Surgeries and Other Invasive Methods

When I lived in Kijabe, I had the opportunity to go and witness many kinds of surgeries. However, due to a combined lack of time and actual connection to any of the cases, I started medical school without ever actually witnessing a surgery. Thus, when one of the patients where I do my summer practicals needed a surgery to implant a permanent catheter, I was very happy to observe. I initially thought I would be watching from a separate room, looking down at the surgeon and patient from a little window perhaps. I blame Grey's Anatomy for this hasty presumption. I actually got to get all dressed up in green scrubs, and witness the surgery first hand, standing right next to the surgeon and his assistant. To say it felt incredibly legit would be an understatement.

Now this was actually a very simple procedure, and didn't even involve much cutting and blood, and it was all over in a little more than half an hour. So even though I didn't witness a radical hysterectomy or something absolutely crazy, I was still awed by my first surgical experience. Yes, let's call it that.

The following day, which would be today in fact, I got to observe when the doctors performed a kidney biopsy. The doctor, knowing my Swedish roots, was keen to point out that the equipment used was of Swedish origin and invention. A moment of personal hubris ensued as I watched the BARD Biopsy Gun (which is manufactured in Uppsala) pierce through the patients back and into the kidney, which was displayed for all to see via Ultrasound. Then "BANG" went the needle gun, taking a part of the patient's kidney, before being swiftly and skillfully withdrawn. All very quick. However, recovery time is about a day, as the anesthetic wears off and the patient's body starts to realize someone stole  part of their kidney, and makes sure the brain is aware of this hideous crime. 

Until next time folks, and remember, whenever you are walking through a dark alley, protect your kidneys! Organ robbers lurking everywhere, you have been warned, Ha!

First Day and Russian Toilets

Today was my first day of my summer practicals. I am doing them here at the provincial hospital in Olsztyn, at the Nephrology Department. I wasn't really sure what to expect of my summer practicals, not sure how much hands-on experience I would be able to gain and so forth, but I must say I have been happily surprised. After the nurse explained to me how it's done, I got to inject a heparin solution (an anti-coagulant given to bed-ridden elderly patients) into a patient all on my own. The first person I did it on was very skinny, so it was a bit tricky and I thought I might hurt them unnecessarily, but it went well. The other 3 patients I injected had some more fat on them, so it was quite easy. The nurses seem to trust me quite well after just the first day, and don't seem to be to annoyed at having someone steadily on their tail. That's good, wouldn't want to be on the nurses' bad side now would I? Tomorrow, however, me and a doctor from the department are going to observe (from the gallery) an operation carried out on one of the patients. This will actually be the first operation that I witness, and I am very much excited about that.
Now to the bewildering piece of bathroom equipment that is the Russian Toilet. They have one at the Nephrology Department, most likely a remnant from former times. One would think all water-closets should look the same, but like with everything else, the Russians have an alternative idea. Instead of one's excrement's landing in the water where the stench is somewhat subdued, they land on what can best be described as a little ridged holder. There they lie, not very far from their origin, and I can only imagine the difficulty that must haunt all Russians with acute diarrhea. The splashing effect would be devastating. To all my worried readers, I can confirm that my visit to this exotic toilet did indeed go smoothly, but I am perhaps a bit shaken.

Notice the little "pool" at the back, this is where everything lands...

Yo-yoing <= Because One Direction is not Enough

Yo-yoing. You know, when you have to go to town to do something in the morning,then head back home, then back to town in the afternoon. Then back to town the next day etc.. Instead of everything just flowing along smoothly in one direction it's rather is like a yoyo: up, down, up, down. (Before everyone gets too excited, by "one direction" i am not referring to some British boy band neither am I talking about RVP's ambitious little boy inside of him; please, let's keep it real here)
To get started with my driving license, I had to go get one of those eye-checkups where they test if you can see the letters on the board (which is very hard when I never really bothered learning the Polish pronunciation of the letters themselves, so I just started wording my way through it and sounded like a fool: "Aa", "Behh" "Kuhh" "Pe" etc...) Anyway, i got my little note saying that I was good to go, just to be notified later on in the day it was the wrong sort of test. I had to have an eye- plus cardio-respiratory check. Sigh, it's not like I am signing up for the army...
I went to the proper place the next morning, managed to get the point across that I needed to see this very specific doctor (making sure I made no mistake now). Unfortunately she was out for the day, "return tomorrow" they told me. Yo-yo.
I returned the following day, zooming past the cars in the traffic jam on my bike on my way there, feeling ever so good about myself. I told the secretary that I was there for my appointment, and she looked through my documents and passport. I let out a small sigh of relief, finally things were happening. "Ok, everything looks good with your documents, come back Thursday before lunch and the doctor will see you then." It was currently Tuesday. Yo-yoing over level 9000.
Being an incurable optimist I tried to focus on the good of it all. The exercise from biking up that slope for the up-tenth time was terrific. Really great... No, really, it was awesome. Wish I could spend the rest of my life doing just that.
Anyway, I went back on Thursday, and after about 2hrs of waiting, I finally got my stupid little checkup done. The doctor who did it was lovely though, to be fair. 70 plus year old lady that used a magnifying glass to read my fine-print documents. Sort of ironic that she was checking my eye-sight, but oh well. She even ordered me to get a Polish girlfriend so that my Polish language skills wouldn't be so crappy. I guess now I can say that I will be partying on the doctor's orders.

Oh.. and I finally got around to seeing The Dark Knight Rises. Best movie I have seen in a cinema, even better than Inception, in my opinion. Thoroughly satisfied.