Situational Awareness

I am sure the armed forces emphasize situational awareness.  It is a key component to common sense and emergency action.  As I progressed in my career as a firefighter/emt in a municipal fire department in California, situational awareness became an integral part of the methodology of mitigating situations calling for emergency actions.  It is paramount that we need to be cognizant of our surroundings, of the events occurring before, during and even after the situation, and whatever other factors are contributing to the events. There are excellent educational opportunities to explain situational awareness.  I am fortunate that I had the ability to become aware of the problems I was encountering.  I recognized the fact that I had the proper tools nearby, meaning the ambulance at the medical tent, and I implemented proper emergency procedures.

Chest pain was the most obvious symptom I experienced.  I also experienced a classic symptom of denial.  I also experienced an overall feeling of crappiness.  The reason for denial was the fact that I have experienced epigastric pressure that sometimes mimics chest pain.  It is pain in the chest, and it is also known as heartburn.  No, I thought about that possibility for a minute and decided I had no reason for gas pressure.  I ate breakfast at least 3 hours prior to the swim.  I did not swallow any ocean water either.
I did not originally want to go to the hospital, either.  It would spoil the rest of my day in La Jolla. 
Then it hit me.  I was having chest pain and I was in denial.  I dragged my sorry carcass to the on scene ambulance and sat down on the floor in back, next to one of the personnel.  He asked me if I was okay.  No sir, I am having chest pain.  I climbed on to the gurney in the ambulance.

Initial CF in the ambulance. (not an acronym, but a mnemonic)

Too many hands stirring the pot.

I still had the awareness of the situation.

I requested O2.

They offered me nitro spray.

I also requested morphine.

Thank you.

I was transferred to a SDFD Paramedic unit.

Code 3 to the Cath Lab. 

I don't think I had a chance to say 'hi' to the ER personnel.

Next issue.  Fun times in The Cardiac Catheter Laboratory at Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla California.