Happy Birthday Jess!!!!!

Tomorrow is Jess's 30th Birthday. I have had the distinct pleasure and honor of knowing Jess since I was 13 years old. It doesn't see like that much time since I met the her. I think for the first 6 months I knew her I couldn't even remember her name. She has become a cornerstone of my life and who I am. Behind every man is a strong woman. This is completely true. She will probably read this and think to herself, what does he want and why is he kissing my ass. I am not up to anything and I am most definatley not kissing you ass baby. I just wanted to wish you a happy birthday and let you know how very much you mean to me. I remember when 30 was old. It doesn't feel like that anymore. You're not getting old Jess, just getting better. I hope tomorrow goes well. I am taking Jess out for dinner, and I hope she likes the gift I got for her. I know you will get tons of birthday wishes from you friends from the online world. You are loved by so many people! You are wonderful, and I love you!!!!!

Happy Birthday Baby!!!!!!!!

More funny stuff

Some of you may or may not know, most EMS folks speak in acronyms. There are several.
I have decided to share some with you. Here they are....

AFU-all fucked up

AHF- acute hissy fit

AQR-ain't quite right

ART- assuming room temperature (dead)

BM&W-bitch, moan & whine

BOHICA-bend over here it comes again

CATS-cut all to shit

CC-cancel christmas

CCFCCP-coo coo for cocoa puffs

CTD-circling the drain

DFO-done fell out

DILLIGAF-do I look like I give a fuck

DND-damn near dead

DOB-dead on bed

DRT-dead right there

DPS-dumb parent syndrome

NMS-new mommy syndrome

DWPA-dying with paramedic assistance

EMT-every menial task

EMS-earn money sleeping

FDSTW-found dead stayed that way

FDBG-fall down go boom

FTD-fixin to die

FUBAR-fucked up beyond all recognition

GOMER-get out of my ER

GRAHOB-grim reaper at head of bed

HIBGIA-had it before got it again

KISS-keep it simple stupid

LOLNAD-little old lady no acute distress

LOLFDGB-little old lady fal down go boom

LDF-lying down fit

MARWB-met at road with bag

MUH-messed up heart

NLPR-no longer playing records

PUHA-pick up haul ass

PBAB-pine box at bedside

PBS-pretty bad shape

PCL-pre-code looking

PEFYC-pre-extricated for your convenience (normally throught the windshield by ejection)

PCO- passed clean out

PPA-practicing professional alcoholic

TBC-total body crunch

TMB- too many birthdays

SIO-sleeping it off

TSTL-too stupid to live

WADAO-weak and dizzy all over

WUD-woke up dead

The rules of EMS

I got this from an EMS website, it holds true for the most part.

RULES OF EMS

1. Truly sick people don't complain.

2. Air goes in and out, blood goes 'round and 'round, any variation from this is BAD.

3. The more equipment an EMT has on his belt, the newer he/she is.

4. If you drop the baby, pick it up.

5. When dealing with patients, supervisors, or the general public, if it felt good saying it, then it was the wrong thing to say.

6. All bleeding stops...eventually.

7. You can't cure stupid.

8. God protects fools and drunks.

9. If you get to a car accident scene after midnight and you can't find the drunk, keep looking, someone is missing.

10. There is no such thing as a "textbook" case.

Dark Humor is better than no humor

I have given some small glimpses into the world in which I exist. In a world where so the potential exists for things to go very bad very fast, we medics have learned to rely on our sense of humor, albeit a dark one, to get by. I will now allow you to see a little of the stuff we find funny. Don't be offended, remember kids, it's a coping mechanism.

Memories

I have been doing my "dream job" for nearly just over 4 years now. To say it's affected me is...well, a bit of an understatement. For every good memory there are at least 2 bad ones. Just over a year ago I delivered a baby girl, on the floor of a Subway restaurant in a truckstop. I scraped brains from the highway, and then out the tread of my boots. I have help an old woman's hand as she cried for her dying husband. I have tackled a mother running to her garage to keep her from seeing us cut down her son who had hung himself. I have gone to what I thought was my wife in an accident. I have walked along railroad tracks looking for some poor bastard's leg who jumped off the train and hit a sign when he landed. I sometimes wonder how much the human mind and soul can take before all these things finally catch up with it. For every one thing I remember, there are at least 5 I forgot. I have been on more than 2,000 calls. The one thing that keeps me going is the thought of my family. My pretty little girl, my handsome boys, my beautiful, loving wife who has supported me through all my issues and horseshit. I owe all that I am to them. Everytime I go on a call I can see my boys smiling at me, and my little girl smiling
and I hear my Jess telling me to be careful. I really do try hard to be careful, I wouldn't want to disappoint them by not coming home.

