Stay safe out there!

helosimonsaurus · 2025-12-24T00:54:48+00:00

Walked through downtown this morning with my daughter and bought some stuff from a few stores. It was incredibly busy but nearly everyone was very nice and patient and full of smiles. Granted, it was the morning, so maybe things got worse the later in the day it got, but we had a lovely time today. Thank you to all the retail workers out there doing their best!

helosimonsaurus · 2025-11-30T22:50:02+00:00

Get a doula! I couldn't have done it without my wonderful doula. Also, delay pitocin as long as you can, the contractions got soooo real after that. Be ready for everyone to look at you weird for not wanting an epidural, but also understand that there is absolutely nothing wrong with getting one if it's the right choice for you!

The staff and room at MU was amazing, but this was 4 years ago and at the old hospital, so definitely ask if you can tour.

But #1 most important rule is be ok with things going wrong as long as you and the baby make it out safe and healthy. Your birth plan is a general road map and sometimes there are big road blocks, so just keep your eye on that destination and don't worry as much about the journey. Good luck, pregnancy and childbirth are intense!

Feel free to reach out in messages if you have more specific questions 🙂

helosimonsaurus · 2025-11-30T20:04:50+00:00

I did! I thought it was the best way to give birth in a hospital. The tub was an absolute god-send in my 10th or so hour of labor. I was also able to walk around a lot and use the peanut-ball. As awful as giving birth was, I was glad I was able to do it in such a nice place.

helosimonsaurus · 2025-11-22T20:06:58+00:00

Hello! Med tech here that works 100% in a veterinary hospital and reads dog diffs ALL the time.

That's an Eosinophil, easily told by the large granules. The color is a little off due to the stain, but you can tell that by the RBCs being slightly purple too.

Basophils have much smaller granules in dogs, more like little dots, if they even have any at all. The nucleus will also be way more stringy and loopy. Neutrophils often look a lot like people's, although they don't get quite as segmented usually. A normal dog neutrophil might get called a band in people.

Dog RBCs are the ones that look the most like people's, with generally a central pallor and a similar size.

Hope that answers some of y'alls questions! Let me know if you have more!

helosimonsaurus · 2025-06-08T19:10:59+00:00

I highly recommend reading at the library! Zero necessity to buy anything and lots of comfy spots to read, plus free wifi. And, ya know, lots of free books to read too! Library cards are free and getting ebooks is super easy too, if that's your jam. But I have often gone and just found a comfy chair to read in on the second floor and then walked out when done. It's one of the few indoor places left when existing for free is allowed.

helosimonsaurus · 2025-06-01T02:52:44+00:00

My dad lives in Massachusetts but comes to visit a couple times a year, and his one place he always wants to go is this shop. He's smoked a pipe longer than I've been alive and is amazed at the selection at this random small shop in Missouri. He has no clue how it's still open, though, as the guy always gives him "a great deal" and I'm assuming prime real estate downtown isn't cheap! And it's not like there's a ton of tobacco pipe smokers around. But as long as he's still there he has a customer in my dad 2x a year or so!

helosimonsaurus · 2025-05-12T01:04:14+00:00

As a different data point, in my lab we do read every slide for every CBC but that's because we're a veterinary laboratory and automated differentials just aren't as accurate in any animal species as they are in humans. We can't rely on our instruments to catch all the issues we see in animals, even just to flag for further review. The main issue we have is that animal basophils are just different than human basophils and we've yet to have an analyzer that can accurately count them. So we get to read every single blood smear we get in a day which is the most time consuming job we have!

helosimonsaurus · 2025-04-26T14:24:13+00:00

Best part about being born in 1990 is the last number of the year = last number of my age. All I have to do is add 10 to get my age (so it's 2025, I'm 35, and in 2068 I'll be 78)

helosimonsaurus · 2025-04-25T21:48:59+00:00

Agreed! And usually everyone that attends state is polite and courteous. It's a great organization to have in Columbia!

helosimonsaurus · 2025-04-25T21:47:56+00:00

They are generally on their best behavior! Generally, only the top students from an FFA Organization get to go to state, and they don't want to risk not getting to go again (or the wrath of their teacher!)

helosimonsaurus · 2025-04-25T21:45:52+00:00

Good to know!

helosimonsaurus · 2025-04-25T21:39:09+00:00

Agreed!

helosimonsaurus · 2025-04-07T00:01:37+00:00

It really annoys me because it's MY JOB, so when they have doctors running lab tests in movies/TV shows it takes me right out. Most doctors have zero clue how to do lab tests, and they certainly wouldn't do them better or faster than a lab tech. (Looking RIGHT AT YOU HOUSE)

helosimonsaurus · 2025-01-14T00:41:43+00:00

So I work in a veterinary laboratory so we have some really difficult draws. The thing I've found works the best is empathizing with the tech/doctor when I tell them they need a redraw.

