I lost my mind!

But only for a moment.  Maybe two.  I was actually trying to think of when I did my speed runs and I couldn't remember.  Now I do.  All this working!  I love it, hate it, like it.  
Saturday after I got some sleep (flew until 3am) then I headed to the gym for my speed work.  It's just too dang hot to run outside after 9am.  I am completely ready for Fall.  I only did 4X400's.  I started at 8.8 min/miles for the first 400, walked fast in between each one.  My next 3 400's were at 8.6 min/miles; 8.4 and 8.4 min/miles.  Much faster then my half marathon pace of 9.30min/miles.  I ran 10 min/miles for 2 miles before and after for warm up and cool down.  Total I was on the treadmill for one hour.  Not too shabby!

Sunday I worked a 12 hour shift in the ICU.  It was awesome.  I worked with some fabulous people that are awesome nurses.  I don't like working next to incompetent nurses - it makes me crazy and I worry about their patients.  Plus my running/Pilates/drinking/style/working and hanging out with buddy, Tera was working too.  Day went great, had good patients and put in a good day of OT.  

Today was Pilates athletic conditioning and errand running.  I feel tired and crappy from not sticking to my Paleo lifestyle and eating chocolate cake and popcorn.  I thought I'd feel better if I took a nap.  When I woke up - I had lettuce from lunch on my neck.  LETTUCE - ON MY NECK.  Not a fresh piece of delicious romaine - no, a wilted, moist old piece of lettuce from lunch. 

Completely indicative of the way I have felt for about a week.  A hot mess.  

Tomorrow is a 5 mile run with 3 miles at half marathon pace.  Another day with another chance to turn this mess around!!!

Last three days of fun.

Airplanes.  Utah National Guard. 

Audrey3.  Our magical money pumpkin. She's orange now and the damn plant has powdery mildew.  I sprayed it with milk but I think I'm going for the big gun tomorrow.  I'm going to spray it with a fungicide.  PLUS - the plant started growing again and we have 2 more pumpkins growing.  We have a total of 4 that I know of and 2 of them are on the sidewalk.  It would be more awesome without the white mil-dewy leaves.  

My view before I lay back and get my eyelash extensions refilled.  It's good for at least an hour nap and I love the no mess makeup.  

Blog on................

Giving it all up

I am trying to be a little more flexible with my schedule.  I enjoy picking up a little overtime here and there and sometimes I need to rearrange a few things.  


Saturday I am going with my husband, my friend Tera and her husband Jason to the Devil Dash race.  It's a 5K with 12 obstacles and a beer garden at the end.  It promises to be a blast, considering the company.  Sunday all four of us are hitting the East Canyon for another long hill run.  I love running with friends so my long run for Monday has to be rescheduled.  It was going to be for today, but as I mentioned in the last post I threw it to the side to take a transport for my work.  We transport cardiac devices and since I flew with AirMed as a cardiac device transport nurse before I joined them full time then they are kind enough to call me and give me an opportunity to take the flight.  


Yeah, it interferes with the long run I was going to do this morning, but I'll squeeze it in somewhere.  I don't regret it for a minute.  I love my job and I work with some great people.  It was a long complicated transport with a very sick patient, but we got that patient where they needed to be and we did it safely.  Every transport gives me the opportunity to learn something new and meet new people.  The facility we picked this patient up from last night was just awesome.  Even offered us snacks and drinks.  I'm sure we would have  taken them up on it if we thought we would have a second to even eat. 


I really do wish I could write more about my patients and the experience.  The laws of HIPPA are so strict and the last thing I want is to get called into my boss to talk about my running blog.  This patient was so very sick and was in a pretty good hospital, but that hospital didn't have the resources that a huge teaching hospital has.  The primary flight nurse was a guy that I worked in the SICU with, so I knew he was smart.  Together, along with the medic and respiratory therapist we still had a very high pucker factor.  Every movement had to be slow and organized.  There was at least 5 invasive devices/lines that if pulled out could have caused fatal consequences.  The feeling of handing the patient over to a well qualified team is amazing.  A final relaxation.   


