L'eau du Mucomyst

Having worked in a hospital environment for so long, I've become accustomed to many of the odors and scents that might offend people not used to them. I rarely become nauseated or sick from the many "wonderful" smells that diffuse throughout the hospital.

I've only every also vomited from a smell in the hospital...

1) During nursing school, I was following an ICU nurse for the day who had patient with vaginal cancer and all sorts of GYN problems. Apparently she was having drainage from her hoo-ha which was nasty and foul of smell. When we turned the patient to change out the pad from underneath her (she was unconscious and on a ventilator), I almost passed out from the smell. I've since blocked it from my memory. Luckily, I don't come across patients with this condition in my department.

2) Mucomyst. How I hate the word. If you've ever given this medication that you know what I'm talking about. It's a liquid that patients drink, usually before a procedure that requires a dye to be injected into their bloodstream. The mucomyst helps to protect one's kidneys, especially if their kidneys aren't functioning properly. Well, the medication smells like rotten eggs!!! Profusely and strongly!!! I feel so bad for people who have to drink it. Even though it's usually mixed with some flavored drink (apple juice, gingerale, etc) there's just not masking the smell of drinking down rotten eggs. I honestly don't think I'd ever be able to get it down. So yesterday, I was extracting the liquid from the vial it comes in with a needle and syringe and I accidentally (because what crazy would PURPOSEFULLY want to get this on them) spilled some of the stuff on my hands. It took a lot of washing and sprays of deodorizer to finally get the scent off me. Even then, I still smelt it lingering occasionally. Gross. I seriously almost puked in the med room sink! Then today, as fate would have it, my patient needed a final dose before her procedure. As I was taking the vial out from our Pyxis, it fell out of my hand and shattered on the floor. It was like someone had dropped a giant stink bomb in the med room!!!!!! The worst!!!! Luckily, our unit housekeeper could smell the stink all the way down the hall and came to clean the smell up.

*sigh* I'm sure I'll never live this down! I just don't understand WHY anyone would ever create a medication that smelled sooooo horrible and expect people to drink it! If I never have to give another dose of Mucomyst, it'll be too soon :P

Quote of the Day: "Does it go in the mouth or penis?"

My patient today had to have an EGD (esophagogastroduodenoscopy); and yes, I spelled that by memory after having to spell it a million times working as a nursing assistant in a surgical department.

As the story goes, before the doctor could explain how the procedure works, the father of my patient asks "Does it go in the mouth or the penis?". My preceptor and I almost died laughing inside, but tried to keep a professional appearance. The doctor replied by telling both the patient and his father, "Oh no. If they go near your penis then let me know. I'll punch them for ya"... he was a male doctor, so I'm sure he could empathized with the thought of his manhood being threatened.

If you've ever had an EGD or work in the medical field then you'll know that is a procedure where the surgeon places a tube aka a "scope" down your MOUTH to see into your esophagus/throat(esophago), stomach (gastro), and junction of the stomach and small intestines (duodeno). It by no means goes anywhere near your penis!!! That would be a ureteroscopy or if the doctor needed to take a look into a patient's bladder and ureters. My patient's penis, bladder, and ureters were completely fine!

Well, it's just one of those events that makes nurses and doctors smile, giggle inside, and laugh out loud when discuss amongst each other :) Totally made my day!