Dirt, Operation Indian Style, and Home visit

Another morning of yoga and an Indian breakfast. We feasted on ramen-type noodles, a hard-boiled egg, and fresh papaya. Then it was off to our work sites, which for me meant sifting and hauling dirt. This morning, Aneesh was called to the second floor to hand the workman mortar, which meant that I was by myself with the sifting and carrying. By the time we were picked up for lunch, I was drenched in sweat.

I was able to rest a put up my feet for a few minutes before lunch. After lunch, it was back to the salt mines, or I should say, dirt mines. This time, however, Katie and Laura came to help to sift and haul dirt which made it far easier. At the end of of short shift (we only worked an hour as we had to move up our hospital shift in order to go to Stephen's house for dinner), I got to help fling a little plaster, mortar which was a nice change for the dirt duty.

Back to the guest house for a long shower and then to the hospital. Aneesh had to wait ahile to see Dr. Sister Rexline to get our work assignments but it was worth it as we were able to go observe a surgery. We were escorted to the OR suite, where at the door we took off our shoes and were given flip flops to wear. This is what the OR staff wore during surgery - bare feet and flip flops. We talked briefly with the surgeon, the same one we met yesterday. The patient was the woman we say yesterday with the excess adipose tissue around her abdomen; the surgery today was a lipectomy, which was surgery to reomove the excess fat.

Aneesh was given scrubs to wear, the same as what the doctors wore. I was given a long button down overcoat to wear over my clothes, the same as what the nurses wore. We did wear disposeable hat and masks, but the drapes were cloth. (In ase anyone is wondering, the needles were disposeable.) I noticed that no documentation was being done during surgery. I'm used to the circulating nurse busily writing down times, who was present, and instrument counts. Here, nothing.

The surgery took awhile to get started as the anesthesiologist had a hard time getting a second IV line started. Finally, he opted to put in a subclavian line. Before all this took place, he placed an epidural (or a spinal, it was hard for me to determine.) When he placed the subclavian, the woman was wide awake and grimacing. She may have had some pain medicine or sedative, but she definitely felt that subclavian being placed.

Finally, the surgery started. We didn't get to see all the surgery as we had to be picked up before it ended, although we did get to see him make the initial cut and use the cautery knife to go through many layers of adipose tissue.

We returned to the guest house before going to Stephen's house. "Little Stephen" is our driver. He is actually Stephen's brother. We found out the Stephen is neither of their names. Our team leader's name is Raja, I haven't found out little Stephen's name. Indians don't have last names. If a last name is needed, then they use their father's name.

Gotta go and get ready to go to an out reach clinic. Will write more later.