Back to the hospital

Today was a very interesting day in the surgery ward. I was able to observe the removal of the dead tissue on a three year olds neck cause by necrotizing fecsiitis, a bacteria that eats away at dead skin and is a doctors nightmare. It can spread in a mere amount of hours and destroy limbs and bodies and is virtually unheard of in the states. Definitely an incredible opportunity to be able to see it from feet away. I GOT TO SCRUB IN in the next surgery, a  hydrostatic hernectomy! This consisted of my wearing three layers of long sleeve and pants scrubs, boots, a mask, a hair net, and two pairs of gloves. I stood on one side of the patient, the head surgeon on the other, and was able to use tweezers to hold the incision open for the doctor, wipe the excess fluid with gauze, and utilize tools that helped to set aside the blood vessels from the abscess. Under the OR light, in an OR with out air conditioning, and the many layers, the heat definitely got to me. Embarrassingly enough, on my first time scrubbing in, I had to scrub out before the surgery was over or I would have fainted. I was so happy though that I got to do some hands on things and the fact that I am only pre med and got to participate in a surgery was incredible. Quite the experience.