Another day....

So, I now have the nickname "Grace" at the EMS station. Let me explain. You see, one of my partners needed to run an errand between calls at one of the local hotels to check on reservations for his parents. Well, they have speed humps under the overhangs at the front entrance at this hotel and he decided to park halfway on and off it. Unbeknownst to me, the door I come out of on the side of the ambulance had a longer drop than I expected. Thus, I fell on my ankle and ended up sitting on the curve writhing in pain. Yes, it still hurts today and I can walk on it. But, man this stinks. Hence the name, "Grace" as though I am so "graceful." LOL.

Yesterday I was thrown full swing into what it's like being a second person. I was given a call and I had to handle it on my own (with supervision of course). This was a big step for me. I did everything I needed to do and even called it on the radio into the hospital all by myself. I was proud of myself. My partner was very impressed and said I did an "excellent job." I wrote up the whole ticket as well. I had practiced on a "no-patient" ticket, but this time I really had to write a large ticket. I finally felt like I was a real independent EMT.

We ran an accident where an 80-yr-old lady caused a 3 car pileup. She tried to run the yellow light and merge into the right lane in the intersection where another car was running the yellow light (at a red-light camera intersection too!) crashed into them and then a lady in a van who had yielded at the solid green left turn light hit them as she tried to turn before the red not anticipating they would still be in her way. The older lady was a trauma alert. I checked out one of the other drivers, cleared them and then we boarded the older lady and headed off. This accident was blocking a major intersection in Cary, so it was really holding up traffic. I felt a little sympathy for the older lady as she was not only hurt pretty bad, but that a Cary cop followed us all the way across town to the hospital to write her a traffic ticket with multiple violations.

As I was leaving the station yesterday, I pondered the thought of having to wear my uniform for a few errands before heading home. What would people think of me? I stopped at a Blockbuster first and it was pretty neat having the employees ask me if I had run the accident right up the road earlier (as I had). I got gas and then headed home. I had talked earlier to one of the other EMTs and he told me a cop might pull me over in my personal vehicle for speeding, but being in uniform, he wouldn't ticket me. Man, that is too tempting to speed!

All in all, everything went well yesterday except the whole ankle thingy. I did end up getting off late due to the trauma alert lady, but I still had a productive day.

Hopefully, the next time I go on duty, I'll be actually driving the ambulance. I won't get to drive with the lights and sirens yet (after 100 miles or so I can), but it ought to be an adventure. And scary, too.