Well I survived my first 24 hours working as a Paramedic. I had a good day I think. I didn't kill anyone even though one guy did try to die on me I did not let him. Not on my first day working as a medic. I was lucky enough to have my wife Carolyn as my partner for my first day. It really was nice because I knew I could count on here if I needed her, no matter what the situation. Well my next shift is Thursday.
Until next time.
Well I did it. I passed my Paramedic exam on the first try. I am now a Nationally Registered Paramedic. I took my test on Monday at 1:15pm and was not feeling to sure about if I passed. But I figured if I didn't I would just take it again. Everyone I know who has taken it here in Montgomery it took 1 day before they got the results unless they took it on a Friday then they had to wait until Monday to get the results. But folks who took it in other places like Birmingham, and Auburn got the results the same day. Well I kept checking throughout the day and into the night Monday just in case I got lucky, but no such luck. Well Tuesday morning I woke up to Carolyn coming in the bedroom saying wake up Mr. Paramedic. I told her to stop playing it was not funny and she said she was not playing I had really passed. She even brought me my laptop to prove it. I was happy it was over. I went that day and got my state license. I called my boss and told him first thing. He added me to the schedule right away.
Monday August 11th will be my first day working as a Paramedic on an ambulance. I am looking forward to it. I cannot say I will not be a little bit nervous but this is what I have been training for. All I can do is the best I know and to the best of my ability.
Here is a picture of the gun I have been wanting for a while. It is a Taurus PT745.
Here are the specs:
Model:PT-745 Taurus Pistol
Action:Single/Double Action
Size:Compact
Caliber:45 ACP
Barrel Length:3.25 Inch Barrel
Material:Polymer
Finish:Stainless
Capacity:6 Rounds, + 1 in the chamber
Accessories:2 Magazines
Hand:Right Hand
Weight:20.8 Ounces
Sights:Fixed Sights
I got to shoot a few rounds through it on Thursday. It was one of the sweetest shooting guns I have ever shot & I have shot a lot of different guns. I expected it to really have a heck of a punch in recoil. But I was really surprised after the first round. It had less kick then my wifes Kel-Tec 9mm pistol. It was very loud though. But that is no problem. I can live with that as it is worth itto have the punch of a .45 cal.
Well on Wednesday I finished Paramedic school. I passed all of my skill stations. There were 12 different stations.
Here is a list of the different stations:
Static Cardiology
Dynamic Cardiology
Spinal Immobilization (Supine Patient)
Spinal Immobilization (Seated Patient)
Ventilatory Management - Adult
Pediatric (<2 years.) Ventilatory Management
Pediatric Introsseous Infusion
Patient Assessment - Trauma
Patient Assessment - Medical
Intravenous Therapy
Dual Lumen Airway Device
Bleeding Control/Shock Management
The hardest one for me and all of my class too was the Dynamic Cardiology station. This was a full cardiac arrest scenario where we had to work the patient by ourselves, no help at all. It was no fun but I made it through it. Now all I have to do is take my National Registry Test on Monday. I really hope I pass this. Not only so I will not have to take it again, but because it cost me $110.00.
Well I will update later after I take it.
Well I just finished up a 2 day seminar for National Registry Paramedic in Birmingham, Alabama. I feel a lot better about testing now. I fell that I knew a lot more then I thought I did. I still need to study hard and will have a lot of work ahead of me, but I am getting real close now. I finish my paramedic course in only 5 more classes. Once I finish this semester and pass the National Registry I will be getting my Degree in Paramedic Emergency Medical Technician.
I really love my job a lot. It is not an easy job and the 24 and 38 hour shifts can be hard but helping people really makes me feel good deep down inside where it counts. If I didn't love this job I would never volunteer to work so much. Week before last I had 107 hours in one week. I drove over 5,000 miles in less then 9 days. That included a 1270 mile round trip to West Virginia to take a patient up there to a hospital. Boy that was a trip and a half but The ride was beautiful and the patient was very nice too. She was in bad shape though. She was in a car wreck only 6 days earlier and had a broken back, neck, toes and a tracheostome which needed constant suctioning. It took us 12 1/2 hours to get up there. Luckily I didn't have to turn around and head back right away. We spent the night in West Virginia and then headed back the next morning. The country up there is just so pretty. I would love to live up there. We plan on going back soon to visit and see some different attractions.
Well I guess that is all for now.
Well I have been busy lately. That is why I have not posted on here for some time now. Since my last post I have finished another semester of Paramedic school, I have 2 more left to go before I can take my medic test and then one more for my degree so I can teach EMT. I also started working at Care Ambulance as a EMT-Basic/driver. I really enjoy this job. I am working 24 hour shifts and that can get to be tough about 3 or 4 am but I can deal with it. I only have to work 2 days a week unless I decide to work some overtime.
We have also taken another Cruise to Cozumel, Calica, and Cancun, Mexico in December for our Anniversary and Christmas present to ourselves. I will be uploading our pictures of the trip soon. We had a really good time. We rented a Jeep at each stop and drove all over the place. I even swam with the Dolphins. It was one of the things I have always said I wanted to do before I die. Now the only other main thing I want to do that I have not done is to interact with a Elephant. But I will do that soon too.
