Tuesday, November 25, 2014

I will never stop moving forward.

I've learned a lot over the past few weeks during our Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support unit. I've always had a profound interest in Cardiology, so this unit was particularly exciting for me. Whether or not I end up deciding to pursue Cardiology as a specialty, it plays a significant role in Emergency Medicine. Even at the most basic level, prehospital personnel need to be able to understand the structure and function of the cardiovascular system, because it's pertinent to most of the situations we encounter. Without a properly functioning cardiovascular system, the prognosis of all of your patients is poor.

I'm particularly excited about testing out for my ACLS certification tomorrow, for several reasons. It marks the end of yet another successful unit in my paramedic program, and it's the last time I need to feel stressed out until after the Thanksgiving holiday.

I'd like to talk a little bit about what I'm thankful for.

For starters, I'm thankful for having a roof over my head, and having the opportunity to pursue my dreams. There are a lot of people who cannot do either of those things, and they have to work a lot harder than I do to pick up and move forward. Which brings me to my next point. I'm thankful for all of the people around me that consistently push their way through the hardships of their lives, just so they can live to see another day. It reminds me of what it means to be human, and that there is always a silver lining to even the darkest of clouds.

I'm thankful for the people in my life, whether they are close to me or just living in acquaintance, for allowing me to do what I do. Without a proper support system, and without those around you working in harmony to pave the road that you wish to follow, nothing is possible for you. There is not a single man or woman that has ever existed and succeeded, who accomplished everything on their own. Teamwork is everywhere, and it's an important concept to grasp.

Finally, I'm thankful for the courage that I have developed in the past few years, to continue on regardless of the difficult situations I have faced. I have never had what you would refer to as "a simple journey," and I will save the specifics for another time, as we venture further and further into my pursuits.

Many of the situations I have encountered haven't been easy, and much of what I will soon encounter will be even harder I'm sure. But one thing's for certain...

I will never stop moving forward.

Sunday, November 23, 2014

It's who I am.

There are a lot of blank stares and hesitation associated with the first post. This is the foundation of my entire blog. Do I waste time saying hello to the people that aren't reading this? Or do I go straight into talking about my hopes and dreams?

Let me talk a little bit about how I got to where I am today.

I never had a lot of friends growing up. I had a difficult time connecting with people on a personal level, in the sense that I never had a shade of social skills. I was an irritable and competitive child. It carried on with me through most of my life. I was on the outermost ring of most social circles, occasionally to find myself mingling with whom I believed at the time to be my friends. It never seemed to last. Does that make me a bad person? No. It really doesn't.

A lot of people believe that your ability to connect with people on this level is a determinant in your ability to provide quality patient care. It's not.

It's a different kind of connection. I have no difficulty building trust and rapport with my patients, because we always have something in common. They are in my presence because they need my help, and I am in their presence because this is who I am. I am a health care provider in every sense of the title, it isn't just what I do.

I spend my Friday and Saturday nights camped out under my desk light, broadening my intellectual horizon. I wasn't always like that. I used to go out, spend money I didn't have, and connect with people that were never really there in the first place. A big part of growing up is going out and doing things you weren't supposed to be doing, in order to figure out what you really should be doing. I didn't realize this until I hesitantly signed up for my EMT class.

I had always had this inner desire to become a doctor. I never knew why, and I never knew how much I really had to put into it.

Why did I become an EMT? I have no idea. I needed a way into the medical field, and I felt that medical school was officially out of my reach. I ran into financial trouble and figured I'd never be able to finish college and afford to fling myself into yet another circle that I felt I didn't belong in.

I was wrong.

I became engulfed in my desire to better the system. The further I moved along in the EMT program, the more I wanted to learn. I wanted to get involved in the medical field far beyond that scope of practice. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to take things one step at a time, when all you're seeing is miles upon miles in front of you?

I finished with nothing short of complete success. I passed my NREMT exam just five days after completing the program. I can't even tell you how unsatisfied I was. There was a paramedic program coming up, and I had no idea how I was going to be able to afford it. But I needed to be a part of this.

At this point in time, my only source of income is my part-time employment through a nearby Methodist church. I am a children's ministry assistant, and I have become very involved in my religion through this opportunity. The opportunity to enrich young minds on the glory that is our God, and to reach out into the community and change lives. My church family keeps me on my own two feet through my endeavors. I am forever grateful for that.

But I digress...

I applied for a career advancement scholarship through the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT), in which a select few providers across the country were selected and given an opportunity to advance to the next level of prehospital care. I wrote a nice little essay, and I was so anxious to submit it that I didn't even have anybody proofread it. How stupid could I be?

There was no way. They knew I was going straight through to the next level with no experience, aside from the 75 hours of clinical ambulance observation I had to do in order to finish. All I had on my side was my desire to advance, my dedication to the medical profession, and a few references.

I was awarded the scholarship.

I am currently four months into the program. I have successfully made it through Anatomy and Physiology, Street Level Airway Management, Prehospital Emergency Pharmacology, and I am about to test out for my Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support certification.

After completing this program successfully, I plan on returning to school and finishing my BS in Biology. With my new sense of self-empowerment and motivation, I will graduate and proceed to the next level.

So, now that you're caught up, I will spend the next few nights with my face buried in the ACLS textbook, learning everything there is to know. Algorithms, concepts, and medications. Because as I mentioned previously...

This isn't what I do. It's who I am.