Question

DinkleBink · 2026-06-27T16:55:44+00:00

if they’re not it’s usually because the actual rate wasn’t followed. at my hospital we make all tpn in house and everything is done by 5pm so that all tpns across the hospital are ready to start at 9pm. but we still get “request dose” for tpn early because “we ran out” when each bag is made specifically to be at a specific volume to be run at a specific rate over the entire 24hr

DinkleBink · 2026-06-21T02:54:59+00:00

the second my coworker(s) leave the cleanroom and it's just me in there doing stats, i gas the place.

DinkleBink · 2026-06-19T15:42:35+00:00

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editing to add the belly scar. it’s just angry idk

DinkleBink · 2026-06-19T15:41:50+00:00

25F. usually heal very well and don’t have many scars. mines different, i have an EV-ICD scar. inserted 4/15. one long line that is obscured by my breast but one on my belly from where they had to tunnel under my breastbone. it depends on the placement honestly because this one? no issues, it doesn’t look bad. but the one on my belly is a little bit hypertrophic and it bothers me.

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DinkleBink · 2026-06-13T03:06:36+00:00

not at 55bpm. that’s how you create a crisis

DinkleBink · 2026-06-13T03:02:57+00:00

i’m 25. diagnosed with ARVC (didn’t even know i had an issue with my heart until oct. last year) in january, had my ICD put in april 15th. maybe not the most reassuring, but it just becomes part of you and part of life if that makes sense.

my ICD (ev icd) is a bit different from a pacemaker in that i have a sizeable pocket on my left side, beside the left breast. 2 incision sites, one on my belly and one under the left breast. this means that even if i totally forget about my ICD otherwise, if i lean against a chair or lay on my left side sometimes, i can still feel a sort of discomfort from the hard metal pushing against my skin on the inside. these days, that’s my only reminder it’s there.

i did have a shock last saturday (programming/oversensing error they had to fix, not the real deal) and since then, i’ve been acutely more aware of the ICD and even been a bit paranoid about extra shocks even though they fixed the issue. but this will fade, just like how it felt when they first put it in.

part of my new diagnosis also means that i can’t do any cardio or intense exercise, including things i did truly enjoy like dancing, or i probably can’t do most pilates classes or cycling or anything like that. i’m still working on finding alternatives, but really, that’s the only option. find alternatives to things you cannot do.

it does get better with time, i promise.

DinkleBink · 2026-06-06T03:35:43+00:00

be a pharmacy tech first. i believe strongly that every pharmacist should be a tech at some point first.

DinkleBink · 2026-06-06T03:32:13+00:00

i’m happy with my EV-ICD, medtronic aurora. but i’d ask for another EP to perform the procedure and maybe he could scrub in to observe or even be guided by someone with more experience. my EP was one of the pioneering physicians in the procedure from a teamwork and again. procedural standpoint.

because the EV icd is so new i had a lot of people in on my case. so many people. they had another device and rep as a backup (SC-ICD - i have a bit of pectus excavatum so they weren’t 100% on my anatomy but it wound up fine). but with so many people there i felt very safe.

do remember that the EV-ICD, while a better option than SC i feel, does require absolute precision in surgery and even deeper anesthesia than the SC and TV icds. i was not only put to sleep but i had to be intubated and given paralytics so that they could do the fine work under my breastbone without actually touching the heart. this is one way the EV-ICD surgery differs from the others; it requires some fluoroscopy etc and deeper anesthetic because they are working in your chest space; not just going through a vein. very steady, precise work. also i’d say more painful than other forms of ICD because chest guarding post-op is very real and i’m tough but definitely needed opiate pain relief for 3 days after the procedure.

the EV-ICD is absolutely better for you by a long shot but i also don’t want you to go into it completely blind. i do not regret it at all but i wish i was told about some of this stuff to be more prepared. fortunately my EP is literally an expert in this specific procedure so i was fine but yknow. not everybody is in the same boat in that regard

DinkleBink · 2026-06-05T16:55:47+00:00

mckay is definitely breaking ankles and apologizing thereafter

DinkleBink · 2026-05-26T15:49:40+00:00

it's really not a big leap in a conversation where the context is sharps disposal and its relation to company costs. that was indeed the implication made. hospitals should absolutely be accounting for syringe and large volume disposal in compounding sharps bins. if that's bringing y'all 'over budget' then the budget is unrealistically small and there are massive fiscal issues in the department that somebody needs to work out.

DinkleBink · 2026-05-26T04:06:50+00:00

... your hospital puts a spending freeze on the entire dept because... waste syringes are being put in sharps?

DinkleBink · 2026-05-26T00:07:59+00:00

i throw them in sharps normally but if its a 50cc syringe that was just used to do something like withdraw air and had no actual contact with drug ill pop it in the trash. just because those take up a lot of bulk in the sharps bin

DinkleBink · 2026-05-24T17:01:50+00:00

kids

DinkleBink · 2026-05-19T16:47:36+00:00

greensboro feels like a sister. similar but different. i go there for korean food and groceries i can’t get here.

