Last day on call with Ripon Ambulance. Jamie and me with our primary ambulance, 147.
This is what the inside of the ambulance looks like.
Me in the ER, Trauma rooms I and II behind.
Well, the past two weeks have been difficult. Ending this chapter of my life has been harder than I thought it would be. After being in Ripon for 4 1/2 years, I've developed a connection with this place and the people here that I did not anticipate. When I first got to Ripon, there was a period where I thought, "oh man, what did I get myself into by going to college in this middle-of-nowhere small town?" When I realized that everything in town closes at six (including the coffee shop), that the typical form of entertainment involves going to the bar or partying on campus, and that diverse culture that was so easily accessible in the Twin Cities was non-existent, I had a period of questioning whether or not I had made the right decision on where I went to school. Now I see that I have had opportunities here that I wouldn't have had a chance at in Madison. I cannot overemphasize how valuable my time at the ambulance was. While in college, I always worked at least two jobs, but if I had gone to Madison or any other large school, I would not have had the option of working as an EMT. Similarly, my job with the ambulance allowed me to get the position in the Emergency Room, and what hospital in Madison would have allowed some 22 year old to work there? In my weekend shift at the ER, I was on with one doctor and one nurse, allowing me to assist in things that I wouldn't have been allowed to do at larger hospitals with large staffs. The crew on the ambulance and the people in the ER have become a second (third, fourth?) family for me. No less than five people (including professors and staff at the college too) have taken me in and allowed me to live in their homes (all for free), and all have made Jamie and I feel so welcome in the community, an experience that most students at the college do not get. The sense of camaraderie that you feel when you spend your time with them helping and saving other people is stronger than I can describe. Jamie and I would go out for lunch or dinner with some of the EMTs, especially our friend Lisa. We had a tradition of going over to Lisa's house where epic tournaments of the game Sequence would ensue, with the men (me and Lisa's husband, Darrel) almost always winning... I think we were something like 17/20 at the end. I'm going to miss being a regular at the coffee shop and my favorite lunch spot (Fat Bruce's) where they would know what I wanted before I did. Before I left, Jamie and I were going out to dinner with Lisa and Darrel. On the way to the restaurant, Lisa got a phone call from one of the other EMTs who wanted to say goodbye to us. We stopped by her house before dinner and said goodbye, and then noticed that they had a table FULL of food in their dining room. "Wow, you guys are feasting tonight!" I said. Then I noticed another EMT was in the living room, and another... and then it finally clicked. They threw a surprise going-away party for Jamie and me, and it was so so nice of them. Jamie and I were completely clueless. This past weekend was our last on call, and it was bittersweet all around. We had an interesting weekend to say the least, with 4 calls total. On Sunday we had our last call and said goodbye to everyone at the hospital... hugs all around and everyone wished us good luck. Every single person said how much they would miss us and that they knew we would do great in Colorado and that we are going to be great great nurses. When I got back to Diane's house, there was a card waiting for me from everyone in the ER. They had all signed it, and they all chipped in and raised $100 to send with me. I am truly blessed. Then we went out to dinner with some friends from the college one last time at our sushi spot, Koreana, and played some Mario Kart (on old school N64, if you're interested). Then it was time to go, and we packed the car and handed in our EMT stuff. It really hit us when we walked out of the ambulance garage that we were really done... we didn't have keys to city hall or our pagers any more, there was no going back. That was hard for both of us... not knowing when we'll be in an ambulance again (hopefully not as a patient). So, now I'm in West Bend this week spending time with Jamie and helping out with her Grandma. Classes are done on Monday and I'll be cramming to the extreme all week (I've been up until at least 3 for the past 4 nights doing homework). Then home on the 9th. Oh yeah... Thanksgiving was great too. I headed to Milwaukee and stopped by to see the Jasinski family, which was great even though I could only stay for a half hour, then it was off to John's sister Carrie's house for dinner and games. Good times all around, and it was nice to be with family again. That's all for now. It has been an emotional rollercoaster lately, but I wouldn't change a thing.
