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As I mentioned in my last post, the blog will soon be moving! I just wanted to let you know that the finishing touches are being done on the new site and we should be up and running soon. I’ll post a link here when it’s live!
Since I’m here I’ll give a little update about school. Today we talked a bit more about airway management and the various conditions, breath sounds, ways of managing the various emergencies that can arise and the “tools of the trade.” I’m amazed at how much of it all goes back to what I learned in Basic. It really hammered home “BLS before ALS.” We’ll have a test on airway on Tuesday as well as a check off on intubation. Today we did a dry run and I did ok, except that I accidently let go of the ET tube before I had it secured (thankfully I noticed it and was allowed to “correct” it). Otherwise, my instructor said I did well. Hopefully the real deal will go as smoothly (minus letting go of an unsecured tube).
Tomorrow I’ll be doing a clinical rotation in an ICU at a fairly busy medical center. I’m looking forward to taking care of some patients with intesting patho… well, at least that’s what I’m hoping for. 
On another note, I want to brag on my wife for a moment. She’s simply amazing. She puts up with all of the craziness that is my life right now and I’m thankful for her support, love and even butt kicking when I need it. She can also decorate a beautiful cake! She’s taking a Grey’s break for the moment (and I’m about to join her!) but she’s working on a cake that is in the form of a long flowing dress for a Barbie doll. It’s beautiful. She’s also a wonderful teacher at a “Star” rated high school. She also picked up her endorsement in physics over the Summer, which gives her every science endorsement that the state recognizes. I can’t say enough how proud of her I am and how much I love her for all that she does for me and for others.
I love you, Jessica.
Jonathan
Those that know me tend to think I’m negative about my home state of Mississippi. Truly, I don’t enjoy that but I’m also sick and tired of the citizens of my state being satisfied with the way things are (which aren’t good). I also want, in some way, to encourage my fellow Mississippians to better themselves by actually using the brains that God gave them.
I was a radio personality and programmer for 8 years before I joined EMS and I’m familiar with (and have participated in) the many stunts a station will do in order to bring attention to itself or an event it’s sponsoring, etc. A radio station in Biloxi has been airing an on-air countdown, which the station management state is a countdown to a new format. I’m not sure why but some of the citizens down there apparently thought it meant a terror attack was about to be launched on coastal plants for industrial companies such as Chevron. How they assumed this is anyones’ guess but I think it’s pretty sad that people are really that stupid. I also realize that there’s stupid everywhere the grass is green (and even where there is sand, etc.) but this is just plain nuts.
You can read the story here.
Wow.
Jonathan
First, I want to apologize for my last of posting over the last couple of weeks. As those of you who have been through medic school know, life gets pretty crazy when you’re trying to balance school, work, home and everything else in between without going completely insane (although some might argue that I went insane long before I entered EMS!). The aforementioned school and work stuff has been crazy busy but also issues with my phone about did me in! Oh, and I’ve been going to some clinicals too.
Are you dizzy yet?
School’s going a little better. I’m still not thrilled with my average in lecture but that will take care of itself. Thankfully our last test for Pre-Hospital Care was a take home test so that will help. Lab is still going well too. Since getting checked off on IVs, I’ve since gotten checked off on IO and we’ve started practicing intubation. Clinicals are going well. I’m still somewhat shaky on my assessments. I guess what I mean by that is I just don’t feel extremely confidant on that just yet. I know I’m getting better; I know I’ve already come miles from where I was when I started medic school. I know it’ll come with practice and I’m thankful that I’m getting that practice in clinicals, at work and on the rare occasion that I run a medical call with the fire department. I’m also continuing to work on my IVs and such. All in all, it’s like McDonald’s: I’m lovin’ it!
I am very thankful for all the new things I’ve been learning. Even though school has honestly had its ups and downs I’ve overall enjoyed it. I have to be honest: I’m looking forward to being finished with school and becoming a paramedic but I plan to enjoy school as much as I can while I can. I have great instructors, great classmates and the clinical sites and their staffs have been wonderful. Around the corner lurks pharmacology and, yes, I’m still a bit nervous about that but I know it’ll be alright.
Heh… Five years ago I never would have imagined that I would be learning how to stick a needle in a person’a vein, put a tube down their throat and give them narcotics. I wonder if any of my friends are scared yet. 
