So last week I was at clinicals at the hospital and got an order to do a chest x-ray for a 15 year old female patient from the ER.
I walked into the exam room where the patient and her mother were waiting. The patient took one look at me and asked, "Are you even able to take x-rays?" I immediately thought, oh here it is, she thinks I look way too young to be doing this (I've been waiting for that comment). So I laughed and answered, "I know I look young, but I assure you, I am old enough to do this."
She responded, "No, I mean...." and looked down in my abdominal region (you all probably have already figured out what she was referring to but for some blond and ditzy reason I was not cluing in :)) My badge that reads "Student" hangs right in that area and I again assumed wrong and thought she was referring to me being a student so I said, "Oh, because I'm a student?...don't worry, even though I am a student I have to get my worked checked off by a licensed Radiology Tech so you are in good hands."
Her mom then said, "No, she's talking about you being pregnant!" The patient then said, "Oh I sure hope you are pregnant because I'm starting to feel really bad right now!"
I should have played around and said something like No...what are you talking about? but that's just mean to do to someone sick :)
I quickly reassured her, "Oh, that!?...Yeah! No, don't worry, I AM in fact pregnant, I just forget sometimes! And yes I can take x-rays when I'm pregnant" Haha I am such a dork!
So we all had a good laugh and I continued to take her exam. This is where it gets sad. I first asked her why she was in today and her mom explained that she was just diagnosed with Leukemia on Jan. 11th. That's always hard to respond to, especially when the patient has just learned this themselves and hasn't had much time to cope AND when they are so young.
I positioned the patient and as I was doing so the mother mouthed something to me. The only words I caught were "she" and "pregnant" so I whispered back, "Is she pregnant?"
We have specific things we have to do if we need to x-ray a patient such as, ask special permission from the Radiologist, and double lead the patient, etc.
The mother responded with a No so I was super confused. I didn't want to be whispering behind the patients back so I took the mother aside and asked, "Ok, is she or is she not pregnant?" The mother explained to me that she was pregnant but had to get an abortion on finding out that she had Leukemia in order to try and save her life. This was the first time she was able to talk to someone who was pregnant and ask them questions about it and not break down.
WOW!! I can't even imagine not only being 15 and getting pregnant (I mean she can't even drive!) but finding out you have cancer AND have to abort that pregnancy....
It definitely was an experience that left me very grateful for my life and what I have. I am so grateful for my health! So grateful for my unborn baby who is growing strong and that I am able to healthily carry him!
