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The Art of Knowing Myself...
"Becoming", by Kristin, 1995, Copyright. Used by permission only.
"Private Soundings... the Art of Knowing Myself"
"Decide what is the right thing to do..."
...Not too long ago I reached a long time goal of mine... to be a medic on an ambulance. I wanted to experience life on the front lines of acute emergency care. Yes, I wanted to be a "street medic". Becoming an EMT would be for me the first of many new discoveries about myself and the world around me. For I would most certainly find myself in the midst of many situations and circumstances most people spend a lifetime hoping to avoid...
"...then you must do it right"
I am today a Nationally Registered Paramedic (NREMTP), employed by one of the largest and most successful private ambulance services around. I graduated with honors from the National EMS Academy, and made the Dean's List at SLCC. And while I love being a Medic, my heart is set on becoming a Doctor of Medicine. Certainly, I cannot leave the excitement of emergency care, thus I am well-suited for life as an ER Doc...
"My kid swallowed a AA Battery!"...
Acute Pre-Hospital Emergency Care (just call it EMS)... Our mission (sounds spy-like , huh) is to save the lives of sick or injured people in emergency situations. Basically, we take the hospital to the people, then take the people to the hospital!
Not too shabby for an "ambulance driver"...
Paramedics are educated in advanced medical and trauma care, cardiology , resuscitation science and medicine, pharmacology, advanced patient assessment, scene management, and so forth.
As a Paramedic I can start IVs and IOs ( drilling into the bone for vascular access), interpret EKGs, and defibrilate (clear!). I can manage seizures, traumatic injuries, cardiac arrests (code blue!) & deliver babies ... almost always by myself in the back of a small, rolling metal box, bumping & bouncing our way to the ER... while calling the hospital with report... All without the benefit of a team of Doctors, nurses, and respiratory therapists to assist.
I can administer some 40 emergency medications, including Morphine (a class II narcotic), Nitroglycerin, and Adenosine for dangerously fast heart rates (this one actually stops the heart for a few seconds, allowing the heart to "restart" at its normal rate).
Paramedics can also Intubate ... a skill used to secure a patient's airway so as to provide adequate ventilations by inserting a special tube directly into the trachea via the oropharynx. Typically only Physicians, Respiratory Therapists, CRNA and Anesthesiologists, and Paramedics can perform this advanced skill. (I love doing this!)
My friend, Triangle Exception...
Anyway, I'm Kristin...
I am a husband and a father . I love being both. And that is specifically why I have also come to appreciate "time". It's role in our lives is inescapable, it must never be overlooked. Often it has been a good friend to me... It has saved me more than once...
And rock-n-roll... What could be more exciting than catching 6th gear at 120mph in my silver Corvette convertable with Van Halen cranking out of the 10 speaker Alpine system. Or slaloming the crazy curves of the old Bayou Sally Road on my Harley-Davidson SuperGlide, ripping through the marshlands with that unmistakable roar of its huge 1450 cubic centimeter V-Twin.
"It's the poet inside"...
As well, I'm a self-taught, solo acoustic guitarist, lyricist & song writer . I began playing and writing my own music when I was ten years old. I enjoy writing and I post these"Private Soundings"in my journal quite regularly for you to read. Follow the link below & walk a mile in my shoes...
"Private Soundings... the Art of Knowing Myself"
Other stuff I hadn't mentioned yet...
I drink Jack-n-Coke... sometimes Scotch, love reading and Bruce Lee movies. I've seen Rush 8 times, visited Gambia in West Africa. I love authentic Asian foods , hate country music (a few artists are exceptions to that rule) & despise hip-hop/rap (no exceptions).
I was chosen by my peers as Bayou Region EMT of the year, (that was pretty cool). I intubated my first patient in the ER at Teche Regional. And I'll never forget the little boy who's crushed head I held in my hands after he was ejected form the car his drunk (now dead) father destroyed on Mardi Gras night.
Eight years of marriage to my wonderful wife began with the promise of a hand delivered Mountain Dew (it would have been a 100 mile round trip for me) and a chicken finger basket at Applebee's.
I get migraines often... when my son was younger he would rub my hands and my head for me and tell me everything was gonna be alright... And, I believed him... He was right...
"THE TIES THAT BIND THESE HEARTS TO YOU..."
... Her kisses smell so wonderful... My wife is a perfect compliment to me. It's hilarious when she mocks me!
... My 20yo son is in TN. I miss him. "I wish you could know just how your face is so alive in my dreams".
... I hold my few close friends even closer to my heart.
I really miss my congregation back home.
"INHERIT THE EARTH"...
...I'll never try to force my beliefs on you... But, as one of
Jehovah's Witnesses , I can help you understand the Bible , andI'll happily explain our Bible-based teachings.
BEYOND THE BASICS...
... OK... don't Panic... All bleeding eventually stops! I'm a graduate of National EMS Academy and a Nationally Registered EMT-Paramedic . I have my sights set on attending Med School in the Carribeans and becoming a Physician of Emergency Medicine.
Behold... the Sea Cucumber!...
SNAKES & RATS...
...I love my corn snake Samba . He's happy, friendly & curious. Right now he eats 1 fuzzy mouse every 3-4 days... oooo ya he's growing fast!
...And then there's Banjul , my fat rat . She's energetic, sweet & hilarious. She snacks all the time! And she loves to explore everything in her way.
EINSTEIN HAD A GENIUS IQ OF 160...
My IQ score: 131 - Intellectual Type: Insightful Linguist ...
..."Gifted, very superior intelligence, natural fluency of a writer, visual & spatial strengths of an artist. Those skills contribute to a creative & expressive mind" ...for maximum expressiveness just add one part Coca-Cola, two parts Jack Daniels... LOL!
My friend Lucy, she's a fire dancer...
DER'S MO' TA LIFE THAN EATIN' NUTRIA!
... Did you know that there are people in South Louisiana who eat a large rodent called a Nutria? HA! Well, here's a Nutria Recipe if ya juss cain't hep yo'self! "Swamp Rat"... tastes like chicken!
My friend Laura, an eye for beauty...
My friend Miguel (the photographer, not the froggie!)...
"RUSTY NAIL"... IT'S NOT A ROCK BAND...
...Pour ¾ oz Johnnie Walker Black Scotch over ice cubes in a "rocks" glass, then Float ¼ oz Drambuie on top ... You'll Thank Me Later!
"MASTER OF DISGUISE"...
...OK, the Octopus is my favorite animal. I have lots of pictures of different ones. They're amazing...
THE FANTASY WORLD...
...Picasso, van Gogh ,Salvador Dali, Gauguin... andFrank Frazetta !He did the Conan book covers and the Molly Hatchet album covers. Here's Frazetta's famous "Death Dealer" ...
My friend, Nolvido Quae. Incredible Art...