Monday Musings

Mondays get a bad rap. For that matter so do dentists.... and pap smears.... I guess a really bad Monday would be possible if you scheduled a dentist appointment or a pap smear for that day, eh? But if a holiday falls on a Monday, then it's a good thing. Poor Mondays - you either love 'em or you dread 'em.

Monday is when I map out the week ahead of me so I can prevent any upheaval. My title should be "Upheaval Management Coordinator" and not "Women's Health Navigator." On Mondays I try to make sure that we know where all of the x-ray films and ultrasound studies are for the women who are scheduled for breast biopsies. They are usually here..... or somewhere else.

Here is good. Somewhere else might not be - - especially if somewhere else is not here OR there! Missing films aren't fun to track down because everybody says they've "already sent them." This absolves them of all responsibility. Also it doesn't answer the question:

"Well, if we don't have them and you don't have them, can you help me determine where they are?" That answer is always no.

NOW I know where they got the title of the song "Things That Make You Go HMMMMMMMMM!"

At any rate, there is always one other possibility and that is the patient herself may have the films. About 50% of the time that is the case and the other 50% are out there somewhere floating in limbo. Kind of like the place where socks disappear when you put them in the dryer. Somewhere there are lost x-rays and socks suspended in limbo.

Monday is also when I make phone calls to all of the women that I wasn't able to make contact with last week. It's nice to talk with them on the Thursday or Friday before their biopsy so that I can make sure they understand the procedure, that they get answers to their questions, and so I can once again, head off any upheaval. Upheaval in this case is anything that would have a negative impact on the woman's experience OR would set the MD/techs into a tailspin - - - upheaval galore.

Today the buggaboo is baby aspirin. You would be amazed what an impact that 81 mg of aspirin will have on the blood clotting mechanisms..... anything from frank bleeding to oozing that lasts for hours. My luck - neither scheduled tomorrow were told by their MD to stop the aspirin.

Which leaves me with the conundrum. If I can't make contact with the lady and she doesn't return my call, how many times should I attempt to call her????? How late in the evening is too late????? I could have headed off this mess if they had called me back after leaving multiple messages. HMMMMMMMMMMMMM sounds like a rant. I digress......

So far the x-ray upheaval for tomorrow was solved - the patient has her films. woo HOO! The aspirin upheaval remains out there floating around ominously, threatening to make everyone's day tense. Personally, I'd like to have the power to reschedule biopsies when people haven't stopped taking aspirin for at least 5 days or more. Good for us, bad for the patient because they're already stressed enough and want the biopsy over so they can get the pathology results. Bad for me if the biopsy is done and either/both bleed...... and bleed..... and bleed...... and ooze..... or end up with a big honking hemotoma that will be sore for weeks. I hate heme that has no intention of clotting appropriately regardless of the amount of time that pressure is applied to the site. This is a 1/4 inch incision we're talking here that can spill some scary red.

Monday is also when I get the list of patients scheduled for bladder studies at The Urinary and Sexual Health Center. Upheaval is much easier to control with those calls. They tend to be lengthy, however, and older women tend to want to talk because they're lonely and there's nobody there to listen to them. Bless their hearts..... one day that may be me. Sighhhhhhhh.

On the happy side, Monday is when I can get excited about my yoga classes on Tues/Thurs evenings. My time. Me time. ON-LY FO MOI. :~*:*~:~*:~* happy dance :~*:~*:~*:~*

With that in mind, my Monday is nearly behind me and it is time to go home.

Namaste ya'll !!!