Mission Complete ... Time to Relax!

I have graduated from Health Services Technician School and am now officially a Petty Officer in the Coast Guard. It was a lot of work, but well worth the reward and future it offers. On the 17th of December I was able to walk across the stage with 27 other shipmates that I can now call colleagues. Although this was a small milestone in the grand journey of life, it holds an achievement to it that I am very proud of. I am grateful for all the people that work with me, helped me and supported me along the way.

It was my honor to have my mother and HS1 Capra pin me at the ceremony. It felt fitting considering my mother has been a role model throughout my life and HS1 Capra was my mentor at Air Station San Francisco. And although all my friends and family that came were not able to be in the ceremony, I felt like a very lucky man to have so many I care about take the time to attend the graduation. So Thank you if I have not said it before, and even if I did, Thank you. The ceremony was nice, weather was a little cloudy, but I was still able to give to tour of the classroom, wet lab and campus. This was followed by a very nice brunch in Petaluma with those who attended and then a very stormy day in San Francisco. Unfortunately the Kirkland’s saw a very dreary side of the city, not as picturesque as it has the potential to be. I was glad to show them around regardless.

I am still adjusting to the minor change that just occurred; yet I am doing virtually the same thing. Now that my place in Coast Guard Medical is certain, it feels different, as if it is more of an achievement than it was before. Don’t get me wrong after pulling 19 weeks of 18 hour days, it better be. I believe it is, but more importantly I know I must be humble. I may be a member of the smallest rate in the smallest service, yet I must do the task for the people I serve. Now the responsibility is officially on me with the appropriate expectations. I took the oath and now I must step forward with courage, confidence and ethics to do what is best for the patient. Fortunately I will always have some direction, but I am now part of that team. Now the real job begins when all that I learned matters.

But enough of that, Happy Birthday to Brendan and Uncle Cam. We did our annual dinner at Morton's followed by an unknown night with the family. Who knows what we end up doing after that dinner. We are the Watt Family, it is always a good time. For the first time my parents came and met me at the fancy hotel I was staying at. The view was spectacular, both city and bay 24 stories up. It was nice to just relax and have a good time after graduation. I can honestly say I am a very lucky man to have the family and friends I have. Have I said that already?

Now I prepare for the Christmas and the New Year before I depart my home turf once again. I saw the Lunar Eclipse, which was spectacular and Life is good. Until we meet again, Happy Holidays and many blessing along the way.

Hurry up and Wait for Graduation!

The task is done. The goal I set out to achieve mid-summer will be realized on the 17 Dec 2010. I did not doubt my abilities to get through, nor the drive to do what had to be done. Still, it feels like a major achievement to have succeeded. I know in the grand scheme of things this is just a milestone to my life long goals. For the first time in five months I can mentally relax.

I have done the work, now I just wait on gradation, but more importantly the responsibility I have chosen to partake in. I will be graduating as a Health Services Technician third class. As for being a HS, we will be able to do Venipuncture, IV’s and Medical Assessments. We will always work under an MD, but will have the opportunity to be very diverse in our duties.

The final tests we had to perform were things we had done on several occasions, but to have someone look over your shoulder and judge every step adds a different kind of stress. I suppose to be able to perform the task under those circumstances served a dual purpose. One, to ensure we understood and executed every step with precision. Two, to make is more stressful than it would be in the real world to ensure we are prepared. As my instructors know, I am one to question many things and ask many questions. I considered not asking anymore questions some weeks back, but that did not last very long.

I can summarize it as 19 week of high expectations; expectations of our behavior, decision-making, skills, precision, attention to detail and dedication. We had to perform every task without error. Along with this expectation came the support of the instructors and the support we would have to forge as a class.

It has been a long road to where I can proudly stand now. Well almost, I just have to keep my nose clean until the 17th. Those that have read the blog know the experiences I have had the opportunity to partake in. In reflection, I would not have changed that journey.

Just today I had the opportunity to visit a place I believe I visited during my childhood. Ever since I have been here I have wanted to make a visit to there, but always found something else to do if I was not working on the next section of class. It was a somewhat dreary day with the fog rolling over the hill, but still reminded me of a beautiful morning that may have been a reality hundreds of years ago. Olompali State Park is about fifteen minutes south of Petaluma and is a combination of Indian and early settler structures. It is preserved for the period in history in which the traditional ways of life gave way to the modern ways. As you can see from the pictures, it is quite beautiful. I believe I went there with the Boy Scouts years ago. I did not find the ceremonial smoke shack that I thought was there before, but it was still a relaxing morning.
 