I’m not sure if I’ve ever mentioned this before but I’m also a volunteer firefighter so firefighter issues are also near and dear to my heart. The stink raised about the situation involving the South Fulton (TN) Fire Department watching as a man’s house burn because he didn’t pay his fire protection feel is, quite frankly, smelly. The county that the man lives in does not provide fire protection in the form of county fire departments so they contract with cities and towns within the county to cover the county… for a fee. Since the homeowner didn’t pay his fee, his house was allowed to burn. I couldn’t disagree with this more. I know first hand how much it can cost to fight one fire when you factor in man hours (even when they’re not paid), wear and tear on the truck, hoses and nozzles, the cost of water, diesel, etc. However, think about this: What if someone had been trapped in the house? Would they have refused to enter the house (assuming it was safe for them to do so) to rescue a trapped family member because he didn’t pay his fee? Even if a patient doesn’t pay their ambulance bill we’re bound to provide medical care to them if they call for help. If I refuse to render aid then I’ve not only broken a code of ethics but I’ve also committed a crime. Shouldn’t the fire department be held to the same standard? Morally and ethically I know I couldn’t stand by my department’s truck while a citizen’s home burned to the ground, I’d have to at least try to save it (or at least some part of it and/or its contents). Now, I don’t blame the department itself or the firefighters. I blame the county for allowing a subscription based fire protection scheme.
I thought that’s why we pay taxes.
Now that I’ve thrown my two cents around about that, I can now get on with some good news: The Future Ditch Doctor blog will soon be moving! I’m not going to give all the details right now but keep watching for updates and a new site. I’m very excited at the things coming up here and I just hope that I give you the content that will keep you coming back. Thank you for being here and following my #questforthediscopatch. It’s awesome having you along for the ride.
Until next time…
Jonathan
I’m still fired up about the comments that Jackson, MS city councilman made about AMR (and all of EMS)’s policy on scene safety. An article that ran in the Clarion-Ledger included a quote from another city council member who said he was “surprised” at all of the outrage this situation has caused. While I don’t now know he could be surprised, he did say that he believes EMS should wait for the police to clear potentially dangerous scenes so I will give him credit on that one. My hope is that one day our elected officials will realize that EMS is not a “public safety” agency so much as it is out of hospital medical care. EMS is starting to stand up and I’m proud to say that I have a part in that.
The revolution has begun, only just begun.
As for school, it’s going mostly well. The last couple of tests have been a bit of a challenge. I haven’t done nearly as well on those tests as I had hoped but I’m working hard to change that. I actually started this post last night but stopped to look over stuff for the test that I had this morning. I also looked over stuff that we went over today just a little while ago so that delayed the completion of this post a bit more. However, that’s something that I’m willing to sacrifice to further my performance in class. Overall, today was bad. My min and my confidence were completely shot. But, after some time with my wonderful wife and a nice soak in the tub, all was right again. It’s going to be fine, I just have to work a bit harder than I have been.
Second best is something that I don’t expect out of myself, not do I accept it. I strive to be the best at everything I do and my education is not an area that I’m willing to take shortcuts. I’ve never been challenged like this before and I honestly love it. I’m eager to see what’s next.
I also have two clinicals under my belt now. The first was an ER shift at a busy hospital nearby. I was worn slam out by the time I got home but I got some good contacts and got to practice many skills, BLS and even some ALS alike. I got my first successful IV on the first attempt in the ER! I also administered some meds, did vitals and other things. All in all it was a great experience. This past Friday I had my OB shift. It wasn’t as eventful as the first ER shift I worked (I only had two patients and didn’t see any births) but I still got some skills practice. This week I’ll have another ER rotation and I’m already looking forward to practicing more of my skills and working on assessments and such. This week also holds a critical on IO initiation and a check off on port access.
Work continues to be more and more interesting with each shift. The things we run across in the rural setting never cease to amaze me. Of course, I can’t get too detailed with what we do but the things that people will call EMS for is astounding. For those in EMS I’m sure I can’t tell you anything that you haven’t heard before but for anyone who’s not riding the war wagon… well, let’s just say that a lot of it is less than life threatening. However, we often run into those patients who are ill due to the poor decisions they make. Specifically, I’m speaking of substance abuse. Please, especially if you have health problems limit or eliminate intake of alcohol and for sure don’t ingest illegal drugs. The consequences could be extremely detrimental to your health. A patient I had over the weekend was reminded of that the hard way (as you may have guessed, this wasn’t their first ETOH rodeo).
So that’s that with me at the moment. This week I’m back in the ER and I’m looking forward to getting my glove covered hands dirty (and clean again between patients). This is only the beginning and so far I’m enjoying my journey on the Quest For the Disco Patch. Please, if you have any tips on achieving balance between school, home, work and everything else feel free to pass them along. I’ll gladly take all the help I can get on this road I’ve started on.
