Amazing Is The Word Of The Day

Today is the first day of Fall. I love this time of year and was thinking I really need to post something amazing...ha! Nothing amazing has really been going on.  I even looked back at last year's September posts to see what I was doing.  Well, I posted about Cameron's soccer.  This year Cameron had a bit of a rough start to his season:

Yep, he broke his arm! So no soccer or football, so no posting about amazing Cameron and his games...darn! But I'm glad he's doing great and will be as good as new soon.  Last year I posted about taking a quick trip to see my Mom.  We're going to see her next week but it will be October by then and we'll also be going to a wedding with her and family so maybe I'll have something more amazing to write about.  So trying to come up with a post was bugging me until I realized what week this is...It's National Surgical Technologist Week.

I think we do make a difference. In fact I think we're amazing!  We're the ones patients don't see, or if they do see us they never will remember us because of all the good drugs they receive.  But we're there setting up the instruments the surgeon is going to need.  We make sure they are sterile and organized and every supply that will be needed is correct and ready to go.  We put all the pieces together and make sure all the sponges, needles, and instruments are counted at the beginning of the case and are still correct at the end.  We anticipate the surgeon's every move and help hold retractors, load up those needles, pass those hemostats, sponge up any blood, and sometimes we do it all at once! I've learned to use both my left and right hand and have been accidentally stabbed, poked, hit, smacked in the head,  bumped into, bruised daily and can stand for hours at a time....sleeping standing up is optional!  We take call and I've worked many times with very little sleep...and I can go from a deep sleep to wide awake in seconds...and I also can dress and undress with the speed of light.  I've been training an RN how to scrub.  She's been pretty frustrated because it's taking her longer than she thought it would.   I asked her  if she thought that what the Techs do was easy?  She said she never thought it was easy, but she never knew it was that hard.  I then said, "Oh, you mean we make it look easy?"  Yep!  I work in a small hospital and there are only 3 Surgical Techs in our OR. In large hospitals there are many.  We may be small here, but we pack a punch! Happy Surgical Tech week to my other amazing Tech buddies, and thanks to our whole operating room team for all the great work you do!

Kim and I put this post on Facebook today, but had to hold a picture of our other tech, Carla, because she's home on sick leave.  You guys are amazing!  Happy Fall and Happy Tech Week!