cheers!

In radiology, we make kids drink barium*. They love it (not really). The first time i watched a barium swallow on a poor thirteen year old girl, the radiologist kept asking her to take large mouthfuls and swallow all at once. She puked. Other kids have managed to keep it down, but only by sucking on a lollipop in between sips. Only once have i seen an eighteen monther suck it down and cry when it was taken away (and that's only because he was starving as they're not allowed to eat for a while beforehand). When we describe it, we use words like "chalky" and "thick like a milkshake" and play up the fact that they get to pick the flavor. In reality, i had no clue what it was actually like. So i decided to try it, and today was the day. For a long time, the only two flavor options were strawberry and chocolate. Chocolate was the recommended flavor since it was real Hershey's syrup. The strawberry was purchased from the supply company and arrived bright pink in an industrial sized bottle. The technologist decided to mix things up a bit and a bottle of vanilla flavoring joined the other two. A tech and one of the radiology residents were as curious as i was, so we mixed up a cup and poured shots in three medicine cups. Bottoms up! I can't say it was anywhere near as bad i was anticipating. Not pleasant by any means, but not something i'd be vomiting up either. Now when i convince kids to drink it, i actually know what i'm talking about. Score.

 (* Barium sulfate is mixed with water and flavoring (chocolate, strawberry, or now vanilla!) and is sipped through a straw on the fluoroscopy table. This allows the radiologist to see (via xray imaging) sections of the GI tract, and highlights issues like reflux or gastric emptying issues.)