first stitches bitches!

So I've been spending about 10 hours per week (of my "free time") in the surgical theater at the hospital. I teach anatomy with a local surgeon and he's invited me to go and observe. I started going the end of last semester and now that everyone knows me there I've sort of been accepted in as part of the team.

He started me out gradually doing things like switching on the suction and moving equipment, but later graduated to doing things that required gloves. Now I'm asked to scrub in and I get to do 'real' things.

On Thursday, I was assisting the chief surgeon in a incisional hernia repair and after he was finished and was about to close, he asked the scrub nurse for suture material and asked her to give some to me as well. I've practiced my knots and suturing on cadavers--so I was ready to go--but this was the first time I'd ever sewn up living tissue and I was thrilled. I can't believe they are giving me this kind of experience and training.

You may not be interested in this, but today I got do a little bit of scraping for a D&C for a women with uterine fibroids and then assist with a major hysterectomy. There were a lot of bleeders for the hysterectomy and we (three surgeons + me, 4 nurses and the anesthesiologist) were in there for over 5 hours; and I walked out just plastered with blood: it was amazing. (oh yeah, still no fainting!)

Valentine's Day Miracle!

...just one more stomach flu away from my ideal weight

Well I had a fever the weekend of my last exam and I've been coughing like I have pneumonia (like the bout I had when in Japan, only not quite as bad). So, it's lame to not take a test "cause I'm sick," because, well it's just lame. No one should get sick before a test. But to stay positive, even though all the coughing is giving me a pounding headache, my abs are getting ripped, and I'm just one more stomach flu away from my ideal weight... ha

No worries though, I'm slowly improving.

Bloood. wah ha ha ha ha!

Maybe not a big deal to anyone else, but to me this is HUGE! I've always been a big-time fainter, as in: fainting at the sight of my own blood, other people's blood, fake blood--even stories of fake blood. The principal in grade school had to pull me off the floor after the pin prick test and the five tiny dots of blood taken by the school nurse. I know, I know, "...pathetic. . . and he wants to be a doctor?" yep. And today I passed a major milestone: I stuck a needle in this girls arm and I drew blood from a vein. Seriously. I'll admit my hands were shaking and I could feel my face turning a little bit whiteish--but I didn't faint--not even close. I hit the vein on the first try and didn't even hestitate. It wasn't perfect, because when I withdrew the plunger I pulled the needle out a bit and I had to sort of push it in again (which is THE thing that makes me the sickest).

I call it a success because it wasn't mandatory (we were allowed to just practice on the model if we wanted) and even though it could have gone better I hit the vein, drew blood and didn't faint. It was awesome!

Videos of the kitesurfing trip to St. Marteen!!

Last session of last day kiteboarding
In the boat with Pierre
Day two
Benjamin Benjamin Benjamin
Instructors et. al. Setting up the kites for the morning session

Anatomy Quiz

Look at the photo to the left and correctly identify the body part.
A. Knee
B. Shin
C. Elbow

Scroll down for answer.














The correct answer is B: my left tibia. This is what the front part of my leg looks like after my first day of kitesurfing. I had a major slam of the board against my lower leg and this is the result. I iced it and elevated it and took some ibuprofen, but the excess fluid has since drained down my leg and has pooled at my ankle (compare lower picture)--so yes, now I have a cankle. You know that bony bump on the inside of the lower leg (called the medial malleolus)? Well, I can no longer see mine. So sad. It doesn't really hurt any more, but it looks awful.

Wow.  So, I've been doing nothing but studying 'the back of my front off' for the shelf exam for Path I and Path II.  Took it Monday and I should be relieved to be done, but I'm still feeling a bit 'switched on,' after the 12 hours-per-day of study!!  Crazy scheduling, but I think I passed.  Won't find out for a few weeks, but whatever. . . 

Finally got to the beach to make some kite-videos for the kids.  Here is the youtube link:  

Kiting at Herberts Beach video