Friday, October 15, 2010

Tummy Rumblings

Lesson learned today: Be careful what you wish for because you just might get it! I spent the whole day NOT in the operating room but in the gynecology clinic instead. 132 patients later, the intern, clinical officer and I were officially begging to be allowed back into the slow pace of surgery. I saw some interesting stuff and made a few diagnoses that the others hadn't heard of before (atrophic vaginitis, bartholin cyst abscess, etc) Also, did several VIAs (without lugols) and many cervical biopsies (with dull instruments and no monsel's) all with a broken light: step aside Tuggs and EHutch, JGG is coming back a master! Btw, those gyn/pap protocols should be added to the packing list because those would have been SUPER helpful today. I will also never underestimate the power of being able to do a wet mount again. Here, ANY type of vaginal discharge leaves the clinic with the "vag package:" doxy, flagyl and clotrimazole for 14 days. Yikes!

While seeing patient after patient and trying to figure out the management of a septated cystic pelvic mass without the aid of UpToDate or an actual Ob/Gyn, I realized something: I was DAMN thirsty. There is no water in the hospital that is drinkable. I then tried to remember the last time I drank water: 5:30am when I took my multivitamin. This triggered trying to remember the last time I peed: about that same time. It then dawned on me that I don't even know where a bathroom is located in the hospital. I've been working there 4 full days now from 7am until about 7pm and I've never even had the THOUGHT about wanting to pee. WHAT!?! I suddenly became panicked and envisioned myself going into renal failure and needing dialysis in the middle of Kenya. I think this is the sleep deprivation speaking. About two hours later, my tummy started to rumble and gurgle. Still seeing patients. Then a wave of nausea hit. More patients. Uh oh. This isn't good. 5 hours and four pepto-bismol later, I find myself in the beginning of the inevitable while on-call at the hospital for the next 72 hours. Awesome. Let's hope they keep oral rehydration packs at the hospital that I can take home and mix with my own potable water.

2 comments:

  1. JGG,

    Your blogging skills are off the hook! Sounds like you're having the experience of a lifetime. You're much braver than I am!

    Here's to a great experience and stay healthy!

    Kevin

    ReplyDelete
  2. Tummy acting up a bit? Must have been the chai tea from the previous day. At least that had water - or is that faulty US assumption? Love your Blog; it's fun reading and informational. Gabe's son, Brady, likes me to read it to him but explaining some of the illnesses you treated has tested my limited knowledge. In addition some of his questions invoke creative thinking in order to respond appropriately and in kid language (ex. Why did Aunt Juliann want the husband to get treated? His wife was the sick person. How can the man make his wife sick?) Brady did understand why the lady won't be having babies... "She'd be really mad because he made her sick again. Then she will say, 'No babies for you cause you; you make me sick Dude!' "
    Sometimes going with the flow works out fine. Love you, Aunt Marilyn

    ReplyDelete