All is well and I hope to see everyone soon. Thanks for all the support.

So close to the beggining of something new

Nine days remain until graduation and it is hard to believe that we have learned such a multitude of skill, mastered the very basics of medical theory and will be Petty Officers. It may not sound like a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but it does have some stature. For those that do now know, Petty Officer Third class is the fourth enlisted rank in the service. It is the first rank in which specific responsibility is expected. As HS3’s we will be responsible for the health of our shipmates, their safety and well being. I suppose no matter how you cut it, that is a big responsibility. We are confident and ready to take on the challenge.

It has been a long 18 weeks, yet is has seemed to have gone by so quickly. Now that systems are complete, our test outs are still performance oriented, but not nearly as stressful. As I had hoped, my last test out was my best. As Chief Elliott stated during test outs today, if we do not know what we are doing, we do not belong here. Although I have learned more than I have ever know about the body, disease and treatment; it has directed me to realize that I know very little. Don’t get me wrong, I know enough to get by and do my job well, but there is still experience and knowledge to gain. The world is large; I can only hope to make a difference.

Now as we do our final preparations to enter the fleet we are keenly aware of the responsibilities we will soon uphold. We have all worked very hard and shown the dedication required for job. It seems that what remains in trivial, yet as critical as everything that came before it. One of the most emphasized concepts is attention to detail. It is the importance that once we provide care, we cannot take it back. That we are providing medications, and treatments that may have long term effects on the well being of that individual. It has been a bonding experience a well. The people I succeeded with may have gotten on my nerves a little, but as I said before, a mutual respect was forged. I don’t know where to start when it comes to gratitude. Just know that I am grateful.

I will miss this group and everything we have been through. Fortunately is a small service and I will probably see them again. Yes Chief, these are potentially the good old days. I say potentially because I don’t really know what the future holds. All I do know is that I will do my very best to enjoy every moment and make life better by the day. As stated by HS1 Zaragoza stated today, If you are prepared there is no such thing as pressure.

A Break for Thanksgiving

There are many things to be grateful for, but family is at the top of that list. We never had the chance to pick our family but somehow they find a way to make dinner more entertaining than a comedy show. Ironically, it is very difficult to convey that humor after the fact or explain why it was funny to someone that was not there. Either way, it is a memory not soon forgotten. It is hard to say how many family holidays I will be able to attend. I am fortunate to have a very supportive family that will support me no matter what I do, but it still does not make it easy to be away. Therefore I cherish anytime I have to spend with the family and those I love. What else can I really do?

Josh joined me for the annual family dinner and saw firsthand the inexplicable nature of my family. He handled himself well and aside from the hours of driving required, it was very relaxing. We took the opportunity to visit Amy and her family including Colin who was born the 15th of this month. He shares the same initials with me so I believe he is destined for greatness. He will be a remarkable addition to the family. Not because of the initials, but because he is very good hands.

As for systems, five down, one to go then graduation. It is coming quick. As much as I have learned in this class it does not feel like it has been that long. Hard to believe that the nineteen and a half weeks will be over in a mere three weeks. Everyone has come a long way. Knowing that we will depart from each others company in a few short weeks sheds a new light on the camaraderie developed. I will be the first to say that certain personalities will conflict, there will be issues and nerved will be a little aggravated. That is the reality being in close proximity with the same group for a long period of time.

Fortunately, respect is forged along the way. I can respect the fact that they have made it through the course. I respect the fact that they have earned the title we shall all carry upon graduation. All things considered graduation is just as stepping stone. We will still have to work very hard in the fleet, but out there it will be a matter of someone’s well being. My shipmates may not be the best of friends, but they will be respected shipmates. It is a small service; chances are I will work with many of them again.

The respect for the system has taken time to develop as well. The performance tests, high expectations, and discipline demanded by the training center and instructors. I suppose it is like basic in the respect that we do not fully understand the system. What I do understand is the success rate of this group. We have lost a few, but most of those were lost to unfortunate family events. The group has passed the performance evaluations with 100% accuracy. Much of that credit goes to the hard work of the students, but the instructors have played a part as well. I do believe that success fall on the students. We have worked hard to learn and execute the knowledge of the material. The instructors have been there to guide us and have done a very nice job. Like I said before, there is still much work to do, but there is light at the end of the tunnel.