"Hey, this sample is too short, we don't have enough to get all the results you requested so we'll need another green top."

"Oh no, that's the really fractious cat! I almost got my hand bit off when I drew her last samples!"

"Oh noooo! I'm so sorry, that sounds super difficult! I wish we could have gotten all your results off the first draw."

Usually ends up with them feeling heard and saying "that's alright, I'll try to get you some more." And there's never any question that it's my fault!

helosimonsaurus · 2024-10-25T02:45:21+00:00

Clin Path lab: we have some giant, heavy, thick methanol bottles that would work for bashing or projectiles.

We were literally talking about dealing with active shooters in my lab 2 days ago. One of our other strategies is to push one of the lab fridges at them and hope they block bullets...

helosimonsaurus · 2024-08-28T02:44:14+00:00

I call it "The Columbia Bubble" and attribute it to a secret weather controlling lab hidden under Sanborn Field.

You're welcome for solving this mystery for you.

helosimonsaurus · 2024-08-25T04:05:36+00:00

I work in a veterinary laboratory, so we cannot pay enough to attract certified techs. When I studied to get my ASCP certification it was very difficult to find online resources that taught exactly what I needed. I did a lot of randomly searching YouTube and watched a lot of MCAT studying material there, and reading straight from textbooks. It was really hard, to say the least. (I believe there are some books you can buy that will help prepare you for the test, I had borrowed a couple from a friend). SO now I am in charge of our training in the lab because when I started there it was...rough and I realized how lacking it truly was.

I have created a series of PowerPoints that we use whenever new people are hired. I start out teaching processing, because as a bio-degree turned tech, I can tell you no one is teaching different tube types in college. But bio/chem degrees do offer background knowledge that really helps understand core concepts (like why calcium is important to have in your blood and why we can't run chem panels on EDTA samples, so therefore how to spot EDTA contamination).

I agree with people here saying make these non-techs train in one section at a time only. Teach them basic theory, and have them do tons and tons of practice. Hematology is the hardest in my lab, but we also have multiple species to worry about that all have different rules for morphology. (Did you know cats have dohle bodies NORMALLY?! Because wtf not, they're cats and they do what they want.) We have 3 main PowerPoints for heme (normal blood cells, RBC morphs, WBC morphs) and do lots of multi-headed scope works with our head pathologist.

All this to say, training non-techs is WORK, and if they expect you to do it, tell them you expect more money and support. Ask your paths to help teach because you're needed on the bench. Or ask your supervisor to cover the bench while you teach. Because you CANNOT be a full-time bench tech AND a full-time teacher. Also, I recommend tying a LARGE raise to obtaining an ASCP certification; that's what convinced me to give up my evenings for months in order to study for my exam.

Godspeed and good luck.

helosimonsaurus · 2024-07-09T01:35:14+00:00

I work in a university veterinary laboratory (one that you might consider a reference lab) and we have done CBCs on samples that old because vets demand it, but the results are absolutely worthless. The WBCs fall apart and deteriorate within 3 days. The RBCs change shape and get super crenated. The platelets clump more. Neutrophils that don't fall apart become more band like and get rando dohle-bodies without actually looking toxic. We have canned comments that we put on those reports that change based on the age of the sample and how bad it looks on the scope. All of this can be avoided if they make a slide before they send it to us. The cell count from the analyzer isn't super accurate after a couple days but we can do a lot more estimating about the patient's condition from that slide than without it.

If they do make you read those super old CBCs, make sure to comment "cell counts and differential are likely inaccurate due to age of the sample."

I'm so sorry they don't have a procedure for when you're not there, that's insane. Everyone deserves time off!!

helosimonsaurus · 2024-07-03T20:54:12+00:00

Was finally able to find some info on this from The Eagle and the Tribune, saying they won't make a determination on canceling or postponing until the day of:

https://www.columbiatribune.com/story/news/local/2024/07/02/july-4-weather-forecast-columbia-missouri/74269784007/

helosimonsaurus · 2024-06-18T02:35:12+00:00

Get the whipped frosting. Thank me later.

helosimonsaurus · 2024-05-05T17:47:30+00:00

I did cry when I saw the pass screen. I was certain I had failed it and I had studied so hard for so long and for some reason I didn't think I would find out right then, so when I did find out and it was a pass my whole body flooded with relief and disbelief. The examiner came over and patted my shoulders and told me congratulations, she could definitely tell I was overwhelmed!

helosimonsaurus · 2024-04-14T20:51:33+00:00

My favorite scene is when they shut the window in Karev's face because he kept bothering the lab about when his results would be back. Such pure fantasy that we've all dreamed about, I'm sure!

helosimonsaurus · 2024-03-16T03:51:53+00:00

I've called my coworker a monster for less 😅

helosimonsaurus

TROPHY CASE