Thursday, November 16, 2006
Neuter that Panther!I have been terrible in my posts this year. I have been especially bad at keeping y'all updated on the fabulous Mounties. With Steve Slaton and Pat White, we are unstoppable!! (except when that stupid, flea-bitten bird pooped on our heads)
So right now I am watching WVU vs Pitt on my new 40 inch TV with HDTV!! It is fabulous! (the tv was a first anniversary present my husband and I have given each other - remember one year ago!!)
So here are some banners for your viewing enjoyment....
First, Happy Birthday to me!!!
GO MOUNTAINEERS!!
BEAT PITT!!
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Last Helicopter post...I promise!My previous post was about scary times on the helicopter. This post is about my most fun time ever on the 'copter. If you have been reading my posts for awhile, you will remember I DID NOT LIKE the helicopter. I always found it too chaotic for my liking. I prefer the managed chaos of the ER.
Anyway, sometimes the helicopter would do the "PR" missions. Public relations for various fire depts, EMS depts, towns, etc. This would involve flying in, letting kids crawl all over the helicopter, answer questions about what you do and the like. For the 2 months I was there I had never been on one. Until my next to the last shift. I get to the base and find out that we will be doing a PR. I get very excited as I had never been on one, and I think it would be fun.
BOY WAS IT! We fly out to this very rural Fire/EMS dept. Now one of the few things I did enjoy about being the helicopter doc was the "cool factor". When we would land out in the field or at a hospital, people would come out from all over, from the houses, from their cars, etc. Cause it is pretty cool to see the emergency helicopter land! So I enjoyed looking out the window as we would land to watch everyone "watch us".
This PR visit was one big COOL FACTOR! The fire dept has an "open house" so people could come look at the ambulances, the fire equipment, etc. But also to come see the big city helicopter land! As we are landing I am looking out the window watching everyone, adults and kids get excited and gather 'round as the helicopter lands. And of course the closer we get to the ground, the more the wind picks up and starts to blow all the dirt to them. One of the pilot's says "Land Quick! We're blowing them away!" (that was kind of funny - *evil grin*)
So we get out and there is FOOD! Fabulous home-made potluck dishes and desserts! And people are hugging us! Apparently there was a prior patient that was transported by my heliocopter ambulance people a few months ago after a terrible accident. He and his family came out to thank us. Even though the nurse and I were NOT the crew that transported him. They were just grateful that he was alive. So hugs and food and people looking at you like you are the coolest! IT CAN'T BE BEAT!So we stay for a few hours, eat dinner, one of the other nurses gives a talk about what we do and answer questions. The kids love crawling in the helicopter and having their picture taken sitting in the pilot's seat. And I go back for a second piece of homemade cake.
Finally we have to get back to the real world. We get back in the helicopter and take off. Again the cool factor as everyone comes out to wave good bye. The pilot's circle the landing zone and banks real hard and blows the siren as we leave (yes the helicopter acutally has a siren like an ambulance). Again, ultra cool. So fun. While we are flying back, I ask "so where are we going for dinner?" I figure we could just call around and tell people "hey, we'll land at your place and you can come play on our helicopter...will you bring some food out to us????" I don't think they have fly-up fast food for helicopters. :(
Saturday, September 30, 2006
Things you do not want to hear from your pilot...Some of you may remember that when I was a resident, I had to do a couple of months as being the "helicopter doc". Most of the various helicopter emergency transports throughout the country uses highly trained nurses and paramedics on board, and only one pilot. But the one that I worked with used physicians and highly trained nurses. As well as 2 pilots.
Once we were on a trip to go pick up a patient. As we fly, I and the nurse are sitting in the back, while the pilots are up front flying. Though my back is to them and can't see them, I can still hear their chatter on the headset. I don't know all the terminology, but I can still understand the context of their talk. Apparently one of the console lights came on. I liken this to when you are driving your car and the "check engine" light comes on. I hear one pilot say to the other, "try turning this and that and the other off". (I am not really sure what he said, but the gist is he was trying various things to get the light to turn off) After a few seconds that is when I hear "Oh *&^%!" (rhymes with "luck"). And I notice that the helicopter is turning around. Then I hear the pilot reading from the "pilot's manual"..."if such and such happens during inflight, you are advised to land immediately and make engine repair!" I feel the engines slow down and we kinda limp back to base, all the while I am wondering what is going on. I don't understand aircraft engines, so I am not quite sure what happened. But suffice to say an interesting time for me, as I am hoping we do not have to put the thing down in a field somewhere.
