiday, and not just because you get presents. It's because for just a few weeks out of the whole year, the majority of people act the way they're supposed to act, getting off the all-about-me bus and think about someone else for a change.
Anyway, we'd talked about getting a Christmas tree this year, but because C is in New Jersey over the holidays, we decided not to get one. We didn't have one last year, because he was in North Carolina. The year before, I didn't really have one, since I was in Antarctica. A tree, to me, is central to Christmas time. When I was growing up, it was a tradition for my mom and I to decorate the Christmas tree together, listening to Christmas music. When I was living at the firehouse, we had a tree that we decorated (albeit without the Christmas music). When I was living with Bee and Foo, we decorated the tree the day of the Christmas party, with all the people who came early, while Foo cooked for the party and Christmas music was playing. So yeah, Christmas trees have been rather central to my Christmas experience for a while. Not having one is hard. Not having C around is also hard, especially since we have not really spent 'holidays' together since we started going out. Yes, we are together for the actual holiday, but he's not around for the holidays, you know, the time leading up to the actual holiday when it's nice to have family around to listen to the music, see the sights, and so on. I keep reminding myself that it could be worse...at least he comes home most weekends, and he is not in a dangerous place (aside from the fact that it IS New Jersey). I have friends who's husbands are military, and are downrange for the holidays, so I know I could have it worse. It's still hard though, not to be able to share my favorite holiday with the one I love.
Anyway, we've discussed Christmas trees, and whether we should get one or wait till we have a house that will fit it. We've bought at least one ornament every year we've been together, so that when we have a tree, it's not naked. But when we went to the home improvement store today to get mulch, grass seed, and top soil to fix the yard(and how odd does it sound saying that 2 weeks before Thanksgiving?), I saw that they had little potted dwarf evergreens. We talked about getting a taller one to put in the corner of the yard where the hydrangea used to be (but died), and saw that they had cheaper one that were much smaller.
So we got one. It's only about 2 feet tall right now, and is outside now. C plans to build a small table to put it on in the corner of the living room, we'll leave it potted, and in the spring, we'll plant it. In the meantime, C, who has become enamored of the LED lights being advertised on TV, wants to put lights and ornaments on the tree while it's inside. Granted, some of the ornaments we have are bigger than the tree itself, but we'll figure it out. Maybe a bow for the top.
But for now I am excited. I have a Christmas tree, and although C will not be here during the week, he will be around on weekends, and we can do some decorating the weekend after Thanksgiving. The fact that the tree is potted means it won't dry out, and we can plant it in the spring.
So now I can have my dream of sitting in the living room, listening to Christmas music, the only light coming from the tree in the corner. The only thing missing is the fireplace.
One thing at a time.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Illness
When we last left our intrepid adventurer, she was asking cardiology questions. We actually did find the answer in pharmacology class later on (oddly enough).
At any rate, now that I am off antibiotics, my throat is sore again. A trip to the doctor today (since strep throat and I are such good friends, and I have no desire to have scarlet or rhuematic fever) I thought that was the prudent thing to do. According to my own personal Marcus Welby, I still have blisters all over the back of my throat and my tonsils, which is most likely the cause of the intense pain I have been having upon swallowing (but only on the right side). New antibiotics (Keflex) make me hope that I will kick this. A blood test to rule out mono has also been taken. However, the lack of fever and extreme exhaustion make me doubt it is mono.
This weekend was my first field clinical. I was in Baltimore City, and things weren't super busy, but they weren't really slow either. I did manage to get one IV on Saturday, and ran my first 'real' GSW. Yes, it took 11 years to get a real GSW. Most of them have been either 'it's not really a gunshot' or so much a gunshot that the cops cleared us before we got on scene. This one ended up being an organ donor, but still...Sunday was even slower than Saturday, with several 'man down' calls though there was one that might have been a dissecting aneurysm. I go back on Saturday for my last one, and I hope that I will get at least 2 IV's.
In other news, my back is still sore, though I suspect (read: hope) that today's extreme pain is due to awkward sleeping last night. I have a date with a heating pad later tonight, and perhaps even some more serious painkillers than Advil.
In the meantime...I have a pharm test to study for tomorrow.
At any rate, now that I am off antibiotics, my throat is sore again. A trip to the doctor today (since strep throat and I are such good friends, and I have no desire to have scarlet or rhuematic fever) I thought that was the prudent thing to do. According to my own personal Marcus Welby, I still have blisters all over the back of my throat and my tonsils, which is most likely the cause of the intense pain I have been having upon swallowing (but only on the right side). New antibiotics (Keflex) make me hope that I will kick this. A blood test to rule out mono has also been taken. However, the lack of fever and extreme exhaustion make me doubt it is mono.
