Thursday, November 19, 2009

Get Back on That Horse

I never was very good at horsemanship....

Physics over the summer, an ass ton of callouts (four, FOUR on one day) and my research have taken priority over this blog. I missed it though, so I'm back (thanks, AlbinoBlackBear for awakening me from my slumber).
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I've decided to apply for MD/PhD programs. That's how much I've been liking my research as of lately. The key will be finding a program where I can keep doing what I love and still fund me. Its an interesting mix of exercise science and medicine. Really, its exercise as a specific treatment for chronic pain. I think I'm going to get a masters first, especially if I get the big mutha' of a grant I just applied for.
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Rescues have been lacking as of late now that there's just a little bit of snow on the ground. Not enough white stuff to play in or slide, just enough to make it muddy. The few rescues we have had we're impressively fun.

This weekend entailed a full on alpine rescue. First, in the dark then into the next morning and afternoon. Granite covered in Rhine ice, a little snow, some really stuck kids, it made for a challenging rescue.

Highlights: A helicopter offload at 8,000 feet with one skid on a wee small granite fin, stepping out onto snow and with full packs on; beautiful alpine rock and ice; everyone surviving (I didn't think we were going to make it there in time); getting to watch my good friend and roomate lead his first rescue team in to support our helo team; getting hoisted off the mountain- I always feel like I'm flying hanging beneath the rotors of that beautiful bird.

It cannot be stressed enough: no matter how many times I get to play with the helicopters they still give me a giant woodie.

Lowlights: Getting hit in the chin as the helicopter peeled off the mountain in a wind gust; wondering all night if these kids were going to die because I couldn't get to them till the morning (and not sleeping one wink because of it); having to tell a patient that they were "just going to have to hold on till daylight" for the first time because my team couldn't climb to them in the dark; having to tell a new team member to take his comments off facebook because of the poor things they said about our patients- and the attitude I got back from it.

I'll try to upload some video we shot during the rescue but until then enjoy the poor quality pics I grabbed off the news: