Ankle Injuries, by Fujiya & Miyagi. Enjoy.
-AM
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
The Laws of EMS.
I'm sure most people in EMS have probably seen this, but for those who haven't:
The Laws of Emergency Medical Services:
1. Skin signs tell all.
2. Sick people don't bitch.
3. Air goes in and out, blood goes round and round, any variation of this is a bad thing.
4. Newbies have their own way of doing things.
5. The more equipment you see on a paramedic's belt, the newer they are.
6. There is no rule 6.
7. When dealing with patients, supervisors, or citizens: If it felt good saying it, it was the wrong thing to say.
8. All bleeding stops... eventually.
9. All people will eventually die, no matter what you do.
10. If the child is quiet, be scared.
11. Always follow the rules, but be wise enough to break them sometimes.
12. If the patient vomits in the rig try to hold their head to the side of the rig with the disposable equipment, not the stuff you have to clean.
13. If someone dies by chemical hazards, electrical shocks or other on-scene dangers it should be the patient, not you.
14. Any EMT, FF, and/or scene chief who is more drunk (or more stupid) than the patient is the real problem.
15. There will be problems.
16. You can't cure stupid.
17. If it's wet and sticky and not yours, LEAVE IT ALONE!
18. If at all possible, avoid any edible item that firefighters prepare, especially the tuna casserole.
19. Heaven protects Fools and Drunks.
20. EMS is extended periods of intense boredom, interrupted by occasional moments of sheer terror.
21. Every Emergency has three phases PANIC, FEAR, AND REMORSE.
22. You are bound to get a call either during dinner, while you are on the can, or at 2:00am in the middle of a great dream.
23. Rocket scientists that get into stupid car crashes are the first ones to complain how bumpy the ambulance ride is.
24. The severity of the injury(s) is directly proportional to the difficulty in accessing, as well as the weight, of the patient.
25. Turret mounted machine guns usually work better than lights and sirens.
26. Make sure the rookie paramedic knows that a med patch is a radio term, and not a medicated bandage.
27. Paramedics save lives; But it's EMT skills that save Paramedics.
28. When a patient vomits outside, be sure to aim it at the citizens who wouldn't back up.
29. Never trust your rig, drug box, or airway bag to be fully stocked. In spite of the assurances of the offgoing crew.
30. If you don't have it, don't give up. Adapt, Improvise, Overcome, (then call for a second unit).
31. There is no such thing as a "textbook case".
32. Newbies always look for large things in the smallest compartments and vice-versa.
33. There is no such thing as a bad call. Only calls that didn't go the way you planned.
34. If there are no drunks at a Motor Vehicle Accident after midnight, keep looking, someone is missing.
35. Just because you're paranoid does not mean the Supervisor isn't around the corner.
The Laws of Emergency Medical Services:
1. Skin signs tell all.
2. Sick people don't bitch.
3. Air goes in and out, blood goes round and round, any variation of this is a bad thing.
4. Newbies have their own way of doing things.
5. The more equipment you see on a paramedic's belt, the newer they are.
6. There is no rule 6.
7. When dealing with patients, supervisors, or citizens: If it felt good saying it, it was the wrong thing to say.
8. All bleeding stops... eventually.
9. All people will eventually die, no matter what you do.
10. If the child is quiet, be scared.
11. Always follow the rules, but be wise enough to break them sometimes.
12. If the patient vomits in the rig try to hold their head to the side of the rig with the disposable equipment, not the stuff you have to clean.
13. If someone dies by chemical hazards, electrical shocks or other on-scene dangers it should be the patient, not you.
14. Any EMT, FF, and/or scene chief who is more drunk (or more stupid) than the patient is the real problem.
15. There will be problems.
16. You can't cure stupid.
17. If it's wet and sticky and not yours, LEAVE IT ALONE!
18. If at all possible, avoid any edible item that firefighters prepare, especially the tuna casserole.
19. Heaven protects Fools and Drunks.
20. EMS is extended periods of intense boredom, interrupted by occasional moments of sheer terror.
21. Every Emergency has three phases PANIC, FEAR, AND REMORSE.
22. You are bound to get a call either during dinner, while you are on the can, or at 2:00am in the middle of a great dream.
23. Rocket scientists that get into stupid car crashes are the first ones to complain how bumpy the ambulance ride is.
24. The severity of the injury(s) is directly proportional to the difficulty in accessing, as well as the weight, of the patient.
