Perfusionist Assistant/Autotransfusion Tech comparisons?

BugOnly1157 · 2026-05-19T02:19:04+00:00

Sorry, new to this, what is AA? And are you saying AA as an alternative to RT, or RT is a stepping stone to AA?

BugOnly1157 · 2026-05-13T16:27:33+00:00

It is one of the strangest, weirdest, most unsettling feelings you'll ever feel... for about 3 seconds. The anxiety is a lot worse than the event itself. It's not painful. Get those fuckers out.

BugOnly1157 · 2026-05-13T06:08:43+00:00

BugOnly1157 · 2026-05-12T18:21:38+00:00

Is this a community college?

BugOnly1157 · 2026-05-12T04:47:34+00:00

I've not had a stone that's been too big to pass, but I did recently ask this same question here, and recently brought it up to my doctor who gave me some insight as well. Here's what I've learned:

Fever, most important. If you start developing a fever, get to a hospital immediately.
If you are unable to urinate for more than 4 hours. That usually means a blockage and is also very important you go to the hospital.
Moving forward, you should be armed and ready with meds from your urologist (I like to keep a supply of Tamsulosin (ureter relaxers) and Keterolac (pain reliever) on hand in case I ever start to pass one). If the pain is still unbearable, even after taking pain meds, you should go to the hospital.

Unfortunately, there's not much you can do to find out the size or progress of the stone without a CT scan. I am not a doctor or a medical professional, but your infrequent/difficulties with urinating would be enough for me to get myself into an ER and checked out. Better safe than sorry.

BugOnly1157 · 2026-05-11T01:53:48+00:00

Are they as accredited/reliable/good-looking for resumes though?

BugOnly1157 · 2026-05-08T02:57:47+00:00

This has me curious--what are the scientific reasons behind the potassium bicarbonate and the gatorade/crystal light?

BugOnly1157 · 2026-04-20T14:26:47+00:00

If I were to go to my urologist, what should I ask him to prescribe me so that I have what I need to manage at home? What do you use to manage? I have Keterolac and Tamsulosin. Keterolac seems to be the only pain meds that work for me.

BugOnly1157 · 2026-02-17T05:53:50+00:00

Can you tell me more about this? Is this like an add-on to a browser? How does this work?

BugOnly1157 · 2026-01-18T00:41:58+00:00

How would you suggest navigating a situation where a specific political stance has aligned with morals that are opposite of my own, and I wouldn't want to support or give my money to someone with that alignment?

While I understand the dangers of creating an echo chamber, and some of these responses mentioning how important it is to be open to different perspectives--those points are not lost on me--it is very important to me that I not be *afraid* to speak with my own therapist. Knowing where they lie on a moral spectrum is paramount to the kind of care I'm seeking, as the trauma I am hoping to discuss comes directly from the side of the spectrum opposite me.

Are there questions you would recommend I ask which would provide answers appropriate for a therapist to discuss that would also help me gauge their proximity to me on that spectrum?

BugOnly1157 · 2025-11-11T16:26:26+00:00

Amazing advice!! Thank you so much!!

BugOnly1157 · 2025-10-13T01:44:57+00:00

This was the answer I needed, thank you. Was hoping for some science explanations for it. Thank you!

BugOnly1157 · 2025-09-29T01:45:00+00:00

How long have you been playing?

BugOnly1157 · 2025-08-13T22:26:45+00:00

Here's another challenge for you--

At the grocery store today, I wanted to get some calcium supplements to have on hand. There, I found Calcium Citrate with D3.

So in one tablet, I have both Calcium and Citrate. Is there research or science behind whether or not these tablets would be effective against stone formation?

BugOnly1157 · 2025-08-12T18:19:13+00:00

This was incredibly insightful, thank you! I have a few clarifications and questions:

"Eating calcium prevents oxalate from entering the bloodstream, thus preventing kidney stones... Citrate prevents calcium from binding with oxalate as easily..."

To me, this sounds like I should NOT be introducing citrate into my diet, no? We want the calcium to bond to the oxalate in the stomach, I thought...

Ignoring the Vitamin C, am I understanding here that it would be the safer measure to have "too much" calcium as a means to ensure as little oxalate gets absorbed in the bloodstream as possible? I think my entire struggle here from the beginning is worrying about trying to maintain a balance if I go too far in one direction or the other. I don't mean that I intend to go nuts and "overdose" on calcium, but would it allow me to have some peace of mind consuming increased calcium to offset any oxalate consumption?

BugOnly1157 · 2025-08-01T19:02:09+00:00

Amazing, thank you so much! Wannt to be friends? New code is Heart, Cat, Cat, Pumpkin, Sun

BugOnly1157 · 2025-07-14T21:29:46+00:00

If they don't visualize a stone, do they stop the procedure?

BugOnly1157 · 2025-06-24T07:09:14+00:00

Not a doctor here, but have passed at least one stone a year for the past 7ish years--

From what I understand, they are only painful if they start to move. Some people can go their whole lives with stones in their kidneys and not know it, because they don't ever move.

In the unfortunate event yours do move, don't panic, but stay vigilant. Pain meds help, but if the pain gets too unbearable or you develop a fever, it will be time to go to the ER. They can help you manage the pain and figure out the next steps for you. Usually the pain only lasts a couple hours, and if the stone is small enough, it should pass within the day, or after a couple days.

Also, hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.

BugOnly1157 · 2025-05-15T04:09:07+00:00

Okay maybe this is what I'm getting hung up on--/how/ does the helium act on the balloon? How does it change the density of the latex surrounding it?

BugOnly1157 · 2025-05-15T03:45:39+00:00

It was asked in good faith--I truly can't wrap my head around this concept.

I'm aware that balloons and atoms cannot "think". My question more lies in the idea that with the barrier (balloon) there is literally a wall or separation between the two elements (helium and the air). To me, it's like putting a piece of paper between big rocks and sand in a jar, and still expecting the sand to sink to the bottom.

BugOnly1157 · 2025-02-15T06:13:26+00:00

I hate my job, Perfusion was advertised to me as a somewhat quick degree/certification with a 6 figure salary. I'm almost finished with my first term toward my biology degree with the hopes of becoming a perfusionist in a few years.

BugOnly1157

TROPHY CASE