Radiology Field Trip

When I called the Hospital to schedule a tour, I asked if we could specifically see the radiology department, as that was what we were studying. I also told the lady the ages of the kids, but evidently she didn't remember them, because when we got there, the radiologist's face kind of fell and she said, "Oh, I wish someone had TOLD me they'd be so young!" So it was sad, because they ARE young, but people underestimate them, because they are also smart. And we'd been learning about this stuff already, so they had a lot of background and would have been ready to learn probably a lot more in-depth than she imagined. I tried saying, "It's okay, just try us, we'll stop you if we don't understand!"---but some people just don't think kids are capable of much, I guess.

So, it was a great field trip, and we loved what we did get to see, but we felt like it was way more dumbed-down than it needed to be. The lady talked in this high, kind of babyish voice and said things like "And THIS is the X-RAY machine! It's like a big . . . CAMERA! Like your mom and dad's CAMERA that takes cute pictures of you! Only pictures of your INSIDES!" I could see the kids kind of tapping their feet and thinking, "Okay, when are we going to get to the ionizing radiation?"

We did get to see a bunch of interesting x-ray pictures showing swallowed objects and nails that had gone through people's feet and so forth, and everyone liked that, despite heavy moralizing from the radiologist ("And so THAT'S why you should always let your mommy put you in your CARSEAT!"). A little moralizing never hurt anyone where broken bones are concerned, I suppose---the children were duly sobered and impressed. :)

One funny moment came when Malachi raised his hand and asked why the cords and tubing above the machine were so large. The lady began to explain ("You see, there's something called ELECTRICITY in there, like a plug in the wall---you know there are plugs for your TV in the wall, and you must NEVER stick your finger in because you might get a SHOCK? . . . ") and then Malachi understood what she was trying to say and kind of cut her off: "Oh, it's extra insulated because of the large current. Okay." She seemed rather taken aback, but at that point the tour was nearly over so it didn't do any good. :)

Naturally, in the days that followed, Sebby made several of his own x-rays (each one a cautionary tale) showing horribly fractured arms and legs, as well as people who had swallowed saws, staplers and open safety pins.