7/5/07

What a day. My first full day as a surgery tech and what a disaster. We didn't get started until late, then the dog (mass removal) didn't seem to want a catheter (no veins), and then was very hard to intubate. I initially used too small of a tube, and the doctor was very nice and helpful but ended up giving me the wrong size tube (I had a bigger, but flimsier one), and so once the dog was on the table he started to wake up because he was breathing around the tube. Had to call in backup at that point, and after we got him all set up breathing-wise, we couldn't position him right. The mass was at the base of the tail on the underside, and I wanted to use tape but was outvoted....and then we ended up using tape anyhow. Frustrating. Mind you, this was all to set up a five minute surgery. So finally after I think I've just about killed this dog (heart rate, respiratory rate WAY up according to the monitors) we get him down, in and out, and I'm recovering him, trimming his toenails...and he bleeds everywhere. Longest quicks I have ever seen in a dog, and of course, had to be on this dog. At that point I gave him up as a bad job and stuck him in the kennel. Made the most horrendous sounds when he was waking up...sigh.

Next up was a cat spay...that needed to be intubated. Mid spay. On the table. Apparently its unusual to happen that the drugs don't keep them down. Figures. So, a little paranoid, I stuck close and it turns out she was pregnant. This was very cool as I got to see the doctor take out the sacks and then cut them open and see the tiny babies (about the size of a small pinky mouse, a little smaller). After we went through them one by one to make sure that they were all deceased as that would be a horrible way to wake up.

Everything else went fine after all that, did the problematic dog's go home. One of the other surgery techs, the only other one who knew what was going on, told me it was okay, that things happen and I did well. She was very supportive, especially since I wanted to throw myself out a window after all that stress.

Oh, and I diagnosed roundworms! Go parasitology!

It's a shame that I'm going to be in reception for the next two weeks, I think I learn better by jumping into the fray like that (or getting thrown into the fire, maybe). Oh well.