Fun Days at Work

At work we had GE training all week. We had a designated guy helping us with any questions we had about our scanner or computer system. Then he did an overview of all our software and all the options that were available with the upgrade. I love my job, I think it is so fascinating how the body works, as well as the scan that we do on the human body. I thought I would show you a few pictures of the scans I get to play around with at work. Don't worry, the patients names are left anonymous!

This first collage above is of the same male patient. The top left is the CT portion where we can change it to show muscle and skin as well. If you look closely at his chest you can see that this patient has a port. Then the bottom left is another picture of a CT. My favorite is of the skeleton! In the blue color you can kinda see the heart and liver, and then in red you see some intestines. That is why when you get a CT sometimes (depending on what they are looking for) they make you drink oral contrast. It is to give the Radiologists better images of your intestines (otherwise your "guts" wouldn't be showing as well). Then the far right picture is of the CT scan fused with the PET (Positron Emission Tomography...not some sort of "animal" scan like I get asked).


This next collage above is of a woman. The picture on the left is also a fused scan of the CT and PET. Usually if someone has a cancerous spot it is bright orange in the area. If you look at the heart in this picture you can see a little orange- but that is normal for the heart to have uptake. So the bottom right picture is kind of my favorite. The outline of her body reminds me of the old "Cootie" toys I used to play with as a kid (those little plastic bugs/cooties with the Roley poly bodies). Anyway, if you don't know what I'm talking about don't worry about it. But it still cracks me up when I see heavier women scans when the bra and waistband elastic squeezes and turns their bodies into "Cooties."


Before we start our patients we ask them for a history of surgery. You wouldn't believe how many times we have asked female patients this question, and they don't bring up 'Breast Augmentation'. Really??! You don't think getting knocked out to get bigger jugs in the SURGICAL ROOM is a surgery? I'm pretty sure they have to cut you somewhere....Anyway, This picture above is what we call "Mickey Mouse." This is when you can totally see a woman's fake boob job. The black space in the middle is where the lungs are, and the gray blob in the middle of the lungs is her heart. Then you see the two gray symmetrical round "ears" above- silicone!:) This one is mild compared so some in the past where you see perfect cirlular Mickey ears. So for any of you women out there with fake boobs, if you don't tell us...WE STILL KNOW, the pictures don't lie! :)