Blog 38- More of Phase Two Training

(More frivolities with my friends, scouts, and training)

(training on the cameras, different studies,and my first patient.)

In the 1980s, there were rules for using radiation, as well as, more strict rules that the military had for the use of it. Back then, if someone was diagnosed for cancer, we did many studies to rule out other cancers that might have spread in their body. We had four cameras that we rotated our training on two weeks at a time. When I started doing the studies, we would watch it the first time, do it with supervision the second time, then we were on our own the third time. Each camera was designated for certain studies, even though they all could complete any study needed.

The first patient that was considered mine was a sweet woman that had lung cancer. She was scheduled to have lung surgery after confirming the cancer had not spread. She knew I was a student and we talked about many different things. Due to having radiation exposure, the studies were separated by two or three days. This allowed me to be the technologist doing all her studies. I began getting very close to this patient and her husband. She was very happy that I was the one performing the studies and she gave me the encouragement I needed to realize God put me in the field of medicine I was meant to be in.

On the day my patient said she was being admitted for her surgery, I bought her flowers and a card and, after work, took them to her in the hospital. I came in smiling and she was very happy to see me, but not for the same reasons. She was in the process of packing up to be discharged to go home. I was told that her studies showed that her cancer had spread so much, that the surgery would not help. She said she was told to go home and get her affairs in order. I could not help but get teary eyed about this.

About a month later, her husband came to my clinic bringing me a gift from his wife. I asked why she was not with him and he said that she had passed. He said his wife picked out the gift and made him promise to get it to me. I opened it and found a palm-size, gold plated, four-leaf clover. There was a saying on the back that explained why God created the four-leaf clover. I immediately came out in the hall and hugged the man saying, both, “I am very sorry for your loss and thank-you for the gift.” He began crying so I sat down with him in the hall and we talked about his wife. I still have the four-leaf clover and my memories of this, as if it were yesterday!

(The trip to the Grand Canyon with the Scouts)

I was not as active with the scouts this time around because I needed to slow down my personal life. But, the Scout troop I was associated with wanted to go to the Grand Canyon to hike to the bottom, camp out down by the river for a few nights, then hike up the other side. To do this, the Boy Scouts required that you had to have a medical person with them. The Navy liked to show their support for things like this, so they authorized me to go on the trip representing them, also being the medical personnel needed. The Navy paid my way, as well as, paid me for active duty that week. I was in heaven.

To be able to hike all the way down to the bottom of the Grand Canyon required crossing two wooden bridges over the river, once going down and once going up the other side. It was a beautiful trip and the scouts we had were on their best behavior. We had backpacks carrying our personal things and we shared carrying our food and necessities. About every hour or so, a line of donkeys would come by us and we were required to stop, lean to the inside, and give the donkeys the right-of-way. Some of the trails were pretty thin and steep. It amazed me how the donkeys would walk right on the edge of the trail and never slip. We made jokes that we should spook the donkeys and see what they would do, but we stayed civilized and did not do it. On the bottom, we were amazed of the beauty. There were about six cabins and a helicopter landing for people who rode the donkeys, or took a helicopter ride down. This was probably the last major thing I did with the scouts, except going to the beach with the older boys a few times to try learning to surf. I never did learn!

(A cheap night out with my college friends!)

One Friday night, a few of my college friends went out dancing and clubbing. We began at a very busy club and had a few drinks. I offered to pay for our last ones. We left when it got so crowded to even enjoy talking to ourselves. We went to another club that was attached to a hotel. They had a private band and a lot smaller group of people so we decided to settle in there for the night. When I reached into my pocket to pay for my drink, I pulled out over thirty dollars. I only started with twenty! All I could figure is when I pulled out my twenty at the other club, the waitress must have taken my change and laid it on the twenty and handed it ALL back to me. It was so dark in the club, I did not see what I placed back into my pocket. Well, needless to say, the drinks were on me for the rest of the night, and we all got snookered!

(continue in Blog 39)