Friday, April 3, 2020

When the shit hits the fan!!!

I’m a Type A personality through and through, bound with the need to seek and meet challenges, chase danger and ... be in the thick of things.  I’m  an EMT, though haven’t been one for too long.  However, I’ve always sought out emergencies and have been the first to jump in.  I remember once when I was maybe in middle school or early high school... my parents lived near this very steep windy hill.  One day this boy flew down on his bike and wiped out around one of the corners. All of the neighbors were out.  He was yelling and screaming.  I was the first one to run right to him.  I had to “ save “ him”.  Another time, I was in high school and heard a motorcycle crash very close.  I put up my horse quickly and ran down the road.  I held this mans hand as he died waiting for the ambulance.  I have throughout my whole life had a drive to enlist in the military and at one point was in the State police process.    It’s just in my blood. .. fast cars.. airplanes.. danger..  the thought I can save the world.
Then, if any of you have followed my blog( I know, I haven’t posted in Wayyyy too long) I got diagnosed with ms.  My life would never be the same, physically and mentally.  I would never be able to do, physically, the things I did before and the way I look at life... never the same.  That life event humbled me.  It made me appreciate every tiny thing.  It made me take nothing for granted.
Then... I slowly began to recover.. little by little... year by year.. and I stuffed all that ms stuff to the back of my brain .. and I moved on.  I physically improved, I adopted kids... I even became an emt.  Yes, an EMT.  Ya know, those people that run into danger, that pull victims from crashed cars, are doing cpr on a child while the stretcher is flying in the doors of the emergency room? That’s me (well, when I’m able to).  When things go bad, we (EMTs) want to be in the middle of it.
Even though I’ve protested to take nothing for granted, I suppose I have.  When this Covoid-19 hit it made me stop and think.  I kept hearing that this virus... this pandemic.. wasn’t THAT bad... the caveat being as long as you’re not geriatric or have underlying health concerns.  Ok, well, I can still take care of myself, I thought.  Then, as this thing crept closer I began to think more and more ... about how far I have come and how much I have riding on my health.  I’m on an immunosuppressive medication. If there is some illness out there, I get it.  I can’t get THIS.  I can’t jeopardize my life and my family’s.  So, I VERY reluctantly did the only thing there was to do... one of the hardest decisions Ive ever made... I stopped doing ambulance calls.
      So, I’m home... quarantined...  with my 5 kids... loving it.... but dying inside not being out there.
My mom and I found a way to help.  We have been sewing surgical style masks. Read our article here:  https://www.registercitizen.com/news/coronavirus/article/Goshen-mother-daughter-making-hundreds-of-15169301.php.  We’ve donated over 700 masks in the past 2 weeks.  We have had requests from hospitals, rehabs, nursing homes, Ambulance companies, shipping departments, nursing homes, funeral homes, etc...  I get messages every day of how people are so thankful and appreciative.  Everyone asks what they can do to help.  They praise us for doing such a great thing.  I take their kind words in and savor them and appreciate them.  However, when the shit hits the fan... and it’s REALLY hitting the fan out there... I want to be in the middle of it.  Instead... I’m in the middle of a sewing room!

I've reluctantly created a gofundme page for people to help with supplies, as I don't want to charge anyone for these masks.  Any remaining money in this account that does not get used on mask supplies will be donated to ECAD, as they very much need the funding right now.
Thank you