Writing Update

Hello all, it’s been a while since I’ve written on my website, but I decided to give you all an update. I am currently in the planning stages of a new three book medical fiction thriller series. I still have a lot of work to do on it, but I have been plotting characters and the main storyline. I will say the opening scene of the first book, Call Light, is the best I have written to date. It’s tragic and will explain a lot about what makes the main character tick.

My publisher is also in the works of producing a paperback for book three, Reapers Requiem, and book four, Revenge of the Reaper. I cannot express enough how excited I am for that to happen. Eventually I will do a book signing here locally in Oklahoma, but I don’t have any firm dates set yet.

I am continuing to travel nurse and currently working at CHI St. Vincent ER in Hot Spring Arkansas. We are seeing a lot of Covid cases, which include people that are fully vaccinated. I am pro vaccine, but the Covid shot doesn’t stop you from contracting the virus. If it works effectively, it will lesson your chances of hospitalization, and/or death. I will continue to be an advocate for the vaccine, but I will not hold it against anyone if they so choose not to be vaccinated. I believe that it’s a choice, and I respect anyone’s choice.

I will keep you all updated on any upcoming news and try to be more diligent on updating my site. Life has been crazy lately with the pandemic. It can be challenging at times juggling work, family, and writing.

Jerrid Edgington RN

Frontlines During the Pandemic

Disclaimer: The article you are about to read are the opinions of my own and not affiliated with any type of organization.

When I graduated from nursing school in May of 2019 and successfully passed the NCLEX in June of the same year, I had no idea how much life would change in the matter of six months. I remember celebrating the Christmas holiday with my family and everything was normal. That all changed in January of 2020 when the world was struck by the Covid-19 virus.

At first the hospital I worked at was talking about making the employees basically live in the hospital for two weeks at a time leaving our families fending for themselves while we were away working. There was so much we did not know and quite honestly it was scary. The experts were saying at the time that the elderly and those with pre-existing medical conditions were the highest at-risk group to contract the virus. Many thought that if you were young and healthy you did not have much to worry about. I am here to tell you that is epically wrong. I have seen young people without any medical problems whatsoever die from the virus and on the other end of the spectrum I have seen elderly people with multiple medical problems contract the virus and not have hardly any trouble at all. In my opinion, there is no rhyme or reason when it comes to the Covid-19 virus.

So many said that people die every day from the flu virus, so how could Covid be any worse? I do not have the numbers to support that argument either way, but I have seen way more people die from Covid than flu. I have also heard so many people say this virus is fake and it’s a government conspiracy. I personally do not get involved with politics, so I could care less about the whole conspiracy theory, but I am here to tell you this virus is for real. How am I qualified to make that statement do you ask? I have been working in the ER as a RN through this pandemic. I am not saying I’m an expert, but from everything I have witnessed this virus is not a hoax or a joke. No one will ever really know accurate numbers of infections vs deaths, but people are dying every day from it.

The one thing that I find interesting is how people feel safe wearing these paper masks. The CDC says that wearing any type of mask will reduce your chances of contracting Covid by 30%. I am a numbers guy so please forgive me if I do not feel safe knowing that wearing a mask not rated to stop the virus still leaves me with a 70% chance of getting infected. The only masks that truly work to stop the virus are the N95’s. If you have not worn them before, imagine getting punched in the nose by Mike Tyson repeatedly for twelve hours. You cannot breathe in them and the pressure they put on your nose and/or face is borderline torture. There are all kinds of articles out there saying that rebreathing your own CO2 can be detrimental to your health. I do not know about that, but at least you have true protection.

I fear everyday that I can bring home the virus and infect my family. That is something that is a true risk involved with working in the medical field, but at the same time I take all the necessary precautions to prevent that from happening. My wife works as a Hospice RN and has the same risks as I do, but we are very passionate about caring for those in need. I have spent the better part of 28 years in the medical field, and I have no regrets. I am a firm believer in God places us exactly where he wants us. As many of you know, I spent 24 years of my life as an EMT and Paramedic. Then I decided to better myself and went back to school to become a RN. It was the single greatest thing that I ever did. Why am I telling you this? Because when I leave this earth, I want everyone to know that I spent my life caring for others. It is funny, I am constantly told by my patients that I am so nice and caring. My response to them is I am old, chubby, and bald. I need a great personality because I do not have anything else going for me.

We are tired, we are stressed, but we choose to put on scrubs every single day and put other people’s needs ahead of our own. This includes going hours without using the bathroom or eating. We do this because we care. We want to do whatever we have to do to help our patients with healing in their time of need. God and health willing I will be able to keep doing what I love for many years to come.

