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29 minutes ago

AS PIRES PK

My name is Amanda Elvis and I am a PET/CT radiographer.

Yes, my last name is Elvis. And people always ask, “Elvis? As in Elvis Presley?”

I am from Princes Town. I had very humble beginnings. My father came from nowhere and my mother was well established.

I grew up being a country and a city girl. So you could say I’m a dougla in that department. Very grounded, but I got a taste of what it’s like to be the life of it all.

A summary of my evolution: I am actually the product of a pen relationship! Nice, isn’t it?

My father Krishna is originally from the village of Navet, Rio Claro, and my mother Beena is from El Socorro.

They didn’t have the privilege of phone calls in those days, so they wrote letters to each other.

I think it is because of them that I am so fond of reading, poetry and other things.

Under financial constraints, we had to move from south to north so that father could find a job to improve his family.

There were times when we didn’t end up dating, but we always went to school. If my parents had not seen the value of education then, I would not have excelled now.

I’m the oldest of three children, so I’m basically the director of the group.

My brother Avinash is the complete opposite of me. He is quite an introvert.

My sister Nalini takes the cake for the three of us. She is
too enthusiast.

I couldn’t live without it.

I really think my husband Jimmy Elvis loves me more than life itself. I tell everyone that he is very good to me.

Believe it or not, this weekend just gone is our anniversary. Seven years.

Later down the line there is room for a family. But one step at a time.

I am truly grateful for the challenges I have had along the way. These are the things that make you the person you are.

I started at Navet Presbyterian School, then Rousillac Presbyterian and ended up at El Socorro Southern Government. I completed all my education here.

I did science at school, I went to university, I graduated.

I am doing continuous studies because knowledge is constantly changing.

I came from a very traditional Hindu upbringing, but here I am going against the rules against eating beef and pork.

I don’t practice that belief, but I’m thankful I had a system to stick to.

You go to school and you do your research and you rebel against everything and religion is so subjective.

I believe there is a higher being.

I believe that religion is the opium of the masses, as Karl Marx said.

If there is a God capable of intervening, why doesn’t He stop suffering? Why do some people have bigger battles to fight than others? How can my faith have more faith than someone else’s? How can you be a leader of one religion and say another religion is wrong?

I tend to get along well with the social crowd.

But sometimes I really appreciate alone time.

I like to read, I like to draw, I like poetry. (Canadian Anonymous) Atticus is one of my favorite poets.

The universe has a way of doing things. It will take its course.

Some days, I just kick back with a glass of wine, just relaxing. And listening to some real traditional old time Indian music. Because that’s what I grew up with. There is very little as soothing as good sitar music.

I feel like I have an old soul, you know.

It’s all about letting loose and having friends.

Society is so preoccupied with materialistic things and fast paced environment. Why do people want all these things? How much can you tolerate? It’s all about what other people expect from you! And what are you portraying to gain acceptance from those small societies!

When you grow up knowing there are things you can do without, you can truly appreciate not having anything and be fine on your own. Many people nowadays are realizing that they are not connecting with themselves.

Because I knew what it means to have nothing, I can appreciate everything. And I apply what I’ve learned to my patient care regimen.

I see patients from all different walks of life and can relate to them all the way through.

At 16, I fell off a cleat and broke my wrist and had to get some x-rays.

And that’s where I just fell in love with technology. I thought, “This is the thing I want to be in!”

And here I am enjoying every day as my career!

When you bring a nervous patient into your scan room, you must first recognize that this is a patient, not just another customer coming into your facility. This is someone who is going through some kind of emotional, physical and mental distress.

One of my favorite sayings is, “If there’s anything you can be, be kind.” You have nothing to lose with this!

Patients come in very heavy, scared and sad. Hey, there’s only so much I can understand because I’m not a patient myself – but I can show I care!

It’s about letting the patient know you’re with them. Just understanding them goes a long way. They feel that someone cares about them.

So I take my time. I acknowledge that I am here, not as a threat, but to assist you in your procedure.

Patients are afraid to say what’s on their mind. They are already dealing with so much, to tell you they are scared is another kind of emotional trauma. Being kind to someone allows them to open up.

I talk to patients carefully during the procedure.

I’m not bragging, but I’ve had a lot of claustrophobic patients and I’m very proud that I’ve been able to do the procedures without any kind of image quality compromise.

It’s about comforting and comforting patients: we’re almost done, we’re done with the first part, you’re doing great. They appreciate it.

If we have severely claustrophobic patients, people with serious fears who can’t even sit on the table, well, the anesthetics would have to help.

Radiography, my field, is considered the “one percent” of the entire medical world. You rarely hear about radiographers, but we are the eyes of the medical field.

I think radiographers all over Trinidad and Tobago work so hard and they are under-recognized. But really, it’s about providing patient-centered care.

At least that’s how I go. We’re here to improve it through… imaging!

The best part of being a radiographer is the opportunity to serve my patients day in and day out and improve their experience.

The bad thing about my line of PET/CT scans is when you see the extent of the disease. As strong as I am to everyone else, when I lay down to sleep, when I’m alone thinking about a patient whose scan didn’t go well, my heart is heavy.

For me, a Trini is an embodiment of all the different cultural characteristics that this country has to offer. This sense of culture is where you belong, it is what shapes you as a person.

I am a dot on the cultural diversity map of TT.

For me, Trinidad and Tobago is truly home in a global village. Every part of my heart is there. It is the thing that has my existence. I can’t see my heart anywhere else.

Read the full version of this feature Friday evening at www.BCPires.com