[Histonet] On the lighter side...

[Gagnon, Eric]

AKA Roll-call of the Histo-lifers!



Started in Histo 1985. Spent 3.5 years in Hematology, but had to leave because I became bored with their incessant blood testing. Where were the interesting Histo bits and pieces I was so used to seeing and glomming?



Our laboratory nearly-completely re-equipped with new tissue processors, Bond IHC stainers, Dako Special Stainer, Cerebro tracking system. Now on same level of playing field with much newer/younger Histo MLT's. My incessant babbling about the Technicons, AO microtomes, freon-cooling of specimens and sharpening of real, big ol' 'real' microtome knives is now sounding reminiscent... "back in the day, I used to..." and likely viewed as a quaint anachronistic ramblings of a well-fixed, but in need of reprocessing, MLT.



I am reassured, however, that this discipline still remains relevant to patient care. Fears of being replaced completely by instrumentation have not been realized. With the coming nexus of molecular medicine and pathology, the increased use of ISH and IHC and many other developments I have quietly and humbly witnessed during my long journey to jadedness and grizzledom, I remain optimistic for future Histotechs.



Now, where did I leave my, um...where was I?



Eric Gagnon MLT

Histology Laboratory

Kingston General Hospital,

Kingston, Ontario, Canada