Skills Day!!!

We had all day skills stations for the flight crew today. We played with pig trach's (lots of them) ribs for chest decompression and the coolest Sim-Man I have ever seen. Hal breathes, talks, blows pupils, has tongue/airway edema.... he can even seize and has pulses. Really cool shit. Our medical director came out to play, and we even got our pilots involved. (Surgical Crics, so easy a pilot can do it!!!) For me it was a little bittersweet. I am the least experienced with airway/intubation and do not have the technique that others do (yet).

Have you ever practiced something over and over and over that you become completely frustrated? I was shaking from the effort and just DONE with the whole situation. Its hard going from where I was "good" at everything... to to a new role where I am actually having difficulties. I didn't want to make an ass outta myself in front of the rest of the crew. Grrrr.....

In the meantime.... we got a phone call from our "squirrels on the street." (If you do EMS long enough, you have friends on the inside that keep you in the loop). Check out www.cnn.com. As of 1545 there is some "breaking news" nearby. The building collapse is about 5 minutes from our base. They haven't sent any helicopters yet, they haven't found anyone yet. Hopefully everyone made it out ok.

My partner and I are convinced that we are going to get me a tube tomorrow. Cross your fingers for me!