I'm Sick Today

(editor's note - warning: this story contains blood and vomit. If you are sicked out by such things and are perhaps ill like me to begin with... proceed with caution)

On today, the first day of my blog which I'm sure no one will read (and really, do I care?) I am sick. I blame my husband.

Being sick now reminds me of the last time I was sick. Wierd? Yes, I know.

I was working in Whistler. By working, I mean sitting around the ambulance station hoping that something not entirely lame was on television (Top 10 scariest creatures was the winner today). This story should be prefaced by yet another story.

Yes, the abundant life of the paramedic is not as glamerous and exciting as one may think. As a new paramedic my career consists of sitting at the station making $2 an hour to hold a pager in my hand and anxiously hope and pray that it will go off so that I can feed myself for yet another day. Have I saved any lives? Officially, yes, I have saved one. But as a paramedic what counts more is that someone needs help, and I am there to give them whatever help they need. A ridiculously crappy union coupled with interactions with crabby employees and horrible pay is overruled by a passion for patient care and a love of preserving life.

Anyways, I was sick. It was that horrible 'I've just woken up at 3am and have to drive to Whistler' kind of sick and it stuck with me all day. Nausea and dizziness and an intense urge to sit completely motionless so as not to disturb the contents of my stomach which wanted to leap out and find solice in a ceramic, water-filled home. (sorry, that was gross). At 9pm when I wanted to sleep the pager went off. Yay! Food for another day! But NO! I am sick and now need to be in the back of an ambulance with a sick patient down the sea to sky highway.
Unfortunately for me and fortunately for my patient, he was conscious (Unconscious patient's are less demanding you see, plus I was sick and did not feel like talking. Am I a horrible person?). He could not speak anyways as he was suctioning blood out of his mouth. But even if he could speak, it would not be in English. He couldn't understand a work I said either. In my efforts to try to keep him as comfortable as possible and while dealing with a tricky IV, my stomach decided that now was the time to give way. Yuck. Unfortunately for both of us, throwing up sounds the same in any language.

I hope that guy is ok today.

Anyways, today I will take it easier. No rollercoaster rides or ambulance adventures today. Grocery shopping is on the agenda and hopefully my food will stay where it belongs.