Day 2 - Afternoon Update from Poppa Bruce

When we went to the hospital today we discovered a change to our work plan; examinations would begin at 1 p.m. instead of 9 a.m. The group therefore worked on additional sorting of our supplies and assembled surgery sets for sterilization and the operating room.

We examined an additional 26 patients this afternoon and scheduled 10 for surgery; total surgeries now stand at 26.

The actual operating-room schedule is based on two rooms running with two easier cases in one room and one difficult case in the other room in the morning, and the same logic for the afternoon session. Surgery begins tomorrow, although we somehow have to fit in 10 additional examinations as well.

I will probably take pictures in the OR but I will not include these in any picture sets I forward to the web site. When you witness a foot surgeon using the tools of the trade, scalpels, drills, alignment rods and saws, it can get a little ugly -- amazing but ugly.

It remains hot and very humid, so the OR, which has air conditioning, might become an attractive place to be...