Feeling down and wondering if I will ever get back on the truck

[Just Plain Ruff]

I have NO unresolved issues with Al. In fact, what he helped do was AWESOME, but I'll bet that some people might not agree.

Edited July 22, 2013 by Captain ToHellWithItAll

[Richard B the EMT]

How did we get from an injury that has potential to end a career, or just drag on until returning to work, and a concept expressed to the POTUS that resulted in the "Manhattan Project", which itself resulted in 2 suddenly missing Japanese cities?
Wow. We are all over the map.

[Just Plain Ruff]

"Wow. We are all over the map"

You know, I was doing some shopping the other day looking for gps mapping software. I'm sort of torn between Garmin and Tom tom. Any suggestions?

[CheekyEMT]

You've already had all the standard "hang in there" and "you can do it" type answers so I won't waste your time with another one of those. The truth is you have had a potentially career ending injury/re-construction. By all means power on and fight to get back to work, but please continue to recognize that may not be a possibility.

With 13 years on the ambulance that doesn't mean you need to retire from healthcare. It means you might have to seek another avenue. Top suggestions include, transitioning to your services clinical education department, becoming a college instructor, and becoming a PA (Physicians Assistant).

Ontario is one of the first provinces to run a civillian PA program and the majority of people selected thus far have come from ACP and RN backgrounds. If this becomes the end of your "on ambulance" career it could also become an opportunity for you to become a true clinical leader in EMS.

http://www.facmed.utoronto.ca/programs/healthscience/PAEducation.htm

I will be looking to all options available to me very shortly. I need to really do some soul searching and consider all my options. Your suggestion is a very good one and will be taken into consideration for sure.

[CheekyEMT]

Hi Cheeky,

First of all, welcome to the city. Good people live here.

So let me back things up here a minute…you stated, “laying around with my leg elevated, watching tv, browsing the net, chatting on my blackberry and popping pain pills.” OK, so…..WHAT’S THE PROBLEM?

I’m kidding, I don’t like watching tv or chatting on blackberries. You’re getting good advice here Cheeky. After just one session with Dwayne and the gang, you’re already seeing the positive instead of the negative.

All I have to say is A. You have to focus on practicing the art of positive thinking. Pity pot thinking is a waste of your time and energy. B. Do what your surgeon & PT sadists tell you to do. Don’t screw up your surgeons work or he’ll put you in a body cast. C. Don’t look too far ahead; your job right now is to give your ankle the best environment for healing.

Being a patient sucks, it suuuuucks, but it’s also an opportunity (see how I did that…went from sucks-ass to opportunity…negative to positive…neg…pos…cool huh?) Anyway it’s an op to see, I don’t know, how creative and well trained your husband is…wait a minute…standby...I just went back and read your last post and I guess he did pretty good…ok then…nice work detective!

I recently had an intramedullary bone tumor taken out of my left femur, it was a doozey! Because of it, I can’t do the job that I loved doing…which was surgery. Did I lie around in bed and cry all day? You bet I did! Was I a cranky bitch? You don’t know the half of it! But I whooped out a can of positive thinking and reinvented myself…now I’m a…now I’m…..ah…it doesn’t matter, we’re talking about you, not me.

Hey I got an hour shrink session coming up with Dwayne, you wanna take it? He’s pretty good! I don’t cry nearly as much as I used to.

Just remember what Albert Einstein said,

"Hidden within every problem lies an opportunity so powerful that it literally dwarfs the problem."

That’s right…Albert’s Mom didn’t raise no fool.

Chin up Cheeky! You’re getting better every day!

Thanks Emergency...your post was not only humerous but good advice. You're right...having a pity party is a waste of time...took me awhile to figure that out, but the party's over and I'm making the best of a shitty situation. I will be seeing my surgeon next Tues Aug 6 for my 2nd post op appt and am hoping for good news. Cast will come off Tues and am assuming he will put me into a boot and let me start walking and living somewhat of a normal life. I am 6wks post op now so expect that physio will begin in the next couple wks. I am past the point of feeling sorry for myself and being pissed off because I can't do the things I want...I've been able to be home with my babies every day and have enjoyed that immensley. I'm counting the days now with only 6 more days to go till being released from fiberglass prison..first thing I'm going to do is have a bath and wash that leg...lol I am anxious to find out how well the surgery went and all the yummy details of it..lol My surgeon is very vague and doesn't offer up too much info so hopefully he will answer all my questions. After my appt next week and once I get started with a PT I will then have to start thinking about where my career is heading and take the necessary steps to either get back on the truck or as another poster mentioned jump into another profession within the medical field. Right now I don't think beyond the next week....I do see physical improvment everyday and know that my ankle is healing....everyday is better then the last and will continue that way. Once I get through next Tues and find out what my surgeon's next step is I will better be able to figure out what is next for me.

I am sorry to hear that you've had to go through what you did...shitty for sure. You certainly have a fantastic attitude and I truly hope you are doing well and that everything is good for you now.

You brought a smile to my face my dear , thank you!

[CheekyEMT]

Saw my surgeon today. I'm 7wks post op. Cast off and now into an air cast for another 4wks. Surgeon said everything looks good and is healing well. :-). I'm allowed to walk on it, swim (if I swim with the boot on) and allowed to take it off and start stretching my ankle a bit. No rotation or side to side, but I'm allowed to flex it up and down and start loosening it up a bit. It's VERY tight and stiff. I have virtually 0 ROM but am hoping to see that change in the next 2wks. I go back on Sept 3 for another follow up and hopefully he will let me start physio then.

I'm in the home stretch...yay!!!!!

But, how things look right now I don't anticipate being back on the truck until Jan or later. Maybe not at all. :-(

I am still VERY swollen, he said that will take about a year to go away and that if I'm going to get a full recovery it will be about a year.

So, will have to see how things go over the next 4wks before I start looking into options and making life changing decisions.

[Richard B the EMT]

Just a suggestion, but inquire at your service if you can be included in Continuing Medical Education lectures, and/or "tabletop exercises" to keep up on what's going on. If you don't have to do anything but sit and ask or answer questions, might be a good thing for morale.

[Just Plain Ruff]

And you can always go into dispatching. There's a market for good ones out there you know.

[CheekyEMT]

Just a suggestion, but inquire at your service if you can be included in Continuing Medical Education lectures, and/or "tabletop exercises" to keep up on what's going on. If you don't have to do anything but sit and ask or answer questions, might be a good thing for morale.

Great idea Richard!...Definately something to look into. :-)

And you can always go into dispatching. There's a market for good ones out there you know.

Yes, have given that alot of thought....dipatching is something I would enjoy for sure.

[Richard B the EMT]

Attending the CMEs? I'm just maintaining my EMT status, not even working or employed and probably won't see the inside of an ambulance except as a patient, but I have multiple places I can go to for free CMEs.