Even SWAT calls 911

Officer Down! Officer Down! Move! Move! Move!
Originally uploaded by artist in the ambulance 190.

So a few days ago I went out with the Tactical Medical Team (TEMS for short) on a training mission with the Sherrif's Office SWAT team. I am my systems Offical/UnOffical Photographer. So we needed photos of all of the special operation teams (we have three, TEMS, TRMT, which is the Technial Rescue Team...That's the one I'm on, and the HAZ-MAT team...or AKA the gloworms) Anyways, The TEMS teams are a gorup of highly trained Paramedics that are deployed with the SWAT teams during missions. They work very closly with the boys in blue.

Now here I was, still casted, having to move quickly to get shots and then get out os the way. I had to have special permission from not only the team, but also from my orthopeadic surgeon to take thses photos. I was really happy with the results. And the SWAT team guys were like "you move pretty well for a cripple" Thanks guys.

Also thanks to the SWAT team and the TEMS team for letting me come out on your super secret squirll medic night mission.

drool.

http://www.apple.com/iphone/

So...Yeah...I want.

Rambles On About Nothing is my indian name

Well, I really have nothing to report. I just felt like writing. So here I sits, and thinks about nothing in particular. Listening to Some new music I got with my iTunes christmas cards. Wishing I had bought Bloc Party's new one and The Shins, the one with The New Slang on it. But I was feeling more Goldfrapp and TV on the Radio that day. So next time. I shot off a couple rolls of film today. Yes, seriously, film. People still shoot with film. Even I put down the digital Nikon occasionaly and pick up something old skool, like today I shot with a Holga. For those unfamiler, it s a plastic toy camera. It distorts, light leaks, the colors are all twisty. Well, I shot B&W, but I'm looking forward to getting the film developed. Maybe I will go back into the darkroom.

The foot is healing. I have one pin and one screw left. They come out hopefully at the end of the month. Then back to the streets. I miss my job, my real job, not my fake sit in front of a computer all day job. I just don't have the attention span for it. I get all distracted by everything else besides what I'm actually supposed to be doing. I don't know if anyone else out there knows waht ICD-9 codes are, but they are the bane of my existance right now. I do get the read the narritives from the run sheets, which can be entertaining. But people who type there reports in ALL CAPS I hate that. ITS LIKE YOU ARE SCREAMING!. AND IT MAKES THEM HARD TO READ. There is also someone who mispells the same word on every report. Now I'm a terrible speller and my typos have caused more than one of my reports to be kicked back to me. But seriously, its a simple word. And it's on every single report, so I'm just saying. There is one medic in particular who writing style I really like though (makes me laugh) and another who tries to put as many quoted four letter words as possible in one report. (also makes me laugh) The record is 6 F bombs. Some use nothing but Acronyms, other spell everything out. I am partial to the acronyms myself (CHF, HTN, NTG, ASA, HONDA, DFO/IC, NGAH, BBSCTA, CAOx3, PMSx4...ect...ect)I have also learned that two alcoholic beverages is still the average number for the absolutly smashed (who came up with the two drink rule?), but crack binges last on average about four days.

Finally over the strep. Throat's still sore, but at least I feel much much better. And the fever broke yesterday. I have been able to eat something besides tylenol and grape popcicles (my favorite, right up there with green jello)

Okay thats all I got.

Tiny Little Balls

Tiny Little Balls
Originally uploaded by artist in the ambulance 190.

Branches

Branches
Originally uploaded by artist in the ambulance 190.

Palmetto

Palmetto
Originally uploaded by artist in the ambulance 190.

Happy New Year.

I rang in the new year with a wonderful group of friends and lots of champange. No stairs, no falling, no heels. Both feet still in the same amount of peices I started out with in the beginning of the night. The one still being held together by a couple of pins and a screw. It was a good night to say the least. Then came the next day. Which actually given the amount of alcohol that was consumed, not all that bad really. Its yesterday and today that has been bad. A seriously henious case of strep. The antibotics just don;t seem to be doing the job they are supposed to do. But I'm fighting it. Gave up on trying to eat last night. Now it's just tylenol, motrin, and those little lozenges that taste terrible but work oh so well. I also had dinner with another group of friends, my EMS family. One of which lives in Philly now because she is going to PA school. But she came into town a few days ago. It was good to see her. It was good to see all of them. I haven't seen them as much as I am used to with the not being on the streets right now. Being stuck in the office blows. I don;t do 9 to 5 very well. I'm a night shifter. I prefer the dark. Call me what you will, but I just work better under the moonlight than the sun. I have got another month before I can go back to the streets. The ortho-pods have to remove the hardware in my foot. And I have to build up the strenth back up in my leg. I'm working on getting a place to stay once I'm back on my feet (Pun intended haa) Like I have said before, I love my parents and that I have a place to come if I need it, but I moved out six years ago. This has not been easy on anyone involved. I'm ready to have my own space again. Well its time for my Motrin dose, the CSI: then bed.

