My first one was when I went to UCSF to watch Dr. Wilson work. My anesthesiologist allowed me to shadow her for one day, since I was considering going into medical school. It was blue and I put it in my scrapbook.
I always wore the blue because there were most of them. But on trauma cases, as we resuscitated the new admits in the trauma bay, we wore the yellow ones with loops behind our ears.
I never really liked the cone ones, which are blue and have one elastic strap behind the head like a birthday hat would have go under the chin. They felt icky.
On my clerkship in surgery, I wore the green one with the sticky part on the nose.even though it is for people who wear glasses and don't want them to fog, I wore it because it brought out the green in my brown-green-hazel eyes.
I wore the same green mask, more or less my entire fellowship and attending years.
Until I met Technol So Soft--the white hypoallergenic one. For once my sinuses were not irritated by the end of the day. There is some chemical that they put on those masks that is pretty harsh. I have worn the white for four years every day I work.
Today on the Labor Deck, they ran out of my white ones. There was no time to go to the Main OR to get a box. So with a little concern, I got the blue one. It still smells the same. But over the years they have improved it! The ties are silky soft. And there is a foam cushy thing between the wire that adjusts to your nose (all masks have them) and you. It has felt really nice all day while I have been on my c-sections and epidurals.
You know, I should have mentioned, my patient couldn't believe how calm she was in surgery. Last time she was 'nerviosa'. I smiled my Cheshire grin under the mask. I had been giving Reiki the whole time!
Namaste,
Reiki Doc
P.S. read between the lines. ; )