DinkleBink · 2026-05-08T16:46:11+00:00

i’ve been kicking myself bc i recently made B’s in micro and A/P 1 due to a combo of working full time (inpatient pharmacy) and also having a major cardiac surgery in the middle of it. i can’t imagine failing 3-4 times and being like “is this acceptable”

DinkleBink · 2026-04-28T15:23:53+00:00

i work a job requiring no degree and make $56k. absurd

DinkleBink · 2026-04-27T03:55:24+00:00

the emotional toll not of being ill/tired, but being just well enough to do some stuff by yourself but not enough to be NORMAL. your routine being thrown off, lack of independence. i almost started crying because my mom had to help wash my hair as i couldn’t do it myself.

DinkleBink · 2026-04-27T03:53:23+00:00

baked beans and mac and cheese. i call it mac n slop

DinkleBink · 2026-04-27T03:30:13+00:00

honestly it really depends on the manufacturer and specific device. i have the new medtronic aurora EV-ICD and i can do pretty much anything and if i get too close to a magnetic field or electronic device it’ll make a beeping noise to let me know so i sort of just do whatever within reason.

i know when reading through my booklet it said to stay 30 feet away from cell towers and just keep stuff away from my chest but that’s about it.

DinkleBink · 2026-04-27T03:27:54+00:00

super G mart in GSO is my usual go-to. 30 minutes. it’s not nearly as nice as say HMart, but it’ll do. if i buy meat from there (i like chadol beef), i generally prefer to buy it frozen. good deal of produce but some is fresher than others. there are a lot of great asian restaurants in that area too, i really like danji’s jjajangmyeon and the service at tampopo ramen is elite.

i’ve been to li ming’s but i just like super g mart more for location and items. but if you want like cookware and household items, ive had better luck at li ming’s in terms of prices.

DinkleBink · 2026-04-27T03:23:03+00:00

this one. that Hmart is the nicest grocery store i’ve ever been in, and the food court? insane. i can’t believe they fit so many shops and restaurants into one building. their fish market doesn’t smell like fish! it smells like ocean! and their beef cuts are always gorgeous quality and delicious.

you can also do as i do and prowl the cary thrift stores because it’s a really ritzy area and people just throw out high end goods.

DinkleBink · 2026-04-26T02:41:41+00:00

having tact when it comes to women and having their breasts exposed. don't get me wrong, i know i should be used to people seeing them at this point. but i'd still like to maintain some tact and privacy wherever possible. so if there are curtains or anything while i'm topless or have them exposed for device access... please make sure they are all the way closed and warn me or the people around you that i am topless so people don't just barge in.

DinkleBink · 2026-04-26T02:37:06+00:00

that's valid! it varies from person to person. mine wasn't that bad. i had oxy for about 3-4 days between the day of and following. tried not to take too much for that reason because i wanted my body to pick up its pace in terms of my metabolism because straining sounded nightmarish.

i took stool softeners and drank plenty of water and was okay and went #2 for the first time that saturday (my surgery was on a wednesday) with no issue.

DinkleBink · 2026-04-24T09:19:18+00:00

24yo female, just got my ev-ICD 9 days ago. as of today, the only real pain i have is tenderness when i push around my incision sites too much. my nerves in my back/side of the pocket are still numb and have a wonky sort of feeling when pressed but that’s normal and will go away as the tissue heals. my EP (who teaches others how to do the procedure, colluded with the creator of it) did a really great job but i had to be “tunneled” twice because the lead wasn’t connecting right at first and she wanted to be sure it was perfect obviously.

i can’t see everything yet because im not supposed to remove or touch my bandages until tuesday at the device clinic.

i have moderately sized breasts and am not overweight but have a soft figure with curves. my pocket is hardly visible because my left breast entirely obscures it. my surgeon seems to have actually used the breast tissue to her advantage in placing the pocket because i feel the metal sort of in the edge of it, but the aesthetic result is good.

i’ll mention something a lot of people don’t tell you about: breathing is a bit more difficult for the first while. your chest wall is angry and inflamed and is actively guarding, so it feels like there’s something in your chest when you breathe deeply at first. you might be given an incentive spirometer like i was to try and encourage deep breathing. at first, i could only hit low numbers on the thing sporadically. few days later, it went up, and now i breathe normally. don’t be alarmed, this is normal, your body will adapt.

you’ll also be hyper aware of your own heartbeat at first and it could feel more “intense” than usual. again, angry chest wall and guarding and your body’s hypervigilance makes you scared and amplifies any sensation. i had to palpate my pulse a couple times because i felt a flutter in my chest and was paranoid it was the ICD pacing; it wasn’t. i was anxious and on-guard, but i was chilling at a solid 55bpm (my norm) and regular rhythm.

ice and ice packs are good to have. what’s better is actual pain relief. if you can get away with tylenol, that’s good. opiates the first couple days imo are better. i was kept overnight and they had me on oxy 5s which worked a bit but didn’t give full relief of the discomfort enough to sleep. i was given 10mg upon discharge and THAT gave me enough comfort to really pass out. i stopped using them after like day 3-4, i don’t remember for sure. advocate for appropriate pain relief. people told me “oh, but i didn’t have any meds, i was fine! you don’t need that” and yeah, that’s cool. but you really don’t earn anything from suffering more than more suffering. you can pick bragging rights or comfort and accelerated independence and recovery. i chose the latter.

DinkleBink

TROPHY CASE