Work Work Work...and a bit of play

So the last 2 weeks I've had the chance to get really into the job. I am working lots of weekends from now on but they're pretty good fun.

Last Thursday I went on my 1st retrieval which happened to be a fixed wing (technical talk for small plane) over to the east coast (Gisborne) where I had to pick up and bring back a ventilated ICU patient. Was a pretty straight forward one for my 1st since most the work was done for me - just needed a little blood pressure control really.
Friday I worked a long day on the unit (which means you look after the unit soley and dont go on exciting trips) James came down for the weekend to play with Si so I got to join them for drinks afterwards as I wasn't in till 4pm the next day.

On Saturday we decided to go for a surf in the morning - not great conditions but really fun all the same - love being out in the surf, there are pretty strong rips at the moment though so gotta be careful. At 4pm I headed into work and all seemed to be pretty calm until at 8pm I got called to head down to Taranaki (down the west coast) to pick up a guy who'd rogered his arm and needed urgent surgery - and the only surgeon they had that could sort it was away on his holidays. Was a beautiful flight down the coast at sunset in the helicopter - so bizarre, tourists pay hundreds for that flight and I get paid to do it!

Sunday we went to play some morning tennis pre-work then a pretty uneventful shift - until my evenings call back...was home for 20mins, just enough time to get into my PJs and skype the folks when I got a call hauling me back into work to prepare for a flight to Taupo. Really hairy trip - not only did we have time contraints (a weather front was coming in and the pilot was really eager to be out the sky by 2am) but the patient was REALLY sick and the emergency dept in Taupo had actually made things worse with their input - they would have been better leaving her how the ambulance had - probably the sickest patient I have ever looked after by myself! (they survived and we're discharged the next day!)

Monday I had off, so after catching a few hours sleep katie and I headed up to Auckland to watch some of the Heineken open tennis. Really good, got to see Ferrero and Ferrer play (although both out now!)
Had a lovely evening with Gem - helped her put together her new BBQ and christen it.

The rest of the week has been pretty uneventful - no further flights or excitement (unless one comes in tonight!)

Off up North for the week tomorrow for some beach fun - I know it's not long since we had time off but after this it'll be ages since we're off again.