A some what typical day.

My deaf daughter is incredibly industrious.  I have a Sign Language book, and she is going through it page by page, and there is at least 12 signs per page, and she types in the English word on the computer and gets the Chinese translation.  She then writes the Chinese next to the English word.  How incredible is that?  Wow, she never ceases to amaze me.

We all went for an hour hike on Sunday.  It must have been quite a sight, the seven of us traipsing along in the woods.

So, just to make life a little more interesting, when things slow down...  Let me set the scene for you.   My two new daughters and twins are home with me, my dh had just left to take my older daughter to piano lessons.  Suddenly my pager goes off and I hear of a motor vehicle accident right near the intersection of my road and main road. One vehicle has rolled and is on it's roof and needs extrication.  And the page goes out for police EMTs from two fire houses, and fire trucks for extrication.  The air waves are busy.  I realize that it is right where dh was traveling.  I quickly call his cell phone, it rings and rings and rings, one more ring. Just as I was about to throw everyone in the car to go down to the accident, he answers.  I ask him, "Where are you?"  He says "I'm almost down at the bottom of the hill."

When I knew he was OK, I said come back I need to go to the accident, and I hung up.  You see I couldn't leave the twins home they are only 9, and I couldn't leave my two new daughters home alone because of the limited English and knowledge of what to do in an emergency. My twins are outside on their bikes I yell for them to come inside and wait.

I had one of the twins call the piano teacher to say my daughter would be late.  So in the middle of the kitchen I drop my blue jeans, pull on my EMT pants, grab my wallet, cell phone and keys.  As I go out the door, I call the dispatcher and sign on that I am going to the scene.  I pull out of the driveway, down the road, and pass my dh on the way in, we wave.

I go right at the bottom of the hill and about 500 yards down I come to the scene.  While driving I hear another call go out for more people.  I arrive park, and walk up. I see a car off the road, with the front end smashed in, and people standing on the side of the road.  I look into the car and  no one is there.  I look at the people and ask, "Where you in this car?"  They reply "Yes."  I look at them, and say, "You should get back in the car and sit down until one of us can check you out."  I go to the next vehicle which is a brand new red pick up truck upside down on it's roof, completely destroyed.  I go around to the drivers side and look, no one is there!  I turn around and see a woman, and ask, "Were you the driver?"  She says "Yes"  I told her to stand still, I went around behind her and held C-spine.  I look around...I'm the first one there, no one else has arrived!  Not even police to direct traffic.  I couldn't move from my patient.  She could have severe neck or spine injuries and not even know it.  I asked her where she was hurting, and she said her head because it bounced against the ceiling of the truck when she rolled.  Yup, I'm not letting go of this C-spine.  Other responders started showing up.  We soon realized that we needed two ambulances for three patients.  Fire trucks arrived, several police cars, lots of traffic...the usual.  Without going into a lot of detail, we board and collared three patients and went to the hospital.  We did our 7 page EMS charts,and drove home.  I had left my car at the scene with the keys in it. Which is what you do, and someone drives it to the firehouse for you.  Back to the firehouse, to do more charts, and by now it's 6:40, and call had gone out at 4:15.  I run back home, grab a bite, give kisses all around, and then back to the firehouse for training, which we do every Monday night.

I got home at 9:45 and grabbed a bite, caught up on my emails, and started writing my blog.  Since it is now almost 12:30, I think that it's time to finish for tonight.