Many Emotions....

So I am about 3 weeks away from shipping to basic....  It's really awesome and all but I get these waves of being really pumped and then being scared shitless  (Highlight black space to see word.)  There is really no way to explain it any better than that.  I am ready to leave home and start my own journey but at the same time I will miss my family, friends, dogs,co-workers.    I know basic is going to be tough and it will transform me from a teenage wanna be nurse into a man who is ready to conquer anything that comes my way.     But enough of my emotions for now....


   So I only have about one week of Chicken Hell left and I am working at the bakery till September 4th.    


 The going away party is set.


 Healthcare Directive, Power of Attorney and other "morbid" paperwork is signed and notarized.   


People keep asking me if I need anything or want to do anything before I go....  One thing I really need is prayers and LOTS of them;specifically targeted at my fear and for safe travels/safe BMT.  


What I want to do is to see all of my family,friends,co-workers before I go y'all are my support and I REALLY need you right now (Even though I have my family behind me 100%).   I know we all have our differences and some are not so supportive of me going off to be in the military  but, I really need your support in this because I am on the edge and right now this is the HARDEST thing I have done in my short 18 almost 19 years and know that I didn't take this enlistment thing lightly.  

   

Alot running through my head.

So I had alot running through my head yesterday and  this song played on the radio and it was perfect for the why I was feeling and I thought I would share it with you.

Long Time No Post!

Ok, I haven't been keeping up with this whole blog thing since life has gone from normal to nuts in just a matter of months....  So sorry.  So here is whats been going on the past couple of months:

Got a new job that I LOVE!  Working at a dog bakery is the best job EVER! :D (I still work at chicken hell though)

I got my BMT dates this week....  I leave September 6th for Lackland, AFB. Its scaring the living caca out of me.  I guess its just a fear of the unknown and willingly going to hell for 2 months of my life.    I will be gone till November 4th and will be back for a month till December 7th. Then its off to Ft.Sam Houston for 9 months to get my LPN ("LVN" as they call it in good ol' Texas!)    till about  April ish... then I will either get shipped to FL,NV,OH or IL to "Seasoning Training" or put the crap you learned to work.   

So my life is kind of out of sorts with BMT being only 2 months away.  Like I said I AM SCARED....  Its like when I got the dates it FINALLY became REAL.  My recruiter said the blood drained out of my face when I looked at the dates paper he gave me.  

I have some power of attorney stuff to get in order and some other things like notifying Chicken hell of my dates when I'm on vacation the rest of this week and next week. 

If you have any suggestions or words of support I could use them! If you have been there done that zip me an email!

 

Laus Deo,

You newest Airman First Class:

Hospital Volunteer

Life

Ok since I haven't posted for awhile.... I am still alive just really busy!  So here is the quick version of what's been going on in my life:

• I got a New Job!  I am still working at chicken hell but I decided to get a second job that I would enjoy! I now work at a dog bakery and I LOVE IT!
• I passed my weigh in at MEPS! I was at 185! I have LOST 25 POUNDS SINCE JANUARY!!!!!
• I may or may not get an LPN spot in the reserves and will be shopping around the branches if I can't get that spot...
• Graduation! The party and the stress that goes with it lol!

So that's the quickfire version of the events and I will elaborate after sunday. :) 

Puke, Puke and more you guessed it PUKE!

It started off to be really SLOW in the ED then we picked up....

Pt.1)   Meth addict comes in via ambulance....  As soon as they give her the "Reversal" drugs the erupted kind of like this :

It was quite interesting... She even hit the ceiling!    Everyone who was in the vicinity got hit with puke... Note to self :  " Always remember to stay away from the meth addicts in the ED You never know when their gunna blow...."

Pt 2) comes in dehydrated from running a marathon in the heat wave we had... EMS can't get an IV so the comes via POV  and puked on the floor...  we got her an IV and a "Emisis Bucket" and she was ok.

Pt3) Comes in with a stomach bug.... the Runs and vomit and all... YUCK!  Pukes in triage.... *rolls eyes* yay!

Loonie #1)  This crazy person comes in saying she "Has a RARE bacterial punomnia" that you only can get in West Virginia.... Because she has a cough etc... The BS meter was in Red for this one....   The nurses agreed. So she was put on precautions.... turned out she had mucus build up and nuttin else....  We will be sure to collect you copay BEFORE we let you go.


