All is going well. The work is great fun and I'm learning as much as I'm teaching - not all medical either. We've had good laughs about misunderstandings over words and phrases, especially colloquial language. try explaining what "I'm done-in" means to a Swiss...
The eye surgeon I'm working with this week has been just so patient especially as I'm a novice a eye surgery. I only ever assist with anaesthetics for eyes normally. I have the photographic evidence now. On average this particular surgeon takes 6 minutes to complete a cataract!!
It's warm not hot but very humid. I've been out running again today after work but not far (about 3 miles/5k) as it's too warm to go far. We can't go beyond the UN gates on our own anyway but it's nearly half a mile to the gate from the far end of the dock. The UN gates are a reminder of the civil war that raged here until 4 years ago. There are still many UN vehicles here.
Tonight I went out with about 8 others to a chinese restaurant - in Liberia!! It was very clean, in fact the remnants of wet paint still hung in the air. There was a huge choice on the menu and I tried food that I hadn't eaten before.
Did i mention that the church I attended on Sunday just gonehad a drummer couldn't have been a day over 4 but boy, did he have rhythm!! He got real moody when his dad took it off him so the choir could sing a capella (voices only).
Yesterday we did bilateral cataracts on a 4 year old girl with congenital cataracts which means she was born with cataracts. The surgeon wasn't sure of the results he would get at the time of surgery. What a change when he brought it up later in conversation as we scrubbed together to be able to say "you've given her your best shot, you've got to leave the rest to God" and he agreed. The atmosphere it superb. If all theatres could work in the same atmosphere so much more work would be achieved. As a team all patients are prayed for at the beginning of the day when we meet as a team to discuss what is going on for the day and then the surgeons will pray for each patient just before they put knife to skin.
Oh and by the way..........the little girl could see when they took off the bandages this morning declaring that the doctor was bald, actually he was wearing a theatre cap and claiming her doll that he was holding in front of her "That's MY doll" she proclaimed in no uncertain tones.
Tomorrow promises to be a long day as we have a lot of eye cases booked. there is a chance that some of the patients won't show up but then sometimes there are patients who are seen in a clinic on the dock side who are able to come directly for surgery. this is apart from the eye team who go out to screen patients.
So today wasn't exactly dull with 27 patients through the theatre (or OR) but tomorrow should exceed 30+
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3 comments:
Hi Ali! Just caught up with your 'blog' and am amazed at your energy! I shouldn't be because you are always exercising in the gym or pool. The work sounds really fulfilling for all concerned especially the patients. Enjoy the rest of the stay because it is probably the only place you will get any heat and sunshine this year!!
Margaret
XX
Sounds like a great work. Do you have any roles out there for overweight engineers who have migrated into desk bound executive jobs?
Paul xxx
Hi Ali love the taste thing I am the same I try not to eat food that I have not eaten before takes a bit more chewing but the taste is better. What about two fat blokes on the ship perhaps we could act as ballast
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