Sam's Blog

So my day started off like any other day at work, but something new happened around lunchtime. My clinic has a courier that goes back and forth to the blood bank at CHS (main hospital) across the street and drops off or picks up blood products (platelets and packed red blood cells (prbc's) mainly) and she has lunch from 12-1pm daily, so when she is at lunch, I have to go for her and though I've been there before many times, this time was very different. I actually went to pick up platelets for a patient and the guy at the counter said there were prbc's to be picked up as well, so I picked them up too. The blood is placed in an indestructible plastic bag that can take a lot of pressure and not burst. (They send them through the tubing system throughout the hospital and they never break). But the tech, Jim, took out the unit of prbc's and throws it on the counter (which they do every time I am there) but right when it hit the counter, the bag burst open and red blood cells splashed all over the place, landing on my khaki pants and my arms. Crazy! So I had to get cleaned up and had to wear scrubs for the rest of the day. Luckily, it didn't get in my eyes or mouth, but it wasn't too bad. I'm just glad that it was "good" blood because they type and screen it every time they release it to our clinic, but it still irks me a little. Apparently there had been some complaints recently about some of the units from the Red Cross cracking at the top of the bags, but none of them ever burst like that. It was a very interesting experience.

I had dinner and watched Maria Full of Grace (which I highly recommend) with Lindsay. She is a very fun gal and I am glad that we are able to hang out more often recently. We both have a tendency to say inappropriate things, but unlike others, we don't care what other people think. It's always an adventure hanging out with her. We both miss Amy P. who is in Japan doing the JET program for a year. She is teaching in a school in Nakayama and it seems like she is having a blast.

Well, the weekend is here and instead of watching the Olympics, I am going to be active and do stuff, unlike last weekend. Monica, Kate, and Alexis are all in town and I am excited!