Out here on my own...

The title of today’s blog was supposed to refer to the fact that the surgeon of the day left me at the hospital to do two emergency cases. As in left me at the hospital with no other surgeon around for back-up. Granted, the second case was a simple wound washout and debridement, but still! Obviously things went fine, or else there’d be a slightly more panicked tone to tonight’s blog.

What I realized as I was typing is that the title also refers to the fact that my new found friends are leaving Kisumu! After four nights of hanging out at Beldina’s sipping tea or coffee (or wine or beer), they leave for Nairobi in the morning and will be back in the states by the weekend! Not only that, but it was likely the last time I’ll see some of the Kenya volunteers that have been a part of their little group. My goodbyes weren’t all that emotional (I just don’t do that) and were tempered by the fact that I plan on staying in touch. Besides, we’re all facebook friends now. Or will be as soon as someone (who won’t be mentioned) can remember their password…

Today was also a day of firsts. For those that aren’t familiar with how surgical careers are chosen (and who perhaps think that we all just hang around and pick who we want to follow around on a daily basis, a la “Grey’s Anatomy”), I want to point out that orthopaedic surgery and general surgery are two distinct residency programs. You decide during medical school and commit to one program of training or the other. With that piece of knowledge, it is easier to explain that I have never done any real surgical orthopaedic work. I have help relocate some joints or put on splints in the trauma bay when the hospital was getting slammed, but that’s the extent of my ortho experience.

All that being said (phew!), I did my first total hip replacement and my first external fixation today. My, but there were hammers and drills galore… seriously, a Black & Decker drill that we covered with a surgical drape. And, the instrument that we call a rongeur, they call a bone nibbler. To be perfectly frank, their name is a much more accurate description. Bone cement smells eerily like a nail salon that does acrylics…

Between the long day in the OR and a night of furious photo swapping, I am exhausted. Major Ward Rounds tomorrow means the white coat gets to make another trip to the hospital.

I’ve been pondering all sorts of deep thoughts and trying to reflect on my village experience. If I get any of that into some semblance of coherent thought, that should be tomorrow’s blog.

Usiku mwema!