Work Hard, Play Hard Part 6

ER was a very busy month, but so much fun! I loved being at work and it was nice having a friend there doing the same rotation. It was fun to swap stories and funny moments...like spraying lidocaine in my eyes while suturing. Thanksgiving fell during this rotation so I got to go home for a few days and spend some much needed time with my family.

Adam and I celebrated our 2nd wedding anniversary this month! xoxo

Regan and Ollie bonding during Thanksgiving. So adorable.

Mom came to visit and we went to the KY Horse Park for Southern Lights and camel rides.

Southern Lights.

Adam and I went to an awesome Zac Brown Band concert with friends which was so fun!

ER Etiquette 101.

You know all those Martha Stewart books about etiquette and manners and party planning etc.? Well, here is a little guide I would like to send to everyone who ever plans on going to an ER. These are based off real events.

(First, I would like to put a sign outside of every ER that says: STOP! This is an EMERGENCY room, if you do not have an EMERGENCY, please return to your vehicle.) Apparently that would be inappropriate, but much needed in my opinion.

1. If you have had leg pain for 5 years, it is not an emergency. Please go see your PCP, if you don't have one, go to the health department.

2. If you have dry skin, it is not an emergency. No, I am not kidding.

3. If its raining outside and you want a turkey sandwich, it is not an emergency.

4. If you come in spitting at nurses like a pit viper, you will get a net put over your head which is not a good look.

5. If you need to get abscess I&D'ed, yes it will be uncomfortable, but please do not scream your head off like your dying. You are not dying. Please remember the person draining your abscess is armed with a scalpel so while you are flailing around like a crazy person, think about that. Also, a 14yo boy sat through it like a champ and so can you.

6. If your drunk, that's fine, but don't be rude. Just sleep it off quietly and don't bother anyone else.

7. If you think you are pregnant, that is not an emergency. The sticks you pee on from CVS work just fine. If you can't afford those, maybe you should think twice about having unprotected sex....I hear babies are kind of expensive, just sayin.

8. If you are a new parent and your kid is sick or acting weird and your scared, please bring him/her to the ER. Even if nothing is wrong, you will not be turned away and we understand. Kids can get real high fevers over something as small as an ear infection and that's scary.

9. Please save the ambulances for those with chest pain, trouble breathing, burns, stroke, trauma, and not for your "finger pain" or vomiting.

10. Be patient. Lab results and radiology reports aren't magical documents that appear out of thin air, someone has to interpret them and relay them to your provider. If you've been waiting a long time, politely ask for an update. Remember, you catch more flies with honey than vinegar.

Awkward Ambulance.

I apologize for the blogging hiatus, ER life was busy which was followed by an exam and a practice board exam (5 hours eeek!). I would like to tell you about the world's most embarrassing ambulance ride that ever happened....yes, mine.

As a requirement for our ER rotation we have to spend a day riding along with an EMS crew and go on runs in an ambulance. It was an awesome experience and thankfully I was with the best group of guys. I got there at 7:30am and spent the morning running errands and getting coffee and breakfast. We didn't go on our first run until 11 or so, which means we just did whatever basically. Well, we decided to go to Home Depot to get a wreath for the front of the ambulance, ya know add a little Christmas cheer. I was walking through the parking lot, slipped on ice and face planted hard skinning my hands and knees....ouch/embarrassing moment #1.

Embarrassing moment #2 happened a couple hours later after we picked up an elderly woman who fell at work and hit her face on a door frame. She had some lacerations on her face and a broken hand that was pretty deformed, poor thing. She had dried blood all down her face so I thought it would be nice to clean her up a little bit before she got to the hospital, no lady wants to roll into an ER looking like chainshaw massacre just happened on their face.....well it was a nice thought but while cleaning her face I just re-opened her lacerations so instead of dried blood running down her face she had fresh blood pouring down her nose, whoops. I made that a lot worse.

Finally, embarrassing moment #3: We go to pick up a woman with terminal cancer with chest pain...so sad. It was the longest run of the day and I was riding back with the patient because we were trying to get an IV and I wanted to start it, well after being back there for about 20 minutes I was EXTREMELY car sick. We got to UK Chandler and I thought okay I just need to get out and walk around for awhile, but I never really felt better. We get back in the "buggy" as they call it and they wanted to get lunch so we go to Moe's. I figured eating something might help, but tacos are never a good idea. One taco later and I thought I was dying.... the ambulance went on diversion (meaning they weren't going on runs) because I needed them to pull over at Smash Burger for me to get sick..... I thought I was literally going to die of embarrassment. I was drenched in sweat and hanging out the back of the ambulance window going down New Circle while it was snowing. They were the nicest guys ever and were going to give an IV of phenergan and sleep in their bunks but after my day I just wanted to go home. I felt sick to my stomach for the next couple days because I had to travel a lot during Thanksgiving and just had WAY too much time in the car. Anways, I survived but was humiliated. At least I can laugh about it and actually saw all those guys again when they dropped someone off at Good Sam and we all laughed even though I wanted to hide.