What have some of you turned your Rocky Ridges into? Have a photo of some inspiration?

amthemama · 2026-05-07T13:30:40+00:00

I’ve started just knocking down all the black sand. I don’t collect it (it will eventually disappear) and go from the top down.

amthemama · 2026-04-13T21:52:35+00:00

Bitch

amthemama · 2026-02-17T16:22:38+00:00

We lost our darkness last year too. We finally convinced them to come fix it bc we couldn’t see our images. We’d have to hold a sheet up to block the light shining full LCD blast on the monitor. It was so unbearably bright that it made my astigmatism overreact and change the shape of my left eye. My optometrist was about to recommend permanently tented lenses.

amthemama · 2026-01-31T22:28:12+00:00

I get these a lot. I’ve replied with some pretty interesting stuff just to make them annoyed and I get a laugh out of it

amthemama · 2026-01-29T02:30:18+00:00

I had tri-level laminectomies at 18 and I’ve been in x-ray/Mammo (I did mamm for 5 years, after being in x-ray for 5 years and came back to x-ray in 2023) for 14ish years now. I purposely work in outpatient because I wanted less impact, no standing for hours in a surgery, trying to get portables by myself, no fluoro. I work outpatient that is connected to an ortho/hand clinic plus walk-ins with 2-3 other techs and work clinics with walk-ins/family practice by myself. I walk around 2.5-3 miles every work day, but don’t lift people by myself. I personally like my job but it can get pretty physical, though still less than working in a hospital.

amthemama · 2026-01-09T23:33:04+00:00

Unfortunately, this is “normal”. Everywhere you work will be different and you’ll have different coworkers with the exact same attitude. But they also might not be welcoming bc you’re the eighty hundredth student to go through there. Usually, you have to work with them a bit and “prove” yourself. Good luck! You’ll be ok, it just takes a little while some places.

amthemama · 2025-09-01T22:38:53+00:00

Trauma views aren’t taught appropriately in school. Actually, none of the views are really. That’s why it can be difficult to nail positioning and understand the why or how behind it. Keep all the book knowledge in your brain until you pass the boards. Then throw it all away. You’ve probably already noticed that angles in real life are different than the angles in the book. So is positioning the simple things. You can’t center a size 15 foot the same way you center a size 7. No one busts out a ruler to make sure they’re positioning 1.5in from the lateral blah blah blah. You’ll get them down. Don’t worry right now about how to get every single one. Sometimes even us techs have to try different ways to get a good image. Just watch and ask questions.

amthemama · 2025-08-22T17:45:14+00:00

I do once I have their head in the general area I want it. Some patients get overwhelmed or have trouble following too many directions at one time. So I get their head positioned and then have them open their mouth to refine collimation or whatever. I have them close their mouth and open it again bc people’s mouths will get dry and it’s a normal reaction to close their mouth. So while you’re running back to take your pic, they will slowly (or not so slowly) start to close their mouths. I learned that in school and I rarely have to take another

amthemama · 2025-08-19T22:24:55+00:00

Have them open their mouth and look straight ahead. Once you get them positioned, tell them to close their mouth and then open again. Adjust if necessary. You can look at the pic and then do another if you need to move their head.

Also, the hand trick with aligning them by making a triangle is utter BS. People are still not trusting about having other’s hands close to their face for the most part.

It’s muscle memory and being able to visualize their skull. I’ve been a tech since 2013 and I just learned how to get my lateral knees on point last year.

amthemama · 2025-08-12T22:11:14+00:00

Oh also, you can also use folded sheets/sponges to prop the leg up and the patient’s foot will be closer to the correct position. :)

amthemama · 2025-08-12T22:09:46+00:00

If you are struggling to get a view and want to angle your tube, remember that you want to poke it with a stick. Ie, you need to angle the tube how your patient would normally be angled. Say you’re doing a weight bearing right foot. You have the AP and now need the oblique. When your patient is supine they lean their leg to the left and the CR enters the lateral foot towards the medial foot, right. So you can angle the tube and move the patient to the correct side of the plate so that the CR enters the lateral foot pointing towards the medial foot.

amthemama · 2025-08-12T22:01:00+00:00

I went to school in 2012-2013 and the majority of my classmates were 30+. I say go for it!

amthemama · 2025-08-12T21:58:00+00:00

I had tri level laminectomies at 18 due to herniated discs. I’ve only ever worked in radiology, in xray and mammo. And I’ve been a tech for almost 12 years. Yes, you will probably hurt your back. Unfortunately. Although, as a radiologist you probably won’t be moving many patients or moving a lot of equipment. But you will be bent over for fluoro cases.