I finally got to bed at 6am, which was 22 hours after I woke up the morning before.  I cancelled my barre class this morning and woke up at 4pm.  Right now I'm laying on the couch, blogging, eating dark chocolate, snuggling with my favorite blanket (woobie), watching TV and considering the odds that my bedtime is going to be early.  I'm also trying to hydrate.  I truly believe the answer to all physical ailments is hydration.  Especially if you work a job that interrupts sleep, is highly active or involves flying.  


Speaking of flying.  I spend a lot of time taking off, flying, landing.  I work with a small group of pilots that I respect immensely.  I have never been hardly even nervous with all the flying..until last night.  Don't get me wrong, best pilot ever!  But we do fly in airplanes that are meticulously maintained but are machines, none the less.  Last night on our final approach there was a light that didn't light up.  Meaning - the pilot wasn't sure that one of our landing gear was down and secure.  I heard, "oh that's not good", a request to the tower to fly past the airport to trouble shoot, then after about 1 minute he explained what was happening to the crew.  He was very calm and we were all very quiet.  One thing I've learned working as a flight nurse is that when things are tough you need to let the pilot do his job.  The pilot can flip a switch so he can't hear us, but they usually only do that when ton's of chaos is going on in the back and they are flying through some tough weather.  


So the plan was to fly past the tower so they could check our landing gear and make sure the light by the landing gear was on.  Apparently there is a light that comes on once the landing gear is down and ready to land.  It was the indicator light in the cockpit that wasn't lighting up.  That was a long 5 minutes.  I didn't know what to think about.  I wasn't scared as much nervous.  I knew that we could land either way it was just how well could we land.  Add that to the fact we had a patient that takes at least 7 people and 15 minutes to unload. The tower even offered to pull out the engines - get all the emergency peeps out and ready to foam us down and rescue us (DIRTY!).  Turns out the landing gear was down, locked and lighted up and we landed smooth as silk.  Ahhhhhh.   It was awesome.  No firemen though - dangit!!  The plane was taken out of service until it could be fixed, but we made it safe to the ground!  I work with some rock stars!


I don't like to leave without a picture - 

One of my favorites!

Blog on............

Lights and sirens

I spend a lot of time in the back of an ambulance. To and from various airports and small hospitals, I am getting pretty good at working in that crazy atmosphere. My entire career as a flight nurse (7 months after training) I've never taken my patients lights and sirens to the hospital. It's dangerous and not that much faster in most cases. My last transport - we went lights and sirens.


I obviously can't talk too much about my patient transports. Their privacy is very important. The details of this post include changes protecting my patient and my job.


It was a pediatric patient. That blond hair and perfect little feet and toes. Subtle clues of the active life precluding the tragedy. I knew it was coming. I did my best to prepare for a sick pediatric patient, but studying means nothing unless you can show up and put your knowledge into practice. Keeping myself calm around a small ER that was in Mass Casualty mode for its limited resources. Dr.'s nurses, EMT's, respiratory therapist - everyone they could get was there. And boy, we're they happy to see us.


I was pretty sure I was going to pee my pants or shake so bad I couldn't function. Fake it til you make it, I always say. Children, babies! I have to do it. I can't panic. Thank god my medic was calm and confident. He admitted to me later he was just as scared and that I was so calm. Amazing.


They ran us around the corner to our patient. Around us we saw siblings, all victims. Concentrating on what we had, we went to work. I was given a rundown of injuries and interventions. Let me clarify - multiple people yelling and talking very fast giving me as many details as they could remember. All the while working around the bloodied and broken child.  My call to the accepting physician was constantly interrupted with more information, giving the receiving team a clue as to what was to come.  I was lucky, I had an awesome and calm physician on the phone giving me great information and answering any questions I had.  


Less then 30 minutes from our arrival we had this child packed and on our way to the airport.  Making a verbal "to do" list with my medic, we prioritized our care.  The most important thing was keeping our patient stable and getting to definitive care.  No more tests or interventions were going to help more then a Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center.  


The flight was a what they call a "yard sale".  We are in a loaner plane and all our supplies and equipment that we didn't carry with us was all shoved in the back.  Getting to it was tough and then you drop things and open stuff and drop some more, all the while stressed out of your head to get whatever you need to do done quickly.  Our pilot mentioned to me later that he turned around to tell us to sit down because of possible turbulence and we had stuff in both hands and looked super busy.  He was awesome and snuck around the clouds so we could continue to do our jobs safely.    