Jonathan
Political cartoonist Marshall Ramsey of the Clarion-Ledger (Jackson, MS) has drawn a cartoon regarding the idiotic comments made by Jackson city councilman regarding EMS waiting waiting for police to secure a shooting scene. I’m a fan of Mr. Ramsey’s work so I may be biased but I believe this cartoon is hilarious.
Also, JEMS has provided a link to a video interview with WAPT Jackson, MS with Stokes. He has not changed his mind. Evidently he thinks that EMS is public safety. Not so much. If you’re reading this and reside within the city of Jackson I encourage you to get involved with a recall petition and get this nut out of office as soon as possible.
Enjoy!
Jonathan
I’m sorry to say that this took place about two hours from where I live.
Jackson, Mississippi city council member Kenneth Stokes is well known around Central Mississippi for opening his mouth about things he knows nothing about. He’s also been accused of lots of dirty dealings so he has no right to call anyone out. Yet, he’s done just that: He’s called out every single person who steps foot on an ambulance. Evidently he thinks we’re all trained as Army corpsmen and feels that we aren’t doing our jobs unless we’re willing to enter unsecured active shooting scenes.
I’m sorry, I wasn’t aware that I was running a M*A*S*H* unit.
To give you the short version of the story: Councilman Stokes is upset at AMR because they did not enter the said active shooting scene prior to police arriving and let the victim lay on the ground and bleed. As I said, this scene was not secured. Jackson PD was not on scene. Did I mention it was an active shooting scene, where shots were still being fired?
This AMR crew did the right thing: They waited until the guys with the guns showed up to secure the scene. I hate to tell the “honorable” councilman but EMTs and medics are no good to anyone if they get hurt or killed. When we’re in EMT school the first thing we’re taught is safety. It goes a little something like this: Me, my partner, my ambulance, the patient, everybody else.
Did you notice that one’s personal safety is the most important? It’s like that for a reason.
Councilman Stokes is now grandstanding, calling for the city to look for a new ambulance service, and saying that EMS workers should be willing to “take risks” because “seconds matter.” Well councilman, you’re right they do matter. However, EMS personnel do plenty of things daily that place their safety at risk. Entering an unsecured and active shooting scene should not be added to list.
And it won’t be added to mine.
This is why politics and EMS do not mix. Mr. Stokes, nor any other politician, has any right to speak against EMS unless they actually have a clue what they’re talking about. Had Mr. Stokes done any research he would know that no EMT or medic is going to get out of their ambulance, or even get near the scene, unless it’s secure. Mr. Stokes would also know that we’re medical practitioners and, as such, we’re not law enforcement. Does he even realize what we do or are just ambulance drivers to him? Does he know that we are not allowed to carry any weapons while on duty?
The bottom line is that councilman Stokes’ comments are disgraceful. Of course, why should I be surprised? He’s been accused of many misdeeds himself so he’s likely just trying to take the heat off of himself.
Maybe instead of questioning AMR on why their crew didn’t enter an unsecured active shooting scene, he should ask why JPD took over 20 minutes to respond.
My EMS brothers and sisters, please stay safe out there. I hope you’re not in a city like Jackson where certain city leaders care nothing about your safety and think that we act like the idiots on shows like Trauma and the like. Look out for yourself and your partner because others may not be willing to do so.
And remember such actions at election time.
Jonathan
I wrote this several years ago (when I was still a radio DJ – hence all the mentions about radio) as a remembrance of my experience on 9/11/01. For the most part I still agree with what I wrote. Granted, now I think our troops should come home but it does shed some prespective on what we were and continue to fight for. I hope you enjoy reading this post. It still makes my hair stand up on end when I think of the events of that day.
Jonathan
—
“Where were you when the world stopped turning on that September day?” Allen Jackson poses that question in his hit song about what happened three years ago today and it really makes me think every time I hear it. I’ll never forget where I was on September 11, 2001. I woke up to my former program director, David Day, on the air saying that something had happened at the World Trade Center and they were just getting information about it. I laid in my bed, motionless at his words. Then he came back on and said that it had been confirmed that a plane had hit one of the “Twin Towers.” It was at that moment I went to turn my TV on, just in time to see the second plane hit. I was shocked. I sat on my couch for a while just staring at the television. I was in total disbelief. I had the usual thoughts, “how could this happen?” “Is this for real?” Then I saw that a plane hit the Pentegon and heard that a fourth plane was headed or Washington, DC. Eventually I decided to get up and go to the station in case they needed to help with news gathering.
