Hi All, just after coming from the ward round of hell.Was sooooo long.My soul was drained after it.Too much blood and slime and oozing holes for one day.
Was on-call on saturday.28hours. Started early on sat morn and then I had to hang about for that all important dash to theatre where I had to pray to St Anthony that I was not the missing object in that hospital.It is just massive.
Anyhow, turned out the people of South Africa let their fire arms and knives and knitting needles rest for one day. Wasn't too busy at all. (Well like there was at least 6/7 stabbings and a few aputations....but that is actually not busy!) I was in the "front room" which is like our resus area but there is nearly 30 people just lying about...or carring around there chest drain fluid! As I was about to leave to catch a few winks the doc asked me to suture. Being keen and all I said why not. So he said, "great!" ......and continued writing!!Eh hello???So after a bit of poking around....i managed to find a suture kit. Finding the needle was a whole other story.Eventually I found one; a dental needle...floating in a bucket with a dental syringe and some lydocaine( pain relief). So I put 2 & 2 together and figured this was how it was done. At the same time I was a bit iffy about using it without any supervision etc. SO anyhow....I went over to the guy, and then the doc has a canary because I just have normal gloves on...and not sterile gloves on. I mean.....hang on a second here; there is a banana skin on the guys face!??(don't even ask how or why, but he did.....and i wouldnt mind, but at no stage during this "sterile" procedure was the banana skin removed. The "sterile" drapes went on over it!). So of course I remove this bandage on the guys neck to reveal an 8cm laceration (cut) that was about 2/3cm in depth. I swear to god...it was like so deep that I was afraid when i was cleaning it that my finger was going to come out his mouth! So it turns out the guy had been bottled. But never mind the glass in it like.....just clean it with a but of iodine and bobs your uncle!!Some a quick clean... and just some superficial stitches!!no deep ones at all!!Man, at home this guy would have been in theatre for a proper clean out and then probably have a plastic surgeon fix the mess. But no, lucky him....he got me!!So that was my highlight. A few chest drains also. Much more brutal than at home!!So went for a few hours to bed in my scrubs...with one eye on the phone...and half my brain on the directions to the theatre. Needless to say there was not much sleep.
Anyhow, after my meeting with the man stanlely last week, I somehow managed to spend at least 30 mins in a supermarket down the heater section where I eventually purchased a hot water bottle. Which I must admit has turned out to be the best hot water bottle in the world. Anyhow, yesterday I decided to help warm myself up...I would go and do a spot of surfing in the atlantic!!!not!!After 20 mins in a wetsuit the hypothermia set in...and last night my toes started to move again!!5 of us went to Muizenberg bay where there were at 300 south africans just surfing!It was amazing.So we hired the board and the wet suit for like 8 euros...and off we went!!Actually...I tell a lie....I didn't really get a surf board. I looked at the size of it and thought to myself, If ever there was going to be a way to knock myself out...that was going to be it. (I had already banged the corner of my eye off the desk the other day...and walked into the shower door still half asleep). So I opted for a boogie board. So off I went and rided the waves and eventually managed to get the hang of it. After a good wave I would end up on the beach though rolling around like some big lost seal trying to find its way back to the ocean. Between the waves coming and going you wouldn't know where you were. So after that we headed to the rich and famous Camps Bay where we had some food on the beach and watched the best sunset ever. Typically, my camera had died!!! We then headed up to a cocktail bar and then just on to another pub. Cant make up my mind about the south africa crowd. They were wathcing golf in the bar...and half dancing to 80's music.
Anhow, must run.Going to taste some wine again in the vineyards. Tough life in trauma medicine!!!
Talk soon, hope all is well at home. KAy, I finally got your comments. It wasnt working for me either!!!I dont know what is wrong with it!!
Love to all,
xxxxxxx
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