I didn't forget

I have a little girl, she's 9. She hits double digits this fall. I don't talk about her much, mostly cause I don't know how to relate to her. I missed a little bit of her growing up due to military service. Still, I want to desperately to be close to her but I'm not sure how. She is also EXTREMELY intelligent and can see throw a smoke screen when she tries to. I don't think I have ever met a kid as bright as she is. Last year I bought her a dress to go re-enacting with me. It is so neat to have her in camp with me. I can see how much she realy likes being outdoors. And the animals, she loves being anywhere near horses. She gets as close to the cavalry horses as they let her. I'm afraid I don't know my daughter very well. This makes me sad. She brought home a paper from school for bowling with dad. It's date is the same as the first re-enactment of the year. She told Jess that she'd rather go re-enacting cause that's 3 days with dad not just an afternoon. I want to her to as proud of me as I am of her. I hope she understands how truly deep my love for her goes and that no matter what happens in her life or mine she will ALWAYS be, my little girl.

My boys

My two baby boys are getting bigger everyday. Jess brought them to my station house today when she came by to drop off a couple things for me. We went inside and immediately Drew wanted to go out to the bays to look at the ambulances. He is so much like I was. Fascinated with the different emergency vehicles and what they were for and the noises they make and the way the lights flash. Tater is the same way. Ambulance Daddy! Tater would whisper. So I took them and Jess out into the bays and put them in the back of my rig and let them play. I got really excited to seem them take such an interest in it. They are always excited by these things of course, they're boys. Put Drew in the driver's seat and let him turn on the lights. All by himself. I know both of them are doomed. I had to take a call in the middle of their visit so I made sure we made a lot of noise pulling out and driving away. I sure hope they get to realize their dream when they get older. I know I have and it's been worth it. By that time maybe public safety work will actually pay worth a shit. It won't, but as long as they're happy.

My favorite time of year is almost here!!

My favorite time of year is fast approaching. Not just spring or summer. Civil War reenacting season. Yes I am a HUGE dork. Some of you may have figured that out by now. My wife my have told others this fact. Every spring, in May me and some other folks I know travel to places and put on heavy wool uniforms and re-enact battles and scenes from the Civil War. It is a huge thing, espescially in the south. I have been staring at my stuff hanging on the wall since last August. I'm soooo ready to go again. Yay!!! May is coming!!! Yay!!!

What did you think

For once I actually wrote something, what did you guys think. My wife apparently thought it so good that she thought I copied it from somewhere else. Nope, it's mine. I think I might even write more. They won't all be like that of course. I hear that writing is very therapeutic. I don't know if I spelled that right. Oh well, not points for grammar and spelling here. All for now.

The end grows near...

There are only 13 days left in class. We just finished our pediatrics, obstetrics, and gynecelogical portion. We just keep on trucking. There are 11 of us left now, thats not too awful bad considering we started with 14. As far as the attrition rate goes we are faring better than any class before us. I think that the bulk of us will make it through. Even the girl that asked how they got the milky way candy bars to glow in the dark is still with us. I doubt she will get her cert though. This class has been something I waited 4 years to do. I t got a huge build up from other paramedics I know. But for some reason or another it has not been as difficult as I first believed it would. It is proving a little tougher at the end, because I am ready for it to be over. Tired of sitting there in class for hours on end, tired of working in the hospital and for other ambulance services for free. I probably could have made $45,000 this year. I missed out on a lot of OT for school. We've all suffered for it. Blah, blah, blah. Soon it's done. Soon I get to go HOME. For good!! I get to take my kids to the places my parents took me as a kid. My boys get to grow up around their extended families. Take Drew and Tater to the speedway for the Saturday races. Be there for all my babies, in a way my own father wasn't there for me. Finishing this class will give me that. Soon, very soon.

runnning late

I just sat down to eat my meal
You were driving, hands at the wheel

I take my first bite, missed breakfast and lunch
You hit a pole, with a crash and a crunch

Alert tone makes it's sound
Car versus pole, driver's down on the ground

We respond, find you there
glass and blood all in your hair

You're so still, barely breathing
barely a pulse, I know it's meaning

You're young, only 25
the girl you hit is only 9

I can see her lifeless eyes
the bike she rode was her special prize

she lays quietly under you car
just down the street from her own yard

went out to play and have some fun
not knowing you'd be the one

to cross her path and end it all
no trips for her to the mall

you got flown out
I have little doubt

You'll make it
and you'll forsake it

we gave you a chance to live
it's the most we could give

I tell her parents about her fate
their little girl isn't just running late

I know that God took her to be
another Angel watching out for me

I think of her once in a while
and I cry a little but fight the tears with a smile

Her parent's pain I know won't die
but I never got to tell her hi

And to this day I see her face
looking at me from a happier place

Just when I thought I had seen everything....