When I got to the station everyone had a look of shock and disbelief on their faces. All five of our stations had various news feeds airing so those of us who weren’t on the air at the time gathered in the conference room to watch the news. As more and more images filled our screen we started getting reports from around town that gas stations had raised their gas prices and people were essentially in a panic. Fleetwood (former PD of WZKS, one of my former sister stations) and I decide to ride around and take a look. As far as the signs went, gas prices were normal but people, in fact, in a panic. I had never seen anything like that in my life.
It finally came time for my air shift and I was told to air any news items that seemed relevant, not to say much and to keep everything flowing as best as possible. Honestly, not much music was played during the Jonathan Show that night, but it seemed like any music I did play was sad in nature. I sat there, taking some phone calls and talking to people about it. Utter disbelief was the general mood of people in the Twin States. I, too, was in utter disbelief.
That day is also the only day that I’ve cried on the air. As radio personalities, we’re not really supposed to do that but I’d say that I was justified that night. President Bush was about to speak to the nation and we were going to carry it live. The song ended and I had about a minute until the President spoke. I’ll never forget what I said: “Q101, Today’s Best Music, it’s Jonathan and today is a day that I’m having great difficulty with, just as I’m sure you are. As a radio personality, it’s part of my job to come up with words to describe things that are happening in entertainment and the world in general. Tonight I just can’t. There are no words to describe how I’m feeling about this.” That’s when I started crying. I closed with “And now, the President of the United States. God bless America.”
I went back to my place after I got off the air and I read Psalm 23, prayed, cried somemore and finally fell asleep. That weekend I went to visit my family, hugged them extra close and appreciated the time I spent with them a little more than usual. That, not to mention everything else I’ve been through in life, made me fully understand that I should never take life for granted and that I should appreciate each day as a gift from God. If there was ever a reminder that things can be over in an instant, it was 9/11.
Some death stats from the attacks (obtained from the US State Department):
World Trade Center 2,823 (includes airline passengers)
Pentagon 125 (not including plane victims)
Flight 11 92 people on board
Flight 175 64 people on board
Flight 77 64 people on board
Flight 93 44 people on board
All of those people who died, their families and loved ones: That’s who we’re fighting for. Our military is also fighting hard for you and me so that we’ll hopefully never have to experience anything like those who died in the attacks experienced.
There were a few good things that came out of 9/11. The obvious ones were a new found appreciation for our emergency workers but the main one I’m thinking of is the fact that heroes exist and don’t necessarially wear a uniform. The passangers who rushed the cockpit on Fight 93 showed us all what determination and selfless sacrifice can achieve. The certainly did not die in vain, indeed they probably saved hundereds, possibly thousands, of lives. The plane they were on was heading toward Washington and could have hit the Capital building, the White House or another building where many people were gathered.
Not fighting the war on terrorism would be saying that they died in vain. Do we really want that?
The way our grandparents feel/felt about the Pearl Harbor attacks on December 7, 1941 is the way we will feel about September 11, 2001 when we’re in our 60′s and 70′s. I will never forget that day and I hope that you never will either.
It was a good week in the Quest for the Disco Patch. I took my first test on Tuesday and I did very well on it. Don’t get too excited; most of it was stuff we went over in Basic class. But, it’s still a grade and I’m happy that I did well on it.
We also started practicing IVs and subq and IM injections. I think I was the only one in the class who hadn’t done IVs on a dummy or anything like that. I wonder how rare that is… but, it’s true, I was (and still pretty much am) completely green. I think I did OK, considering it was my first attempt at doing it. I got a couple of sticks, I know. We should have another day to practice before check offs next week. We’ll also check off on the injections but, really, that’s not too complicated. IVs though… I could use some more practice! I’ll tackle that hard on Tuesday when we’re back in the lab. Now, I should probably point out that I haven’t tried to stick a real arm yet so we’ll see how that goes when the time comes. Of course, I’m a little nervous and I’m sure I will be for a little while at first. I know I’m not the first and won’t be the last.
I’m already nervous about pharmacology and we haven’t even started on that yet. Patho awaits us first. But, I’ve already started working on my drug cards. Just hope I don’t botch up dosages too badly. I know I’m going to need a good bit of practice on that when the times comes. Consider yourself warned: I’ll be asking for help.
So that’s pretty much it! Otherwise, it’s just business as usual. As I write this, I’m resting my feet from being at a high school football standby and getting ready to go to bed since I start my weekend 48 at my paid EMS job in the morning. I hope everyone has a great weekend!
Jonathan
Lizzie the Medic said her comment on my Empathy post couldn’t be contained so she had to write a new post about the topic. Go check it out, it’s a great read and something all of us in EMS can use!
Jonathan
