Scrub up!

A trip to the theatre this morning was not followed with popcorn and a movie, but instead almost five hours worth of orthopedic surgeries ("theatre" is another term for operating room). Unsure of how my body would respond to seeing the insides of live humans, since I have never observed such operations before, I was slightly nervous upon arrival to Pelonomi Hospital at 6:50AM this morning. After being told to dress warm, I regretted my three layers when dropped off to scrub up in the women's bathroom not quite knowing what to do. I put the orange shirt and pants over my coat and jeans because I didn't want to leave my belongings behind. I'm sure you can imagine the bulky prisoner look I was rocking when I met up with Eric and Dr. Pelser upstairs (no pictures, sorry). Feeling very awkward, it was a relief to see them sporting the same look, slippers and all. We got to observe the repair of one radial head, one scaphoid, and two metacarpal fractures. Dr. Pelser is an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in hands, which explains the three surgeries we saw. Although I'm sure Eric (the future orthopedist) was hoping to see more, I was very content with the smaller bones, as it was a good start for the girl who has never been in an operating room before. It is always amusing to tell the doctors and medical students I'm studying to be a physio because I can tell they wonder what I'm doing there. Needless to say, I had an exciting morning, discovered that I look super attractive in orange scrubs, saw what the inside of an arm looks like, learned a lot, and did NOT pass out. I was honestly preparing myself for the last one to happen, so I was extremely proud when our time was up and I had maintained consciousness the whole time. For the record, I still have no desire to be a surgeon but am thankful for those who do!

We observed in the orthopedic ward at another state hospital Tuesday, which is where we met Dr. Pelser. I have not had much medical experience, so it was fascinating to see his examination of minor issues and explore some of the facility. Many patients generously allowed us to observe and were even willing to converse in English. I feel like I have told our backstory hundreds of times by now, but it is still nice when people take interest in where we are from and share about themselves as well. We even got to meet Father Christmas, long white beard and belly like a bowl full of jelly (well, the man who gets paid to portray him in the local malls). People like him and explanations of many injuries I knew nothing about made for a good day.

Shaun, a physiotherapist at Dr. Holtzhausen’s sports clinic, let us tag along with him to work with Bloemfontein's cricket team (The Knights) Wednesday morning. Although their season does not officially start until October, a few of the players had a conditioning session, with one recovering from a serious ankle injury. Before it began, we were given a tour of the field and locker rooms, as well as a crash course on cricket. Knowing nothing about the sport before coming here, I definitely have a new appreciation for both it and rugby.

 

  

         Tomorrow, we will be back in the orthopedic ward with Dr. Pelser before ending the day early to leave town for the weekend. A friend has invited us to spend the weekend with her family at her parents’ house in KwaZulu-Natal near the Drakensberg. Words cannot describe how excited I am for the chance to see the beautiful mountain range we have heard so much about. Bloemfontein is great, but it will be nice to say I experienced a bit more of South Africa than just this one city. We’re even planning to pass through Clarens on the way. Not sure what internet connection will be like there, so I may not get another chance to blog until next week. Thanks to those who have stuck with my blog!