Radiation is a double edged sword. It can both help and hurt a patient at the same time.  As technologists, we should never forget this important fact. We must do everything to keep ourselves and our patients as safe as possible. Scatter or secondary radiation is the main source of occupational radiation exposure. Let’s not forget our ...

My brother has a lung disorder related to rheumatoid arthritis which may eventually cause him to need a lung transplant. It’s as troubling to write about as it was to hear about a few months ago. Were my brother at the top of the lung transplant list and a judge decided to change the rules and give the next available donor lung to a little girl ...

As 40 quickly approaches, I am becoming increasingly aware of the medical screenings that are in my future. With a history of breast cancer in my family, I have already been getting mammograms since I was 33. Recently, I was reading the May/June issue of the Journal of the American Society of Radiologic Technologists, I found an article about ...

Last week I had to have surgery to repair an inguinal hernia. This is a rare type of hernia for women and I initially had difficulty finding information about it on line. It usually afflicts men. I first had to look at what could have caused this. I have had several surgeries to my lower abdomen, I have lifted weights for many years, and I ...

This week I made a special connection with one of my patients. There are just those people who you feel instantly drawn towards. I could tell by looking into his eyes that he was in a lot of emotional pain. He was so kind, honest, and open that the conversation just flowed. He used to work as a phlebotomist so he was patient and helpful with ...

Anyone who has ever CT scanned a patient who is allergic to the IV contrast knows how scary it can be. Previously, I only dealt with inpatients so I could confirm with the nurse that the patient had in fact received the allergy prep medications. Now I am working almost exclusively with outpatients. This week I had five patients who were ...

The tough job market continues to affect me. I got hired at the VA as a fee-based CT technologist on a part time basis. I was told that I would work 5 days a week every other week until the two full-time open positions were filled. This was supposed to take me at least into the fall of this year. In an unprecedented turn of events, the usually ...

At my previous job I worked in a busy ER doing CT and didn’t have to learn to start IVs. We didn’t call for patients unless they already had a line established. I got good at telling which IVs were power injectable and which ones wouldn’t hold. At my current job the majority of my patients are outpatients so they all need an IV. I have been ...

My recent blogs have discussed the importance of providing excellent patient care. This week i got a whole new perspective on going that extra mile. Early Sunday morning I had to go to the ER. I was in bad shape and was promptly admitted. i thought I'd get the usual chest x-ray and/or head CT but I didn't need those. I did end up needing lab work, ...

With week one under my belt, I feel like I’m headed in the right direction. The more I work the more it’s all coming back to me. I was also surprised to see that my medical Spanish was only dormant and hadn’t been forgotten. Working with veterans is very rewarding. They are grateful for their care and always have good stories to share. As I ...