Michelle and I went to do rounds with Dr. David and Josephine (the intern) in orthopedics. It was a much more jovial atmosphere. Despite serious injuries, the doctors would joke with the patients, we laughed a lot, and everyone knew they were on the mend and would be out and back to work soon. There were so many road traffic injuries- broken hips and femurs- mostly men b/c they're more aggressive and risk takers. One guy had a broken tibia and fibula with crazy edema, b/c he had been attacked. Another 19 year old guy had been knifed in the low left abdomen at 11:30 at night, and only came in to the hospital midday the next day- with his intestines hanging out- had gangrene and had to have a portion removed. He was so tough, and had recovered so well, he was eating whole foods and passing normal stool soon after his surgery! The docs all seemed interested in our suggestions for integrative care- such as remedies for postnatal hemorrhage, acupuncture or pressure to induce labour, hydrotherapy to reduce edema and speed healing, plus strategies to reduce scar tissue or strictures. The only possible obstacle being policy.
In the pediatrics wing, so many children were there with 3rd degree burns. A fire safety rural education program for kids would probably be useful here.
After going to pediatrics, Michelle and I went to surgery. There we ran into Sanne again, and met Rio (a paramedic from SanFran). In surgery there was a C-section going on by Dr. Mattia, and knee stapling surgery, by a UK orthopedic surgery team, for a ~15 year old boy with severe valgus knees (knock knee). Katie got to do the epidural for the c-section and I held and comforted the boy during his epidural. Sanne was called on to help with suturing for the knee surgery. What an amazing experience.
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