Tune ups and college

Sunnie

New member
I managed to catch some sort of cold that seems to not want to give up. Doctor wants me to do a home tune-up and see if that will help give me the boost I need to get rid of this bug. Normally, home-tune ups aren't a big deal. But this quarter I'm in a genetic lab class (which I worked my butt off to get into), and I'm not sure how safe it would be for me to have a line in my heart accessed while in this lab. I'm handling bacteria, some viruses (deactivated), and other microscopic organisms. And while I'm very stringent on sterile technique, I'm not sure if I should be taking the risk. I can't drop the class or I lose my financial aide and the class is only once a year. Right now the doctor has been giving me oral antibiotics but they only work for a short time.

So I'm wondering if anyone knows how to keep an accessed port protected, while working in the lab. I can't use normal IV tape due to allergies, so I can only use Medipore stuff (it's like gauze with an adhesive). The port is under my collar bone, I just need some ideas to avoid contamination.
 

Sunnie

New member
I managed to catch some sort of cold that seems to not want to give up. Doctor wants me to do a home tune-up and see if that will help give me the boost I need to get rid of this bug. Normally, home-tune ups aren't a big deal. But this quarter I'm in a genetic lab class (which I worked my butt off to get into), and I'm not sure how safe it would be for me to have a line in my heart accessed while in this lab. I'm handling bacteria, some viruses (deactivated), and other microscopic organisms. And while I'm very stringent on sterile technique, I'm not sure if I should be taking the risk. I can't drop the class or I lose my financial aide and the class is only once a year. Right now the doctor has been giving me oral antibiotics but they only work for a short time.

So I'm wondering if anyone knows how to keep an accessed port protected, while working in the lab. I can't use normal IV tape due to allergies, so I can only use Medipore stuff (it's like gauze with an adhesive). The port is under my collar bone, I just need some ideas to avoid contamination.
 

Sunnie

New member
I managed to catch some sort of cold that seems to not want to give up. Doctor wants me to do a home tune-up and see if that will help give me the boost I need to get rid of this bug. Normally, home-tune ups aren't a big deal. But this quarter I'm in a genetic lab class (which I worked my butt off to get into), and I'm not sure how safe it would be for me to have a line in my heart accessed while in this lab. I'm handling bacteria, some viruses (deactivated), and other microscopic organisms. And while I'm very stringent on sterile technique, I'm not sure if I should be taking the risk. I can't drop the class or I lose my financial aide and the class is only once a year. Right now the doctor has been giving me oral antibiotics but they only work for a short time.

So I'm wondering if anyone knows how to keep an accessed port protected, while working in the lab. I can't use normal IV tape due to allergies, so I can only use Medipore stuff (it's like gauze with an adhesive). The port is under my collar bone, I just need some ideas to avoid contamination.
 

Sunnie

New member
I managed to catch some sort of cold that seems to not want to give up. Doctor wants me to do a home tune-up and see if that will help give me the boost I need to get rid of this bug. Normally, home-tune ups aren't a big deal. But this quarter I'm in a genetic lab class (which I worked my butt off to get into), and I'm not sure how safe it would be for me to have a line in my heart accessed while in this lab. I'm handling bacteria, some viruses (deactivated), and other microscopic organisms. And while I'm very stringent on sterile technique, I'm not sure if I should be taking the risk. I can't drop the class or I lose my financial aide and the class is only once a year. Right now the doctor has been giving me oral antibiotics but they only work for a short time.

So I'm wondering if anyone knows how to keep an accessed port protected, while working in the lab. I can't use normal IV tape due to allergies, so I can only use Medipore stuff (it's like gauze with an adhesive). The port is under my collar bone, I just need some ideas to avoid contamination.
 

