Ortho OR

According to Dr. D., sulit na sulit ang first day niyo dito ah.  

It was.  I always thought Ortho ORs were long and few, but I was wrong.  Like yesterday, I was able to assist/observe 4 cases, and my 3 other co-interns also had almost the same number of ORs.  But you know, it wasn't at all very stressful.  The ortho environment is generally happy and carefree so it was ok.

I was directed to the LCB ER for my first case.  It turned out that I did not need to scrub in as the resident needed a student only to make sure that the specimen is properly collected and sent.  So there, I waited for around 30 minutes.  Finally, Dr. F told me that he's done and that I can do my thing so the nurse gave me a pair of gloves.  I went over the patient and looked for the tissue (You see in OB, the specimen is collected and is usually placed on the instrument table).  The resident gave me a pair of scissors.  

Scissors?  Bakit hindi clamp?  I wondered.

Sige A***, pwede mo na icollect yung specimen, andun sa box.

Sa box?

So I went over the box, half denying what was obvious.  Hello, if it were something small, why would it be placed in a box that could contain more than a dozen of IV fluids?  And in a procedure called 'below-the-knee-amputation', what else could be big but...

"Oh, no, paa..."

No, make that:  "Oh no, an infected paa."  

Inside the box was a portion of the right leg and the right foot.  Apparently, the patient was sent to the OR  for an emergency amputation to prevent sepsis as her diabetic foot was getting worse.  The nurse chuckled when she saw the expression on my face.  Good thing I had my mask on, and I was able to gasp 'silently'.  But as any professional intern, I tried to appear nonchalant about it, got the box, unwrapped the leg and foot and got the samples.  Well, I was just thankful that we did not have to send the whole leg and foot to the surg path room.  Imagine me carrying the whole foul-smelling leg to the laboratory?  'kaawa-awang intern'.  

But looking back, it was an amusing, albeit smelly, experience.  I'm sure the resident wouldn't have had me do it if it were not necessary.  

Later during the day, the wheel turned.  Dr. O.  allowed me to put on a screw and staple the patient's wound.  The lead gown was worth it.  Yahoo.

It has just been the first day.  A happy first day.  What else could 13 days bring?