Can't believe September is almost over!

Well, I can't believe it's fall and September is almost over! How did everyone survive the windstorm? We had several HUGE branches fall in our driveway and on our garage but didn't sustain any major damage. We were without power for 72 hours though! I tell ya, you don't realize how much you take electricity for granted until you don't have it anymore!

Nothing very exciting has been happening in CT as of late. I got more time down there than usual this week, x-ray, for once, was well staffed and I got to spend a whole extra night down there making three days this week instead of just two! Yay! Though it seemed like the whole night was nothing but routine heads and of course the token really intoxicated guy who gave us all a good laugh!

The one really interesting case I did see took the form of a kiddo that was less than 2 years old. He had a huge mass on the side of his neck that was red and really horrible looking. A soft tissue neck with contrast was ordered and after 3 failed IV's and two trips back and forth between CT and the ER, I finally managed, with the nurse applying pressure to the IV, to hand inject 10 mL of contrast. The scan of course wasn't that great but it was enough to determine the mass was either an abscess or swollen/infected gland. Let me tell you I have never seen anything like it!! The knot was almost as big as the baby's head!

I have also been very frustrated lately about the fact that some patients don't feel it is their responsibility to inform health care professionals of their entire medical history. I personally feel that if I was allergic to CT contrast, and had horrible reactions to it, that I would let my doctor know as soon as I was told the exam I was going down for. Maybe that's just me though! I can't tell you how many people come down for exams, Chest Angios in particular it seems, that end up having to have a Lung Scan done instead. It just seems to me that a lot of time and trouble could be saved if perhaps the ordering physicans would ask about contrast allergies before ordering exams! Oh well.

Another gripe (I have quite a few this week) is that no matter what, it seems like nurses will argue with you about the size/location of IV's needed in order to power inject. I feel like a need to make a gigantic, neon, flashing sign! Though for some reason, I still feel like that wouldn't be enough! I really sometimes want to tell them we aren't arguing just for the sake of arguing, it's how things have to be done!

Well, I guess that's all for now. Hope everyone is having a great Fall so far!!