Awkward (and other) questions about MNers jobs-following on from *Pinocchio's 1st thread.

Heps it's a case of benefit over ruling the risk. The doses these days are kept to an absolute minimum.

Some people have X-rays every day for months( mainly those on ITU)

Sorry your dd has had all that done at such a young age.

doin

x-post (took ages to type as DD is hogging my arm! )

Gussiegrips (excellent name BTW) - thank you for your reply. Will get clenching! I would have loved to see your Edinburgh show!

Horry
x-rays should be avoided as gamma rays are penetrating and can cause DNA damage in cells, cell death due to DNA damage, cancer etc.

that could have terrible consequences to the DNA of the cells and the cells themselves of a growing fetus and probably worse if radiation occurs at the rapid cell division phase in the beginning.

so yes, X-rays must be avoided, who could take the risk?

what I don't know, however, is that if a pg woman needed an x-ray for say a broken arm, but wore a protective lead gear would the zygote/embryo/fetus still be at risk?

can anyone answer that?

Doinmummy my youngest DD is 4.8 and has had over a dozen X-rays, 2 barium swallows and will be having another X-ray tomorrow. (All but one have been chest X-rays). All in the past 20 months - is this anyway harmful to her? A bit of a daft question I suppose, as she needs the X-rays to check her lungs and without them I suppose they can't see. Vicious circle and all that.

mignonette thank you for continuing the thread. You know how much you have helped me, and it's wonderful to read through so many new questions.

I've got a question for actors or anyone involved in the acting business.

If someone takes a role as the baddie in one of those drama-documentaries about crime - I know that they're often cast because of their resemblance to the real perpetrator - but do they ever get "recognised" (mis-identified) in real life?

Just read both threads, wow! Awesome.

terror like Parker I have goin it to be a bit of a mixed bag - certainly have had pupils from troubled backgrounds who have shown challenging behaviour, but also pupils from challenging backgrounds who haven't. So far in my career (3rd year teaching) 3 parents have made me cry - all from one class! - and only 1 of their children was 'badly behaved' the others were absolutely lovely kids!

My questions are both medically related - any nurses or doctors ?

1. Since I've been teaching and having to hold my bladder a lot throughout the day, I am finding it harder and harder to actually pee! I now have to really concentrate and usually don't feel fully relieved after I've had a piss - like I still need to go but I can't iyswim? Are these related? If not what could it be? Is there anything I can do about it?

1. I was born with a hole in the muscle wall of my stomach and had an operation to repair it when I was 13 as it was becoming painful. The doctor said that he had goin more damage in other areas of my muscle and had repaired it at the same time. In y early twenties I had a laproscopy and now have a similar feeling (but much smaller) area above my belly button. Should I see the doctor?! And how likely is it that I will have problems during pregnancy / birth? Have visions of my muscles tearing mid pregnancy or my stomach exploding during birth!

Ooh I hope I get some answers! :)

Horry it is advisable not to have scans when pregnant , especially in the first trimester. MRI is not so bad as it uses magnets and not radiation like X-rays .

However if it is a question of life or death then a scan will be done.

It's not so bad to have extremities xrayed ( hands ,feet) as the dose is tiny and the X-rays won't reach your tummy area.

coraltoes I think you either have a strong stomach or you don't . We all have our 'things' that we struggle with though. Mine is stinky, weeping , smelly ulcers

For midwives....

Does it matter at all what a women writes in her birth plan? Or do you just do what you always do anyway?

Ie worth bothering with a birth plan?

Thanks

NeverKnowinglyUnderstood It's a good question about destroying the records and my honest answer is that I don't know how long the records are kept - there is a certain legal requirement and then they may be destroyed. I've never been in a single post long enough to see the end of my records. The legal requirement is different in different settings. The British Psychological Society publishes good practice guidelines on record keeping which sets out what psychologist should do (sorry I couldn't get the links to work). For some reason I have 7 years in my mind, but I'm not sure that's an accurate figure.

Ooh love this thread.

Any surgical kit / prosthesis reps out there? Do you inwardly groan when a surgeon starts ranting at you about a certain kit? Do you actually care when they suggest improvements? Do you feel awkward at having to be super polite all the time?

I'm an orthopaedic doctor if anyone has any questions :)

Doinmummy when I broke my arm I nearly vommed at sight of it all bent and mangled. How do you avoid spewing on your shoes when you X-ray injuries?!

surprised nobody has asked any questions of the drs secretary...

HI what a great idea for a thread.

I can answer questions on print advertising - classified and display (the big full page ads in mags and papers). Not sure if there's much of interest there though...

