stories told and songs sung

Life is full of stories and songs. By sharing them, maybe we see a little more clearly how we are all connected.

Name:
Location: Deep South

I grew up in Texas and then went off to college in Tennessee. There I met my future wife in a great story you'll have to hear someday. Med school was back in Texas. We got married during my 2nd year. After med school, it was on to Neurology residency in the Deep South. Now that I'm a full fledged neurologist, I'm just trying to balance it all with a new baby on the way...

Monday, June 09, 2008

Big Boy Needle

So the most common procedure that I do as a neurologist is a lumbar puncture aka spinal tap. The normal adult kits come with a 3 inch long needle, but given the body habitus on some patients, we also occasionally have to ask for what we have begun to affectionately refer to as 'the big boy needle.' This needle is depicted below with other objects for size reference. I must say there is a certain 'OMG' quality to the needle when we pull it out. What do you think?


Think Before You Consult

Another favorite. So in the hospital, we neurologists are frequently consulted by other doctors to see patients who are having difficulty getting off the ventilator. For example, if they have ruled out a lung process, they may call us to evaluate for a neurologic problem that is causing the patient to stay on the ventilator. A few months ago, I was called by the trauma team for just such a case, and in reviewing the patient's medications in the computer system, I found something interesting and took a picture of the listing:
For the non-medical, 'vecuronium bromide' is a powerful paralytic agent that is often used in anesthesia. Thus receiving this medication would render the patient completely paralyzed and thereby making it pretty difficult for the patient to breathe on his own. 'PRN' is the medical word for as needed, so yes, that is a standing order for the patient to be paralyzed again as soon as he tries to move. The upside I guess is that I was able to tell them why their patient could not get off the ventilator without having to even see the patient.

No Rollers on Head

So I was looking through the pictures on my cell phone and realized that there are a number of stories that could be generated from them. Here's the first:

A local restaurant that Janelle and I like to frequent for its delicious comfort food has a most hilarious sign in the front window. We've all seen the signs that say something to the effect of 'no shirt, no shoes, no service,' but this was a new one for me.

Ah, welcome to Alabama.