Monday, September 19, 2011

My Mother is Radioactive

I was transporting a patient via wheelchair to the medical taxi we had ordered for him.  As I was bringing the wheelchair back inside, a woman ran up to me, "please," she said, "can you help my mother?"

Not being one to turn down these sort of offers, I asked her how I could be of assistance. "Well," she said, "my mother is radioactive."  I didn't allow the look of surprise to materialize on my face, but calmly said, "oh? What happened?"

Apparently she had had radioactive iodine treatment the day before and was now vomiting profusely with no relief. I wasn't sure how much radioactivity I was already exposed to, but decided to verify with the charge nurse as to what I should do.

Charge nurse hadn't really an idea either, so I was instructed to push the woman inside. As I entered the triage area, an alarm sounded, as the Geiger counter at the door had registered the high level of radioactivity. :-/

Later, I was informed that the woman herself was not radioactive, but her vomit and other materials expelled from her were.  I don't believe that I wasn't exposed, though. I hope it wasn't enough to give me flipper-babies one day.  Har har har...
I liked this picture of the radioactive cats...


S

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