Wednesday, September 23, 2015

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!

14 comments:

Shady Del Knight said...

Hi, dear YaYa! Oh, darn! I'm sorry to learn that Cam got banged up and can't participate in soccer league or football. It's good to know he's on the mend and will soon be back in action.

Happy National Surgical Technologist Week to you and to all the other super talented, hard working, dedicated OR techs. Your job is challenging and demanding but you do indeed make it look easy. If I was going under the knife at your hospital, I would fall asleep on the table and rest easy knowing that it is the correct knife, that it is clean and germ free, and that you won't let them sew me up with it left inside. :) Mrs. Shady and I salute you for your service, dear friend YaYa. Enjoy the rest of your week!

betty said...

I love the smile on your grandson; sorry about his injury though to take him out of sports! Happy Week to you and yours who are surgical techs!! I am sure it is a very hard job and does require a lot of skill! Heck, learning the name of all the equipment could be daunting!

betty

gin said...

Wishing Cam a speedy recovery. Hats off to you and your team in the OR.

Kim said...

I'm amazed there are only 3 of you. You do an amazing job which is not easy and you never complain. Hats off to all in your profession

Rick Watson said...

I am grateful for the dedicated people in the medical profession. The work you do is so detailed and vital with no room for mistakes.
In fact, I'm recommending that your boss double your salary.

rjerdee said...

What Rick said!!!!!! Happy National Surgical Technologist Week to you and your colleagues. YOU ARE AMAZING!

acorn hollow said...

Happy national surgical technologist week! It is not easy what you do. My sister in law is one in a larger hospital.
Cathy

Andrea Ostapovitch said...

Happy Fall to you, but far more importantly, Happy Surgical Techs Week indeed!!! I got a little nauseated just reading that. My little sister is currently in nursing school, and I always have to remind her to skip the icky details. But I always thank her for being who she is. I think it's wonderful what medical staff of any kind do! Kudos To you!

selvageedge said...

Happy National Surgical Technologist Week! It's good to know that there is a high quality team just down the street in case we ever need you. I'd definitely feel like I'd be well taken care of. So sorry that Cam busted that arm and is missing out on soccer. :(

Julia said...

Oh dear Yaya, I've been in the OR for many more operations than I would like to mentions over the course of my life but I would never take any of you for granted. Thank you for all the great work that you do for your patients. You are all a special force.


I'm so sorry about your grandson's injury. Hopefully he will heal very quickly. I love that big smile.

Hugs,
JB

Kay G. said...

Oh, so sorry for the broken arm for Cameron! He is so cute.
I so respect you and the work that you and your co workers do in the surgery, my hat is off to you all!
I love your header photo just now, you are quite the photographer, aren't you? xx

Hilary said...

I'm so glad you posted this. So many of us wouldn't know quite what goes on behind the scenes like this and kudos to you for sharing part of what you do so that we at least have an inkling. Much bigger kudos to you and other surgical techs for working so hard at being a vital part of our health system. Your profession's members are one of the many unsung heroes in the medical world, I'm sure. Nice to hear your voice sing its praises. Thank you for that.

Poor Cam. May he heal quickly.

Sweet Tea said...

The less I know about an operating room the better I am. I'm a medical phoeb but certainly appreciate
You and others who do all these amazing things that I could NEVER do. God bless you for the wonderful
Job you do and all the attention to detail.

Sush said...

I don't think I could thank operating room nurses enough. I've been the recipient personally and witnessed family members receive the care and attention that helps bring healing to each of us. I have a niece who is head surgical nurse in the hospital where she works in Louisiana. I KNOW the hours and hard work that it takes to do what y'all do.

Thanks again, Kathy! To you and all your co-workers.

Hugs~