Phew.  I wasn’t fed incorrect information about my eligibility with NREMT.  I’ve been sweating bullets checking the NREMT site two times every day to see my practical results posted.  At 2:37PM today, I checked again:

Practical Exam Scored: 5/29/2008 2:32:00 PM  Passed

(Note the time…I hit it just 5 minutes after they posted it. Hahahaha)

And, logging in now gets me this:

Your current level is:
EMT-Intermediate/99

Your expiration date is:
3/31/2010

Muahahahahaaha!  It’s official! Now I just get to wait for the paperwork to be mailed so that I can file with reciprocity with the state.  Meanwhile, I’ve found ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support) and PALS (Pediatric Advanced Life Support) fairly local and within the next month.  I’ve also found an ITLS (International Trauma Life Support) course about 2 hours away in July.  I’m thinking worst case scenario, I begin my ALS internship with the county in the beginning of August.  That will take at least 6 months depending upon how much I ride, but at minimum must ride in that position at least 20 hrs each month.  I hope to be riding a lot more than that so that I don’t take 15 months to get cleared.  Getting cleared essentially means 100 ALS patient contacts (with specifics of each type from there), with most of those me being the main provider and being critiqued by a preceptor.

Also, my chief is now paying for those 3 classes…which is just fantastic.  It also means I’m not leaving my department for a VERY long time.

My first shift after passing all of my medic tests was…definitely not a boring one.  And while I’m still the "unofficial" medic, it was an interesting first shift after becoming one.  (I won’t be official until I get actual cards in the mail and then file for reciprocity with the state of VA).

I can’t really give details, but I can say I am now wondering if the crew I was on will have to go through "Critical Incident Stress Debriefing".   I really hope not (for 2 reasons: there is still hope of a good outcome, and…I deal with this type of thing like a cop does, "shit happens, move on").

I’m tired, completely and just totally drained/exhausted mentally and physically….but….

I PASSED.

I freaking passed.  It’s been a hell of a long week.  Due to some paperwork issues (the cause of the migraine mentioned in the previous post), it almost didn’t happen.  There was a question of eligibility that was raised and there may have been initially inaccurate paperwork submitted somehow.    But, it looks like since I took the written in November, I stopped the 2 years to test clock as they consider that the "beginning" of testing.  I apparently by taking the written in November of last year extended my time to a year from then.

I’m having a hard time finding this online, so I can only go by someone’s word.  But I have this person on my side who will work with me to get anything straightened out with the NREMT.   So…I’m fairly confident I’m okay.  After all I’m still able to pull up my "candidate status" stuff and nothing there looks "expired".   I…..passed.

It was a long day that began at 5am so that I could make sure I was in Verona, VA by 8am.   My nerves were on edge with the emotional rollercoaster that I’d been on for the last 3 days dealing with the state Office of EMS, the NREMT, and the school where I took my initial course.  And from Wednesday until Friday at approximately 3pm, I was convinced I wouldn’t be able to test.  I was a bit more devastated at this than I expected.  Thankfully, I got the green light to test yesterday afternoon, and I spent the rest of the night studying.  The limited study time just prior had me in a bit of panic, and I don’t do well on practical exams, particularly when I need to "pretend" and/or verbalize everything.  If you didn’t verbalize it in these, you didn’t do it.

I was solid in areas that I was the most nervous about.  I was completely solid on my cardiology.  In fact, those 2 stations were the _easiest_ of them all I thought.  My nerves were on edge from being tired, the extra pressure that I HAD to pass EVERYTHING today since my eligibility was still questionable (or so I thought).   My first station was the worst since I’d had no time really to try to deal with the nerves and compensate.  I walked out knowing I’d blown it, especially since I realized later how much I did NOT verbalize.  For testing, it doesn’t help that I’m used to riding with a medic that I _know_ how he works, and often there is much that doesn’t need to be verbalized.  There was one other station I was certain I’d blown as well, the pediatric intraosseous (Pediatrics scare the HELL out of me).  I found out later this latter one I had passed, but had failed one I didn’t expect or think I had failed.

