Shedding Light

There was sunshine in TN and also in OR. For a few moments it came through the window and exposed all of the dust and cobwebs that winter has concealed. It also shed some light on Indiana's "hidden" bone, or she thinks so anyway...we just go with it. She makes sure we are not looking when she places it there. So what cobwebs? and what bone?... I am studying this weekend. Breaks over.

LAST DAY OF SCHOOL!!

I finished school today. YEAH!!

Had my last final exam this AM. I have officially graduated and can call myself a surgical technologist (ST). My 4.0 might be in jeopardy, but it's close, well see. The last day of my externship was on Wednesday. I went back to the hospital last night for a goodbye potluck. Hopefully it won't be a permanent goodbye. I have and interview next week in labor and delivery. My tentative plan is to work unscheduled over there until the position they promised me is available. It will be easier to get the position as an employee than an outsider I think. I take my national board/state exam on Monday at 8am. This weekend is all studying...

Plastics Resolved

I noticed I never continued the saga of the missing plastic surgery. I did get my 4 plastics surgery credits -- all in one surgery the week before last. It was a trauma that was a facial reconstruction, where we had to re-attach extrinsic muscles of the eye and perform a full thickness skin graft to rebuild the eyelid, eyebrow, forehead and part of the cheek. It was just me, an opthomologist, and a plastic surgeon for 5 hours. I loved every minute of it. I have all of the requirements to sit for the board exam. I got an official letter saying that I can sit for it on Monday Jan 31st. Oh... I have to study...

Solo in L&D.

In Labor and Delivery there are a lot of starts and stops with surgery. I was standing outside of the O.R. for an extended period of time waiting for the call. Forgot I had my phone in my scrubs, so random photo time.

L&D continues to be exciting during surgery, and not so much when there isn't a surgery. On the other side, there is always surgery. The day still goes by fast. I worked 13 hours on Thursday and it wasn't bad. It was also a day where another tech called in sick, so I just took her shift. Did three C-Sections and one Tubal Ligation all by myself. It felt great to contribute in that way and I carried the official O.R. emergency phone. The one they call when they need to be in the OR in a crash situation.

Still can't wait to get back to bowels, brains, spines, hearts, lungs, gall bladders and appendicies.

Next week is my last week. I have L&D for M-T for 12 hours/day. Then I have class W-F with my final state board on Monday January 31st. Almost done with the school phase and externship. Can't wait!!

Babies!!

I'm in Labor and Delivery. Have assisted in 5 births in 2 days. Pretty amazing. Emergencies are intense. For non-emergent ones, dads are a hoot to watch - wide eyed and white faced. And yes, handling the placenta was as "gross" as I thought it would be. Still really love general surgery in the main OR, but this is an experience I won't forget. Some surgeons require the room to sing happy birthday, really cool. 12 hr days long, but go by fast.

12 hour day

My first 12 and it wasn't bad. Didn't plan on it, but I stayed to scrub an abdominal aortic aneurysm - (big trauma case), foreign object - (yes what u think that means,) a dermoid cyst - (an ovarian cyst full of hair and teeth - gross.) a Cholecystectomy - (gall bladder removal),

I had a great week. The pic is one of the large suture walls in the core which resides in the middle if the OR pods. Still getting familiar with all different suture types, needles, lengths, gauges, etc...

Still no final offer from the hospital. Will be my goal next week.

Still love what I do.

5 hour surgery

So still no plastic surgery for me yesterday, but I did scrub a big bowel case and a 5 hour vascular case. The vascular case was an iliac embolism and a bring back leaking Triple A (Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm). I was wearing led and the room was at 80 degrees, so it was a good experience for me in that specialty. I don't think it will be one of my favorites, but a great experience. Lots and Lots of blood. About 3000cc in less than 2 minutes. I am getting to the point now where I don't jump or jerk away when an artery spray comes my way. You just take in square in the face shield like a champ. It is gross when it gets on your skin. The surgeons don't care about that stuff at all... I think they should.

I also found the HR office and double checked on the job offer I heard about and need to get solidified. I think they were surprised, but I can't expect anybody to come to me. I have to go after it. Ill follow up tomorrow and see if we can get this offer nailed down with details etc..

So I am off again today to go early because my program director is going to observe me. Wish me luck.

No Plastics for me

So I went early yesterday to try to get into some plastic surgeries. Turns out that they were all cancelled for the day. That left me back in general surgery with nobody that knew who I was. It took 45 minutes for me to get into a surgery with a couple of failed attempts. You really have to earn your way in and I haven't done that with day shift people yet. I was feeling a little defeated when somebody that recognized me invited me into the heart room of all places. Praying works! I first scrubbed a 4 hour surgery to repair a sternum. No beating heart, but an open thoracotomy with lungs and all. It is unusual for students to be in there, so I guess I was very lucky, but it all felt hard.

I am going back today a little later and try to get into a plastic surgery in which I hear the surgeon hates students... so I don't expect today to be any easier, but I have to do what I have to do and I trust God will take care of me as He has all along this path. Maybe I can change the surgeon's mind about students.

Boy, I cannot wait until I am done with school and externship and am working. I absolutely love the work, but the uncertainty of everyday is wearing me out. :)

Back to It.

I was off for school holidays and away from the hospital for 11 days straight. I go back today and earlier than normal. This feels a bit rough. I feel anxious and will be excited to get that first surgery under my belt again. I also am going back to work in a new set of ORs that will be like starting over again. New people, new everything. I need to work earlier and in a new building to get in specialty surgeries like plastics and ENT for my certification.

Here we go.

As the crow implies

So apparently a crow decided it was time for us to take down our Christmas lights. The crow is popping off the LED light covers one by one. We kept hearing a strange noise and found the light covers all over the yard.

Couple more Christmas pics, then no more.

New Grit is True Grit

Saw both the old and the remake of True Grit this weekend. Loved the new one. The old one was good, but I have always hated John Wayne and couldn't get past it. All the actors in the new one were better in my opinion except for Matt Damon. La Boeuf was much better played by Glen Campbell. Both Mattie Ross' were excellent, the new unknown, Hailee Steinfield, out acted them all. The biggest disappointment for me was, there was no disclaimer at the end of the old True Grit that said, no horses were killed in the making of this film - stupid John Wayne.

Funny face picture John & Jack