I realize that some of the content in this blog may not be popular, but these are things that have weighed on my mind since the Pandemic first began. I hope one day we will be able to look back at this and learn from it just like when HIV first erupted in our country. Stay safe everyone and together we can get through this. It may pass like a kidney stone, but it will pass.

Jerrid Edgington RN

Exciting News!!!

My publisher has decided to create books four (Reapers Requiem) & book five (Revenge of the Reaper) in paperback format. I can’t thank my publisher (Master Koda Publishing) enough for this. I’ve had several readers over the years ask if and when this would happen, and I am now able to say they’re in production. It may take 4-6 weeks for their release, but it is currently in the works.

Also, for the time being, I will not be writing another book in the Reaper Series. I took the last four years off from writing due to nursing school and focusing on my ER Nursing career. I am currently working as a travel ER Nurse and have gotten the itch to start writing again. I have a new three book medical fiction thriller series in the works with book one titled “Call Light.” I don’t have a timeline on the release of book one, but I will keep you all in the loop.

Jerrid Edgington RN

Continue or Not Continue? That is the Question.

Hell all. I hope life is treating you well. Yes….it has been quite a while since I have posted on here. School has taken up so much of my time that I do not know which way is up anymore. Sad thing is I am almost half way through to a degree in nursing. So much to do and so little time (sigh).

So, I have been thinking a lot about my Racing the Reaper Series, and I am trying to decide if I should add another book to the series. When I first signed with my publisher, the contract was four a three book series, but we added another to it. I love writing about Jacob Myers, but I do not want the content to become boring or predictable.

My question is do you think I should add another book to the series? Book four, Revenge of the Reaper, was my best book yet, I think anyway. For those of you that have read it, do you think I can top that one? I would love to hear your thoughts and comments.

Jerrid Edgington
Paramedic & Author

Greetings To All of My Readers

Hello all. My goodness it has been quite a while since I have written on my blog. Time flies by in the blink of an eye. My first semester of college is in the books. I am proud to say that I finished with straight A’s in all six of my classes. I have a way to go yet, but I am off on the right foot. I have learned that you are never too old to go back to school and that you can teach an old dog new tricks.

I had a great English Comp instructor, she was tough, but I found out how much I dislike academic writing. I much prefer writing fiction. With that being said, I will get back to writing as time allows. I miss it very much. Jacob keeps talking to me about how he wants to continue his adventures in… the Reaper Series for you all. As I have said before, I do not want my books to become boring and predictable. As long as I can come up with a strong storyline, I will continue the series. If not, I have another great series planned.

I will eventually introduce you all to Flynn Bowen. He is a former paramedic turned RN. With all that I have planned for that series, I will say that you will not be disappointed. He has a lot to say and share with you all. I am excited for the future in my writing career. I promise that I will work harder at keeping you all up to date on the progress to in my writing.

Jerrid Edgington
Paramedic, RN Student, & Writer

Responder Suicide

I recently wrote this paper for my college English Composition class and I thought I would share it with you all. I received an A on the paper. This is something that I think needs to be made more aware to people. It is a growing problem in the healthcare profession.

 

“Earlier Than Too Late: Stopping Stress and Suicide Among Emergency Personnel”

 

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and suicide is a growing problem in the United States among EMS (Emergency Medical Service Service) providers. In 2014 there were 58 documented suicides by Fire/EMS personnel, but sources tracking these statistics believe that is only a fraction of the actual suicides. The Chicago Fire Department reported seven suicides in 18 months from 2008-2009, and four in 5 months in 2010. A 2012 report from the Chicago FD’s IAFF Local 2 counted 41 suicides of active and retired members between 1990–2010 and concluded its members had a suicide risk 25 times that of the wider population.

Why do so many people who spend their lives helping others end up committing suicide? Many experts believe the horrors that responders see on a daily basis begin to take their toll. That coupled with the physical/psychological stresses, and also the problems that are caused at home by the demands of the job are all contributing factors. Lack of sleep, exercise, and poor nutrition have also been found to add to the problem.

PTSD puts many responders at a higher risk of suicide. Many experts have associated PTSD more commonly with members of the Armed Forces, or those who suffer from domestic violence, but why not to responders? Take the 9/11 responders for instance. That tragic day ended many innocent lives, but it also had long lasting effects to the various responders that survived the attack. Images of the carnage they witnessed are forever burnt into their minds. And with no way of coping with stressors of that incident, many have turned to unhealthy avenues deal with their emotions. Drugs, alcohol, and ultimately suicide for those who aren’t able to find respite.