I'm sure I'm making it more dramatic then it really was in the plane, it was probably more of a controlled chaos.  Whatever we did, we finished the list and our patient stayed stable.  


After we landed we hustled, lights and sirens, to the children's hospital.  We had done everything we could.  I re-medicated for pain, reassessed and then I said to our little patient that we were almost there and keep doing awesome.  To hang in there.   I pushed that blond hair back from swollen eyes and a bloody face.  


We arrived to the magic of medicine.  Watching 6-10 medical personnel do a specialized choreographic dance that I have seen dozens of times with adult patients.  I updated the team.  I watched them work.  My medic and I pulled it off.  Together with our combined knowledge and various experience we raced up that learning curve and did our very best.  

Children give us all a different sense of urgency and compassion.  All those wonderful ambulance drivers, EMT's and our pilot were suddenly ready to rock. Rock in a very quiet focused way.  I'll never forget this transport.  Just like I'll never forget my first code, my first trauma and my first death and withdrawal in the Surgical ICU.  If you watch TV shows like ER and Grey's Anatomy you miss the very best thing about saving lives.  It takes a village.  Sometimes it feels like we are a village of idiots, willing to do insane and crazy stuff to save lives of people we don't even know.  There is no big star doing just one thing, it's everyone. Everyone that touched that child wanted to do their best.  


Even if it means, lights and sirens.


Blog on............

Day in the great life!

I'm at work today.  In Rock Springs.  I drive here once a week, stay about 48 hours and then I'm done until the next week.  Ideally, I fly (fixed wing) a couple of patients every week.  I like to fly 3 times, in the day.  It doesn't work out that way but I wanted to just say it out loud, every time I work, just so everyone is aware!


The drive to Rock Springs isn't bad - it's just the staying awake!!  Even if I sleep well all night, I get so sleepy on the road.  Coffee, snacks (paleo!), music, comedians and pod-casts...all to no avail.  I stopped at Little America and walked around to wake up and then bought some earrings. Unfortunately  no one complimented me on them today, so I took them out. I want to switch them from post to dangly. I'm sure Pinterest has something on that!




(granted this post is a little jumpy)




They finally got one of our planes back with the new paint:

It's too red.  Way too red.  It's going to fade and then be pink or orange.  I had my input...Now it's named Clifford.  I'm sure when it fades it will be named Nip.  We aren't flying in this plane yet.  It's still getting things done to it that the FAA wants done and all our mechanics do.  Air Methods (our plane/pilot peeps) takes care of all that with a full time staff of A LOT of plane men.  I feel extremely safe, but this bad boy/girl is in the back of the hangar for who knows how long.  Rock Springs crew is in our loaner plane.  Sssk SSkkk.  That is my nickname for it.  It's tail number is 116SK.  Makes me think of Dane Cook comedy about loafers and crabs and dreams.  Ssssk  SSkk








We waited for an hour for a cab after we transported a patient to the U.  That is not very glamorous.  Then just before takeoff we were heading to the runway and 2 F-16's took off.  They are very loud and super fast.    It was great to watch!!  Following that kinda show makes us feel very very SLOW!


View from take off:

Looks shiny, like it's snowing.   Love it.  


Home (The Rock) just in time:


I finally ran hills tonight.  I found a not so steep hill and planned 4 sets of 400's up it as fast as I could.  Then i would walk a minute then jog back to the start.  Beautiful night, nice and cool:

Love the reddish sky. It seems Rocks Springs sunsets are a little more red then elsewhere.  Either that or it's the smoke from all the fires.    The hill looks pretty good eh?  View from the top. 


So I did it:

I forgot my Garmin so I used Mapmyrun, which is great, but it doesn't auto-stop when I stop and so the times aren't accurate as far as I'm concerned.  I tried pausing it while I waited for the lights, but I didn't do it, twice.  Once was while I was taking a picture.  From what I can tell I did the hills around 9 min miles.  


After my last hill I walked 1 minutes then ran it back to my car.  I was going at a pretty good clip and felt great until the last .20 miles.  I pushed it and by the time I got to the car i was pretty out of breath.  Then I almost puked  First time. ever. from a run.  Maybe I ate the pre-run apple too soon before the run.   Not sure.  I didn't puke and I never want to after a run.  I hate puking.  Feeling passed after a couple of minutes and I made it back to the apartment.  


