Mixed Sort of Week...and a Half
Let’s start with last Thursday. That morning, I had to "rescue" one of my hamsters from the tube where she had pushed a lot of bedding between her and the way out. So I had to pull all of that bedding out so she could get out. And apparently, I did not latch the door tight enough when I was finished, for when I came home that night, the door was wide open and only one hamster was in the cage. Why the other one didn’t get out is beyond me. But she is the one that spends the most time sleeping and up in the ball, which is perpetually full of bedding.
I have put all kinds of food, treats, everything all over the apartment...to no avail. I have seen neither hide nor hair of a hamster loose in my apartment. And now that it’s been basically a week, I’m convinced she is gone. And that makes me sad. But the other hamster. Anastasia doesn’t really seem to notice. But she isn’t very personable. So I don’t know.
Also last week, I realized that I am out of money. Last Friday, before I got paid, I had exactly $100.05 to my name. And $50 of that, really wasn’t mine, as it had to be repaid to my OD protection account. And I was in a panic because I knew that there was no way I was going to make enough to pay my rent, cable/internet, and electricity. Not to mention food, gas, and other assorted necessities which aren’t free.
So I called my parents for help. And help I received today. So, Kaycie can breathe a lot easier now. And oh am I thankful for all of it.
I am in my fifth week of my blood bank rotation. It’s been quite a lot of fun. And today was my lucky day. To explian: I’m sure most of you are like I was before my advanced learning I have gotten through my clinicals and didn’t really know much about blood types. Sure, I knew about the ABO System and Rh positive versus Rh negative. But other than that, I knew nothing. Little did I know that on top of those antigens, there are a WHOLE lot more antigens on your red cells than that. Other than A, B, and O (which is technically the H antigen...but I digress), there’s the C, c, D, E, e, Fya, Fyb, Jka, Jkb, S, s, M, N, P and so on and so forth. And each of these antigens has their own occurrence rate that caries between race and sometimes, sex. For example, the Fya and Fyb antigens are relatively the same between races, but a person can have one or the other, or both, or neither. However, Fya occurs in about 65% of the population.
Something important to know is for whatever antigens you do not possess, if you are given blood that has antigens that you do not, you are capable of developing an antibody to that antigen, so that any further exposure to that antigen can lead to MAJOR MAJOR problems.
Today, we identified a patient with an antibody to the Fya antigen. And we had to find two units that were compatible with her. Now, as I said, the Fya antigen occurs in about 65% of the population. So that approximately, to find two units of antigen negative blood, you would have to screen about 9-11 units for that antigen.
To find more than that is basically, mathematically and statistically improbable, edging on impossible.
BUT! not for me.
I grabbed six random units off the shelf, typed them for that antigen, and ALL SIX WERE NEGATIVE! WOO! No one is that lucky! Okay, so it probably isn’t as exciting to all of you as it is and was for me, but it was cool. You’ll just have to take my word for it.
The tech I was working with said I should go out and buy a lottery ticket to see if my luck holds out. But, I think I spent all my luck already on something else entirely...
Happy Wednesday, everyone!
I have put all kinds of food, treats, everything all over the apartment...to no avail. I have seen neither hide nor hair of a hamster loose in my apartment. And now that it’s been basically a week, I’m convinced she is gone. And that makes me sad. But the other hamster. Anastasia doesn’t really seem to notice. But she isn’t very personable. So I don’t know.
Also last week, I realized that I am out of money. Last Friday, before I got paid, I had exactly $100.05 to my name. And $50 of that, really wasn’t mine, as it had to be repaid to my OD protection account. And I was in a panic because I knew that there was no way I was going to make enough to pay my rent, cable/internet, and electricity. Not to mention food, gas, and other assorted necessities which aren’t free.
So I called my parents for help. And help I received today. So, Kaycie can breathe a lot easier now. And oh am I thankful for all of it.
I am in my fifth week of my blood bank rotation. It’s been quite a lot of fun. And today was my lucky day. To explian: I’m sure most of you are like I was before my advanced learning I have gotten through my clinicals and didn’t really know much about blood types. Sure, I knew about the ABO System and Rh positive versus Rh negative. But other than that, I knew nothing. Little did I know that on top of those antigens, there are a WHOLE lot more antigens on your red cells than that. Other than A, B, and O (which is technically the H antigen...but I digress), there’s the C, c, D, E, e, Fya, Fyb, Jka, Jkb, S, s, M, N, P and so on and so forth. And each of these antigens has their own occurrence rate that caries between race and sometimes, sex. For example, the Fya and Fyb antigens are relatively the same between races, but a person can have one or the other, or both, or neither. However, Fya occurs in about 65% of the population.
Something important to know is for whatever antigens you do not possess, if you are given blood that has antigens that you do not, you are capable of developing an antibody to that antigen, so that any further exposure to that antigen can lead to MAJOR MAJOR problems.
Today, we identified a patient with an antibody to the Fya antigen. And we had to find two units that were compatible with her. Now, as I said, the Fya antigen occurs in about 65% of the population. So that approximately, to find two units of antigen negative blood, you would have to screen about 9-11 units for that antigen.
To find more than that is basically, mathematically and statistically improbable, edging on impossible.
BUT! not for me.
I grabbed six random units off the shelf, typed them for that antigen, and ALL SIX WERE NEGATIVE! WOO! No one is that lucky! Okay, so it probably isn’t as exciting to all of you as it is and was for me, but it was cool. You’ll just have to take my word for it.
The tech I was working with said I should go out and buy a lottery ticket to see if my luck holds out. But, I think I spent all my luck already on something else entirely...
Happy Wednesday, everyone!