Picture it if you can, a warm sunny spring day in northwestern Indiana. First one like it this spring so far. A busy day for us at EMS, call after call after call. Working hard but really enjoying it and remembering why I started in this career to begin with. Then the calls mysteriously stop....the powers that be saving the best calls for later? Maybe. Then it happens...the sun goes down, but the temperature doesn't really drop much and worst part of it all...A FULL MOON!!!! The next thing we know another call comes in "Station 2 respond for the female who has been bitten by a"....get ready for this kids...."Misquito!" Yes I said it right a friggin misquito. What kind of crap s that. I asked my Captain if we should call the police to come out with us to make sure if the mosquito had left the scene. We arrive on scene to find a woman who said she was bit by a misquito. I asked her if she was serious and it burned. Long story short, she did NOT go with us to the ER. I so desperately wanted to smack her in the head for being stupid. What do you guys think? Would you call an ambulance if you were bitten by a ferocious mosquito? Next time I get bit by a skeeter then I will call for one.

Why Mrs Medic Rocks

I see a trend forming...It would appear my better looking half, the illustrious Mrs. Medic, Rocks. Not that I disagree, with you, because I think so too. She really appreciates you guys and I am glad to see her able to express herself. I think for awhile there I was really jealous and paranoid about y'all, I seem to have gotten myself figured out. Thanks for coming to visit my little bloggy thing that had originally started out as a way to vent from class. It's changed itself around a little since it started but I think it's kinda neat now. I owe everything that I am to Jess and I don't think she really knows what I mean by that sometimes. I apppreciate her so much more than I used to. I took her for granted for so long, and I am really lucky to have her. I look forward to seeing her when I get home from work in the mornings and I hate to leave her when I go. I could not be where I am today if not for her and I want to thank her in front of the entire bloggy blog world for being my wife.
I Love You Jess!!

Back to business as usual....sort of

I took my black mourning band off my badge today, felt kinda weird to do it, but you can't dwell on it forever. I also went to class today before I came into work. We now have a mere 16 full class days left. It has gone by so fast, but seems to have lasted a lifetime. Pediatrics was the topic of the day. Of course it has been a topic for the last several class sessions. Wrapping that up next week and on to Endocrinology. We have been practicing pediatirc and infant intubation. Now that just isn't right, shovinga tube down a little kid or baby's throat. But you gotta do what you gotta do espescially for a little one. We got PALS (pediatic Advanced Life Support) class next week and I feel pretty good about it. But I digress. Only 16 full class days left. It's really 17 but on the seventeenth day all we do is take our final and walk out the door. I have made some good friends and some folks I will not soon forget. They have been really supportive. I have thought about the last year a lot lately. I guess after the last week or so I've really had some thinking to do. Didn't have to but, I did anyways. I acutally have started wearing my seatbelt again. I stopped a long time ago, when I realized I could use "professional courtesy" to get out of the ticket. Yes, we really do that. I got out of a double whammy about a year and half ago. 65 in a 30 AND no seatblet. Cop said hey you know better than to not wear a seatbelt, and try slowing down a little will you. I said yep and kept it under 50 the whole way home. But anyway, I decided that I don't to put my family and cohorts at work what we all just went through so I'm trying to be a little safer these days. To all of you who have left little happy comments and stuff, I know you were sent by the illustrious mrs. medic and I do appreciate you and your comments and she does check them everyday. She seems a lot happier than she used to. Thanks y'all

Life and the calls, continue on....

The memorial service was on Saturday. April 1, 2006...April Fool's Day. I kind of expected in the back of my mind to see Josh pull off his greatest prank ever. But, it wasn't a prank. I have seen a lot of people make comments about this on my wife's bloggy thing. Everyone telling how sorry they are and to stay strong and that they lost a coworker once. I appreciate the support for such a terrible loss. I sometimes find myself feeling two ways when I hear things like, I've lost a co-worker too. In my chosen profession, we are not just co-workers. We don't punch out at the end of an 8 hour day. We spend 24 hours together at a time. These people become your family. I spend more waking moments with my crew on station than I do with my wife and kids. So you see I have 2 families, my work family and my home family. So you see not only have I lost a friend and co-worker, but I lost a brother as well. We catch each other's colds, share in each other's lives, go to places and see things that people just aren't supposed to see. But Josh did it in more than just the EMS way, he was also a Volunteer Firefighter, and a Reserve Police Officer. He had two extra sets of brothers. There are so many memories of Josh and the calls we worked and times spent on station together. The Thanksgiving turkey that we tried to deep fry. I stress tried. Did you know that deep frying a turkey outside in November with Lake Michigan winds blowing takes more time to cook than in an oven. But we did it and ate it. I had almost forgotten about that. Or talking to him about his girlfriend. Or eating cheesy mac hamburger helper. I think I'm hitting the anger phase now and that really messed up part is that I know it's happening. I can't really be anything but mad at this point. Not mad that he's gone so much, but mad that it just wasn't fair for the rest of us. Mad that his entire future is wasted. Mad that he never once friggin' listened to us when we asked him, told him, begged him to slow it the fuck down and put on the damned helmet already. But he'd flash that smile of his and remind us that he's having fun and he'll be fine. I think I'm done ranting about this. I think it's gonna be okay, it is right? I sure could use some reassurance on this one. I don't say that very often.