Today is my birthday!! And what better way to spend it than in surgery. You don't have to know me well to know that blood and I do not go together well. I still cry and expect a lollipop when I get shots.
So I told myself that in order to overcome this fear I needed to jump in and try something I had never done before and may never get the chance to do again.
After we went on rounds with the doctors through the ICU, we got into our scrubs and walked into the "operating theater". They told us originally that only 2 could go at a time and since there were an odd number in our group we were worried about how to split things up. The boys went to the first 2 surgeries this morning while the girls did rounds. They ended up letting all 3 of the girls into the room at once.
The first surgery was a hysterectomy. The patient had a large fibroid on her uterus. The scary thing about these surgeries is everyone is awake! It took a while for her to go numb but once she did they got right to it. The worst part was the initial cut. It is a very delicate procedure, meaning... extremely long. Half way through the surgery they started another one in the next room. That one was a cholecystectomy, which is removing the gallbladder due to gallstones. They inserted a camera through the belly button and the instruments through the upper abdomen. We watched the surgery on the screen and could see them remove the stones and bile and detach it from the liver.
By this time, they had finally got the uterus detached in the next room so I decided to stay there cause I really wanted to see what a uterus looks like! It was about the size of my fist. We could see the cervix and the severed fallopian tubes. Then they cut it open and showed us the fibroid which was huge!
It was really fascinating to watch, although I got a bit squeamish in some parts, overall I'm proud of myself for sticking it out. They were long surgeries and the doctors let us stand SO close to the table and the students and assistants were really awesome about explaining what was going on.
I thought it was interesting we all wore our scrubs over our regular clothes. Also everyone had to wear croc sandals haha including the surgeon! The phone was ringing and people were coming in and out which would have been too distracting for American doctors I think. But everyone here was so calm and relaxed. I was impressed. They were talking and laughing and I was wondering, is this comforting or terrifying for the patient laying awake on the bed?
So I told myself that in order to overcome this fear I needed to jump in and try something I had never done before and may never get the chance to do again.
After we went on rounds with the doctors through the ICU, we got into our scrubs and walked into the "operating theater". They told us originally that only 2 could go at a time and since there were an odd number in our group we were worried about how to split things up. The boys went to the first 2 surgeries this morning while the girls did rounds. They ended up letting all 3 of the girls into the room at once.
The first surgery was a hysterectomy. The patient had a large fibroid on her uterus. The scary thing about these surgeries is everyone is awake! It took a while for her to go numb but once she did they got right to it. The worst part was the initial cut. It is a very delicate procedure, meaning... extremely long. Half way through the surgery they started another one in the next room. That one was a cholecystectomy, which is removing the gallbladder due to gallstones. They inserted a camera through the belly button and the instruments through the upper abdomen. We watched the surgery on the screen and could see them remove the stones and bile and detach it from the liver.
By this time, they had finally got the uterus detached in the next room so I decided to stay there cause I really wanted to see what a uterus looks like! It was about the size of my fist. We could see the cervix and the severed fallopian tubes. Then they cut it open and showed us the fibroid which was huge!
It was really fascinating to watch, although I got a bit squeamish in some parts, overall I'm proud of myself for sticking it out. They were long surgeries and the doctors let us stand SO close to the table and the students and assistants were really awesome about explaining what was going on.
I thought it was interesting we all wore our scrubs over our regular clothes. Also everyone had to wear croc sandals haha including the surgeon! The phone was ringing and people were coming in and out which would have been too distracting for American doctors I think. But everyone here was so calm and relaxed. I was impressed. They were talking and laughing and I was wondering, is this comforting or terrifying for the patient laying awake on the bed?
The pictures are beautiful! Please keep them coming. Where do you find the time though??? Oh and I guess no cameras were allowed in the O.R.? lol Just kidding. Also, interesting about your thoughts on the children and how they are different from American children who consume carbs and sugar. I think that may have something to do with it, along with, their culture and how they do not have t.v., wii, hand held games, etc. Plus, the children are with their parents ALOT more compared to the children here. I feel that American parents expect others now a days to raise their children. Even that school you visited was neat. You said the Moms were the teachers. There again, the children are with their Moms during the school day; not a stranger. Neat to learn all of this through your experience. Thanks for taking the time to blog about this. It rocks. I wonder if Allison will do the same for her upcoming trip??? (Fingers crossed!) :) Love ya.
ReplyDeleteI actually did take 2 pictures in the OR but probably shouldn't post them :/ But I definitely agree with your thoughts about the children. I'm sure their sources of entertainment and family ties have a large role to play. Also, as unfortunate as it is, many of these children have fairly severe illnesses at a young age so they're probably much more tired and drained on a regular basis compared to healthy american children with clean air, homes, and food.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure Allison's experience will be quite different than mine but completely amazing. She'll find a very different culture than this one so I'm excited to see what's in store for her.
Hopefully she'll decide to keep a blog as well so we can follow
<3