Eve's got nothing on me.

Eve's got nothing on me.
Originally uploaded by artist in the ambulance 190.

happy holidays...is it over?

Well here ends another Christmas. This year for us it just snuck up on us. We got our tree up late, the presents didn;t get wrapped until last night at like 4am, and I had to thrown together a Christmas dinner for my dad and I (Ham, greenbean Casserole, and a baked tater) because my mama has to work tonight (she an ER nurse for those who are just visiting my blog for the first time. She works in a smaller ER that is part of the Trauma Center here. I occasionally get to see her when I'm owrking, she also likes to say "alright hunny, you tell that partner of your to drive carefully and we'll see yall when yall get here" over the radio when I encode the hospital. I'm always saying. Mama!, the people all over the county can hear you. But she don't care. My Supervisor got a kick out of it the first time he heard my mama say it)

Anyways, I racked up quite well this morning, getting everything I asked for. CSI the sixth season, this beautiful necklace from my daddy, 70 bucks in iTunes card (awsome.) and a Holga (for those who are unfamilar, it is a cheap toy camera from Japan or China I can't remember. It used medium format film, 120, and because of its plasic body and lens does weird stuff with the colors and adds wicked distortions to the shot. It is awsome) I can't wait till I can go out and shoot with it. and I haven;t shot film is so long, Its gonna be a nice change. This was also the first christmas I didn't have to work. Granted, its because of my foot and I'm working up at HQ, and HQ is closed today...and tommorrow. So no work for me. The foot is healing quite nicely. One of the internal pins is trying to come through though and it is quite pain and uncofortable. I think there is a small nerve ovever top of it because everytime I flex my foot it sends a buring pain across my foot and I can feel it in the tips of my toes. So I just keep still and try to stay off of it. But other than that, It is quite well. I'm walking on it, as long as I'm wearing the Aircast. Hopefully, by the end of January I will be moving back out on my own. and I will get to go back to the streets. Dealing with my crackheads and tweekers.

O Christmas Tree

O Christmas Tree
Originally uploaded by artist in the ambulance 190.

Lights and bows

Lights and bows
Originally uploaded by artist in the ambulance 190.

Angel

Angel
Originally uploaded by artist in the ambulance 190.

Seatbelt...

http://www.adjab.com/2006/12/13/incredibly-graphic-seatbelt-ad-video/

This is a PSA from Ireland. I am going to warn you it is graphic...but truthful. This was shown to me by a fellow medic. We see this almost every shift. A death or a brain injury that could have been prevented with just a simple click of a seatbelt.

Be safe.

Merry Christmas

http://www.southflorida.com/events/sfl-scaredsanta,0,2245506.photogallery?
coll=sfe-events-headlines&index=1

Copy and paste this link. It is worth it I promise

I don't hate it hate it, Im just not used to it, I swear really...I'm fine

Okay I am ready to have my own place again. This living with the 'rents, well, living with people in general blows. I'm not used to having to share my space with much of anyone. Even when I had a roommate she was never home so it was like I lived by myself. I'm not used to the sharing of the bathroom or not being able to watch hours of the forensic shows on CourtTV at three in the morning 'cause I have terrible insomnia because my sister can't sleep in her own bed for some reason so she sleeps on the sofa. But I can't voice any of this because it would make me seem ungrateful. Which, by the way, I am not. I am happy to have a place to stay. But it's something that I can't explain and they don;t understand. I was living on my own for six almost seven years, thats a long time. Long enough to get into alot of strange habits, like for instance needing the TV to be on when I sleep, going to the fridge over and over, opening it, seeing nothing, but still go back over and over, reading a book and watching TV at the same time (oh the horror)...or even just watching forensic shows or mythbusters until my eyes bleed. This is what I'm used to doing. If I wanted to stay in my pajamas all weekend I would and I didn;t have to explain it. If I went out somewhere I just left. I didn't have to sit through a machine gun fire of questions...where are you going, why are you leaving, what are you going to do, who are you going with, are there going to be boys there, when are you going to be back, why are you wearing that, you know black shoes and brown belt don;t match, you aren't really wearing that are you? Oh good lord I'm just going to the movies, really, I don't thing D cares if my purse matches my belt.