What can be done to help those responders? There are several resources available to them, but the most popular would be CISM (Critical Incident Stress Management). There are mental health professionals that are specifically trained to help responders deal with their emotions. Many departments across the country require a CISM session after a critical incident. This can range from an informal group meeting to discuss their emotions to one on one counseling sessions. Emphasizing the importance of proper diet and exercise can also help alleviate the stressors of the job as well as a strong support system. Many people in the EMS field feel that no one truly understands what they are going through, and that leaves them feeling alone with no hope of resolve.

I have been a paramedic for nearly twenty years, and I have dealt with a wide range of emotions in my career. I have responded to thousands upon thousands of calls over the years. Some had a positive outcome, but others did not. Have I ever had bouts of depression or thoughts of suicide? Depression yes, but not suicide. I have spent my career trying to help others in their time of need, and each call has left a mark within me. I can be driving down the road, or walking through a store, and a smell or sound will trigger a memory from a call that I have responded to.

There are a wide variety of resources that are not utilized. I personally believe that responders do not ask for the help they need out of fear of being thought of as weak. We think we should be able to handle anything that is thrown our way. But what many responders fail to realize that is even though we are trained to be at the top of our game in the most stressful situations dealing with life and death we are still human beings. There is nothing wrong with asking for help when we need it, and I wish more responders would do it. Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem.

Jerrid Edgington
February 2016

 

Sorry It Has Been a While

How are y’all doing? Sorry I haven’t blogged much lately. I have been up to my ears with college courses. I am taking 16 credit hours this semester. What was I thinking? I have ten prerequisite classes I need for the paramedic to RN transition program I am going into. After 20 years on the ambulance, I decided it was time to further my education.

So far I’m doing pretty well. I received an A on my first Nutrition exam this week. I feel like this is my toughest class this semester. I am going to take a few classes this summer, so my fall semester will be easier. Just have to survive this semester first.

I will continue writing once I have completed school. I still haven’t decided if I’m going to continue the Reaper Series, or start my new set of books, the Flynn Bowen Series. I have plenty of time to make that decision.

Thank you all for reading my books. I am eternally grateful!

Jerrid Edgington
Paramedic & Author

Goodbye 2015…Hello 2016!!!

This has been a great year for me. I had two books published bringing the series total to four novels. When I first began writing I had no idea how much work it is to put out a quality product. I couldn’t have done with without Master Koda Select Publishing. I thank them continually for believing in me and taking a chance on this novice writer.

What does 2016 have in store for me? I’m taking the pre requisite classes to gain acceptance into the paramedic to RN transition course. After nearly 20 years on the ambulance I believe it’s time to further my education. What does this mean for my writing? I still plan to continue writing, but with working a full time job and taking a full load of college courses it’s going to slow the production for my next book. But don’t fret, I plan to continue writing books. I have another series in the works as well as several other stand alone novels. I enjoy writing too much to walk away from it. Plus I feel like I’ve only hit the tip of the iceberg in my writing talents.

I want to wish everyone a Happy New Year. Thank you for believing me me and enjoying my books.

Until next year…..

 

Jerrid Edgington
Paramedic & Author

 

 

Happy Holidays!!!

Greetings all. I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season that is upon us. As for me, it has been great. Watching my daughter open presents and seeing her excitement warms my heart to no end.

I have been on a writing break and as much as I enjoy writing, this is some well deserved time off. It takes a lot of work to write a book. More than I ever imagined when I started working on my books. But it is so well worth it when I see the reviews of my books. Good or bad.

I am at a crossroads in my writing career. I have been asked to write more books in the Reaper Series. I have not decided completely if I’m going to continue the series or being my next one. Once I make a decision I will let you all know. As much as I enjoy writing about Jacob Myers, I don’t want the books to be the same thing over and over again. I owe it all to you to put out a great product you will enjoy to read.

Starting next month I will begin take the prerequisite classes for the paramedic to RN bridge course. I feel after nearly 20 years on the ambulance I am ready for a new set of challenges. I will continue to write, but it may slow down my production a little bit. The thing that is most exciting is upon completion of my training I will gain new insight into the inner workings of a hospital. Of course, this will afford me new knowledge to implement into my books.

Again, Happy Holidays!!

 

Jerrid Edgington
Paramedic & Author

Enjoying a Little Break

Greetings all. I hope everyone is enjoying the start of the fall season. Here in Oklahoma it has cooled off and let me tell you, we’re not complaining one bit. Since the release for Revenge of the Reaper I have been taking a little time away from writing and spending more time with my family. For the first time since I began writing the Reaper Series I’m sticking to my guns and not writing. As much as I enjoy writing, I’m enjoying the break.

I will resume working on my next book in January. The preliminary plan is to release the fifth book in the Reaper Series, Reaper’s Redemption, in June of 2016. Though I am taking a break rest assured my mind is continually generating ideas for my next book. That’s the life of a writer, always thinking and scheming.

Jerrid Edgington
Paramedic & Author