Rains and Pours

One of those days...

Class 8:20 - 9:10, a bit hurried and didn't finish the topic as I wanted. That hurried feeling didn't leave me today...

9:15 or so to 11:00 - Answer e-mails, phone calls, etc. The kind of stuff you have to do but feel like nothing is getting done. I swear I deal with one and two more would come in!

Class from 11:20-12:10. Goes fine, but again, I am running a bit behind.

12:15-1:30 - Lunch with a job candidate for the position of University Librarian. Interesting.

1:30-4:10 or so: Sorting through applications, recommendations and transcripts so I can decide who to take to Australia with me in the Spring of '06. Students need to have the right personality mix, going for the right reasons, etc. PAINFUL. In the process of summarizing my thoughts and hoping to get home in time to eat before medic class...

Pager goes off: _______ rescue, _________ ambulance, three car MVA outside of the village on Route XX, south of town, reported injuries.

Decision time. I have medic class at 6:30. If the injuries are minor, all will be well. However, if this is a trauma call, I will not get from the call, to the trauma center, back home, and back up to medic class on time. Ironic part is the trauma center is within spitting distance of my class.

I pause long enough that the first rig answers up. I drive down slowly, hoping the second rig will get off without me. No such luck - They ask control to hit our tones for a driver just as the first ambulance goes by me. The medic in the first rig gets on the radio and tells our second rig that a driver is enroute.

We drive down to the scene and it is SLICK. The first rig is parked next to a t-boned car with no visible driver. The car has 2.5 feet of intrusion on the passenger side. Does not look good. The second car has all frontal damage, and doesn't look too bad (there is no one around it). I don't see a third car. We are directed to a house where our patients are at. I figure this is a good sign - Walking wounded will go to the local hospital, freeing me up to get home, eat, kiss my wife and kids, and bolt for class.

As soon as I get out of the rig our chief is standing next to me. "Can you go to the trauma center with the other rig"? Sure...

I walk down to the other rig to size up the scene - There is our paramedic, two really good EMTs, and one smashed up car. The fire folks are chopping away at the doors and working on extrication. Their deputy chief is a paramedic, and things are running smoothly. The only issue is that the patient, who was the driver, is in the backseat of the car. And she had had her seat belt on. Lots of force.

Lac over left eye. LOC for 5 min, plus anterograde amnesia. Pain in neck (literally). Severe pain in left leg/hip. No deformities. Trauma center time. Off we go.

So, after this crazy day, I ride up to the trauma center, we unload our patient, head back to home, grab my car, and drive the 45 minutes BACK up to medic class. When I get to the parking lot for class I realize I left my briefcase (with all my medic class stuff in it) in my office. I swore. Out loud.

I waltz in empty handed, an hour and fourty-five minutes late to a class with an instructor who HATES tardiness. As I come in, he gives me a look that communicates that while he wishes I were on time, he can tell by my face I don't need a lecture. Kind man.

I'm not back in my office finishing stuff up so I can have another insane day. My days would be packed with just my job, but this medic stuff is pushing me to my limits. I like it, and am glad I am doing it, but I could not keep this pace up forever. I have a new chant: May, May, May, May.