I don't really hate it though. It could be a hell of alot worse. I could be living at the shelter. Or trying to figure out how I could earn enough money to make rent with this stupid broken foot, without having to sell drugs or my body to do it. And there is alway the entertainment of watching my sister anf father chase after a Palmetto bug. My father gagging up his stomach and my sister freaking the fuck out. Over a bug...it's kinda funny. In my family is complaetly nuts sort of way.

Sweet freedom

Sweet freedom. On many diffrent levels. One I have been able to drive for about a week now. So when I get the chance I go, even if its just driving around. I'm just happy to be out of the house. I love my family anf I thank them everyday for letting me come back. But moving home was not something I wanted to do. I have to keep reminding myself its just two months, it's just two months. I am not the easiest person to live with so as difficult it is for me to be here its even more so for my family. My mother's studio converted to my new room, with just enough room for my bed and a couple bags of clothes. the garage filled and a whole storage unit on the island full of my shit. And lord have mercy do I have alot a fuckig shit. But I'm happy to have a bed. At least I'm off the sofa.

I also was able to go see a movie tonight, (I saw Borat, it was discusting, but hilarious. There is one scene though I wish I had never seen, it is burned into my brain and just...ewwww. The did make those USC boys look like compleate assholes.) I did almost face plant trying to manuver the stairs, in the dark mind you, on those god forsaken crutches. My friend laughed so hard he dropped his coke. Serves the bastard right. You are not supposed to laugh at the cripple.

I does feel good to get out of that apartment though. My now ex roommate and I were having issues and I was ready to get out of that place. But I wasn't sure how to get out without a fight. Seems breaking your foot in five places was the answer to my prayers (thank you god, but next time, can we think of something less painful? Is that asking too much? And moving home...I really don;t want to do thatever again, I'm sure my mother and father would say the same thing. and can I have a cool studio on King Street, with big windows and hardwood floors and 12ft ceilings? Thats probally too much to ask huh, how bout just a cheap apartment...with hardword floors)

best of 2006

My best of 2006 30 sec music reviews

Snow Patrol
Eyes Open

I listened to this damn CD until the thing quit playing. Then I went out and bought the damn thing on iTunes and burned a copy. It was that good. Yes, they did play that "Chasing Cars" song way too much, but tracks seven and eight make it all better

Thom York
Eraser

I thank god everyday for radiohead. One of the best bands ever. This is the lead singers solo effort. And it is fantastic in all its electronic noise glory.

Wolfmother
Self Titled

Think Led Zep. Hard classic sounding rock. Good for when led Zep can't be located in the 13 Gigs of music you have on your iBook

The Killers
Sam's Town

The Killers sophmore effort. It is compleatly diffrent from the glam emo rock that we have come to know and love. More rock, less glam. But Brandon Flowers's voice still is very reconizable and lovely as ever. CHeck out tracks 6,7,8.

The Decemberists
The Crane Wife

play, enjoy...then repeat...this is absoulutly my favorite Album of 2006.


Gomez
How We Operate

Again...Play...enjoy repeat...Girlshapedlovedrug and the title track, How We Operate, are the best tracks

Bloc Party
Slient Alarm

I compare them to old Blur. Banquet and Likeeating Glass...actually the first 5 tracks kick ass. but really I love the whole thing.

Red Hot Chili Peppers
Stadium Arcadium
Oh course I had to include the old favorite of the CHilli Peppers. I prefer Disc Two. But the whole things is RHCP goodness all over

Pearl Jam
ST

I loveed and always will love Pearl Jam. They are like the Foo Fighters in that they never have ever had a bad album.

Joshua Radin
We Were Here

Very good acoustic folky music to just chill out too.

SO there you have it my top ten albums of 2006. Or bands I just discovered in 2006, I think a couple are older, but I just found them this year. Anyways these are my Favs.

