I survived day 1! Quick post before bed.
Woke up 5am, got ready, arrived at the hospital at 6am. Met my residents and attending.
Rounded briefly in the morning on some of the patients and then headed down to the OR with the plastics fellow on for the day.
1st case was a man with a facial tumor that needed some reconstruction. This case wasn't too bloody or gross in any way. It lasted about 3 hours, which wasn't too bad. I still got tired of standing there for that long. I think part of what makes it hard is that I have to be always conscious of where my hands are and what my body is doing, so not to contaminate the sterile field or get in anybody's way.
The odd part of today's surgery was that feeling like maybe I will have to step out of the room for a while. Usually, I can handle watching surgeries with no problems. The first time I saw a surgery in high school, the smell of burning flesh bothered me for a little bit, but I'm been over that for a while now. (there's burning flesh smell because they cut and cauterize with this little tool thing.) And blood doesn't really bother me after OB/Gyn when I watched a woman bleed like a fire hose out of her vagina into a bucket I was holding.
So I'm not really sure what part of this morning's surgery got to me, but something did. I was standing there in my mask with a shield, gown, double gloved, and scrubs. And I was HOT, ridiculously hot. My entire body was sweating - my head, armpits, arms, legs, hands - everything. And everytime I would breathe in - it would cool my sweating face just a little, but then you have to breathe out with makes your face hot again, because it's all that warm air in a mask right on your face. I'm thinking I need to sit down just for a minute, because I am so hot. I didn't feel nauseous or anything, just ridiculously hot. Anyway...I survived without having to step away.
The next case was the debridement of a little girl's wound. She was riding a bike and hit a car. She had a road rash all over her hands, abdomen, and leg. Then there was a large chunk of skin taken out of one of her calves and one of her hips/things. You could literally see the muscles under the skin. It was amazing and sad at the same time. And looking at this - didn't even phase me for a second.
We'll see what tomorrow holds. I'm also worried about having to go to the bathroom during the middle of a case. I have cut down the amount of fluids I take in, because if you know me - you know that I have a bladder about the size of a pea. (thanks dad)
Ok bedtime - i'm exhausted
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