Saturday, January 31, 2009

Another Day, Another Dead 'un.



The schedule varies from being completely uneventful - and the word dead just seems to describe it appropriately - to definitely jumping: bodies to go pick up from all wards at the same time, tissue disposal to do in the back (we'll talk about that one later), relatives and funeral homes calling, and bodies and gurneys to get shuffled around.

Today two bodies weren't logged into the holding area logbook, so no idea where they came from, but I did log them out. New MEAs and nurses sometimes don't know procedures with deceased clients, and there's lots of them these days.

Hospital policy for naming unknown cases (dead ppl who are unidentified) is to give them a random animal name, plus an emergency room code with numbers, until they're identified by coroner or family. They come in to me as Zebra, Antelope, Elephant, Deer, Penguin, Tiger, Lion etc.

Kind of bizarre getting these body bags with critter named tags. Not sure where the idea comes from, to call ppl with animal names, instead of just a number. I'll have to ask.

People wander lost in the hospital underground tunnels. Proof is in the wall hieroglyphics. They are utterly lonely, and sometimes all they can do, besides giving haphazard directions to somebody who might or might not pass the same spot, is answer back desperately to any sign of human communication in these dark labyrinthine dungeons.

Wednesday, December 17, 2008


Never before have I felt like such a number.

I received my social security summary statement that says that when I'm 62 I will net over $1000 per month if I stop working.

$1000.

That may be enough for a nice dinner by that time I come of that age.

Amazing, how all the cool things I was going to do kind of evaporated.

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Today


I extracted a kitty cat brain.

It was a red tabby stray who bit someone in Bernal Heights and was given dead to animal control.

3 weeks ago I did a coyote. I've done two dog heads, a red terrier and a pit.

Animal control doesn't have their own autopsy facilities so they bring the heads to us, we take out the brain, examine it for rabies, and let them know.

We also get skunk, bat, rat, rabbit, squirrel heads and any urban mammal that bites somebody - then dies.

Monday, June 06, 2005

Newbie blahgger

Never blogged before. It's... it's... exciting.