I am 20, which is incredibly young, but still old enough to deal with the things that I deal with on a day-to-day basis. And for only being 20 I have had a hell of a life, between things involved in work, school and just life.
At 15 years old I signed up for the CNA class at the technical center in high school. I did it as part of a bet. My dad and I agreed that if I did tech center I wouldn't have to do seminary. I was sold and I looked for the two shortest classes they had available. It was CNA or Vet Tech and I took CNA, figuring that even if I hated it, I would have a job for the rest of my life. The following school year I had CNA first thing in the morning, got fitted for scrubs and got given a stethoscope and was sold.
100 clinical hours in a care center and 16 hours in a hospital passed and I graduated my CNA class as the youngest aide in my class. My parents were proud, I was excited and at 16 years old I had certification to a job I knew I would love. I was also that much closer to becoming a Nurse.
That following year I signed up to test into the EMT class. I had been looking forward to it since the graduation of my CNA class and was very excited to test, let alone get into it. However, on the day I had to test into it I was very sick. My mom was going to take me into insta-care that afternoon but I insisted on taking the EMT test first. I hadn't been out of bed in a few days and had never left the house without my hair and makeup done before this day. I put on my CNA scrubs and put my hair in a ponytail and slowly got to the testing center.
As soon as I walked in I felt ...better. I did the color-blindness test, dead-lifted the 125 t
o my waist with ease and did the speed and accuracy tests like I was fine. As soon as I left, the cold hit me and I was diagnosed with broncitis, possible pneumonia, and a eye infection. However, after a high dose of antibiotics and a few weeks later, I got accepted. I figured it was a sign.After that it was all about EMS. My plans changed. I wanted nothing more than to become a Paramedic, because that was a job that I knew would be all about saving lives. It was fast paced- it was intense, and it was perfect for my plans in my life.
At State Competitions, my partner and I took 6th place out of about, 20 or more teams. However, that night I lost two of the best people in the world, my grandfather and my best friend (totally unrelated). It was the hardest time in my life, but I kept going and I graduated EMT as one of the youngest medics, but near the top of my class. I was proud of myself. I did it!
The stuff that I didn't mention were the things that everyone has had to live with. The joys and dramas of high school, of missing out on parties because we had to study, but outside of those petty things, were much bigger, more important things that made me who I am today.
In high school I wasn't a girly-girl. I didn't have female friends, I didn't spend time getting manicures, pedicures or getting any other cures for that matter. I had guy friends, and because of them I learned so much. My little brother is 3 years younger than me, and there was no guidebook on how to survive high school, so it was up to me and my friends to discover how, and they saved my life.
Instead of getting manicures, I was digging things out of my buddies hands (IE: glass, metal, etc.) Instead of going to party's, I was the DD and took care of anyone who got sick. I used what I learned on a daily basis, and it made me better at what I do. I even started working at a Nursing Home at the age of 17. However, I didn't listen when anyone said that it would be the hardest thing I would ever have to do. It was. It is.
No one should have to deal with death at the age of 17. No one should have to tell a patients family that they had passed away at that age. No one that young should of had to deal with post-mortem care, but I did. I have done that, and its terribly hard. So, it wasn't a big deal when I quit working the care center a year and a half later to go into an office job.
But I missed the medical field. For a moment there I wanted to change my mind, I wanted to become a writer instead and live my childhood dream of being a world-famous journalist, but instead I realized that it was what I was meant to do. At least for now, so I applied, applied and applied some more. On average I put in 95 job applications in a month. Until one day, I finally got a call to come in and interview.
It wasn't the job I wanted. It wasn't the hours I wanted, and it sure as heck wasn't a job I could take. But the interviewer liked what she saw and a week later they had a job open for me. It must have been fate, because the very day she called me a very difficult thing had happened in my personal life and it was the open door I needed to start a new life.
Since then I have been working my primary and secondary units, learning so much about anything that I could and everything that I needed to. After an awfully rough night my friend (another EMT) told me about his blog, and how it helps him feel better. So I tried it, and didn't like it. But after a few episodes of Grey's Anatomy my boyfriend suggested that my blog go like that. And here it is.
If I didn't answer any questions about myself that you as my readers would like to know, please e-mail me at bmxchic7@yahoo.com.
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