This weekend was my first field clinical. I was in Baltimore City, and things weren't super busy, but they weren't really slow either. I did manage to get one IV on Saturday, and ran my first 'real' GSW. Yes, it took 11 years to get a real GSW. Most of them have been either 'it's not really a gunshot' or so much a gunshot that the cops cleared us before we got on scene. This one ended up being an organ donor, but still...Sunday was even slower than Saturday, with several 'man down' calls though there was one that might have been a dissecting aneurysm. I go back on Saturday for my last one, and I hope that I will get at least 2 IV's.
In other news, my back is still sore, though I suspect (read: hope) that today's extreme pain is due to awkward sleeping last night. I have a date with a heating pad later tonight, and perhaps even some more serious painkillers than Advil.
In the meantime...I have a pharm test to study for tomorrow.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Question for the masses
A question has been raised in my cardiology class that no one seems to be able to answer to the student's satisfaction.
What is happening, at the cellular level, that causes ST segment changes during an MI? I know it has something to do with repolarization changes due to dead and dying or ischemic tissue, but she wants to know the specific reasons behind the amplitude changes.
Any takers among my 2 or 3 readers?
What is happening, at the cellular level, that causes ST segment changes during an MI? I know it has something to do with repolarization changes due to dead and dying or ischemic tissue, but she wants to know the specific reasons behind the amplitude changes.
Any takers among my 2 or 3 readers?
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
It Lives!!!!
I am alive, no thanks to the strep throat I got last week. Just as things were getting together.
Still, I survived 2 tests during that time, one when I was sicker than a dog, so I can't be too upset.
The semester is halfway done. I'm getting excited about being a quarter of the way done. I would like to be doing better, but I can't complain over much about B's.
Today was the H1N1 vaccine clinic on campus. I was supposed to be a runner, which meant that I was supposed to be taking filled syringes from the vaccine fill-up station to the various station giving the actual shots. I ended up taking care of a classmate who got sick, and walking her back to her dorm. When I got back, I made sure the stations had syringes, and spent the rest of my time there filling syringes with vaccine. Not the most exciting of 'clinicals' but good practice.
This weekend starts the first round of clinicals. I have 3 days of riding on a medic unit to get IV sticks before the 50 mile marathon in late November (yes, that was 50 MILES, not KM. A bunch of silly people run 50 miles up the Appalachian Trail in western MD, and the medic students have the responsibility of fixing the rampant dehydration and foot funk they will have by the end of the 50 miles.), so this Saturday, Sunday, and next Saturday will be spent in Baltimore. Hopefully my curse of no calls won't carry over too badly so I can actually get some calls. One of my classmates delivered a baby this week at her clinical. I don't really want to do that.
Drill tonight at the firehouse. I have some ideas I would really like to implement, but I haven't found the time to write them down to give to the Sgt. Also, have to study for my test tomorrow. Time to get cracking. There may still be time to pull A's out of my ass in these classes.
Still, I survived 2 tests during that time, one when I was sicker than a dog, so I can't be too upset.
The semester is halfway done. I'm getting excited about being a quarter of the way done. I would like to be doing better, but I can't complain over much about B's.
Today was the H1N1 vaccine clinic on campus. I was supposed to be a runner, which meant that I was supposed to be taking filled syringes from the vaccine fill-up station to the various station giving the actual shots. I ended up taking care of a classmate who got sick, and walking her back to her dorm. When I got back, I made sure the stations had syringes, and spent the rest of my time there filling syringes with vaccine. Not the most exciting of 'clinicals' but good practice.
This weekend starts the first round of clinicals. I have 3 days of riding on a medic unit to get IV sticks before the 50 mile marathon in late November (yes, that was 50 MILES, not KM. A bunch of silly people run 50 miles up the Appalachian Trail in western MD, and the medic students have the responsibility of fixing the rampant dehydration and foot funk they will have by the end of the 50 miles.), so this Saturday, Sunday, and next Saturday will be spent in Baltimore. Hopefully my curse of no calls won't carry over too badly so I can actually get some calls. One of my classmates delivered a baby this week at her clinical. I don't really want to do that.
Drill tonight at the firehouse. I have some ideas I would really like to implement, but I haven't found the time to write them down to give to the Sgt. Also, have to study for my test tomorrow. Time to get cracking. There may still be time to pull A's out of my ass in these classes.
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