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I’ve been reflecting recently on my life here in London, what I love about it, what I don’t, what I want for my future and how to get it.
I’ve decided to move back to Melbourne by Christmas.
To move back and not extend my visa for another 2 years was a tough decision, and to cut my stay short by 4 months, instead of when my visa was up in March and return in December was another. Yet, considering what we’ve been through this year, I thought I’d need to be with Berni and my parents for Christmas.
I’ve planned a going away party, really I’ve just told people to join me at a pub for drinks for almost 12 hours, which will definitely help me bury my emotions about leaving my friends behind. I wrote a little note on the event page on Facebook (yeah, I had to get it back to make the event, I’m not a fan but it’s temporary) and I cried reading it aloud to James at work before posting it. I don’t want to leave you all, but it’s something I need to do for me. I’ll miss you, my nearest and dearest here. You’ve all given me strength in one way or another, and I’ve learnt so much from watching how you handle your stresses, how you love your partners and friends, how you’re dedicated to achieving your dreams. I know I’ll miss you, but you’ll always be a part of me and I owe so much of my happiness over the last few years to you.
- Sam Canning
Bryony Bell
Amy Bryson
Brian Doherty
James Palmer
Jayleen Roberts
Ali Tariq
Steph Holloway
I’d heard the LAS recruited medics from Aus while I was in my 2ndyear of the uni course. I told a friend of mine that I thought moving to London was what I was meant to do, I had a strong, positive feeling that I was meant to be in London. So I came. Honestly, it’s how I’ve made every big decision in my life. Before YOLO was around, I was using the phrase, ‘F**k it, why not.’
I chose my double degree because I liked maths, chemistry and biology, I saw it in a list of courses offered at uni.
‘F**k it, why not.’
Five years and two degrees later, I took a year off to consider my next move. I didn’t want to work in either field so I travelled and joined St. John’s just for kicks. I thought, well this is pretty good; I could do this all the time and be a Paramedic.
‘F**k it, why not.’
I could work over in England for a bit.
‘F**k it, why not.’
And now, moving back seems like just as good a thing to do as any. My mantra hasn’t let me down so far.
Moving forward...
Career-wise, I’ve been thinking of branching out a little by looking into companies that teach first aid to the wider community, getting involved with people such as the Royal Flying Doctors Service (RFDS), helping to rid the environment of plastic waste as well as eventually joining the Army Reserves as a paramedic once I’m working as one in Oz – the only thing preventing me from joining next year.
Ideally, I’d like to live somewhere in Victoria in a house I own myself with a large yard, working as a paramedic and I’m nowhere near close to obtaining that goal whilst I live in London, earning pittance. So it only makes sense that I head back to Oz, get a job and start saving. I would love to be in the bush near the coast – that sounds like perfection to me.
AND! Being back means I’ll be closer to Asia and the smaller islands of Oceania and therefore able to continue my exploration of the globe with my sister Berni who will love me no matter what, and my Camino sister/soulmate/lifelong best friend Alex.
Travel plans for the next few years include Columbia’s La Ciudad Perdida and Borneo’s Orangutang Conservation Sanctuaries which Alex and I are pretty keen on and two little places called Bali and Thailand as I seem to be the only Aussie my age not to have been to either.
As as for work here...
- - Drunk homeless guy in a park that teenagers were worried about so they called us
- - Drunk man tripped and fell, smacking his head on the pavement as we drove past him
- - Drunk man stumbled onto a railing with lots of 1inch spikes that slashed his fingers
- - A child who hit her head on a coffee table and her mother’s first reaction was to call us. The father asked “Sorry, I don’t mean to disrespect you and your job but if you’re not going to take her to hospital, what are we to expect from you?” I assure you, I held my tongue and did NOT say what I was thinking: “Ask your wife. What DO you expect us to do? It’s not an emergency and you can use your own common sense.”
- - Lots of colds and flus that don’t want to take responsibility for their own health. Some people have absolutely no sense of self preservation. Oh, you haven’t been able to eat anything all day and you’re vomiting everything back up? And you’re hot and cold and sweaty and shivering, oh dear, you’re also 32. How have you managed to live to that age and not get a cold before?
- - Do you have any medical problems? No.
- o Do you take any regular medication? Yes.
- o Oh, I see you’re on blood pressure medication, you have high blood pressure. No, I don’t.
- o No it’s not a question, see, you do have high blood pressure, but because you’re taking the medication it’s under control.
- - Man hurt his back, lower back, hit it on the kitchen bench and had resulting muscular back pain. Decided to call an emergency ambulance at 10pm and lie down. We arrive at 3am, he hasn’t moved since, and tell him he’s got to keep moving, actually take analgesia, do some stretches and that he doesn’t need us to take him to hospital. And the LOOK he gave US! Mate! You are an ADULT! You are in your 30s and you have muscular pain. Yes it may have pinched a nerve and yes it’s going to hurt like a mofo. But I am not going to pick you up off the floor, carry you to the truck, drive you to hospital where they will give you pain killers that you have in your kitchen and tell you to stretch and keep the muscles moving and warm
- - Another man in his 30s, this one was a nurse, he had the exact same pain, actually had some prescribed strong analgesia and an appointment booked with a physio but was expecting us to give him more pain relief and take him to hospital. He would stretch his bad leg and back and said “see when I stretch it this way it doesn’t hurt”. Yep. Because that’s exactly what we told you that you need to do. You silly man.
- - Woman lifted her arm incorrectly and pulled a muscle. Daughter thought she was having a stroke. Nope.
- - A man with learning disabilities who’s stroke symptoms were more behavioural than neurological
- - Nurses at a care home that spoke to a Doctor over the phone about a patient whose oxygen saturation levels were apparently low. We get there. Not low. Normal. Actually considering her COPD and sats of 97% I’d say she was bloody brilliant
- - Nurse at a care home who said the patient fell the day before and then had a period of reduced mobility during the night. Day staff told night staff who told different next-day staff. But the patient was witnessed to lower himself to the ground for attention in front of the nurses as he had a bad habit of doing, and he is now currently moving around by himself
- - A man who took cannabis oil and freaked out
All this reflecting has left me exhausted, I need to recharge my batteries before my next shift, luckily I have a few days off.
From, me.