25. Turret mounted machine guns usually work better than lights and sirens.
26. Make sure the rookie paramedic knows that a med patch is a radio term, and not a medicated bandage.
27. Paramedics save lives; But it's EMT skills that save Paramedics.
28. When a patient vomits outside, be sure to aim it at the citizens who wouldn't back up.
29. Never trust your rig, drug box, or airway bag to be fully stocked. In spite of the assurances of the offgoing crew.
30. If you don't have it, don't give up. Adapt, Improvise, Overcome, (then call for a second unit).
31. There is no such thing as a "textbook case".
32. Newbies always look for large things in the smallest compartments and vice-versa.
33. There is no such thing as a bad call. Only calls that didn't go the way you planned.
34. If there are no drunks at a Motor Vehicle Accident after midnight, keep looking, someone is missing.
35. Just because you're paranoid does not mean the Supervisor isn't around the corner.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Oh Dear God Thank You!
I passed my Pharmacology test.
Trying to study with the power out sure didn't help...
- AM
Trying to study with the power out sure didn't help...
- AM
Monday, December 8, 2008
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Motivation.
Oh, hello there.
Didn't forget about me did you? I've come out of my cave to share a few things. Just some thoughts that have been kicking around the ol' mental note pad. I've been extremely busy with school for the last few weeks, but I guess that's no excuse for not writing in, what, like 3 months?! That's ridiculous. I know. I've realized why I haven't been writing though, and why I was able to write for my old blog, years ago. Back then I had an audience. Audience = motivation. A reason to write, other than to just to post some "Dear diary's" to myself when I'm bored. I didn't have an audience here because no one knew about this. So I think it's time to roll it out from the shadows. Hi, everyone.
Things at school are heating up, and it's getting harder and harder to keep up. I wish I knew someone who took the course last year so I could ask them just how they did it. I mean, we start a new section every week and just when I feel like I'm beginning to fully understand the material... Bam! We write the test on Monday and move on to something entirely new. If you don't devour your textbook every week, you're toast. There's no time to say, "I'll get the hang of this eventually". You figure it out now or you forget about it until it comes back to smack you in the face when you write your final exam, and you fail. $12 000 down the drain. That's some motivation right there! That being said, though, I've been doing alright. A teeny-tiny bit lower than where I'd like my grades to be but I'm happy, and I usually feel pretty confident going into the tests. Right now I'm studying Pharmacology for the test on Monday. Unfortunately I missed the review day on Friday so I need to focus extra hard on figuring this stuff out on my own. *Gulp*.
Lab scenarios are more or less the same story. It's much harder to prepare at home though. I had a really bad day about a month ago that served as one of those oh-so-dreaded reality checks. I bombed my trauma scenario. I just froze and forgot everything in front of my group and my instructor. It started when I realized that I had forgotten to put on the Oxygen. The more I worried and tried to remember what I thought I was forgetting, the more I forgot. It was one of the most embarrassing days of my life, and one that I won't soon forget. I promised myself that it would never happen again. So I've been studying and practicing scenarios and for the last few weeks I've been nailing them. Well, I mean they aren't perfect. But for where we are now I think they're pretty good, and I've cut my trauma scenario time in half. Yay.
Motivation is a great thing. I don't mean to sound like a broken record here and drill that word into your head, but lately I just haven't been able to ignore the impact it's been having on my life. I suppose it's what causes the motivation that's really important. It's interesting to dig down to find the real reasons we do the things we do. It's never quite as simple as it seems. Think about it. But that's definitely a different story for another time. Right now I focus on passing my tests, not humiliating myself in my labs, and, of course, trying to keep the readers happy.
How did I do?
-AM
Didn't forget about me did you? I've come out of my cave to share a few things. Just some thoughts that have been kicking around the ol' mental note pad. I've been extremely busy with school for the last few weeks, but I guess that's no excuse for not writing in, what, like 3 months?! That's ridiculous. I know. I've realized why I haven't been writing though, and why I was able to write for my old blog, years ago. Back then I had an audience. Audience = motivation. A reason to write, other than to just to post some "Dear diary's" to myself when I'm bored. I didn't have an audience here because no one knew about this. So I think it's time to roll it out from the shadows. Hi, everyone.