Harder than I thought

SO I have found life is difficult to sat the least when you are limited by having only one working foot and having to use crutches just to get around. Case in point...I have finally been given the okay to drive, which i sgreat. I was getting tired of being forced to stay in bed or on a sofa watching TV becauseI can't leave the house for lack of ride. was begining to really get to me. I was snapping at my family and generally not being very nice. I understand that, but was hard being stuck. But now I have Tallula back and took her out for a spin. Oh how I have missed her. Anyways back to the point. So I was heading to the local Harris Teeter to get my sushi from the regular sushi guy who I have not seen in almost a month. I could almost taste the spicy tuna. And my man make my roll fresh, just for me. while I get my Orangina and three granny smith apples. That has been lunch for months now. But intead of going in I sat in the parking lot wondering who the hell am I going to get the apples, sushi and orangina to the regester. I trully was perplexed. I really could not come up with a good way. If I was to put in in my bag I carry around for things just like this except priavtly in my own home, it looks as iff I am stealing. I could kick one of those baskets around, but that just seems stupid. I tried carring one, but it throws the balence off. So what did I do? I said fuck it all ans went to Mcdonalds got on of those apple and walnut fruit things and went home. Sushi-free. I will have to bring my mom with me next time so she can carry it. Unless you, my readers have anyideas? I am open for suggestion. I hate having to rely on others.

Its simple things like that, or getting up into my truck, or getting a cup of coffee from point A to point B. I hate asking for help. Im terrible at it. I always forget to say please and thank you. Its not because I'm ungrateful, its because I have never had to. Even when I hurt my back, i was able to move and be independant. But the stupid foot has left me 3/4 useless if you count the leg plus both arms because of the crutches.

I know I shouldn't bitch like this. I have had patients much worse than me. SOme are been left paralized, some have been left deformed, some have been left with nothing at all. I didn;t lose my limb, or ability to think or breath on my own. I spoke to the cyclist while I was in the hospital, who laughed at me, as he should have, and just in talking to him. I no longer felt sorry for my self. He had injuries that could have killed him. and damnit if he is not running triathlons now. So from this day on no more bitching. Only positive. I am healing, I will be back. back with the crackheads and drunks. back with the sick and the stupid. until then, I am done bitching.

12 days of EMS Christmas

This was a foward I got from a fellow medic. I thought I would post it. It also explaines the little >>>>>> thingies.


