How is it like - in the OT
Thursday, August 16th, 2007
What a fine opportunity to go to the GA Operating Theatre 10 and see all the surgeons in actions. Particularly my inspirations Dr Ha, Prof Zainal and Dr Siti Mazlipah.
First operation I came in late and saw a 12 year old boy already unconscious and intubated in the middle of the operating lights. And the actions of ABG and graft harvesting from iliac crest. Learnt more about anaesthesiology from Dr Ng. Appreciate all teachers who took the effort to explain.
These people including the nurses looked so smart and they knew their function in a life-altering surgery team. All in surgical gowns and masks, and all the trolleys after trolleys of instruments. Another machine set-up for the anaesthesist to monitor patients vital signs every 5 minutes. Grand !
Soon, the tiredness of standing really seeped in. Wow, all those surgeons still working fervently. Tho pretty much tempted to just sit down, I decided to rest when the surgeons rest.
After the operation, when patient started to choke and started to regain consciousness, all staff showed expressions of victory, as if “Hey, we have you back!!” “Surgery is over” “Hello”. I enjoyed that feeling of a successful surgery and the patient woke up with something beneficial done to their bodies. He was being pushed out of OT10.
I sat down after standing for 3 hours.. while at another seated corner, the surgeons did some post-op discussion and pre-op discussion for the next patient.
My learning spirit took a different toll as the second patient was being pushed into OT10. A 22 year old female, conscious and … anxious. I cant take my eyes off her because what I saw roused a very complex feeling in me. As if I am in her shoes, sitting on the ambulatory stretcher.
After positioning herself on the operating table, blanketed. She slipped off her gown. The anaethesists attached vital signs patches (dunno wazzit call) on her body. They also took her left hand and inserted a cannula. Man, the needle is huge as I saw the skin bulged accordingly. In and out, left and right as they searched for a blood vessel. It took some long seconds before the blood vessel is found.
She turned her face away from whatever they are doing to her body. She was afraid and nervous. She was about to be made unconscious, made numb and senseless (cant feel pain), and made weak (muscle relaxant). Here she is, render herself vulnerable, trusting her life to a group of people whom she barely knew but needed to have faith in. That’s quite a lonely feeling.
The Dr put a gas mask over her nose and I observed her eye lids closed slowly… Oblivious to the world outside, trusting the surgeons to cut her for her own good, and then to wake up to the smiles of surgeons and family.
There and then, OT10, I have to wipe my eyes constantly. Coz I thought of memek. Will she feel lonely? WIll she be afraid? Will she have faith in God and trust the surgeons and anaesthesist? Will she wake up smiling and see smiling faces?
Hugs- gambate, memek… Aug 20 is the day.
