Tuesday, June 2nd

Tuesday, June 2nd

Bethany medical centre 9:32 p.m.

Today was fairly routine, except for the part where we saw A LIVE CHILDBIRTH.

Morning was much of the same - breakfast, rounds, and then we split up into the different OP clinics. Gina and I were on OB/GYN. We ultra sounded a patient who came in with a severely distended abdomen from the level of the umbilicus on down to the pelvis. Our differential included pregnancy and ovarian tumor. Thankfully, abdominal ultrasound revealed a heartbeat. We were able to view the chambers of the baby's heart and the developing spine (notochord? We aren't the best at embryo).

Around noon we got word of a 19 year old mother going into labor (G0P0; I suppose now she's G1P1). Pitocin was administered and then we relaxed for a good stretch of the afternoon while waiting for the cervix to fully dilate. Gina and Kristen observed a D&C in the interim which was supposedly quite bloody.

At 5 pm Keiko and I went down to check on the status of the dilation. We arrived just in time for Ringtu to tell us that the cervix was fully dilated and the delivery was about to happen. We stepped into the room to observe. Local anesthetic with xylocaine was done and an incision made to allow room for the baby as it crowned.

The delivery was much different from what I had imagined. I had always thought the baby would slowly ease out of the canal. That was not what happened.

At first all we saw was the baby's crown. Then, after a few contractions the whole head spurted out. The nurses rushed to cut the umbilicus as it was wrapped around the neck, and then they pulled the whole baby out. It all happened so fast that I barely had time to process what had just happened. 

Then the rest of our group showed up and I decided to dip before the placenta was removed - I saw that happen the first day and it's not an experience I wanted to voluntarily repeat. 

Following that we relaxed until dinner playing games and talking, and then we went on evening rounds. Saw a patient with clonus following lesion to his left internal capsule from stroke. Also saw a patient with a distinctive S3 sound.

The others went to Dr. Clemet's house for a little jam sesh as I sit here writing this blog entry. Tomorrow we're going to go on a field trip to one of the local tribal villages. I hope it's a great learning experience.

-Derick