I was the patient...and it sucks

So heres the deal. Im still out on injury. Mostly because my back locked up on me last week, the day before I was gonna call my safety officer to tell him that the injection worked and I wanted to come back. Aparentlly the injection didn't work and I had to call an ambulance to take me to the ER. I couldn't sit bend or anything. All I could do was stand there and argue with my dad on the front lawn about calling my coworkers. I was yelling at him to "Just clean out the back of my truck and I will lay down. Finally after my left leg gave out I caved and I gave him the number to my supervisor. When the medics showed up carring all the gear I met them outside telling them to take all that crap back to the truck and I will walk to the unit. Which I did, then doing this great acrobatic move by holding on to the bars on the roof of the box to get onto the streatcher without bending. It truly was impressive. The medic taking care of me is one of our sarcastic medics who was telling me that when they were called the dispatchers didn't tell them it was me, only that It was non traumatic back pain (a call all medics dispise, anyone who says it isn't is lying through thier teeth) and it was out of the county. (I was at my parents house, which is out of my county). So to say the least he was put out till he found out it was me. Then all was well. So I was transported to the ER my mother works at, which frankly is where all the psychs, drunks and homeless go. But my mom was there so I had an excuse right? The medic transporting me was like "Seriously, you want to go there?" We did get pulled over by one of my off duty supervisors (who refers to me as "Trouble") who was on his way home and heard I was being transported. And I got a few visitors mostly curious medics bringing pts. And the on duty supervisor checking in. So three hours and 8mg Morphine, 10mg Oxycodone, 4mg of Ativan later I was able to atleast get up and was discharged.
So now Im out even longer. Going for yet another MRI tomorrow and then on the 5th find out what the hell they are gonna do to me. Really I hoping for surgery so I can just get it over with and get back to the sick and stupid. I have suggested that for my "light duty", I would like to be croassed trained as a dispatcher. But can a street nedic go to the dark side of the radio and become "The Voice" Hmmm, something to ponder while Im out. Until next time...

I'm irish. I bleed green

So another St Patty's Day has come a gone. Another holiday created for the sole purpose of drinking and acting like an idoit. Like I need a holiday for that, but that's another issue. So a friend of mine and I ran amok the city streets and then when the numerous cab companies wouldn't answer our phone call for a ride home we called one of our QRV (quick response vehicles, they are SUVs non transport) units who came a picked us up. Yes, we technically called an ambulance to drive our intoxicated asses home. In hindsight probally not the best choice but still better than the police...or the coronor...
I was also supposed to be cleared by the County EMS doc to come back to work, but alas I was found not "Fit for Duty" which by all accounts is most likely true. My back is not back to baseline. I still am having that irritating numbing pain down my leg. So I'm am to be out of work for another 2 weeks. Hopefully my Spine doc will find me fit after my next appointment. This is compleatly frustrating. I really do miss work. It gave me a reason to get up. Now, I sleep till noon and have nothing to do all day because all my friends are working. Because thats what normal people do. I sit at home a watch hours of Judge Judy, Oprah, and I love the 80s. What a dull little life I lead. Then by like 4 in the afternoon I go either to my parent's house or I wander around The City taking photographs. I have filled my 1gig card in my camera several times and my computer is slowing down because of all the uncompressed photographs. I miss working.

Butter Beans

Butter Beans
Originally uploaded by strange little girl 190.

more photography for everyone's enjoyment. I've been snapping alot while I've been on leave. The walking around isthe only excercise I've been able to do till I get cleared to go back to the gym...or work for that matter.

Folly Pier

Folly Pier
Originally uploaded by strange little girl 190.

Beach Church at night

Beach Church at night
Originally uploaded by strange little girl 190.

Folly's Gates 3

Folly Beach
Originally uploaded by strange little girl 190.

I was playing with my Nikon D50 and long exposures. Something I had always wanted to try, but the expensive film and deveopling kept me from doing. I used to be in the group of photographers that belives that digital photography is not true photgraphy. But My D50 has let me experiment freely, with thigs like long exposures. The only altering I did to this picture was a slight contrast ajustment. other than that the colors are true. I am pleased with the results.

The new Bridge

new bridge
Originally uploaded by strange little girl 190.

multiple injections are no fun

I am bored. I am bored and on narcotics. Back injuries suck. I am out of work for another week and I can't really do much but lay here and type. But relief is in sight, I had my steriod injections today. Injections...plural...as in more than one. My MRI showed that not only had I aggrivated my old injury at L4-L5, but I had ruptured the disc between L5-S1, which is the reason I had the new pain. I hurt a new area. Now, still I am a freak of nature. I have pain but it's not the horrible, nauseating, curl up in the fetal postion and die kind of pain that my MRI suggested. It's more like an irritating ache with tingling in my toes that won't go away. I even have my spine doc perplexed. He wondered out loud how I walk, let alone do my back-breaking work as a paramedic without screaming in pain. I guess I can be called lucky because knock on wood I have a terrible injury, but the less invasive treatment of the injections work on me long term. Or at least they have in the past, so I'm hoping that this time will be no diffrent. I will be back at work within a week. For now, I will sit, enjoy the vicodin, rest, and wait for the okay to go back to the ambulance, go back to the gym, go back to living my life without the numbing pain in my leg.

watch your back

So I'm out on an injury. Well kinda injury. It all began 11 years ago when I ruptured a disc in my lower back. Lumbar region if I must be medically correct. I basiclly disinergrated the disc between L4 and L5. Being that I was 15 years old, my spine doc decided against surgery and went for the new, less invasive route with the injections. Now for those unfamilar with such things, they basiclly inject a steroid and epidural mixture in to the inflammed area and viola! no pain. Now they don't always work and the pain comes back withon days. With me however they work, and work well. I didn;t seak treatment for this again until I was 22. When I had my second and thrid injections, and again no pain...until anout two months ago. When I started having a twinge of pain that didn't go away, so I called up my spine doc and made an appointment. WHile I was waiting for my day to come I had a severe asthma attack. Now, what pray tell does an athsma attack have to do with my back pain. Well nothing really, but the prednisone I was put on for the asthma made the back pain go away. See the steriods don't just work on the inflammed lung tissue, they work anywhere there in inflamation, hence the pain in my low back went away. I was about to cancel the doctor's appointment, when I notice and tingling pins and needles sensation in my leg and foot (Left side only) so as a preventative measure I kept the appointment. Went and he sent me to get an MRI and I was to come back in a few days to get the results of the MRI. Now two days ago I woke up with severe pain, and I was supposed to go to work. Anyone who knows what my work entails knows I cannot work with a back injury. So hence here I am at home amd going stir crazy because I Can;t go anywhere because I hurt. and I can't work because I am hurt and I can;t go to the gym because I am hurt. And Im going nuts. But alas my follow-up appointment is tommorrow so soon I can go back to saving the sick and the stupid.

What fun.