Saturday, February 13, 2010

Just a Note

My week has been epic. A lot of sacrifice and late nights were put into it to make it epic, but it was very, very epic. 
Why was it epic?
I scrubbed in on multiple surgeries in the OR at EIRMC.
What did I get to do?
For a TAH-BSO (taking out of the uterus, ovaries, and fallopian tubes), I stood directly next to the surgeon, gown and all, held his suction and had my hand in the woman's gut to palpate her uterus and feel for fibroids. 
For a laparoscopic procedure (the kind with the metal tubes stuck into the inflated abdomen with a camera inside and the surgeon did not have an assistant, only a scrub tech to hand him instruments. 
What was he going to do?--I'll tell you what:
use the student
I got to use the instrument with the grasping end and wield it while grabbing organs and tissue out of the way so the surgeon could cut and cauterize. I GRASPED THE OVARIES, BLADDER, AND MULTIPLE TISSUES IN A WOMAN'S BODY. And yes, it was all by myself. It was kind of like playing a video game, except way more intense and way more worthwhile. 
Amongst other things, I also saw a woman's lymph node the size of a golf ball removed from her neck, multiple hernia repairs, D&C's, and a lap chole. 
It was a good week.
One for the ages. 
I felt like Izzie Stevens from Grey's Anatomy.
Except not blonde, or ex-Mormon. 


5 comments:

Breezie said...

You seriously just made me want to be a nurse (which I never-ever-ever have wanted to be)....But that sounds AWESOME! :-)

Lisa said...

wow I'm jealous. I haven't even got to do an IV or a foley yet.

Candi said...

Wow that sounds amazing Brit. I am not sure how you did it. I would have been shaking like a leaf! I have always wanted to be a nurse but I never thought of what I'd be doing. I guess I only wanted to take care of sick people like the wonderful nurses did when I was little,not participate in diving into bodies. It really puts into perspective everything those women and men do. wow!

amber said...

you are so awesome britney.

:)

manders said...

Wow! What an amazing experience. I bet you felt like you were on an ER/ Greys episode...