Still waiting on those super powers

[jedimaster91]

Six years working around radiation, and still no super powers. I need them, dangit!

Bkg: Medical imaging, PRN, bouncing around lots of different facilities.

This week I'm subbing out at <other, other location>. My lovely manager approved a third stress test for today. At <other, other location> there is one tech and one scanner. Juggling two stress tests is busy. Three very nearly requires super speed, and/or the ability to stop time. Especially since we no longer have a cardiologist office on site. A doc has to drive in to supervise the stress part. And they hate to be kept waiting. The doc today was supposed to be at another hospital as he was walking in to do my stuff. I'm just glad it was one of the cool docs who just kinda rolls with the punches. Come to think of it, I've never seen him get upset or angry (now I'm sure I just jinxed myself).

Anywho, we're already crunched for time. I'm running around like a mad chicken, Doc is mercifully running the treadmill (place is too cheap to have actual EKG techs for that....) so I can keep getting patients on the scanner and get the doc out the door to his next appointment, and then we have a problem. Patient #2's stress EKG was showing MASSIVE ST changes--which for those of you who don't speak EKG is usually indicative of a (in this guy's case prior) heart attack. You know there's trouble when your unflappable cardiologist goes even more unflappable than usual and calmly asks where the nitro is. Like, now. Even scarier, the guy kept insisting he felt fine. No chest pain, no shortness of air, no arm, back or jaw pain, nothing. I looked at his pictures later and holey mackerel, I'm not sure how he was up walking around. Needless to say, he was transferred post haste to the hospital for a heart cath.

Meanwhile, I have to gently coax Patient #3 to finish the test because she was scared. I get that, really I do. But the tears and the hemming and hawing were most inconvenient timing wise. She wanted to be coddled and I didn't have time to coddle when I had the beginnings of an actual emergency in the next room. And she had family with her. If there's something I hate more than annoying patients, it's annoying family members. One of them wanted a Sprite, so I showed them where our vending machines were. Pretty sure there was no Sprite, though, since it's caffeine-free. Newsflash: this is healthcare. We don't do caffeine-free. I'm not a coffee drinker, but I'm sure the break room coffee is strong enough to strip paint. Our vending machines are stocked with Red Bull and Mt Dew because the patients might want us to be awake and functional when we're treating them. It might seem a little thing. I will go above and beyond for my patients. They are my responsibility. Family members, not so much. Sure I'll offer a drink or a snack (if I have them), but I will get annoyed if they keep asking for stuff or interrupt me taking care of an actual patient. I was trying to deal with the aforementioned burgeoning emergency while juggling two other patients. With a smile. And they kept wanting a glass of water, more coffee, how long is this going to take, etc.

I stopped for a highly caffeinated beverage on my way home because I felt like a zombie. And it's only Monday.

[mhkohne]

Quoth jedimaster91

Anywho, we're already crunched for time. I'm running around like a mad chicken, Doc is mercifully running the treadmill (place is too cheap to have actual EKG techs for that....) so I can keep getting patients on the scanner and get the doc out the door to his next appointment, and then we have a problem. Patient #2's stress EKG was showing MASSIVE ST changes--which for those of you who don't speak EKG is usually indicative of a (in this guy's case prior) heart attack. You know there's trouble when your unflappable cardiologist goes even more unflappable than usual and calmly asks where the nitro is. Like, now. Even scarier, the guy kept insisting he felt fine. No chest pain, no shortness of air, no arm, back or jaw pain, nothing. I looked at his pictures later and holey mackerel, I'm not sure how he was up walking around. Needless to say, he was transferred post haste to the hospital for a heart cath.

At some point my Dad was having tests done and they told him there was evidence of a prior heart attack. He had absolutely no idea when it could have been.

Some folks just don't notice anything until it actually sweeps their legs out from under them. Also, a lot of folks are trained from an earlynage not to complain about stuff, and so get in the habit of completely ignoring such things on a sub-concious level.

[jedimaster91]

Believe me, I know. I fight with Mr Jedi all the time on stuff like that. I can honestly say that was the scariest thing that's ever happened to me on this job. Most of the patients I get aren't that sick. But that guy was a ticking time bomb.

[PandaHat]

Quoth jedimaster91

Pretty sure there was no Sprite, though, since it's caffeine-free. Newsflash: this is healthcare. We don't do caffeine-free.

In my hospital we can get caffeine free diet coke, which is excellent for me because my GP told me I had to cut down on the caffeine. And it's all diet drinks too, which I prefer any way, so win win for me I guess.

[Teskeria]

You cant get those superpowers when you keep remembering to wear your lead aprons. sorry

[crazylegs]

Quoth jedimaster91

Six years working around radiation, and still no super powers. I need them, dangit!

Meh, these superpowers aren't all they're cracked up to be. I had radioactive waste pass my back door on a railway line when I was a kid & my only superpower is the inability to buy off the peg trousers combined with the inability to walk through a doorway stood up straight!

[mharbourgirl]

Quoth crazylegs

Meh, these superpowers aren't all they're cracked up to be. I had radioactive waste pass my back door on a railway line when I was a kid & my only superpower is the inability to buy off the peg trousers combined with the inability to walk through a doorway stood up straight!

That's not a superpower. That's a genetic advantage. See, I'm having difficulty sympathizing with someone who *doesn't* need a 4-foot step ladder to reach the top shelf of your kitchen cupboards. And I can't buy off-the-rack pants either because they only make pants that short in the kids' department.

[PepperElf]

Even scarier, the guy kept insisting he felt fine. No chest pain, no shortness of air, no arm, back or jaw pain, nothing.

i'm wondering if that's perhaps a mixture of... being use to that physical state, and the state of denial.

Cos I know how strong that denial can be. My cousin's husband denied he had a problem with his heart until earlier this year when she finally got him to agree that he'd see the doctor the next day. Unfortunately the next day ended up being spent making funeral arrangements.

[jedimaster91]

Quoth mharbourgirl

See, I'm having difficulty sympathizing with someone who *doesn't* need a 4-foot step ladder to reach the top shelf of your kitchen cupboards.

Same here, lol. My BFF came over to help me get my house organized and she's...significantly taller than I am. I'm not sure I can reach most of my stuff anymore.

Quoth PepperElf

i'm wondering if that's perhaps a mixture of... being use to that physical state, and the state of denial.

Could be, or he honestly could have felt nothing. I've had plenty of patients who insist they're fine until the NP is doing a direct admit from the stress lab. A good percentage of heart attacks are "silent" and people don't realize they've had one until they have a stress test for surgery clearance (or something else not really related) and we find evidence of it. So sorry to hear about your cousin's husband.