Saturday, June 9, 2012

Saturday 9 June - Working in Surgery


At devotional last night Barbara Winters talked about being grateful for the things and talents and abilities we have and expressing gratitude to the Lord. We were told there is an ice cream social in the mess room tonight so we will not have devotional so we can support it. Last night I went to bed at 9:30 and pretty much slept the whole night till 4:30. It felt great. Need to do that more often. 

Put my laundry in at 5:00 so I could get it washed and dried before we had muster call. I though the place would be empty but every washer had stuff in it. I found one that had  finished so I put it in a dryer so I could do mine. That is pretty much the norm.  The one laundry room has 10 stacked washer dryer units and the other has 6.  I found you need to put underwear/socks in the delicate washer bag or things get lost or caught in the metal holes and ripped or shredded. It takes 40 minutes to do a delicate wash cycle with extra rinse. The dryer takes about 1 hour. I just load it up, start it and set my stop watch so I know when to go back. Pretty much the honor system. If the unit is done you move it to the dryer or put it on the table for them to pick up  Anything found left in a washer or dryer is left on the table and hopefully the owner collects. The place is way too hot to stay in there and wait. We have the larger laundry room at the bottom of the stairwell just off of x-ray. It is only 2 decks below, so takes 2 min or less to get there. The Purex 3 in 1 laundry stuff works really good I would recommend it to anyone doing laundry in a laundrymat. 

Breakfast for me  was fruit, crumb cake and yogurt. We did a CT orbits and an elbow for a mass removal. They had a case in the OR so I offered to go with HM1 Bollinger so I could see how they did things. We did a medullary nail in a tibia. What that is, is a pin about the size of a thick knitting needle the put right down the middle of the marrow space in the bone to fix the fracture so it will not slide apart and allow them to stand on it. The Indonesian guy had broken his leg and had a plate and screws but the plate broke last December somehow and he has been on crutches since. It took 2 1/2 hours and that was just the time x-ray was in there. The total time for the surgery was about 3 1/2 hours. The C arm they use is probably 2 or 3 generations newer than the one I use at work but is still pretty much the same. 

There is another case tomorrow with the same type of surgery so I said if someone could come and make sure I had it all plugged in right I would do it or help them. Finally feels like there was something I am familiar in doing and using that kind of machine . 

Left the iPad for Jen and the others to play the games. They had fun trying what I had loaded. Ran up to lunch and it consisted of a grilled cheese sandwich (which was really good), salad and oatmeal raisin cookies. You pretty much have cafeteria style serving. You pick up desert first then choice do 2 entrees, starch ( usually one of the following - rice, potatoes, pasta) gravy (depending on the entree), soup, and 2 vegetables. Then you go into the main dinning seating area and get your glass and can have ice, water, hot drinks, juice drink mix (usually so watered down you think you can taste something). Then choice of bean or pasta salad, jello (every meal and a different flavor every tray they bring out. Dad would be in heaven.) Pudding (vanilla or chocolate), selection of different types of sliced bread, peanut butter and jelly (in case you don't like anything or just want something extra protein). Green salad of some type, either lettuce ( if we were just in port and can get it fresh) or red cabbage and sliced carrots, peppers, celery or whatever they have. Salad topping, craisins, peppers, broccoli, bean sprout, cheese, crunchy chow mein noodles and whatever else could look like it would go on salad. Then whole fruit. Will try and take a picture sometime. 

They ordered a portable film on the morning surgery case and that was it for the day. Jennifer sent an email to the guy in the helicopter picture so we can get him to sign the release form so we can use his picture for school and church. I am pretty much caught up on everything, so will catch up on the scripture reading and charge this thing up. Thanks for the update on Steve and sounds like everyone is keeping busy. Will make sure I talk to Maddie Sunday before Oakcrest. See if Callie Wall or Mandy Eborn or some of the other YW can give her any heads up for camp. Take a warm coat if it is still cold and make sure she gets the right sleeping bag, a warm one. 

Time is starting to zoom by and I will be home before I know it. Will keep sending pictures but they are struggling to get sent. Let me know if you got the ones we tried to send today. Love you all and tell people I will respond to emails I get. I will try and call Lisa and Ben and whoever I can connect with sometime in the next week or so. Just watch for the 5000 as caller number. 

Hug and kisses to you all. Caroline

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