what it means to share the sorrow patients go through...

just finished placement in the x-ray department. i was there for a week & have to say i really learned a lot. it was different from the wards, but still good :)

on friday i met a patient who was waiting for her appointment for a barium meal. basically - you have to swallow some yucky stuff and then it's traced by the x-rays on it's way round the body... it can take quite a while. it did for her.
she felt a bit weak because all she "ate" for the past week was water - she was allowed 30ml an hour (NG tube) - and now she had to swallow all of a sudden 3 cups of barium... that's what i call tough!
it took her quite a while & me and another student were waiting with her & encouraging her. she did have a good sense of humour, which helped a lot.

i said to the other student that people who do those examinations should suffer with the patient & drink the same stuff... kind of like a drinking party.

just a few minutes later the radiographer started feeling for the lady as well & i suggested we should all drink together :)
... so we did :) 5 of us in the room sharing in the barium :)
and really - it is not the nicest thing to drink on an empty stomach... especially when there are three cups to go... we only had a sip. i'm proud of my lady :) she did well!