Sunnie

New member
I managed to catch some sort of cold that seems to not want to give up. Doctor wants me to do a home tune-up and see if that will help give me the boost I need to get rid of this bug. Normally, home-tune ups aren't a big deal. But this quarter I'm in a genetic lab class (which I worked my butt off to get into), and I'm not sure how safe it would be for me to have a line in my heart accessed while in this lab. I'm handling bacteria, some viruses (deactivated), and other microscopic organisms. And while I'm very stringent on sterile technique, I'm not sure if I should be taking the risk. I can't drop the class or I lose my financial aide and the class is only once a year. Right now the doctor has been giving me oral antibiotics but they only work for a short time.

So I'm wondering if anyone knows how to keep an accessed port protected, while working in the lab. I can't use normal IV tape due to allergies, so I can only use Medipore stuff (it's like gauze with an adhesive). The port is under my collar bone, I just need some ideas to avoid contamination.
 

lightNlife

New member
It's good of you to be concerned about protecting yourself. I think you may be over-worried though. My suggestion would be to dress in layers on the days you have lab--which is good lab practice anyway. I used to work in a lab, and what I did was wear a t-shirt with a high neck or mock turtleneck, a long sleeve button down shirt, and my lab coat over that. Another suggestion would be to wear an ace wrap, wrapped like a halter top to cover your port. To do this, you take the center of the ace wrap and position it like you would a scarf at the back of your neck. Cross it in the front, then proceed to wrap it in a fashion that covers your port. Don't do it too tightly or you'll sweat and that could invite bacteria around your port.

Good luck! Personally, I prefer the layered clothing option.
 

lightNlife

New member
It's good of you to be concerned about protecting yourself. I think you may be over-worried though. My suggestion would be to dress in layers on the days you have lab--which is good lab practice anyway. I used to work in a lab, and what I did was wear a t-shirt with a high neck or mock turtleneck, a long sleeve button down shirt, and my lab coat over that. Another suggestion would be to wear an ace wrap, wrapped like a halter top to cover your port. To do this, you take the center of the ace wrap and position it like you would a scarf at the back of your neck. Cross it in the front, then proceed to wrap it in a fashion that covers your port. Don't do it too tightly or you'll sweat and that could invite bacteria around your port.

Good luck! Personally, I prefer the layered clothing option.
 

lightNlife

New member
It's good of you to be concerned about protecting yourself. I think you may be over-worried though. My suggestion would be to dress in layers on the days you have lab--which is good lab practice anyway. I used to work in a lab, and what I did was wear a t-shirt with a high neck or mock turtleneck, a long sleeve button down shirt, and my lab coat over that. Another suggestion would be to wear an ace wrap, wrapped like a halter top to cover your port. To do this, you take the center of the ace wrap and position it like you would a scarf at the back of your neck. Cross it in the front, then proceed to wrap it in a fashion that covers your port. Don't do it too tightly or you'll sweat and that could invite bacteria around your port.

Good luck! Personally, I prefer the layered clothing option.
 

lightNlife

New member
It's good of you to be concerned about protecting yourself. I think you may be over-worried though. My suggestion would be to dress in layers on the days you have lab--which is good lab practice anyway. I used to work in a lab, and what I did was wear a t-shirt with a high neck or mock turtleneck, a long sleeve button down shirt, and my lab coat over that. Another suggestion would be to wear an ace wrap, wrapped like a halter top to cover your port. To do this, you take the center of the ace wrap and position it like you would a scarf at the back of your neck. Cross it in the front, then proceed to wrap it in a fashion that covers your port. Don't do it too tightly or you'll sweat and that could invite bacteria around your port.

Good luck! Personally, I prefer the layered clothing option.
 

lightNlife

New member
It's good of you to be concerned about protecting yourself. I think you may be over-worried though. My suggestion would be to dress in layers on the days you have lab--which is good lab practice anyway. I used to work in a lab, and what I did was wear a t-shirt with a high neck or mock turtleneck, a long sleeve button down shirt, and my lab coat over that. Another suggestion would be to wear an ace wrap, wrapped like a halter top to cover your port. To do this, you take the center of the ace wrap and position it like you would a scarf at the back of your neck. Cross it in the front, then proceed to wrap it in a fashion that covers your port. Don't do it too tightly or you'll sweat and that could invite bacteria around your port.

