Earlier this year I was assisting on a KUB x-ray. For those of you who don't know what that is, it is an x-ray of the abdomen that in order to be diagnostic will contain an anterior to posterior view of the Kidneys, Ureters, and Bladder...hence the K.U.B. On this specific gentleman the reason for the x-ray was constipation. Now it goes without saying that no one wants to be constipated let alone blocked up in any fashion, but believe me when I say this person was ready to explode...if you know what I mean. He was in so much pain that it was hard to get the patient to lay down let alone hold his breathe for a second or two while we obtained the exposure. None the less all went well (so far), we got the patient over to our table, got him laying down. At this point the technologist gave the instructions to stop breathing as follows:
"OK sir, take a deep breathe in..."said the technologist, and the patient took a painful breathe in.
"Ok now let that air out and hold it out...." said the technologist as they simultaneously pressed the exposure button.
Now normally at this point we would have obtained the exposure and simply finished the exam.....NOT TODAY! As soon as the technologist released the exposure button, all hell broke loose....and I mean the shit hit the fan...literally. A torrent of fecal matter oozed out of the patient in a splendiferous display of disgust and unpleasantness. Needless to say we found the source of the patient's constipation. But what really made me happy about the situation is I neither flinched nor was grossed out by it. I mean I actually found it in a way interesting. So maybe thats what it takes to be a Medical Professional, an unerring sense of interest in the strangest things, the want to do good for other people, and on some really occasional days, the ability to withstand some really...really nasty events. What does it take to be a Medical Professional....Butt's N' Guts!
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