Paranoia

Seated securely in the stretcher. 

Shoulder harness on.

Chest strap on.

Waist strap on.

Leg strap on.

Police Officer seated next to patient's feet.

Paramedic next to the head.

25 minute drive.

Bumpy road.

Ambulance bounces on the road slightly, amplified through the stretcher.

"What the?? Is someone punching the ambulance??? MAKE THEM STOP!!"

Paranoia.

Filter vs fingers

He was not a happy camper, standing in the water on a tiny ledge on the edge of the pool, hand caught in the water filter.

The power had been turned off and the motor stopped, however, his fingers were wedged firmly in the plastic grate.

The firies had their rescue tool kit out next to the pool, including a very long and sharp looking Channellock cutter and a hooligan bar.

Every time they tried cutting the plastic grate, the young kid would scream as the plastic twisted over his fingers and knuckles.

My partner didn't want to give the kid any pain relief, in case he passed out and sunk back into the water.

After a few cuts, the firies managed to cut the grate out, freeing his hand from the pool filter.

While not neurologically or vascularly compromised, a speedy trip into hospital with a whee bit of age appropriate pain relief was given by my partner en route.

At least, when this was all done and dusted, he would have a few good stories to share with his elementary school class!

Cone of silence

I'm currently on night shift, which lasts for 14 hours.

So far, it's been quite constant, with patient after patient.

However, as the attending officer today, I have not had one patient talk to me.

• Patient 1 was very intoxicated and slept en-route.
• Patient 2 overdosed on Valium and slept en-route.
• Patient 3 did not speak English, we had no interpreter and therefore we communicated by body language.
• Patient 4 suffered from acute psychosis and refused to speak with me.
• Patient 5 was again very intoxicated and slept en-route.

It definitely makes it challenging gathering a history but makes management easier! I'm not quite sure what I've done wrong...

New Ear-worm

I've got a new ear-worm and unfortunately I just can't get it out of my head.

It's Katy Perry's The One That Got Away.

Bleh.

Spring Clean

My house is a mess.

Plus my housemate moved out last week.

So, therefore, I finally bit the bullet and decided to give the place a bit of a clean, throw away a lot of junk and give the place a good airing out.

I feel so domesticated!

A little giggle

Today was supposed to be the day.

After an entire day thinking that offers would be out yesterday, I was a nervous wreck. (Logically I thought yesterday was the day, since the evening before the matching system had been completed. Plus most of the medical schools except three had all given out their offers, or rejection letters).

Unfortunately, the schools I applied for were part of the three.

There were tweets on twitter stating that offers would be given out at the school I applied for by mid-morning.

8am had passed.

Followed by 9am, 9:30am, 10am, 10:01am, 10:23am, 11:00am.

My refresh F5 key really needed replacing.

11:05am.

Surely by 11:30am right?

That went past.

I went out shopping to relieve the stress.

12:04pm.

Still no offers.

Bleh.

So I went and made lunch, watched a bit of Deadliest Catch on Discovery channel, just to keep my mind off it.

But it was hard to resist.

1:04pm.

Still nothing.

I still couldn't believe it. So I pressed F5 again.

1:05pm.

The screen was different.

Instead of the usual site saying the portal will open last week, it was replaced with a login portal.

I curiously entered my details.

The new screen refreshed.

"Dear Andy,


Thank you for using the on-line admissions portal to check on your status for entry to medicine.


We are pleased to let you know that your application for admission to the course has been successful.


Full details about your offer, including the type of place and any conditions, will be sent by post to your nominated address.


Congratulations on your selection and welcome to ABC University Medical School."


I let out a little giggle, followed by a long stressed laugh.

This was what I had worked for so many years for, what I had given up my polar program offer for.

I'm going to be a medical student!!!!

Some offers... but not ours

The magical system allocating medical schools have finished and some schools have given out offers.

But not the one that I applied to.

That F5 key is still getting a bit of a trashing.

Still waiting

Medical school offers were supposed to come out today.

Still no word.

My F5 refresh key is getting a bit of a work out though!

The Website of Anxiety

Medical school offers comes out the week commencing Wednesday 9 November 2011.

These offers are announced on what has been dearly (but appropriately) named Website of Anxiety.

Since it states it's the week commencing Wednesday (weirdly termed...), I've been checking that website about 200 times a day for the past few days.

GAAAAAAHHHHH!!!

Fast food

The clock read 4:38am.

Wiping off the last remnants of sleep, I called mobile on the radio, my voice betraying my fatigue.

The dispatcher sounded just as tired.

... 30ish year old female.... at the payphone... bitten by another person on the shoulder.... because they thought she was a piece of meat...

My partner and I looked at each other.

Right.

Off we drove towards the said phonebox.

********

The ambulance scan lights and headlights lit the phonebox and the park, bathing the area in a sea of white light.

No one could be seen.

Not even a drive through of the park and surrounding streets could we find a living soul.

"Perhaps we were too late? Perhaps she was eaten?" I dribbled to dispatch.

"Must have been fast food, or a midnight snack" they retorted.

My partner and I giggled as we drove back towards our station.