Media and Medicine

Two of my favorite things collided on Saturday, March 8: media and medicine. Many of you know my love for ALL things media: TV, movies, acting, writing....But probably very few of you know of my love of medicine. I think it's because of my love of media that I developed a love of medicine. After all, my all-time favorite TV show is "ER"!! I'm just saying :) I find medicine fascinating. I also know that I'm not smart enough to ever be a nurse or doctor! I'll stick to working in the media and live vicariously through my brother who is a doctor!

Well, my two loves collided on March 8 when I got to do what I affectionately call "patient acting" at UT hospital. It was my second time doing it and I had a blast. This time around I played a 22 year old construction worker who fell 35 feet and was unconscious and unresponsive (except to painful stimuli). 

Here's some pictures of my "wounds"

The blue on my face is supposed to represent cyanosis, but I think they really just wanted me and the others to look like smurfs :)

I was patient G. And all the doctors taking the test got confused because their scenario said I was a male, but when they entered the room, they got me :) It also made for lots of laughs!

I was paired up with an awesome doctor to administer the test. He was hysterical and kept me entertained the entire time. He was professional while administering the test but fun in the in-between times when it was just the two of us waiting on the next test taker. Since I had done this once before I knew what to expect. My big deal (since I'm not a doctor!) was that I wanted each of the test takers to remember to say that they would cover me with a blanket (and yes, that's actually a part of the exam - them saying that step out loud). While Dr. A's big deal was for them to remember to say that they would give me a tetanus shot. So, after each doctor came in and took the test and then left we would giggle if they forgot those two steps (It wasn't something that would cause them to fail the exam). Dr. A would say, "Well, I guess your going to die of hypothermia and tetanus...sorry about that!" We had fun :) I also got to meet one of my brother's medical school classmates. She was the doctor overseeing another room's exam but during a break came in my room and just by happenstance we realized that she knew my brother. I sent Stanton a text telling him she said hi. Here's some of my props:

Thankfully, I didn't have to wear the leg immobilzer for real (although I tried it!). I did have to wear the front part of the neck brace and pretend I had the IV's in (I got all tangled in them!)

I had so much fun and actually learned a lot too! I met some wonderful people and really hope I get to do it again soon.