Looking Up

I don't want to speak too hastily, but I believe that I have finally fit in with the staff of the hospital. I realize that this may sound a bit silly, but you know when people like you and when they're pretending to like you. How, in a weeks time we can joke around with each other is beyond me, but I am plum pleased.

So today I got to see live and in person my very first drug addict. It was weird walking into the room with my Tech because you immediately knew that something was wrong. When asked why the young lady and her friend were at the hospital, there was a lot of silence, then some hemming and hawing, and then a "she missed her vein". This young woman is lying on her bed looking freaked out and kind of scary. She's balding (common for meth addicts) and though at first glace you'd know something was wrong, I doubt you could guess she's a drug addict. Unless of course you examined her arms-- she has enormous bruises and welts covering the entirety of both arms.

The Tech explains she and I need to do a blood draw, and this patients friend states that she may become "agitated" and that the blood draw will be "difficult". As if on cue, the patient begins moaning, crying, whining and screaming that we're hurting her. Unfortunately, she began this crying before the needle was even in the skin. It's amazing that a vein was even able to be located, to be honest. Drug addicts veins are a tad different than those who do not use drugs. Imagine that. Apparently her friends frequently shoot her up, so why this IV/blood draw was so painful was beyond me. However, she was badly infected in many areas and running a low grade fever, so even she needed medical attention.

In my down time today, the ever so courteous staff allowed me to start IV's on them. Surprisingly, their techniques are a bit more complicated then what I learned in class, so it was an excellent refresher and a lesson in what I can do better for when I am doing this on real life patients who need help.

I went with a 96 year old patient to have an MRI done today. It was sad seeing this poor elderly woman in terrible pain from a fall with no family by her side. As the Nurse prepped her for the MRI, removing her false teeth, I realized how much it sucks to get older. I know it sounds sentimental, and perhaps corny, but have you ever looked at an elderly person an wonder who they were when they were younger? All that lay before me was a frail woman, barely cognizant, no teeth and in immense pain. Surely she is much more than that, but at that moment, she was merely another patient in the Emergency Department who needed an MRI.

As it turns out, the person doing the MRI had gone to high school with my brother, so I introduced myself and got an invitation to return another time to go over some case studies and other things of interest. Ahh, it pays to know people ;)

The MRI machine cost three million dollars, and per patients costs over $4000 to have one done. Should you be wearing anything metal, it literally will be ripped off your body and can/will impale the poor patient. The magnetic force is so strong that it has the ability to lift a car. And, the newer the machine, the louder it will be. It's amazing to watch an MRI in progress--the human body is simply amazing, and this machine details the intricate workings.

So, another great day down at the hospital. The staff are now asking me when I'll be back.

Things are looking up.