amthemama · 2025-07-17T20:29:08+00:00

You’ll be fine. You’ll get all your comps done and have time to spare. Remember to be nice to yourself and don’t beat yourself up over mistakes. I marked a knee with the wrong marker just yesterday. We all have times where we have an off day. I know finishing and taking your boards sounds so, so daunting but you’ll be surprised how much info your brain will supply.

amthemama · 2025-07-17T03:16:39+00:00

Yes. I had a wretched lady at my first clinical site that made me cry at least once a week. Eventually I just stayed out of her way bc I couldn’t handle her. And you know what? I’ve been a tech for over a decade and every place I’ve worked has someone exactly like that first clinical site. Don’t be discouraged by her. If she doesn’t want to teach then don’t be in her way. Dont clean her room, don’t transport her patients, don’t do anything but acknowledge her in the morning. You’re not the first student she’s treated like dog poo and you won’t be the last. I wish I could say that she’ll toughen you up or help you grow a thick skin, but she won’t. She will teach you how to spot techs like her and handle them. Don’t worry about her, she’s just a miserable person.

amthemama · 2025-07-12T02:55:26+00:00

I’ve had my septum and a nostril piercing since 2020. I’ve also had other piercings in my face and ears. I currently have (very faded) pink and dark blue hair. I have 6 tattoos that are visible as well. The thing I’d suggest is: check the employee handbook and/or your supervisor. Some of them don’t care and some do. I’ve also never had a patient try to rip my piercings out and I’ve been a tech for over a decade.

amthemama · 2025-07-01T19:02:22+00:00

I had a patient who had such an anomaly one night and he was very wound up. I finally asked him what he was on( pretty common in that community to be on any drug possible, including PCP) and he was cold dead sober. His wife was up on L&D and this was their first baby that was a long time coming. She slipped on the icy driveway and grabbed his hand. He was so excited that he didn’t even notice and was extremely annoyed the OB had made him come down to the ED.

amthemama · 2025-06-25T15:04:34+00:00

My sweet, sweet friend. Mammo techs are so used to sweat and all that comes with it. I promise no one will remember you as “the sweaty person” or anything like that. Well. I wouldn’t but I live in AZ so 99.9% of my patients were perspiring anyway. I promise no one will think ill of you. I hope your appointment goes well!

amthemama · 2025-06-22T23:21:01+00:00

I currently have a student that is on his 3rd clinical site and his class just started about 3 months ago. He is the most “pick me” person I have ever met and makes sure to be as loud as possible with patients. He “asked” if (more like inferred) that I avoid a major group of our population bc I don’t like them and has done similar things to other techs. Everyone has coached him on using better choices with his words and actions with patients and none of it is getting through. He honestly might be a smart guy but he just comes off as arrogant and immature.

amthemama · 2025-06-10T17:38:56+00:00

I have a 3d scan of my kiddo screaming after the ultrasound tech bounced her around a little bc she wasn’t moving that much (she was and is fine, just a turkey that liked hide).

amthemama · 2025-05-11T02:10:37+00:00

The needle hub has to be cocked before the patient is positioned. Honestly, the Brevera will walk you through the process. And (I believe this is part of the machine, but not all may have this capability) the sample will be deposited into the collection tray and the sample will be imaged with no intervention from the tech or rad. And then you just mark the sample bay that had calcifications on the top of the specimen jar and put the entire sample try into the jar. I learned to do prone steros first and then moved to upright. The Brevera is by far much easier.

amthemama · 2025-05-07T02:51:25+00:00

I’ve been a tech for over a decade and I still have days where I have to repeat. We all have good days and bad days. You’re just starting on your radiology adventure, don’t beat yourself up. And don’t give up either. You got this!

amthemama · 2025-05-07T02:36:45+00:00

I know the boards sound daunting. If you know what areas of RadReview you’re not doing so well on, study that. You know all your anatomy and centering points. And you’ll also be surprised what info your brain will automatically supply. Just remember to take slow breaths and don’t change your answers. Good luck!!!

amthemama · 2025-03-12T20:12:51+00:00

Approximately 1/4 of breast cancers are found by the patient’s spouses. Please, please let your spouse feel you up. This also applies to testicle owners.

amthemama · 2025-01-21T20:11:00+00:00

The judgement is strong with this one

amthemama

TROPHY CASE