My Week of Surgery

Last week a team of surgeons came down to the Hospital. We got to meet them and eat lunch with them and got to kind of know each other. My dad was out with a different team so he wasn't with us. On Monday night Mr. Sandy (the Director of the Hospital) asked my mom if she wanted to watch a surgery she said "Oh,............ well.... sure." Luckily, I was standing right there and I asked if I could watch a surgery to to see if I could handle it because I want to be a veterinarian when I grow up. Mr. Sandy said sure and I couldn't wait until the next day.



The next day I went to eat breakfast in the team dining room and I got to know the Anesthetist, Angela Jordan. We talk for a while and then they went to work. Around 11 AM my mom and I went into the hospital to watch what the team of surgeons were doing. We met Joann (the Director's wife) on the way and she asked my mom something and they went somewhere else.



I still wanted to watch a surgery. A doctor who graduated from the same high school my mom did helped me put on a gown and mask and cap. I walked into the OR and they were just finishing up a prostate. The head surgeon asked if I could help move a bed and, of course, I said sure. I moved the bed and helped put the man on a stretcher and moved the operating bed back. The head surgeon (Dr. Smith) asked if I wanted to actually scrub in on a case. I jumped at the question and said, "Of course!"

When I got all clean and sterile they said, "Stand over here and wait while we get this lady ready." When it was finally time to start I stood to the side and kind of waited for an instrument to hold for the surgeon. When they cut her open and started to cauterize I could not take it any more so I sat out for the rest of the time.

Then when the surgery was over I said thanks to the doctors and went to find my mom. She said for me to start packing up because we need to go back to the Zamorano Valley. Carmen and Anna got hurt (Carmen, Anna and Gabriel were staying at a friends house while we unpacked at the hospital). The next morning I asked the doctors if I could scrub in one more time before I had to leave with my mom. They said, "Of course, but go put on some scrubs first." This time I didn't sit out. When this surgery was done I went and asked my mom if I could please stay to help out the surgery team because a few people asked if I was going to stay. She talked with Sandy, the director of the hospital and he said, "Sure, I'd be happy for him to stay and work as long as he doesn't do surgery on me.":)

I stayed from Wednesday to Friday by myself and observed and helped with surgeries, helped Angela mix antibiotics, changed IVs, monitored pulse rates, oxygen, and blood pressure rates, and all that bloody stuff. I even translated some for one of the doctors.

All in all I scrubbed in on five cases and only sat out on one. It was awesome!!

I would like to thank Dr. Tommy Young, Dr. Dane Smith, Dr. Russ, and Angela Jordan epecially for letting me do this, I really had a great time!