I would like to know about Childminders who have kids all day... what do you do with them? Do you feel responsible to do the sorts of things that the parents might be doing with them (like at different ages, teaching colours, numbers, reading to them, playing games etc. etc.) if they weren't at work, or do they learn to amuse themselves, or do they watch a lot of telly? Genuinely interested, in a totally non-judgemental way.

Doin - does it really matter if you have xrays or other scans (CT/MRI) when you're pregnant? or is it just a precaution?

Surprisingly I still eat a lot of pizza. I tend to make my own at work and take it home with me, but I do order from other pizza places. I couldn't stand and make one at home though, that would be too much like bringing work home!

not really a job, but I want to know if my friends really don't mind helping when I ask or they are just being polite....

I hope they don't mind and perhaps even happy too.
I'd hate it if it turned out they roll their eyes and think "oh, not again!"

it does bother me.
I don't ask often on purpose.

I was a classroom teacher for seven years or so. I found the children with parents who were reliable and consistent in their approach to life had the best behaved children, on the whole. It had nothing to do with social class, and everything to do with sensible boundaries having been learned by these parents when they were children themselves.

thanks... at what point do you destroy your notes.. I am assuming it isn't possible to keep every note for ever??

Train drivers:
Yes, they should know pretty much exactly where they are; certainly to the last signal they passed.

(I work for a train company)

Fab thread! Any questions on X-rays ? I'm happy to answer .

Love anchovies...

Mignonette I'm very very lucky where I'm currently working in that I have more or less unlimited sessions with clients (I live abroad) and lots of supervision / peer supervision time. Even so, I usually try to implement many of the ideas from my former more time limited NHS work ie regular reviews. I don’t like the idea of meeting someone for years for the sake of it as I feel that can foster dependence. On the other hand, some issues just can’t be solved in 20 sessions which is just so depressing with NHS work.

NeverKnowinglyUnderstood Once I get to know someone then I can usually read in their face / body language that something’s not quite true or what they’re saying just doesn't fit them. But not always. Often it’s teenagers who are not telling the truth and I find it harder to tell – but if I suspect then I’ll give a spiel about ‘you can tell me what you wish, but since I trust what you say, not telling the truth will only hurt your therapy’ (but much much more subtly). In the end, people may have many good reasons not to tell the truth and I may work on improving their sense of safety and trust in the sessions rather than calling them on what they’re saying. Or I may ‘give them permission’ to be honest with me: saying something wasn't helpful or that I've misunderstood them.

The thing about not flinching is not just that we've heard similar things before (although that too) but also it’s as if we’re hearing this from the inside not as if my client is talking to a stranger; so on one level I'm right there feeling this with my client. But sometimes inside me I'm seething at something that was done to them (seething at the perpetrators) or I may even have tears in my eyes on occasion. Also, at the end of the day, I walk away and don’t carry home what I have heard: that’s what gives me the strength to help.

It has been several years since I last worked in England, so paper notes may have disappeared, but this is how it used to work. Legally, therapists have to keep notes (certainly in the NHS). I do so openly, but if my client is very bothered I may either photocopy it for them at the end of each session so that they can see what I have written or write after the session. It helps one to listen, to bridge the different sessions, to plan where to go etc. The notes are totally confidential. When I worked in a CMHT I wrote a couple of lines in the general CMHT file and kept my own detailed notes in a locked file. The notes are always kept in a locked cabinet and are not accessed by anyone else. Confidentiality is truly paramount.

The only circumstances under which I would breach confidentiality would be: if there is a reasonable suspicion of harm to someone else (like child abuse) or if I am worried that you will walk out of the session and commit suicide. This does not mean that everyone who says they’re considering suicide loses their confidentiality. In any case I would always try to discuss my concerns first with you. I will also bring my cases to supervision but this is also bound by confidentiality.

The only other thing I would add is that it’s always OK to ask these kind of questions. If you don’t feel ‘safe’ in therapy then it’s hard to open up. You are far from being alone in these kinds of concerns.

For those who asked about prison officers and always being worried. It depends but in general I think you always keep your guard up, no matter how nice the inmate might be because they could turn nasty to you or a fellow inmate just like that.

Also, sometimes you can build a bit of a relationship up with an inmate. In the sense that you may have an inside joke or chat about a film you both like etc. But you'd never tell them personal things about your family life that's the biggest no no.

This is from my Dad working as a Prison Officer and a Drug Rehab Officer. So if anyone wants me to ask him any questions fire away.

I'm boring see, only ever done officer work - uni was just too expensive at the time for me. I would've done Psychology though, so know a fair bit about it.

I'd have loved to have been a midwife but alas, not good enough sight.

What an excellent answer, Parker.

Can't stand the thought of anchovies either they are revolting Kitty.

Marking place