Saturday 2 June - Another day in the department.

Jen was sent to the pier to screen patients and do paper work. She got some great pictures and shared them. We had patients hanging around for same day surgery or some will remain on the ship till we come back in 5 days. Had some interesting cases. One was an OR case where they put a full length rod in a man's femur. He had a fracture that had not healed. It took 8 hours. I got to do a 1 year old for a chest and she screamed so hard because we had to do her 3 times since the machine would not take a picture. Her mom and her came back 6 hours later to x-ray her foot because she has club foot and they will do surgery. Well she screamed as soon as she say me. It was funny in a way. Even her mom thought is was funny. We also did a man who dislocated his elbow 3 years ago and did not have it put back in place. He has no motion in that arm. Since it has been so long he will not have motion in it but the surgeons will move it back into place so he can at least move his shoulder so he can use his hand to feed himself.  

I also did chest films of a boy and his mom. He was going to have surgery for his hearing. Well mom's chest has markings of old or possible TB so they old not stay on the ship. They told them to bring a different person to escort him when we come back in 5 days and then if the escort has an OK chest, they will do the surgery. So sad to see stuff we could fix at an Instacare or ER and they just live with it. No wonder they are so happy to have someone make them somewhat normal looking. Cleft palates, cataracts, goiter, masses, fixation of fractures that never healed. Simple things that we take for granted by just running to the Dr. I am getting better at the machines still do not get the whole thing (though, I am discovering the navy techs are just as in the dark as I am with some of it). 

I did know what and how the club foot needed to be x-rayed. I was the only one who had done one before. Guess being old has it's advantages. Most of us are so busy we see each other at breakfast and late at night. 

Jenni had broken her camera and I was going up with her to the ship store to buy a new one as she only has cash and I have checks. We were just leaving x-ray when my LDS Dr stopped to ask what we were going to do. Telling her that she said she thought she had lost her charger for her camera and had bought a new one at the PX at Guam and then found her charger. So Jenni is going to pay half of what it would have cost her and got a camera that is almost the same of hers. The Lord really does place where we need to be at the right time. 

Looks like I got cut from the on shore ceremony tomorrow, so I will not be getting off. The navy is interesting as they ask for a list of who is going and then they decide if they'll take us all or just some of us. Not much I can do.  The last time them did this to someone in our department they then came running in asking where they were and then sent them out on the next boat. Go figure! Seems like what gets planned gets changed by the hour or day. You would think they would make the list and then just stick with it. 

Sent dad a list of things to forward to the others coming on in Philippines. Hope it helps. Thanks for all the phone talks with me and for sending emails. It is fun to read your comments and know what is going on. Tomorrow is Fast Sunday but they said to think about keeping hydrated. They have had people passing out from heat stoke on the shore and such.