You are given the option to retest that day provided you have no more than 5 stations to retest.  Most people had to retest one or two stations, and I believe most passed the second time around.  I did as well.  I realized what I’d screwed up in the station I’d failed that I hadn’t expected, and it’s not something that would ever happen in the field.  It was back to the verbalization issue.

Next steps:  Find ACLS refresher (or maybe original), PALS and ITLS classes.   Also, I need to get cleared as an Aide and Driver in my department so I can start my internship.  I’d really ultimately like to be released in my department as an ALS provider so that I can also provide the volunteer engines with an engine medic as this will make them ALS engines as opposed to BLS.

So begins a new time of learning. YAY!

I have a massive migraine right now.  That is all.  I just felt like telling you that.  I know why I have it, and until I chill out about the reason, the migraine will persist.

There is a reason, and ultimately a name on this one.  And maybe I’ll explain later or maybe I won’t.

So, this morning, I grabbed the wrong cell phone.  I lost my treo after a vineyard trip one fine day, and after being initially told they couldn’t find it, got a replacement…and later they actually found it.  So, I have 2 of the same exact phone.  I haven’t done anything with the "old" one as I still have some phone numbers that I need to retrieve as the sync function doesn’t seem like it was working correctly.  And this morning on my way out of the door…I grabbed the wrong one.

I am not quite as irritated that I did that as I thought I’d be.  Granted, I doubt anyone I care about is trying to get hold of me…if they are, they can email or reach me over IM

So, I’ve had to drop the hammer on some of my operational people in my FD.  Basically we have certain things required of people on a yearly basis (haz mat refresher, and bloodborne pathogens refresher, etc.).  We just recently went through a round of haz mat refreshers.  This means I as the training officer had to go through update our rosters for those who did attend a session, and….email those that didn’t.

I am kind of pissed that I had to email 12 people to ask why they missed hitting just ONE of the many many sessions that were held.  I had already emailed anyone who hadn’t signed up for a session to let them know and remind them it was required well in advance to be able to make ONE session.  The ONLY people exempted are those that took the original haz mat class in 2008.  Is it REALLY that difficult to figure out what you’re supposed to do?  We tell you, I email you, it was in your initial orientation from us, and from the county, and it’s on the internal web site.

I got my first reply, from someone who KNOWS better, of "I didn’t know I had to do it this year since I just did this last fall".  I looked, and no, you did it last spring like the rest of us…and you were emailed by me stating that you were NOT EXEMPT.  And I get MORE excuses back.  Excuses are seriously getting old.

I’m expecting 10 more replies (one replied thanking me for keeping track and reminding him)…and I’m sure they won’t be good as at this point, I’m beyond the "nice email".  I’m sure that I’m being called a bitch or something to that effect by some of these people, it’s a good thing I just don’t care   If anything, it amuses me.

Here’s a conversation I can honestly say I’ve never had previously:

Setting: walking back into the office after having lunch with a coworker/mentor (jim)…and seeing the person who originally hired me into the company waiting for the elevator (will)..and just watching the television in the lobby.  The news is on TV showing the immigration rights march earlier today.

will: Hey Erica, shouldn’t you be out there marching?
me: uhhhhhhh…..why should I be?
will: shouldn’t you be marching for scandinavian rights? where are you from again?
me: um. I’m swedish, but I’m a natural born us citizen
jim: as opposed to an unnaturally born one
me: that would be arnold schwarzenegger
will: that’s right! sveeeedish
me: yes. svenska. My dad was born in sweden.
will: OHHHH! so you’re first born generation american!
me: yes…my dad is a permanent resident, but is working on getting his citizenship
Jim: what changed that he’s doing that after all these years?
me: bush got a law into place that allows him to get his citizenship without paying since he was like drafted and served honorably.
Jim: ahhh
me: I totally understand now why he didn’t for so many years.  He was drafted, he stayed, he served, he served honorably.

…I left the elevator astounded that someone actually thought I was foreign born…I’m really not sure what to make of that.  I had to call my dad tonight to tell him that.  His reply: "I don’t even think I’ve had anyone assume that about me!"