Days of surgery

"Make the incision and find your starting point," instructed Dr. Galat before handing me the scalpel. I hesitated for a second, as I had never before slid a blade through a patient's skin. Then with a quick prayer I glided the scalpel across the imaginary line he had drawn and watched the skin part beneath its stroke. My first incision....  

I have grown tremendously in my Orthopedic experience since being here at Tenwek Hospital. The medical experience for me has been beyond what I could ever have imagined. Some of the procedures that Dr. Galat leads me through would not be taught until several years into residency. More than that, I am growing in my understanding of the principles of orthopedics.

Some very interesting cases come to Tenwek. I will offer you just a taste. About a week ago, a man arrived unconscious after being attacked by Maasai warriors. He had a splintered arrow lodged in his neck (see the xray), a panga (machete) wound that severed his extensor tendons on his left hand, an open elbow, and another deep head wound that showing that the blade had cleaved an inch deep into his brain. By the Lord's abundant grace, and several trips to the "theatre", that man is now doing quite well. Another case - a woman came into clinic with a large, oozing, smelly, black mass on the side of her heel. Feeling a baseball sized lymph node in her groin made malignant melanoma the most likely diagnosis. Her prognosis is very poor. Another case - a man arrived after falling and hurting his elbow. The X-rays we obtained showed an old fracture / dislocation of his right elbow with a new fracture of his ulna. Inquiring about his past history, we found that he had injured his elbow badly 3 years ago and never sought treatment. It is remarkable how long people will go without seeking medical care. He was only able to bend his elbow about 10 degrees for the past three years. Tomorrow we are forced to fuse his elbow at 90 degrees, the most functional position.

But the greatest privilege of working at Tenwek has been seeing the spiritual concerns of each patient as the highest priority. Before every incision, for example, the whole OR staff stops and prays over the patient, acknowledging our helplessness and dependence on the Lord for any real healing to occur. When patients face terminal diagnoses (like the woman with melanoma), the conversation always turns toward their eternal destination. Prayer for patients is a frequent treatment that halts rounds even on the busiest of mornings. We rejoice over patient's progress as the Lord's work, and we mourn with their families when the effects of this sinful world overwhelm our medical care. Without question, the motto posted outside Tenwek Hospital is being lived out every day - "We treat, Jesus heals." I am learning a ton and loving every minute of it.