Fortunately... they weren't operating on me.
I had expressed an interest in studying medicine to a fellow member of the municipal band who just so happens to be an anesthesiologist at the local hospital and a few clinics in the area. So I had the awesome opportunity of getting a first hand experience and observation of the medical field here in Argentina. At least a glimpse.. but it was fascinating!
So there was prospective doctor Lindsay in the General Pico hospital at 8 in the morning not knowing what to expect but ready for whatever Dr. Jaime had up his sleeve!!! When he arrived we went quickly into the locker rooms and I was given the hospital scrubs (in yellow) and little cloth booties to put over my shoes. I had not realized that they were actually going to let me in to see the surgeries!!!
Minutes later, there was Lindsay with the opportunity to observe 3 different surgeries from inside the rooms where they were operating!! Mostly I sat in on the removal of la vesicula which had stones in it. The man had a hole in his stomach and I, entirely fascinated, peered around the doctors (a few steps behind and quietly, so as not to be a distraction) to watch as they probed around in the hole with instruments to remove it. However the doctors were using a camera so they used the screen to see what they were doing while there hands were controlling the instrument. It seemed like something that would certainly take a lot of practice. His heart rate went up a little bit when they finally brought it out through the hole. They then cut it open and removed the stones and put them in a little glass vile. It was absolutely awesome! They did offer me a stool in case I felt a wee bit woozy, but quite the contrary my friends! I was curious about everything! In the other rooms I watched a little bit of family planning (as in surgery on a dad who is not going to have more children), and then I watched them remove liquid from the lungs of a small child with pneumonia. Dr. Jaime showed me his charango, flute, and other instruments that he uses to calm the patients before the surgeries or giving them anesthesia. After all the bigger surgeries for the morning he went and did a quick stomach endoscopy. When the morning work was done I was invited to sit for a little while and drink a few Mates to finish off a lovely experience of the medical field in an Argentine hospital and when I asked to take a picture he asked if I would come back again and we would take a good picture. I snapped a quick picture of myself anyway in the doctor scrubs before I went back to being Lindsay in street clothes. That way I have evidence until I return and can take a better picture with the doctors!!
Yep. That's me attempting to get a picture of the scrubs but encountering much difficulties in doing so. But it serves its purpose :)
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