#28 - Thursday 10th

scrubbing

Great start to the day, Rebecca making us Tattie Scones and baked beans for breakfast - or as she knows them 'Potato Cakes'. They taste a bit like smooth, flat hash browns - very tasty... and just what I needed before a day in surgery/anesthetics. Hospital...didn't know the theatre code.. already scared of the anesthetist, I didn't need to be late! Made it in, and had to sit through the nurses "5minute" (and some) meeting, after being glared at, who are you? Paul took me through to the anesthetics room telling me, "anesthetics is easy, until its not." Easy, I'm sure. I made sure I clarified my lack of prior knowledge with Paul and we were off seeing patients. Attempted a venflon, not quick enough for Paul, but instead of telling me off like I expected he just said, "if it didn't look easy after 20+ years of doing it...." Started to relax. Didn't really have a clue what was going on when putting people to sleep, just kept having to hold peoples faces, and feel their warm breath on my hands. Kind of eventually realized I was 'maintaining their airway' - terrifying eh... especially after a few minutes of not maintaining sed airway very well..... "Have you used a guddel airway before?" "Have you seen one?" "Here you go (wraps my hands around it) put it in." arghhhhhhh. Same with the larger LMA tube.... All was okay, this then made the plastic bag inflate and deflate in time with their breathing - as I would ask later, the bag is a reflection of their breathing not vice versa... so when it wasn't moving earlier... when I was holding their face... that was because I wasn't adequately opening their airway... Interesting watching the anesthetists job throughout the procedures - some of the physiology we learned in phase one was relevant to something... asked some silly questions and had no grilling, he must have set his expectations lower than for the girls! Chatted a lot about Orkney and sheep and Newcastle.... Jesmond (where we both lived in Newcastle) has twice the population of the whole of the Orkney islands. Mind blowing. Paul told me, "there's no hierarchy in theatre." After a flying visit to the ward (strutting about in scrubs, probably not allowed...) I asked to scrub in. Great shout, the nurses had plenty of time to explain it all properly to me, after three rounds of handwashing and a nail scrubber, I was slowly talked through drying my hands, gloves and gown on. Quite literally kicked into position (just ankles kicked) hip to hip with the more junior surgeon... right under the surgical lamps. So they really are hot (I'd never been anywhere near close enough to know!) "please don't faint please don't faint please don't faint....." Next thing I knew my hands were placed on a patient, given a swab and other instruments throughout... my hand manipulated, or attempted to be around their handles... "Have you ever felt bowel?! "No..." Obviously the next thing to happen was that my hands were placed on the bowel... This whole drama carried on for a while, pushing things out the way, holding bits, the surgeon elbowed me in the face, "I don't have a sterile elbow" (Thank goodness I stopped myself replying "I don't have a sterile face...!") Very interesting. One last patient with the anesthetist, sedated, not under GA - very interesting & Then time for home. Decided to sort out getting my towel, I'd left it to dry in the flat's spare room on the radiator... obviously two days later the door was locked... I was certainly laughed at, at reception trying to explain my silly story.... got the spare key.... no towel! Souvenir of the Tees Barage 10k now in lost properly somewhere... Evening of indian,ale & wine with the girls. Made the most of our last night, staying up as long as we could keep our eyes open.