For some good information about thanxgiving, go to http://www.rense.com/general45/thanks2.htm and see what *really* happened.

I didn't get called until 11:30 this morning, but once I was there I wound up doing patients until 16:00. Very slowly, and with major delays with each patient.

My first patient of the day was one that I wound up cancelling. Once I got them on the CT table, the table refused to move, although the stated weight on the chart was below the table limit. So either the weight was wrong on the chart or the table isn't really operating properly, or a combination of both.

Frustrating, because the patient really needs the scan.

I had been planning to come home and eat with everyone, but that didn't happen, of course. I did wind up getting to eat, and I'm just glad that I made it home at all.

And surprised that they haven't called me back, it's been over an hour!

19:06...
I got called back in at 17:24, did one patient then came back home. I'm sure that I'll be making more trips tonight, but I'm gonna pretend that I won't, just for the hell of it. As I was leaving, there were ambulances in the bay bringing in people on backboards. So far, no call yet. Occasionally, they don't do CTs or even x-rays on people even if they do come in on backboards... this is a relatively new thing, and I like it. The ambulance people only do a cursory exam of the patient, and if there's even the slightest question of a spinal injury, the patient goes onto a backboard. Then the doc does their evaluation, and if they're satisfied, the patient comes off of the backboard immediately.

Taking x-ray and CTs is hard to do well when the patient is on a backboard. Can be done, of course, but hard to get good films.

But if the patient is on a backboard by the time they get to us, we know that it's because they *belong* on a backboard, and we get the best films possible. Well, I don't mean films, I mean images, y'know. We don't *do* films any more. And I didn't mean that we don't try hard to get good images every time, either, because we do.

Anyway, I will be glad when this day is done, even though I've only been in twice, the first time was pretty stressful. I didn't mention the problems that I had getting the heavy patient onto the table, did I? It was a struggle for both of us, physically and mentally. They should have come on a cart, but they were in a wheelchair. For a patient that could hardly move.

I very seldom say bad things about nurses, or anyone else for that matter, but any fool who knows that a patient can't walk should know that they should go to radiology on a cart, not a wheelchair. And if it takes four people to get that patient into a wheelchair, how do they think that one technologist is gonna get that patient onto an x-ray or CT table?

They don't think, and I resent that. Medicine is not a place for people who don't think.

And speaking of not thinking, there is a rumor that the doc who was found dead in his truck had turned off his OnStar™ system and he had pictures of his kids lined up on the dashboard. He didn't want there to be any chance that someone would come along and "save" him, did he? Poor guy. There is also a rumor that he had been treated for depression.

I haven't mentioned that we're not the owners of a very black as yet un-named kitten. Cute as hell, doing all of those cute kitten things. I am very begrudgingly accepting her, mostly because , well, she's been here five days already. But I'm thinking about the new furniture being ripped to shreds before she gets de-clawed. And I'm sorry if you disagree with me about my wanting to not live with a de-clawed cat, I've been there and I won't do it again. Back feet claws are OK, they don't rip furniture and flesh so readily with their back feet, but they can defend themselves quite well with them.

So, I'm gonna get a shower before I get called again, or at least try to.