Things at school are heating up, and it's getting harder and harder to keep up. I wish I knew someone who took the course last year so I could ask them just how they did it. I mean, we start a new section every week and just when I feel like I'm beginning to fully understand the material... Bam! We write the test on Monday and move on to something entirely new. If you don't devour your textbook every week, you're toast. There's no time to say, "I'll get the hang of this eventually". You figure it out now or you forget about it until it comes back to smack you in the face when you write your final exam, and you fail. $12 000 down the drain. That's some motivation right there! That being said, though, I've been doing alright. A teeny-tiny bit lower than where I'd like my grades to be but I'm happy, and I usually feel pretty confident going into the tests. Right now I'm studying Pharmacology for the test on Monday. Unfortunately I missed the review day on Friday so I need to focus extra hard on figuring this stuff out on my own. *Gulp*.
Lab scenarios are more or less the same story. It's much harder to prepare at home though. I had a really bad day about a month ago that served as one of those oh-so-dreaded reality checks. I bombed my trauma scenario. I just froze and forgot everything in front of my group and my instructor. It started when I realized that I had forgotten to put on the Oxygen. The more I worried and tried to remember what I thought I was forgetting, the more I forgot. It was one of the most embarrassing days of my life, and one that I won't soon forget. I promised myself that it would never happen again. So I've been studying and practicing scenarios and for the last few weeks I've been nailing them. Well, I mean they aren't perfect. But for where we are now I think they're pretty good, and I've cut my trauma scenario time in half. Yay.
Motivation is a great thing. I don't mean to sound like a broken record here and drill that word into your head, but lately I just haven't been able to ignore the impact it's been having on my life. I suppose it's what causes the motivation that's really important. It's interesting to dig down to find the real reasons we do the things we do. It's never quite as simple as it seems. Think about it. But that's definitely a different story for another time. Right now I focus on passing my tests, not humiliating myself in my labs, and, of course, trying to keep the readers happy.
How did I do?
-AM
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Don't Pass Me By.
Well, I guess we've realized by now that I'm not one of those blog-every-day types, or even a blog-every-week kinda guy. I've accepted that now. I've accepted that as much as I want to be so productive, I tend to start off with a burst of energy and eventually wind up stirring on the back-burner. It's not that I don't finish what I start, it's just that I have the ability to very quickly become less... well.. enthusiastic. Especially when it comes to writing. As fun as it can be, writer's block is always just around the corner, and it can be very discouraging. Anyway, you don't have to worry about being left hanging in mid-air. It will all come together someday. I'll settle in and we'll have some fun.
Now in case you're wondering(and if you care at all), I didn't forget about this thing over the past few weeks. I really wanted to keep writing. It's just that I haven't found much to write about lately. I mean, I've had ideas. My writer's block hasn't had much to do with it, either. I start new drafts all the time, it's a little ridiculous, but my mind has been consumed by studying. Nothing really gets fleshed out. I read every day, some days more than others. And when I'm not studying, I feel like I should be, and then I can't concentrate on anything else. In terms of keeping up a life outside of school, it's pretty much a lose-lose situation. I promise to keep this up though. I have a few ideas I'm kicking around. Are you excited?
As for where this blog is heading in the long run, who knows. Right now I think it's more for me to just procrastinate and/or vent when I feel like venting, tell stories when I feel like story-telling... or to just write when I feel like writing what happens to be on my mind. It's just a therapy session. You're a fly on the wall. Or maybe you're my therapist..? I kind of like that idea. It seems slightly less crazy than me just talking to myself.
-AM
Now in case you're wondering(and if you care at all), I didn't forget about this thing over the past few weeks. I really wanted to keep writing. It's just that I haven't found much to write about lately. I mean, I've had ideas. My writer's block hasn't had much to do with it, either. I start new drafts all the time, it's a little ridiculous, but my mind has been consumed by studying. Nothing really gets fleshed out. I read every day, some days more than others. And when I'm not studying, I feel like I should be, and then I can't concentrate on anything else. In terms of keeping up a life outside of school, it's pretty much a lose-lose situation. I promise to keep this up though. I have a few ideas I'm kicking around. Are you excited?
As for where this blog is heading in the long run, who knows. Right now I think it's more for me to just procrastinate and/or vent when I feel like venting, tell stories when I feel like story-telling... or to just write when I feel like writing what happens to be on my mind. It's just a therapy session. You're a fly on the wall. Or maybe you're my therapist..? I kind of like that idea. It seems slightly less crazy than me just talking to myself.
-AM
Saturday, September 6, 2008
To Begin.
Well hello there, intrepid web-surfer!
