FI and Freaking Sweet Surgery!

Yesterday I had an amazing opportunity to a long time goal. I have been wanted to observe a surgery. An orthopedic surgery would offer the best of “wood shop” and “home ec”. Less than 1% of the world’s population has seen the inside of an operating room. I got to sit in on five cases. I literally was only feet away from the action. None of this watching TV or youtube stuff, the real deal. I will spare you the details but just know that there was a lot of drills, screws, and nails.

Here is an interesting observation I had before getting to operating room. The doc’s assistant told me I needed scrubs on. She pointed to the Dr. dressing rooms, “change there”. She knows I know nothing about medicine, or even how to look like I know about medicine. I wondered, did I need to take off my clothes or did the scrubs go over my clothes? Lucky for me, I passed a few docs on the way in and it looked like they were naked under those scrubs. When in Rome do as the Romans do right.

On my way out I grab a hat and a Home Depot hazard mask. I quickly found out that real doctors don’t wear those types of masks. As I cross the red line into the operating ward a nurse tells me, “Hey, put your hat on”. Glad she told me.  Then we entered the room with all the washtubs, “Hey, now put on your mask”. Glad she told me. As I entered the room the doc warmly greeted me.

My plan was to fold my arms, touch nothing, and observe everything. They were using all these fancy terms; distal, proximal, medial, and flux capacitor. I located myself just over the doc’s shoulder but really close to the instrument table. A nurse tech reminded me, “If you bump the tool table, everything would have to be resterilized”. Bad day! I’m glad someone told me. Doctors and nurses went out of their way to include me in as much as I could handle.

I have never felt more like a fish out of water. Yet, this was one the greatest moments in my life; I had way to express it. Many people wondered why I would find surgery so interesting. But hasn’t that been said regarding religion?

Non-religious people come to Relevant with folded arms, touching nothing, and observing everything. We can’t tell if they love it or are completely lost. Here is the great part; Relevant gets a chance to welcome observers weekly. The result of our work is not mended bones, but mending hearts. Thanks for your commitment to telling a broken world that they matter to God.

 

Jamie

 

Here is the schedule for the week.

 

FI and Freaking Sweet Surgery!