So I had my fair share of puke and loons... Puke no longer effects me... (I HOPE)

More later!

A New Department = A New Adventure!

So I am back volunteering at Hospital B now that all of the crap with the ACT is OVER and School is done :)  I decided to work in their ED just to see if the Trauma Nursing thing is for me... Oh, It IS!  It may be a little early to make my decision but, I had alot of fun today!

On my adventures through the 19 Room & 2 Trauma Bay ED I got to experience:

• Triage and the stuff that goes with it. 
• My First FULL BLOWN compound fracture (Yes the bone WAS sticking out of this poor kid's arm He was VERY BRAVE)
• My second Cardiopulmonary Arrest Almost dropped in the ambulance bay  (Yes, I have kept count. Weird I know.)
• A gentleman who drove himself to the ER with a broken right ankle.
• Several bumps,headaches and a busted chin on a kiddo (3 years old and he was a TROOPER!)
• I  got to see 3 Traumas roll in.  ( a big car wreck and the heart attack victim mentioned above)
• I also got to see a criminal get arrested in the ED after he was treated.  I should be use to it since my dad is a police officer but, I'm not lol!  I was more curious what kind of trouble he was in by "stocking the room" but, I kept my big nose out of it. 

Part of my duties is to go running out the door when a car pulls up and offer a wheel chair to the incoming Victims  (I mean) Patients.  The kiddo with a compound fracture  pulled up and omg I almost passed out. No amount of Civil Air Patrol Search and Rescue trauma training prepares you for that. (NONE)

All in all it was a pretty awesome day and I can't wait to go back!

Hospital Volunteer Saves A Life....

So at Hospital B I volunteer in the CT Department and Some Patients come into the ED with iodine & sulfa allergies.  So when the MD in the ED ordered a CT Chest PE (Pulmonary Embolism) protocol  for this gentleman who was allergic to the contrast dye that we pump into a patient so we can see if there is/was clots,blood flow where there shouldn't be etc...    They prepped him per hospital protocol waited for the meds to kick in and then he sent him over for us to scan him.    So the tech takes the "Scout" scans first to make sure everything is in line and that it looks good.  Then she took the first part of the scan with out contrast then during the pause where she can go in and start pumping the contrast in our patient also while making sure the vein doesn't blow, the pump didn't blow the syringe full of contrast up (has happened before) etc....

She then proceeded to come back start up the scanner and make it hum (or scream) because it is such a high resolution scan the scanner is taking "Slices" or Pictures every two or so seconds.  Lots of radiation with this type of scan too.  So she pumps the patient full of contrast then all of a sudden I notice the patent stops breathing I let the tech who is looking at the slices as they appear on the screen... she yells (because the scanner is really loud with a PE protocol) over the scanners PA system "ARE YOU OK?" No response.... she slammed the big red emergency stop button  and runs into the room  she yells at me to call a STAT then get the Ambu Bag and help her.

  I get a hold of the STAT Operator  "STAT IN CT 1!" I yelled into the phone...  "Are you sure?" she asked. My exact words where "I SURE AS HELL AM! HE IS CODING ON THE TABLE AND THE TECH IS STARTING COMPRESSIONS!"  "Ok, I will Page a STAT"    I run in grab the Ambu bag  remembered the ABCD's,Head Tilt ,Chin Lift, E/C Hold and started 2 squeezes of the bag after the tech paused compressions,re-assessed & switched places...   It seemed like forever for the stat page to go over the PA....   The stat team from the ED  across the hall arrived in about 45 seconds and took over and carted him off to the trauma bay.  He survived according to the Grumpy ED doc "Because of Our Quick Actions"  I about fell out of my chair Half because he NEVER EVER speaks to us or other staff (unless to give orders) and the other half from me coming off of my adrenaline high... After that My shift was up and I had to go to work.

Oh, Just so you all know I wasn't suppose to assist the tech with CPR because it's a liability even though yours truly has a BLS and is currently working on my ACLS and PAL certs.  The tech and the hospital still deny it to this day.

This sums up another adventure! Off to Hospital A today on the floor!