What a day!  Now to sleep........


Blog on.............

Chicago Radiohead

For Daniels birthday this year I got tickets to Radio Head at Tinley Park, Illinois.  Daniel loves the band and they sold out all over the country.  When I heard they were opening new venues, I set my phone alarm and bought us two tickets.  I also bought the VIP Parking, drinks and bathroom package too. Never regretted that!    Buying the concert tickets was the easiest part of the whole trip.  We have always been able to get around the country with miles and points, etc. But this time there was so many restrictions it was completely insane.  The travel industry is just not getting my vote this year.  Guess I'll be driving places!

So Daniel and I left on Saturday, June 9th to fly into Chicago O'hare airport and rent a car.  

 Of course on the plane I had to bring my own snack.  Coffee courtesy of Delta, but the Nut-rition package was mine.  I love these little nut snacks.  Perfect for travel and perfectly Paleo!   

I was pretty nervous about driving into Chicago, especially since I had never been there and I was very unfamiliar with any part of town.  The drive in was a beast - but I heard that is very common.  

Parking?  Well we had to make a few circles but I found a lot not too far from the park that was 6 bucks until midnight.  Woot Woot!!  We locked things up and headed for the "Blues Festival".  

 This was a group of kids that were no more then 14 that played a couple of different stages.  The Blues Festival was free and it was awesome!  Just being in the crowd and hearing the great talent was a great experience.  Daniel thought it was great too.

Then we watched this guy.  Sorry I forgot to write down names, but he was great.  Played the harmonica and sang.  Made for some head bobbing, that is for sure.  I just can't listen to it without moving at least a little bit. 

It was HOT and we were just off the plane in jeans and t-shirts.  Look at the crowd!  This was just one stage and they had at least 5 stages.  

 You can't go to a Blues Festival in downtown Chicago without trying something new.  Yes, we tried the "mustard fried catfish".  Good thing I have no idea how to make it or where to get it because I would eat it ALL the time.  SO delicious! Not sure it's completely Paleo - but I skipped the Peach Cobbler and that was a sacrifice in and of itself.


After we finished up there, we headed to Tinley Park and found our hotel.  It was nice, but kind of out of the way.  Thank GOD for iPhone and the GPS.  It saved my life during this trip.  We found everything we needed.   The Hotel beds were somehow extremely comfy and we settled down for the night.  


The next morning we found a breakfast place called, "Blackberry Pancakes".  This is an omelet.  It has 4 eggs in it and tons of deliciousness.  I have never been a fan of omelets, but I love this one.  Daniel got the same thing, an omelet - only a different type.  It was freaking wonderful.  We actually went there the next morning too before we headed into Chicago.

Driving to the concert.  See Daniels hand behind my head?  He's getting all butt hurt because I am driving and taking pictures.  I'm a professional!!  Just be quiet and get the picture over with then.  Plus - it was a great hair day!

Settled on the grass...delicious drink in hand.  

Windy of course, but very nice weather for the wait.  We arrived super early and so did 250 other people on the grass.  Our seats were OK though.

Tough to get good pictures.  I just had my iPhone and I should have brought my camera with a good zoom.  The music was awesome.  Daniel loved it!  

 Messy Messy Messy








Next day, ate at our favorite spot then headed back into Chicago.  

More driving pics!!  

We decided we had time before catching our plane back to SLC to check out the John Hancock Observatory.  Awesome.  Great timing too.  No wait, lots of room.  Great views!

I had such a good time with Daniel.  Very easy going and fun to be with.  It wasn't a long trip but definitely worth every minute and penny.  

Of course, on the way back, we had to stand with the riff raff.  Don't they know that I know a Delta Crown Room member?  What kind of madness??

Here's to our next trip!  


Blog on................

Running? Running.

My plans for running yesterday were foiled by a beautiful flight to southern Utah and back up to SLC and then back to Rocks Springs.  I was planning a hill training session at 815pm - since that is the time the pilots time out and I'm less likely to get a call - but alas, I was called to serve.  It was a great flight, the patient needed to be transported and it was beautiful although a little bumpy.  

