New Chapter

The interest has been there for ten plus years.

The calling has been there for almost as long.

The solid decision to do it was made over two years ago.

The counter dedicated to it that I put on my Myspace reads 56 days and 50 minutes.

I can officially say that I start the process in "a month and...".

I cherish everything I have written about in this blog, and I will continue to just post about my life, but very soon, and since I don't post too often here, probably over the course of the next 2 or 3 posts, the content of this blog will shift significantly.

I am referring to joining the rescue squad.

I read the blogs of many providers, but I realize that very very few of them were actually in existence when the author actually started their career in EMS. My blog will be different.

My application will go in on my 18th birthday: January 25, 2010. Less than 2 months from now. I a couple of friends in the fire department that the squad is a part of, and they tell me that I should be a member my March. From there my life will change significantly. I will be chronicling every step of the way. Sometime between now and when I put my application in, I will do a post that really tells the story of how I became fascinated with emergency medical services. I will report every phase of my application process and when I finally get in, this blog, and my currently nonexistent (or at least silent) readers will be some of the first to know.

A new chapter will begin over the course of my next few posts. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I plan to.

Them.

My mother has Epilepsy, and while it's well controlled with surgery and medication, it wasn't always that way. Before 2002, she had poorly controlled seizures and from time to time they would require hospitalization. When she had grand mal seizures I would sometimes have to help her if no other adults were around. I knew what to do, and was able to stay calm for the most part, but I never fully felt in control of the situation. It was always such a relief when rescue finally arrived. Let them handle it, I would say to myself, and I would go outside, trusting the EMS team fully to manage the situation.

Last year my dad got very sick. Twice in one week I had to call rescue to our house to take him to the hospital. I felt better prepared to help than I did when my mother was having seizures, but still, when EMS arrived, I stepped back and let them handle it. Let them handle it, I thought to myself, and I went in another room.

Now I struggle with the question that needs to be answered sooner or later. Am I ready to be "them"?

I plan to put in my application to become one of "them" in a couple of months. But am I ready? Can I be one of the ones who must stay in that room with that person in their moment of crisis while their family members think Let them handle it, and stand outside?

I sure hope so.