Another time we have a patient on board that we are transporting back to the hospital. It is early morning and the fog is just terrible. We are attempting landing on the roof though it is encased in fog. All of a sudden I hear one of the pilot's say "there's a tower" and the other pilot say "Oh &^%$!" (rhymes with mitt) and I feel the helicopter's engines rev up and we are climbing fast and banking. I am busy with the patient but I look out the window and can see the buildings go by fast as we are climbing very quickly. We can't land at that hospital secondary to too much fog. So we are flying around wondering where to go. There is another hospital across town that we go check out. We circle their landing spot and the fog is cleared enough from their spot that the pilot says "I think we can make it if we land RIGHT NOW". So the nurse and I say okay, so I hear the engines cut to slow and boy we are landing that very second! I look out the window and the security for this hospital are running out the front entrance like they are leaving a burning building trying to stop traffic and get the landing pad ready. Mind you they had no idea we were landing until they saw us about 100 feet above their pad! There was no time to warn them. We had to take advantage while the fog was clear for a few minutes.
Fun times...
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
I am such a geek...Got my first paycheck. And what have I done with it? Invest you say? Heavens no. I have bought toys. Filthy toys. My first purchase was a digital camera. I must admit that now that I have it, I am not sure I like it. I had an old bulky one (one of the first one's out) years ago. It took better pictures. We shall see if I keep this one. I am a dooce wannabe in the sense that I want to have a link on my page too that says "I take pictures every day!" I love her pics, especially of Leta and Chuck.
Next I got an iPod. I used to have a shuffle, but no that is not good enough for me. I must have COLOR SCREEN and MORE MEMORY! You can never have enough you know. I considered getting the one with the bigger screen that plays videos. But I really only use my iPod in the car or when I am walking or trying to ignore the outside world. And I am NOT looking at my screen during those times, so I opted not to get the video screen as I will probably never look at videos. Though I do like the idea.
Lastly, today my hubby and I switched cell phone service. My old service still had my Cleveland area code and number. So we wanted something more local. And so I wanted a spify new phone with camera abilities and all that. I got a pink Motorola Razr. As in Hello Moto! I love it! And it is PINK too!
Don't think I am too selfish. I also bought family toys too! So there. Now off to read all these owner manuals!!
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Update from the sticks...I have started the new job. I hope to post new stories here of my experiences of finally being out on my own. Well, sorta on my own. I am working the noon to midnight shift, so there is always another doctor with me at all times, in case I need to ask a question or so. And they all have been very supportive and GREAT help to me. Still, I keep wanting to finish up with stories of my last few days in my residency, the promised "things you dont' want to hear your pilot say" stories, the graduation ceremony stories and all that.
Plus my recent visit to the ER as a PATIENT. Then 2 days later my husband's visit to the ER as a PATIENT, where he then got admitted with adult onset diabetes. It has been a fun wacky month my first month home.
But I am keeping up with my visits to everyone else's blog. I hope to get back into it myself. Just lazy.
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
What in the world is going on?And why haven't I posted? Am I not done with my residency? Am I not home now, with cable internet access for 24 hour posting capabilities?
I am home in WV now. I have been back now for about 2 weeks. It is very strange to have NOTHING to do. For the past 10 years I have been either working full-time while going to school part-time in the evenings, OR I have been going to medical school full-time OR I have been working my butt off in my residency. All that is done - the goal has been reached. Now I see my husband off to work and I sit and stare at the walls all day. I'll be the first to admit I thought the break was something I wanted. That after being so busy for so long, I would relish the chance at nothingness. Apparently not. I am bored to tears. But that will all end soon as I start work July 24th. Then the poop will really hit the fan as I will be stressed out beyond belief.
But I have been in the doldrums. Unsure if I even want to continue blogging. After a few run-ins with some rather hypocritical people, it wore me down. I realize that it takes all types in this world, but I don't have to put myself out there for ridicule. I'm sure my rut will pass. But I don't blame people not coming by. I mean why keep coming by if there are no new posts? So I don't know if I want to keep my blog or not. I thought about a whole new re-do. Perhaps asking Rachel to host and redesign me a whole new site. Maybe that would cheer me up. We shall see.
But I continue to check out all the sites of all my pals. And leave my oh so important thoughts of the day for your reading enjoyment! :)
Thursday, June 08, 2006
Pack up the wagon and hitch the mules...So sorry for the delays between my posts. Terribly busy here. In fact one of the other residents and I seem to feel that instead of things winding down in our last month of residency, things are on the upswing. Getting the movers, getting packed, getting paperwork in order, changing addresses, blah, blah, blah.
Finished with the helicopter. I will try to put in a few last posts about that later. One will be titled "things you do not want to hear your pilot say".
Now I am doing a mini-rotation in radiology. I am working with an absolutley FABULOUS radiologist. She is great, making it fun and teaching me stuff as well. I wish I would have worked with her before now.
I may try and move my cats this weekend to WV. I am NOT looking forward to that, and may delay it to next weekend just so I can put it off some more.
more later...
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Holly,
Rural Appalachia, United States
Just finished my emergency medicine residency
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