Day 39:

We spent the entire day on the wards. The wards are comprised of several different sections but on our section, there were about 30 patients. The patients come to the wards for a variety of reasons, but mostly after being released from ICU, for chemo, or from getting admitted after visiting casualty. As a result, none of the patients are really critical care, meaning there wasn’t a whole lot to do. It was interesting because there were two residents on the unit, yet I felt like all they did the entire day was write notes in charts and occasionally check on patients. Granted it wasn’t like the patients really needed a ton of care, but I just think it would be boring to write orders/notes all day. Nevertheless, we did get to round with the physician we shadowed yesterday, and I even got to write the notes in the chart as he dictated them to me- pretty cool that he felt comfortable enough allowing me to do that!

I think there comes a point when you’re on a unit that you realize there is absolutely nothing you can participate in, so you’re just better off trying to connect with the patients and learn that way. The other kid left early for an “appointment,” although I think that was just his excuse because he was bored out of his mind and wanted to leave. So while I was alone, I ended up talking to these two sisters... such feisty but sweet women. One of the woman’s husband was in the hospital for a foot wound-turned-blood-infection, and we ended up talking for a long time….about school, what my parents did, religion, their kids, how I don’t know Kannada. Apparently one of the sons lived in San Diego and while they said they’d never been to America, they told me they would visit when I got married! It’s funny, but once the conservation covers where you’re from, your schooling, and your family, it always, without fail, turns to whether or not you are married. They also insisted in giving me a bindi, which I immediately took off after leaving the hospital. Not only was I a white foreigner wearing a bindi, but it was red (which I think means you’re married), only adding to the staring and questioning looks. But anyways, they were super nice and so fun to talk with!