I have no idea how you made it here, but you seem to have located yourself at my shiny new blog, in my own little corner of the internet. I suppose we'll start with an introduction:
My name is Adam. I live in Eastern Canada with my girlfriend, where I have just begun my training to one day(fingers-crossed) become a fully-licensed Paramedic. My course is 10 months long, condensed from 2 years which it had been previously. Needless to say it will be intense, and unforgiving. Much like the job itself I suppose. I have 6 months of in-class theory and labs( a test and a lab every week), then 2 months on an ambulance and 2 months in the hospital. I am absolutely terrified by the fact that in 6 months I will be working on an ambulance. I know by then I will have the training I need, but still...
Now, becoming a Paramedic was a fairly recent decision in my life, it hasn't been a "life-long" desire or anything like that, but it has become something of an obsession. It's a goal, a dream, whatever. I have a degree in Psychology but for some reason I never could decide on how to put it to use. I enjoy Psych, but I feel like it was more the theory that interested me as opposed to the application. I have always enjoyed learning and attempting to help others, and I think I've found the perfect outlet for that in Paramedicine.
In regards to this little blog, well, we'll see how it goes. I'm new to Blogger and not so familiar with it yet. I've tried things like this in the past and my posting was very inconsistent. I'm trying to get myself into the habit of writing more often. It's a good place to let out all of the random and silly thoughts that run around my head. The main inspiration for this came from several other "Paramedic blogs" that I read constantly. "Street Watch" and "On The Clock" being my favorites. I have to say that Street Watch, by Peter Canning was a major influence not only on my writing, but in my decision to become a Paramedic. I had been on the fence about the career for some time, but after reading his stories, and his very encouraging posts regarding newcomers to the field, I felt that it was something I could actually do. Mr. Canning, if you ever happen to read this post, Thank You! You have no idea what an impact you have made on me. I only hope that one day I can have even a slightly similar impact on someone else. You're an inspiration.
Now that we have that out of the way, I can focus on future posts and keeping you all entertained... which is a daunting task. As for right now, though, it's late, I'm tired, and I have a long day of studying tomorrow for my first test on Monday... Medical Terminology. Yeehaw. It will be the easiest test I write for the next 10 months, that's for sure.
-AM
I have no idea how you made it here, but you seem to have located yourself at my shiny new blog, in my own little corner of the internet. I suppose we'll start with an introduction:
My name is Adam. I live in Eastern Canada with my girlfriend, where I have just begun my training to one day(fingers-crossed) become a fully-licensed Paramedic. My course is 10 months long, condensed from 2 years which it had been previously. Needless to say it will be intense, and unforgiving. Much like the job itself I suppose. I have 6 months of in-class theory and labs( a test and a lab every week), then 2 months on an ambulance and 2 months in the hospital. I am absolutely terrified by the fact that in 6 months I will be working on an ambulance. I know by then I will have the training I need, but still...
Now, becoming a Paramedic was a fairly recent decision in my life, it hasn't been a "life-long" desire or anything like that, but it has become something of an obsession. It's a goal, a dream, whatever. I have a degree in Psychology but for some reason I never could decide on how to put it to use. I enjoy Psych, but I feel like it was more the theory that interested me as opposed to the application. I have always enjoyed learning and attempting to help others, and I think I've found the perfect outlet for that in Paramedicine.
In regards to this little blog, well, we'll see how it goes. I'm new to Blogger and not so familiar with it yet. I've tried things like this in the past and my posting was very inconsistent. I'm trying to get myself into the habit of writing more often. It's a good place to let out all of the random and silly thoughts that run around my head. The main inspiration for this came from several other "Paramedic blogs" that I read constantly. "Street Watch" and "On The Clock" being my favorites. I have to say that Street Watch, by Peter Canning was a major influence not only on my writing, but in my decision to become a Paramedic. I had been on the fence about the career for some time, but after reading his stories, and his very encouraging posts regarding newcomers to the field, I felt that it was something I could actually do. Mr. Canning, if you ever happen to read this post, Thank You! You have no idea what an impact you have made on me. I only hope that one day I can have even a slightly similar impact on someone else. You're an inspiration.
Now that we have that out of the way, I can focus on future posts and keeping you all entertained... which is a daunting task. As for right now, though, it's late, I'm tired, and I have a long day of studying tomorrow for my first test on Monday... Medical Terminology. Yeehaw. It will be the easiest test I write for the next 10 months, that's for sure.
-AM
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