Pulling out the plane...sssk..ssskk.

(Reminds me of the Dane Cook comedy where he talks about his dream about being a crab and makes that sound - "sssk sssk".  

Landing in SLC.  The sun was just setting and the temperature was perfect.  A little windy - but fantastic!

Luckily I was back to base and in bed, all charted, by 1am.  No flight through the night and I slept like a rock.  YEAH - that means a productive day today!! I got home by 2pm and I actually ran 3 miles, but just from the front door. It was slow too!  I stopped to tie my shoes and usually my Garmin stops when I stop but the clock kept going!  I know I did it in less then 10 min/miles - but then again - 10 min/miles have been my goal for years!  Now it is 9 min/miles.  Giggity Giggity!

Then I went to a Pilate's class.  My hammies cramped over and over - but I did get a good workout!  I may do the first leg of the Salt Lake half marathon relay with Tera and Nicole and it is UPHILL.  I drove past it today, but I think I can do it.  I have two months to train for 4 miles uphill.  

The next two days will prove tough to get a workout in.  Teaching ACLS, Def Leppard concert, work staff meeting.....I'm busy and I know it!

PS.  Tera gave me a gift certificate for Lululemon for my Birthday!  WATCH OUT!  I'm going broke!!

Blog on.........

Wow! Things have changed!

Yep, 7 months.  That is how long it's been since I blogged.  This was not my intention at all when I started this.  But alas, life is ever evolving and I lost track of it about 8 months ago.  My new AirMed job, kids, hubby and all of it combined and the blog went back to the end of the line.  I saved pics though.  Thought of it often for about 3 months.  Then a few days ago I checked it out and started reading.  What a shame I haven't kept it up.  I'm sure I'll post some back pictures over time, but there is no catching up.  It's my scrapbook and lord KNOWS I'm not going to do any actual scrap booking in this lifetime.  My last scrapbook session was 17 years ago and I'm going to set all records for not doing it ever again.  Maybe.  I'm a fickle bitch.  


Job - oh hell yes.  Best job ever.  Lots to learn and lots of adjusting but I'm starting to feel comfortable.  I work with awesome people and we are there to do a great job and have fun in between.  The drive to Rock Springs is getting easier every week and frankly it's a great gig!  (shhhhhh...others have hated going to Rock Springs and we don't want the secret out that it can be freakin AWESOME!)  It's a little intimidating having to be "ready" for any type of patient and all that death and dismemberment, but for the most part my years and years of working with smart people in the SICU have given me a base knowledge that has brought me through.  I'm in a plane.  A lot.  

 Our plane.  It's actually getting painting right now.  The Rocks Springs hanger is right behind it.  

 I have lots of these pics.  I see some beautiful country!

Flight nurse.  Teehee

We go to some tiny towns.  This was Chester, Montana.  Nicest people ever.  Great experience.

Sassy patient...or wait.   That's my medic.  He's trying out the stretcher on the way home.  

Kids.  Well I still have them.  They are doing awesome!  Austin is working back up in North Dakota after a short respite back home.  He seems to be liking it although I miss having him around.  

Austin at Sami's Birthday dinner.

Jake is doing wonderful.  He has a job working on motorcycles and his band is doing great.   They won the "City Weekly Band of the Year" and are working on another album and touring.  

 Amie came to the band's showcase.  

 Max Pain and the Groovies

Jake is right behind the lead singer on Bass

 Watching them play at the Garage.

Sami is working at the UofU as an HCA and going to college.  Growing pains?  Yes, she has a few.  Still a beautiful loving daughter and I will not kill her.  

No - Sami is not drinking.  Matt and I were having a celebratory shot after I passed my orientation at work and of course she thought it funny to pose by it.  Such a cute girl!

 Looking so adorable!

Daniel is doing wonderful.  He's not working right now, but he is has already graduated from High School via GED.  Busy playing the guitar and planning his life.

 Yeah, he takes my phone and takes pics of himself.

 Daniel and Ted.  

Daniel and his girlfriend Haley.  Cute couple - they've been together almost a year!

Hubby and I are working hard and doing great!  I spend a lot of time running. Lots and lots of running.  I do love it and hope it keeps me fit for a while!  

I am a lucky girl!

Blog on............