Posted this in a medical thread

[ksaves2]

Hi,

I got an email from a medical group that mentioned something about "It's not rocket science" as pertaining to neurosurgery. I posted and elaborated humorously to the discussion I've done primary care medicine and still want to get back to launching rockets. The link to the article I was answering is here: https://www.medpagetoday.com/neurol...121721&utm_term=NL_Gen_Int_PopMedicine_Active

Don't know if it will work but it was about neurosurgeons. Here's the post:

I had the pleasure of being in primary care medicine for 32 years and participate in "rocket science" for the last 12 years and still do so in retirement from medicine. So I've done both medicine and rocket science too! O.K. I'm not at NASA but I've flown ammonium perchlorate composite rocket propellant to 10,000 feet. A lot of my fellow rocketeers have flown 10 times higher than me in the proper launch venue. A lot of this requires economically available electronics, e-matches and flash powder for parachute deployment.

Basically, one blows a small parachute out at apogee which can be many thousands of feet in the air and then as the rocket descends rapidly, a charge blows out a larger parachute at a lower level for a soft landing for reuse and not as far of a walk or 4-wheeler ride to recover. The satisfaction of a nominal flight is great. The tension at a high powered rocketry launch is just as great as at a NASA launch as I'm responsible for it. There's an adrenaline rush as the rocket is going up and a slight relief when the drogue chute is out. When the big main chute blows for a soft landing man, that is a great feeling. What a hobby.

I use a checklist and unlike medicine, if an "anomaly" occurs, I may lose some equipment but at least I won't get sued! A crash in an open farm field is no big deal. I might add that rocket fliers have ceiling dispensation from the FAA to fly. If rocket fliers want to use a launch site near major aviation airways, they appropriately nix it. If a site is out in the boondocks, the FAA has no problem and only ask to be notified when a launch is going to occur so a notice to airmen (NOTAM) can be issued. The amateur rocketry community takes FAA ceiling waivers seriously and if there are issues with airways, seek out other safer launching sites that can be approved by the FAA.

I remember a most memorable flight of a compatriot. Put up a big rocket with a large big mother rocket motor. The rocket was close to 100lbs loaded weight. Most of that was motor. We had the appropriate dispensation from the local authorities. The head of the rocket club besides activating the FAA waiver would tell the local police we'd be flying.

We'll the upside of the flight was fine but he reversed the charges so the main parachute blew out at probably over 10,000 feet. The rocket drifted to the east and eventually as we were preparing to "attempt" to recover it, the head of the rocket club got a cellphone call from the local police department. Some officers were sitting eating lunch at a MacDonald's in town and this monstrous rocket comes gently landing in on a 27 foot parachute in a grassy spot next to the drive-in! The police knew who to call and told him, "We found your rocket."

It was so hilarious and since we were flying legally with the appropriate FAA dispensation, there was no legal repercussions since the rocket didn't damage anyone's property. Our club lucked out that day. The police were amused to say the least. At further launches, local and state police officers stopped by to watch launches on their breaks and such. Was great chit-chatting with them. The electronics improved and we never had "in town" landings after that.

 

[NateB]

That's an interesting article, I realize it is a little tongue-in-cheek, but it is interesting to note some common traits among different medical specialists and other professions. It is hard to say if certain personalities are drawn to certain specialties, or if the culture of those groups changes someone's personality.

On another note; I'm only an amateur rocket scientist and chemist, I am certainly not a brain surgeon, although I can claim to be a professional pyrotechnician. I strongly object someone using flash powder for parachute deployment. Doing so changes the meaning of "blow it out or blow it up" entirely.

 

[cwbullet]

I have met a lot of brilliant medical specialists. Some of the most intelligent never specialize.

 

[ksaves2]

Ahhh, I use the recommended 4F powder that's been posted here. 5lbs. will last one's lifetime if they don't fly monstrous projects.

Some specialist physicians are fine with patients but are a-holes with support personnel. Some neurosurgeons could be complete jerks in the O.R. but some were the coolest, calmest people I've ever known. Had great respect for them.

General surgeons were all over the place. Some were screamers to the n'th degree but their behavior was tolerated as they were excellent at operating and had good outcomes. Others were absolutely cool and stayed cool even if the s#it was hitting the fan and never swore like the others.

I liked being in the O.R. with the latter. It's sort of sad I'm reading obits of surgeons I had the pleasure to be in their operating rooms. They did make it to their late 80's and early 90's so that is consolation.

I will never forget witnessing a meningioma resection that is a benign brain tumor which in this case was on top of this woman's brain.

Benign is the big word here as peeling this thing off was a straight forward, tedious event though the patient is expected to recover completely.

The neurosurgeon opened the skull and boy oh boy, they took a saw and sawed about the whole 1/3rd or 2/3rds off the top of her head. He nonchalantly tossed/threw the top of this woman's skull to the assisting nurse instead of handing it to her. She dropped it on the floor as he flung it pretty fast.

OMG. I thought a tirade would follow but the neurosurgeon just looked and said, "Go autoclave it." The nurse handed the top of the skull off and re-gowned while it was being autoclaved to sterilize it. It was brought back steaming into the room. It took a long time for the neurosurgeon to gently peel the tumor off the woman's brain with a an operating microscope so it cooled down before the end of the operation.

Got the tumor out, the top of the skull was cold and he wired it back on her head and closed up. Yeah I got to do some skin sutures. She recovered fine and her symptoms of brain compression went away from the now removed tumor as I had to do the followup during her recovery. She did fine and I made no mention of the "skull-flinging" episode.

I had to look in the medical books later and found out autoclaving/steam sterilizing bones is no big deal and new bone cells will migrate back into the bone after it is "reattached" to the living body.

Ummmm, this is from over 40 years ago so I think the statue of limitations has run out and I didn't give names.

Kurt




Kurt

 

[tsmmiller]

I’ve got to say I admire and respect those of you that are or were in the medical profession.
My family has been in either medicine or aviation for generations. A few in both. Everything from Hospital Administrators, RN’s, Flight Nurses, Paramedics and GP’s. One family member volunteered for three tours in Nam as a Dustoff.
My formative years I was mostly into the aviation side with thoughts of going to the medical side later. I had the opportunity to watch part of a surgery involving the liver of a man that drank Sturno. It was not pleasant and the smell was something I will never forget.
I decided right then that the medical side was NOT going to be in my future. I went into the aviation side, starting by chasing helicopters around the country, then moved into engine overhauls. From there I moved in Quality Control. I’ve been inspecting major components for nearly every 7xx aircraft for 35 years now. Sometimes I still think I should have gone into medicine.
On a side note: I have a 7yo son. His Christmas list - A pregnancy, brain, skull and skeleton anatomy models, a book on human anatomy. Ask him to draw a heart and he will draw you an accurate representation of the human heart!

 

[NateB]

On a side note: I have a 7yo son. His Christmas list - A pregnancy, brain, skull and skeleton anatomy models, a book on human anatomy. Ask him to draw a heart and he will draw you an accurate representation of the human heart!

That's great!

When I was a child, I always had my Hot Wheels ambulance on standby with the rest of my race cars. I was fascinated with the reenactments when William Shatner hosted Rescue 911 and would tell people that I was going to work in a trauma center when I grew up. I still remember the first time I met the flight crew when our helicopter was placed into service in 1989 (I was 7.)

 

[StreuB1]

Using flash powder for deployment gives a new meaning to the term "Blow it out or blow it up" with regard to the 'laundry.'

 

[Grog6]

The flash I make would turn the chute into little fragments, lol. I add a bit more sulfur to the gunpowder I make for ejection charges, to evolve more gas.