Reasons why you shouldn't have surgery

I was at the hospital yesterday working with a tech when we were told to head to the operating room. We have to x-ray periodically in surgeries to make sure screws are being put in the correct place and whatnot. I've only done this once before during an ankle surgery and it's pretty much the reason I want to work in a small, private clinic when I graduate.

We got into our sterile scrubs and headed down. Not knowing what to expect. Before even getting into the room, i'm greeted by really nasty, rude nurses and doctors who all think of us lowly x-ray techs as second class citizens. (Fuck you!) Oh, and being a student i'm definetely lowest on the totem pole. Anyway, we get our sterile scrubs on and head into the operating room.
Turned out it was a "Lumbar fusion" which was being done to repair scoliosis.


Gross. This kids entire back was spread open with you know, some kinda' back spreading pliers. And basically his whole spine was exposed. Bloody and white. From my vantage point I could get a pretty clear shot of the doctors hammering and chiseling and burning and screwing. I had to force myself to look away. Meanwhile the tech i was with is nonchalant as ever telling me about his ability to make any girl that he's with, and I quote, "Squirt their juice like crazy when I'm fuckin' them" *ahem* Yeah, sorry, his words not mine :)

Anyway, on to the real reason I would NEVER have surgery if it was for something non life threatening like scoliosis. The doctors were clowning around too. Cracking jokes and making fun of each other for screwing up. One guy was casually wiping discarded bits of spine onto his scrubs which fell to the floor. They also had their I-pod blasting. Which was fine, I guess. But it happened to be a room full of white doctors in their 40's and they were playing stuff like, Wu-tang's "Shame on a ni**a" and that stupid "My ni**as don't dance, they just pull up their pants" song by that one shitty guy.



And they were shufflin' and shakin' it and singin' along as if there wasn't a risk of ending this little kid's ability to walk and talk laying 1 inch away from their razor sharp tools.

And then the worst part....one of the male nurses busts out a little digital camera, tip-toes over the doctors shoulders and snaps a pic of the whole grisly scene. For some sick, underground myspace for doctors profile pic, no doubt. Ugh. The whole thing just felt really unprofessional and disrespectful. And seeing how they manhandle you when you're unconscious and just keep pumping you with anesthesia was pretty rough. No thanks, yo. Keep ya' spine straight, homey!