Baby Lamb

One of the fun things about living on a compound is exploring what takes place outside of the walls of the hospital. Some of the families on the compound own farm animals, the most common of which are sheep. A baby lamb was born last week and this picture was taken when he was only one day old. Jason, on the L, is one of the surgeons and next to him is his son, Nathan. Silas and Naomi are the other two kiddos, who belong to Stephen and Monika. I think this picture is quite hilarious because everyone is touching at least a small part of the lamb. The mother sheep was not very happy that we were passing around her new baby. But the most she could do was run in circles and bahhhh incessantly until we gave him back.

We have now reached the end of our first full week of working in the hospital. I have been helping with Cesarean sections and am given more responsibility with each operation. The more I do, the easier it becomes to manipulate the surgical instruments. I am feeling more comfortable in the OR each day, which is quite encouraging. I am also starting to see OB patients on my own in clinic, which is challenging. My saving grace is the help I receive from the medics, who speak some English and translate between me and the Bangla-speaking patients. Learning the system here is also challenging. Obstetric protocols are very different here than in the US. For example, in the states, if a patient is term and is starting to change her cervix but is not yet in labor, we tell her to go home and come back in a week or once she is in labor. In Bangladesh, transportation is such an issue that women may very well not make it to the hospital in time to deliver. So these patients will be admitted, induced, and delivered.

Our midday break is over and it is now time to return for afternoon clinic. Dane and I will continue to post as often as we can.