Also we recently bought a travel trailer (camper) to tow behind my truck. It is not new but new to us. It is 24 feet long and made by Kit Manufacturing. It is a Road Ranger Espre model 244. It has a kitchen, bathroom with shower, bedroom with a double bed, dinette and couch. It will sleep 6 no problem. We really enjoy using it. We have been out 2 times so far but plan on doing a lot of camping this spring and summer. The picture to the left was taken at our favorite campground called Tannehills State Park. It is located between Birmingham and Tuscaloosa.
It is hard to believe but I will be turning 41 in a 11 days. I may be getting old but I still feel and act like a kid. I refuse to grow up. My philosophy in life is "THE ONE WHO DIES WITH THE MOST TOYS WINS!!!!!
I will try to post more often then I have in the past. Also visit my photos link for more photos of our camper and pictures from Tannehills park.
Missing nuke clandestine operation from Minot
All of the people who were being investigated in the missing nukes case are now dead. Does this sound funny to you too?
Citizens for Legitimate Government
Why are we giving the insurgents the guns to kill our soldiers with? COME ON!
Bush Administration Flooding Iraqi Black Market With Billions Of Dollars In Weapons
First lead paint in and on children's toys. Now flip-flops that burn your feet. Why are we as a country letting companies like Walmart and others sell us inferior quality products for our good hard earned money?
THIS HAS GOT TO STOP!!!!!!!
Defects: 11th Walmart Flipflop Checmical Burning Case Reported - Consumerist
I have seen and read many stories about how it was not Terrorist who took down the World Trade center towers but our own Government. I do not believe in this in any way but here is the first good debunking video I have seen stating that it was not a controlled demolition but the stress on the building of its own weight, the weakened state of it after the damage and the heat from the fires.
Watch and see for yourself
9/11 Conspiracy Theories Debunked - Video
Are we supplying guns to the terrorist who are killing our soldiers? Probably so!!!
Weapons Given to Iraq Are Missing - washingtonpost.com
Getting killed by a robot. This is the next step in warfare.
Warfare: First Fully-Armed Robots Patrolling in Iraq; First Shots Imminent - Gizmodo
I feel that animals can tell a lot about people that we may never understand. This is like the dogs that are used to help diagnose cancer.
When death comes calling, so does Oscar the cat - CNN.com
link to article about dogs helping diagnose cancer
This is just another death in a string of hundreds of deaths probably caused by all of the crud in the air on that horrible day on 9-11-2001 in New York. Yea this is just a dog but you will probably hear more about this death then the deaths of all of the human workers that have died since that day. The government claimed that the air quality was ok to breath but now we know that they were lying to the rescue workers. Some workers were told off the record the air quality was thousands of times above the safe level to breath and that just using those little paper mask was no sufficient to filter the air.
link to article
Dog Who Searched for WTC Survivors Dies
link to article about the air in New York
and how people are getting sick
link to article on the NY Times about how the EPA mislead the people
Well it has been just a little over 2 years and 5 months since I had my gastric bypass surgery and boy oh boy a lot of things have changed, and for the better. When I decided to have the surgery I knew that I had better do something or I would not be around much longer. I was in CHF (congestive heart failure) my diabetes was so bad I was about to have to start taking insulin. My cholesterol was well over 240 and I could barely walk more then 50 feet without being out of breath and my back would be hurting so bad I was almost in tears. My asthma was really bad, and I had lots of different aches and pains everyday.
Fast forward to today, I graduated from Trenholm Technicial College with my Emergency Medical Technician, EMT certification, I got state licensed and nationally registered, and now I have started a new job as an EMT where I have to do a lot of walking, standing and I love it. There is no way I would ever have been able to even think about doing something like this back then. I am so glad I decided to have the surgery. It truly is a new beginning to the rest of your life.
Yes it was hard at times right after the surgery. I had complications. A bad infection. A wound that would not heal, and problems keeping food down. But I overcame those problems. At times I thought, "what have I done to myself?" "I never should have done this" "this was a big mistake" But no matter what I felt or said the one person that always told me it would be ok was my Wife Carolyn.
I would like to take this time and thank the one who truly helped me make it to this point, My wife Carolyn. Without her there is no way I would or could have done this. She told me I could do things even when I didn't think I could.
"I LOVE YOU CAROLYN"
Check out this website. Can you believe this? look around the site.
TravelJohn Products and Civilized Solutions For Bathroom Emergencies
Here is more on the same site.
and more
I passed my classes with no problem. I also passed my National Registry test on May 9th, 2007 and then graduated on Friday May 11th, 2007. So what this means is that I am now a Nationally Registered Emergency Medical Technician Basic level. I also went today and got my State of Alabama EMS & Trauma license. Now all I have to do is make it through Paramedic school which starts later this month.
I am so happy about all of this and can only thank my wife for all of the support. If it were not for her I would not even be here today and because of her I am here and doing well. THANK YOU!!!
This is a really cool story about a guy who builds, sells and even lives in really small houses. How small? How about 100 square feet and less.
Small houses challenge our notions of need as well as minimum-size standards
Here is the link to the website of the builder.
http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com/
