In the Beginning..

OK so this is a blog. I'm excited. So why have I finally joined most of the world and started my own blog? There are two answers for this, one is Ive been poked and prodded by my friends because they want my stories. The other reason? Why not? Maybe it will help me remember this time in my life, maybe it will help me free up memory in my head who knows. Let me explain this blog just a little bit and a bit about myself. I am a 25 year old paramedic in the great state of New Mexico.  Yes ladies and gents, New Mexico is a state it is that space between Texas and Arizona. Yes we have running water and electricity. And no we are not apart of Mexico. I have been a medic for three years now. Yes I got my license at the age of 22, yes I am young, and yes I am good at my job. This blog is about my days at work, my thoughts on things, and just anything I feel like talking about that day.
When it comes to being a EMT there's a few basics you need to know. There are four different levels of EMTs. This also depends on where you practice there may be less or are allowed to do different things. The first level is called the first responder. These are usually seen with the volunteer fire depts. They are allowed to do vitals, stop bleeding, do cpr and give some basic drugs. They are also allowed to do basic airway things like assist a person in breathing or put various tubes down their throats to help in breathing. The next level is the emt basic. They are allowed to give more drugs then the first responder but that's about the only real difference. The next level is the emt intermediate. With this level you get more drugs and you get to learn how to do ivs along with the io. The io for those that do not know in laymen terms is a large needle that we drill into a patients leg in order to give iv fluids and medications when it is absolutely necessary and we are unable to get and iv. The highest level of emt is the paramedic. We get the most drugs we get to shock people when their hearts are in the wrong rhythm, we get to intubate, place a tube in a persons throat in order to help them breath, we get to stick a needle into a persons chest when their lungs have collapsed, we get to do all the cool stuff.
Now before I go on I would like to dispel some myths that people have about the ambulance. We do not have designated drivers. When going to a call whoever has the keys drives. When taking a patient to the hospital the level of care that the patient needs makes them whoever has that level of care. Most trucks here have one paramedic and one emt basic or intermediate. There really is no "ambulance driver". We are emts that happen to drive an ambulance to get to our patients and get them to the hospital. Another myth that seems to surface is that if you go to the hospital via the ambulance you will be seen faster. this is simply not true. It is based on how serious you are vs. the hospitals room and level of serious patients ahead of you. I have taken several patients straight to the triage room to be put in the lobby.
Now the last thing I would like to say at the end of the very first blog post to this thing. The stories in this blog are true, they did happen. names, places, some things have been changed in order to keep patients identy private and to keep the hippa vultures at bay.  Some things in here may make some of my fellow ems coworkers unhappy if they find out. Sorry this is my blog my thoughts I get to put what I want and I dont care what you say so go complain to some one that will listen. If you havent noticed by now I am a smart ass, I do have a sense of humor, I like to have fun if you think you can handle this then sit back and enjoy the ride.