Ken Fitzgerald
11-24-2005, 8:57 AM
Tuesday morning I drove 30 miles through fog that would have done London proud! I repaired the table on an x-ray machine and headed back to Lewiston. I arrived home, had a quick lunch and brushed my teeth. I'd been up to since 3:00 am and decided I'd take a quick 15 minute nap. I'd just settled on to my recliner when my cell phone rang.
It was an ER nurse at one medical center, my wife for the 2nd day in a row, had been experiencing chest pain and a "weight" in the middle of her chest and finally went to a local "quick care clinic". They were transferring my wife via ambulance to a regional medical center. The previous evening after my wife came home from school complaining of chest pains I got dressed and said "let's go to the ER". She refused because she didn't want anyone thinking she was a hypochondriac.
The ER physcian explained that it was probably a heart problem, they were giving her IV nitroglycerin, and that she might get a ride in a helicopter to Sacred Heart Hospital in Spokane, Wa.
In short, by Wednesday morning, after echo-cardiograms, x-rays, they decided to perform a cardiac stress test. There are only 2 manufacturers of thallium, one of which just recalled all of their isotopes. As a result there is a nationwide shortage of thallium. At this particular hospital they normally perform the 2 part stress test on 2 different days. At around 7:00 am the doctor told my wife he'd ordered the stress test but due to the upcoming holiday she'd probably have part of it done Wednesday and have to come back on Friday for the 2nd half OR she might have to stay in the hospital and have the exam next week IF they could find the isotope. The guy who runs the nuclear medicine department pulled me aside.....told me of the very recent shortage .......told me he'd ordered enough and they were going to do both halves of the exam yesterday and they did! (Though the gamma cameras they use at this hospital are not made by the company I work for, I have on occassion repaired them when the manufacturer said their service people couldn't be there for over a week!) I installed the first CT scanner in the regional medical center 23 years ago. I currently maintain everything in the radiology department including 2 MR scanners, a new 64-slice CT scanner and all of the x-ray equipment. It was convenient, I'd work on a piece of equipment, run up stairs visit the wife.......set up the software on a new workstation...run up stairs and visit the wife....I was taking my tool bag to the van.....the NM tech told me they'd taken my wife to her room....I walked into the radiologist reading room.........he smiled...and in a soft spoken voice...said "Normal.....No damage! You and your wife have a Happy Thanksgiving!" I replied "Thanks Doc! You and your's have a Happy Thanksgiving!.....Believe me my wife and I'll be giving Thanks!" I passed a teacher co-worker of my wife's in the hall and she said "Sharon's been released!"..........As I put my tools and test equipment in the van, tears of joy formed in the corner of my eyes!
She has to see her personal physcian next week. I suspect she'll be treated for angina............probably nitro pills............As I write this the LOML of 37 years is sleeping in our bed upstairs and I'm down stairs in my office.
Everyone have a Happy Thanksgiving! Believe me when I say I'll be giving Thanks today!:)
It was an ER nurse at one medical center, my wife for the 2nd day in a row, had been experiencing chest pain and a "weight" in the middle of her chest and finally went to a local "quick care clinic". They were transferring my wife via ambulance to a regional medical center. The previous evening after my wife came home from school complaining of chest pains I got dressed and said "let's go to the ER". She refused because she didn't want anyone thinking she was a hypochondriac.
The ER physcian explained that it was probably a heart problem, they were giving her IV nitroglycerin, and that she might get a ride in a helicopter to Sacred Heart Hospital in Spokane, Wa.
In short, by Wednesday morning, after echo-cardiograms, x-rays, they decided to perform a cardiac stress test. There are only 2 manufacturers of thallium, one of which just recalled all of their isotopes. As a result there is a nationwide shortage of thallium. At this particular hospital they normally perform the 2 part stress test on 2 different days. At around 7:00 am the doctor told my wife he'd ordered the stress test but due to the upcoming holiday she'd probably have part of it done Wednesday and have to come back on Friday for the 2nd half OR she might have to stay in the hospital and have the exam next week IF they could find the isotope. The guy who runs the nuclear medicine department pulled me aside.....told me of the very recent shortage .......told me he'd ordered enough and they were going to do both halves of the exam yesterday and they did! (Though the gamma cameras they use at this hospital are not made by the company I work for, I have on occassion repaired them when the manufacturer said their service people couldn't be there for over a week!) I installed the first CT scanner in the regional medical center 23 years ago. I currently maintain everything in the radiology department including 2 MR scanners, a new 64-slice CT scanner and all of the x-ray equipment. It was convenient, I'd work on a piece of equipment, run up stairs visit the wife.......set up the software on a new workstation...run up stairs and visit the wife....I was taking my tool bag to the van.....the NM tech told me they'd taken my wife to her room....I walked into the radiologist reading room.........he smiled...and in a soft spoken voice...said "Normal.....No damage! You and your wife have a Happy Thanksgiving!" I replied "Thanks Doc! You and your's have a Happy Thanksgiving!.....Believe me my wife and I'll be giving Thanks!" I passed a teacher co-worker of my wife's in the hall and she said "Sharon's been released!"..........As I put my tools and test equipment in the van, tears of joy formed in the corner of my eyes!
She has to see her personal physcian next week. I suspect she'll be treated for angina............probably nitro pills............As I write this the LOML of 37 years is sleeping in our bed upstairs and I'm down stairs in my office.
Everyone have a Happy Thanksgiving! Believe me when I say I'll be giving Thanks today!:)