Good luck! Personally, I prefer the layered clothing option.
 

Breezy

New member
Boo college for making us sick.

That's my only input sorry. But good for you on being concerned. Maybe talk to your prof about it and see what they have to say?? Good luck!
 

Breezy

New member
Boo college for making us sick.

That's my only input sorry. But good for you on being concerned. Maybe talk to your prof about it and see what they have to say?? Good luck!
 

Breezy

New member
Boo college for making us sick.

That's my only input sorry. But good for you on being concerned. Maybe talk to your prof about it and see what they have to say?? Good luck!
 

Breezy

New member
Boo college for making us sick.

That's my only input sorry. But good for you on being concerned. Maybe talk to your prof about it and see what they have to say?? Good luck!
 

Breezy

New member
Boo college for making us sick.

That's my only input sorry. But good for you on being concerned. Maybe talk to your prof about it and see what they have to say?? Good luck!
 

lightNlife

New member
It's probably too late in the quarter/semester to look into it, but when I was having a tune-up one quarter while enrolled in o-chem, I was given permission to "dry lab" my experiments. That way I didn't have to be around all the aromatic hydrocarbon fumes. I worked it out with the prof in charge of the lab that I would come to his office hours and he'd provide me with someone's procedure and observation notes, and then I was supposed to perform all the calculations.

If you ever need special equipment or masks for labs, talk to your school's department of student special services, and have them coordinate with environmental health and safety to get you a mask or any other protective gear you may need in a lab (nitrile gloves, masks, etc.)

Happy labbing!
 

lightNlife

New member
It's probably too late in the quarter/semester to look into it, but when I was having a tune-up one quarter while enrolled in o-chem, I was given permission to "dry lab" my experiments. That way I didn't have to be around all the aromatic hydrocarbon fumes. I worked it out with the prof in charge of the lab that I would come to his office hours and he'd provide me with someone's procedure and observation notes, and then I was supposed to perform all the calculations.

If you ever need special equipment or masks for labs, talk to your school's department of student special services, and have them coordinate with environmental health and safety to get you a mask or any other protective gear you may need in a lab (nitrile gloves, masks, etc.)

Happy labbing!
 

lightNlife

New member
It's probably too late in the quarter/semester to look into it, but when I was having a tune-up one quarter while enrolled in o-chem, I was given permission to "dry lab" my experiments. That way I didn't have to be around all the aromatic hydrocarbon fumes. I worked it out with the prof in charge of the lab that I would come to his office hours and he'd provide me with someone's procedure and observation notes, and then I was supposed to perform all the calculations.

If you ever need special equipment or masks for labs, talk to your school's department of student special services, and have them coordinate with environmental health and safety to get you a mask or any other protective gear you may need in a lab (nitrile gloves, masks, etc.)

Happy labbing!
 

lightNlife

New member
It's probably too late in the quarter/semester to look into it, but when I was having a tune-up one quarter while enrolled in o-chem, I was given permission to "dry lab" my experiments. That way I didn't have to be around all the aromatic hydrocarbon fumes. I worked it out with the prof in charge of the lab that I would come to his office hours and he'd provide me with someone's procedure and observation notes, and then I was supposed to perform all the calculations.

If you ever need special equipment or masks for labs, talk to your school's department of student special services, and have them coordinate with environmental health and safety to get you a mask or any other protective gear you may need in a lab (nitrile gloves, masks, etc.)

Happy labbing!
 

lightNlife

New member
It's probably too late in the quarter/semester to look into it, but when I was having a tune-up one quarter while enrolled in o-chem, I was given permission to "dry lab" my experiments. That way I didn't have to be around all the aromatic hydrocarbon fumes. I worked it out with the prof in charge of the lab that I would come to his office hours and he'd provide me with someone's procedure and observation notes, and then I was supposed to perform all the calculations.

If you ever need special equipment or masks for labs, talk to your school's department of student special services, and have them coordinate with environmental health and safety to get you a mask or any other protective gear you may need in a lab (nitrile gloves, masks, etc.)

Happy labbing!
 
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