A right choice

Today manage to send the e-mail to Clara, hope you can share my experience in AlTahl. Today the main news is the outbreak of swine flu in Mexico, US and Canada. It may well be a case of flu pandemic developing. Let’s keep our finger cross. Al Tahl is an isolated mountain city. We have no worry on this. I’m thinking of you guys in HK. This morning I operated on that “110” years old gentleman. I do have pressure, of course not because of the operation but pressure from our team. We did have discussion on whether we should operate on him. Jorg, our German anaesthetist thought he carries a high risk. He might die of any complication after operation. So they did not offer any surgery at the beginning. But I said it’s my duty as doctor to explain to patient and family the options, pros and cons, risks and complications. Although it carries high risk, compared to zero chance of non-operating, we have to let family understand and decide. Even in this morning round, he re-elaborated his stand point. He said he would give the anaesthesia if I decided to operate. I then said yes. Luckily, we had a very smooth procedure and he already got up to drink in afternoon. The family is very grateful for this. Thank God I had made a right choice. Before lunch, we received a child ingested some kerosene. We did the gastric lavage and resuscitation. Praise God again the child was well in the afternoon. I saw another interesting case of a woman with accessory breast and milk engorgement after delivery. I reassure her and gave her some pain killers. Women here all dress in black and cover the whole body up even the face and eyes. If they trust you as their doctor, they are ready to show you their body part. I have number of these experiences. It is quite different with the information I had before coming here. They told me women in Yemen would not allow any man touching their bodies in any circumstance. That’s why I always say they are reasonable and kind people.