The Twelve Days of Christmas EMS Style...
>>>
>>>On the First day of Christmas, my Dispatcher gave to me...
>>>Grandma who fell and hurt her knee...
>>>
>>>On the Second Day of Christmas, my dispatcher gave to me...
>>>2 MG of Narcan for the out of work person who wants to end it all by
>>>taking
>>>her Husband's pain pills and won't tell me what she took and is feeling
>>>suicidal....
>>>and grandma who fell and hurt her knee.
>>>
>>>On the Third day of Christmas, my dispatcher gave to me....
>>>Three stacked shocks for the 88 year old man who instead of paying the
>>>neighbor kid 5 bucks to shovel his driveway, decided to do it himself
>>>and
>>>have the
>>>big one in the driveway...
>>>2 Mg of Narcan for the psycho chick trying to off herself...
>>>and grandma who fell and hurt her knee..
>>>
>>>On the Fourth day of Christmas, my dispatcher gave to me....
>>>4 AM in the morning I have to go to the nursing home because someone has
>>>had
>>>the flu for like 16 years and all of a sudden needs to go to the
>>>hospital....NOW,...
>>>Three Stacked shocks for the full arrested popsicle,
>>>2 MG of Narcan for Morphine eating Momma...
>>>and Grandma who fell and hurt her knee....
>>>
>>>On the Fifth day of Christmas, my dispatcher gave to me...
>>>Five minutes to eat.....
>>>4 AM shuttle call,
>>>Three stacked shocks,
>>>2 MG of Narcan,
>>>and Grandma who fell and hurt her knee....
>>>
>>>On the Sixth Day of Christmas, my dispatcher gave to me....
>>>Six run reports behind because the computer guy can't fix the system...
>>>Five Minutes to eat!!!!!!!!!!
>>>4 AM Shuttle,
>>>3 zaps to the chest,
>>>gonna have a stomach pumped,
>>>and grandma who fell and hurt her knee...
>>>
>>>On the Seventh day of Christmas, my dispatcher gave to me...Seven car
>>>pile
>>>up while everyone was trying to beat the light so they can get into Wal
>>>Mart
>>>the day after Thanksgiving thinking there is only 4 dancing Elmo
>>>Dolls...
>>>six reports behind...
>>>Five minutes to eat.......
>>>4AM is way to early,
>>>3 stacked shocks,
>>>2 of Narcan Pushed,
>>>and grandma who fell and hurt her knee....
>>>
>>>On the Eighth day of Christmas, my dispatcher gave to me....Eight
>>>flights
>>>of
>>>steps to walk up to get the 400 pound person who is having shortness of
>>>breath since LAST Christmas and can't walk...oh, and of course, the
>>>elevator
>>>doesn't
>>>work...
>>>7 cars a crunching,
>>>six reports a writing,
>>>Five minutes to eat.
>>>4 AM shuttle,
>>>CPR in progress,
>>>2 MG of Narcan,
>>>and grandma who fell and hurt her knee...
>>>
>>>On the ninth day of Christmas, my dispatcher gave to me Nine blankets
>>>needed
>>>to cover up grandpa because he is freezing and we aren't even out of the
>>>house yet but thinks he will get pneumonia and die for all of the 10
>>>seconds we
>>>are outside...
>>>Eight flights of stairs,
>>>should have stayed home and bought it off of Ebay,
>>>six reports I'm writing...
>>>Five minutes to eat.....
>>>What the Hell time is it,
>>>should have paid the kid,
>>>2MG of Narcan,
>>>and grandma who fell and hurt her knee.
>>>
>>>On the Tenth Day of Christmas, my dispatcher gave to me...
>>>Ten Minutes till I can get a bed in the ER because the nurses are busy
>>>figuring out who is going to lunch next....
>>>Nine blankets needed,
>>>Hope fire department is coming,
>>>7 cars a crunching,
>>>six reports I need to write,
>>>Five minutes to eat...
>>>Can't you wait till morning,
>>>stick a fork in him, he's done,
>>>Man I hope she shuts up...
>>>and grandma who fell and hurt her knee.
>>>
>>>On the Eleventh day of Christmas, my dispatcher gave to me....
>>>Eleven times I tried to get the heat to work in the back of the truck
>>>and
>>>maintainence won't take the truck in...
>>>ten minutes waiting,
>>>Nine blankets needed,
>>>eight flights of steps to climb,
>>>Hope you have Progressive,
>>>Give me a new ink pen...
>>>Five minutes to eat....
>>>4 AM is early,
>>>3 Leads all show he's dead,
>>>2 MG won't touch her..
>>>and grandma who fell and hurt her knee...
>>>
>>>On the Twelth day of Christmas, my dispatcher gave to me...
>>>a 12 Gague IV needle that I put into the drunk 19 year old who tried to
>>>swing at me...
>>>it's really freezing,
>>>Hope you choke on your sandwich,
>>>9 blankets for grandpa,
>>>How did you get up here in the first place,
>>>man your husband is gonna be pissed,
>>>six reports STILL down...
>>>five minutes to eat...
>>>Better than taking them back,
>>>Hope I recorded the code,
>>>Man, just pass out already...
>>>and grandma who fell and hit her knee...

gobble, gobble...

I have been home recovering. Being waited on hand and foot. And I'm about sick of it. I just want to sleep in my own bed. Don't get me wrong, I adore my family, but after not living at home for almost six years I miss the independance, I miss my bed, I miss my home. I will say it again, I ADORE my family, but Im tired of sleeping on the sofa, like a vagrant. I'm squating at my parent's house. And my father follows me around, arms ousreatched, like waiting for a child just learning to walk. I'm getting pretty steady on the crutches, I'm learning that as long as the caps on pretty tightly I can throw the bottle of Aquafina to the sofa were I'm sitting. and I can get up to feed myself. I'm not fully self suficiant but I'm getting closer. and as soon as I can bear weight I will be better.

The othro-pod (My every so sweet and wonderful Dr D.) saya I can go back to work on light duty as soon as the pins come out in two weeks. I'm looking forward to that, but I'm also NOT. Because they basicly take a pair of pliers and yank those suckers out from deep within the bone...gives me the huzz just thinking about it. But I will be hppy to be back in uniform, even if it is just at HQ doing data entry.

Also Happy Turkey day to my fellow Americans. hope you had family to celebrate with, as I did. lots of food, lots of laughs. My family is well either turned ALLTHE WAY ON...or OFF and we are a family of drinkers. But I was okay I took my painkillers and flaoted away, enjoying the holiday in a drug endused haze. which in my eyes is better than an ETOH haze...so hope you got food and family .