Code 3, Negative PMA...

My partner and I were responding to a "maternity" call in the south side of the city earlier this week when a vehicle pulled across the middle lane and directly in front of our ambulance. People do all sorts of crazy things when they see/hear an emergency vehicle...but this was pushing "stupid" into "suicidal". As I looked into the vehicle that had just risked coliding with a couple-ton vehicle I saw that the male driver and the female passenger were waving at us. It's one thing to make a stupid move because you don't know what to do. It's another thing to attempt suicide by pulling a small car in front of a large vehicle traveling at high speeds...but waving at the same time just doesn't make sense. Unless of course you are almost 9 months pregnant and about to deliver in a matter of minutes.

I quickly notified my partner that I thought that our patient had come to us. We had them pull to the side of the road where hopefully they would be a little safer (We are on a 6-lane road and they are facing the wrong direction.)

I jumped out of the front seat and began to ask some very important questions:

Me: What is the problem?
Female: AHHHHHHHH!!!
Male: She's in labor!!!! (duh?)

Me: How many months pregant are you?
Female: AHHHHHHH! Help me!!! Nine!!!!
Male: She's nine months pregnant. She was due a long time ago!!!!

Me: Shhhhhhhh. It's ok, calm down. I need you to calmly answer my questions so I can help you. How many times have you been pregnant?
Female: 4

Me: How many kids do you have?
Female: 3! Help me!!!!!

Me: Can you make it to the ambulance?
Female: Yes. (Runs to the back of the ambulacne and gets in.)

My partner then told her to lie on her side. I told my partner I thought we should just go since we were right around the corner from the hospital. We informed the male where to go and took off. Enroute I placed my patient on high-flow O2 and asked some more questions. As I placed the mask on her face she kindly informed me that there was now water all over my gurney and ambulance floor. I quickly assessed the situation and came to the conclusion that the infant would complete it's dramatic entrance in less than 5 minutes. Let's make it less than 3.

Now, I was calm and in control of the situation. However, my sympathetic nervous system decided to pump my system full of a chemical that makes it difficult to think straight, your heart race...and can even make it difficult to see details. As I opened the OB kit I found it extremely difficult to distinguish all the small, individually wrapped packages in the box. All I could see was a bunch of towels, the sterile gloves and the bulb syringe. I found this extremely frustrating as I wanted to do well and knew exactly what to do...I just couldn't see well enough to do it. Thanks epinephrine...much appreciated.

My partner parked the rig and opened the back doors. I grabbed the bulb syringe figuring at least I would be able to help protect the infant's airway in case she decided to make her entrance on the gurney between the ambulance and the delivery room.

Running through the sometimes narrow and many-cornered hallways was less than a smooth ride...but we were losing time...fast.

As we pulled into the delivery room the nurses quickly helped us pull the patient onto a hospital bed. No sooner than she was on the bed and the nurse pulled on some gloves the kid made her entrance. At 5 lbs, 14 oz and 19" long, she was a tiny but healthy.

I was mostly disappointed that I couldn't claim responsibilty for an amazing catch....but hey, we did most of the work as far as healthcare providers go anyways. Funny thing was we handled the call without waiting for ALS to arrive. Had we waited...the kid would have been delivered in the back of my ambulance, not in the hospital. It made a great illustration for the EMT class I had to teach the next morning about making transport decisions in the field. If your ETA to the MAR is less than the ETA of ALS...then go.

And we did.

Another step closer...

Today I recieved another envelope from the City of Los Angeles. Everytime I open my mailbox and see one of those City envelopes sitting there...I think my heart skips a beat. I tore it open to read: Background Investigation Complete - Final Panel Review. Basically, the panel review is the last step between me and hopefully a conditional offer of employment from the City of Los Angeles Fire Department.

...snap...I need to do more pushups.

Not an option...

There are many things in life that are reality. Two of which are fear and failure. Both happen. Both are a part of every day life. How often do we use these as excuses for deciding not to do our best?

Fear is not an option.
Failure is not an option.

Relating to what I am working towards (wearing the turnouts of an LAFD firefighter)...the only way I will leave a drill tower is because they:

1) Have to carry me off due to an injury.
2) I am kicked off.

I will not walk off a drill tower a quitter.

"Let's run more red lights!!!!"

My little sister got to spend almost a month with me this summer. Some of the things we did together this summer, included teaching EMT skills at UCLA...and going on a ride-along at an LACoFD fire station. Here is a pic from that day. Fun fun times!!!

My favorite little sister quotes:

Jenn: "what kind of call is this?"
Kyle (paramedic): "a difficulty breather..."
Jenn: "are we going to put him on high-flow O2?"

Kyle: "this is going to be an auto vs ped."
Jenn: "what does that mean?"
Kyle: "it means that someone who was walking got hit by a car."
Jenn: "Cool!!! Is it going to be an MCI?!!!"

Recruit School 126

Today is kind of a downer day for me. For one thing I am really tired. I am on day 7 of 9 without a day off. I just got off a 24 without much sleep and lots of work. And...worst of all...today would have been the first day of my tower if I had accepted the Firefighter position with the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department. Right now the 126th Recruit school is probably wrapping up their first day of school. I would be thinking about all I have to do tonight to get ready for tomorrow. Shine boots. Pack lunch. Work out. Get some sleep (I probably wouldn't have slept well last night knowing that today is was my first day of academy.)

In the middle of the disappointment that I do not currently have a pair of yellow turnout pants with my last name stenciled on the back...I know I made the best decision to wait and see if I would get picked up by the LAFD. I am more and more motivated to keep working out hard to be in the best shape possible. I am finally up to the point where I am able to do 30 pushups (no, not the girl kind silly.) But the pullups are still killing me. I was told today that I should probably gain some weight. A funny concept in the thin crazy world we live in...but I have been slowly adjusting to the idea for a while...especially since I understand the difference between fat weight and muscle weight.

All that said...LAFD is still my number one choice of departments to work for and I feel priveleged to have made it this far in the process. My background investigator is busy talking with my neighbors and reading reference letters from my family and friends...and I am looking forward to finding out whether or not I get to move on to the next step. In the meantime, I am thankful for the time to work out hard. Harder than before. Every LAFD apparatus I see inspires me. Mostly I try to keep in mind if this is really what I am called to do...I need to put my best effort foward to honor the gift God has given me.

Great Minds...

My partner Ed and I were talking about something and happened to say the same thing at the same time. Ed immediately responded...
"Great minds think like me!"
:-)

It's just the way it is...

Sometimes we don't realize that the circumstances we live in are different, right or wrong, pleasant or difficult because we don't have anything to compare them to. I overheard this conversation at work last night...

EMT: "Why did you stand up to a 200 lb guy?"
13o lb teenaged patient with a dislocated shoulder: "It's the hood."