MAY-A-4
A SATURDAY IN THE LANGUID TROPICAL AFRICAN SUN
WHEN IT IS HARD TO START UP ANYTHING LIKE HOSPITAL ROUNDS,
BUT LIFE, AND DEATH, GO ON, AND SO MUST WE--
BEFORE OUR SECOND EVENING BEING HOSTED FOR DINNER,
THIS TIME BY MATRON KATHRYN
May 3, 2003
SURPRISE!
NOTHING TURNS OUT QUITE ACCORDING TO PLAN!
I AM CALLED TO THEATRE FOR A POSTPARTUM CERVICAL LACERATION,
AND DISCOVER WHILE MAKING MALE WARD ROUNDS,
A VERY SICK 17-YEAR OLD BOY
WITH A ONE WEEK BOWEL OBSTRUCTION, AND RESECT SEVERAL FEET OF DEAD BOWEL IN
THEATRE, WITH COLOSTOMY AND ILEOSOTOMY FOR SALVAGE:
I INSTRUCT THE NURSE TO TELL THE FAMILY OF THE OPERATION AND HIS GRAVE
CONDITON AND THEN GET A NEAR-COMICAL
EVERY NIGHT CALL TO THE MALE WARD TO RE-EXPLAIN;
MATRON KATHRYN HAVING BEEN CALLED TO LILONGWE BY BROTHER’S DEATH, OUR DINNER WAS CANCELLED