Too Soon to Say Goodbye?

Dec 30^th, Day 13: Last day in Delhi!

We flew back to Delhi from Bangalore in the wee hours of the morning, then slept until the normal wake up time. The girls went for a quick shopping trip in the Ambience Mall with Arveen's aunt where we got a surprise gift of earrings from her aunt!! It was such a wonderful gift :) 

The girls also had fun picking out indian-style tunics, called kortis. 

For lunch, we tried a chola bhatura, a big puff pastry that you have to pop to eat with different curries. 

 Later that evening, we celebrated Kim's belated birthday by going bowling one more time and cutting her a birthday cake right on top of Dilpreet's car, parked on the side of the streets in Delhi!! 

It was a bittersweet goodbye for us all, since everyone was leaving for LA, while I go back to London. I'll be seeing them very soon though in the fall!

India, I'll come back again in the future I hope, so this isn't a goodbye forever!

Inside the Operating Theatre

December 29^th, Day 12: Last Day of Camp and Farewell Bangalore!

Today we had the camp in Sarjapura, the most rural location out of the three days of camp. We were located in a tall building on the 4^th floor which wasn’t the best idea. 

However, Kim, Arveen, and I were lucky enough to get to go to MediHope, a new 6 month old hospital to see some surgeries for the day! Before we left, we managed to get our blood sugar (glucose) levels checked by an IT company here for the camp. It took a long drive to get there so we all fell asleep. 

Right when we arrived, we were already sent to change into scrubs and crocs in order to go into the Operation Theatre. We had to put our hair into a lunch lady like net and wear latex gloves at all times. We were introduced to two surgeons, Dr. Reddy and Dr. Nagesh, who were going to be the operating surgeons today.

First, we saw two excisions of fissures in the vaginal area of two patients. It was pretty scary at first going into the operating room not knowing what to expect. It is quite surreal seeing being in an operating room with surgeons and assistants everywhere. We were so shocked to see the assistants position the patient the way they did and we just saw the vaginal area with such clarity it just opened our eyes to the reality of surgeries etc. I was very proud of us, our reactions and composure. Arveen gloved in on the first one to assist the surgeon, for example by holding areas of the body and looking more closely at what is going on anatomically. The surgeon, Dr. Reddy, was really engaging and explained the whole process as it was going on. Kim and I were standing not far behind to watch. It was quite a big operating room with lots of equipment, but you could tell it was still a new hospital with the way things were arranged. However, the surgeons were very well-trained and just as amazing as any other international surgeons, because med students here get no breaks and survive a very intensive five and a half years of schooling. They all seem to want to practice in America though but just can’t get the visa for it. 

Kim and I went to the next operating room for the 2^nd fissure while Arveen stayed behind to see the surgeon suturing up the wound. Kim basically just gloved into this next operation and got to feel around and assist. This operation was a lot cleaner than the first, less blood, and we had a better look at this one because it was only us two observing.  We had lunch with the surgeons before our last operation. We felt like we were surgeons on a lunch break! The food was pretty good, typical north, and south Indian food. 

The last operation, I got to glove in but it had a higher difficulty and care level than the first two. I had to wash my hands and arms almost 5 times in a particular way, then put on another layer of scrubs, the surgery one, and always hold my gloved hands upwards to not contaminate my gloves. This one was with Dr. Nagesh and he was also very very engaging with me. He let me cut the suture wires, hold the scissors and be so up close to the whole procedure it was surreal. I was very focused and observant; it felt amazing to be a part of it. I saw the beginning, from the cut of skin, to the pulling/cutting of the muscle to get the cyst out. I saw the cyst in all its glory with the thick milky pus/liquid that poured out when punctured.  They clean and sterilize the wound with this thin brownish liquid and water, which made the wound area foam into an orange and red thick consistency! It was very vivid. Sometimes, lots of blood would just trickle out from certain cuts. There was a special tool to burn and heal certain wounds, it looked like a little laser. He then did the suturing while I helped cut the wire as he did it. I was so terrified to make the cut of just the wire, that I had to ask HERE about three times before I actually made each cut. All he said was as close to the skin as possible then I didn't have to ask anymore. The wound was then stapled, which could be taken off in about 9 days. Don't worry, the male patient was also put under general anesthesia while the first two were just regional spinal ones. Afterwards we thanked the surgeons for the amazing opportunity, spoke with Dr. Reddy for a while, then left. We also had to say our goodbyes to Dr. Shah and his fiancee today! 

Dr. Reddy

Dr. Shah and his fiancee

Later that evening, we had dinner at the Lion Club president, Mr. Krishna Reddy's house. It was such a nice house and we met a lot of the president's family and friends.  They were so hospitable by giving us so much alcohol we didn’t take, and offering so much food. They’re from Andhra Pradesh which is known for very spicy food. We got to try more Indian sweets, yay!

Hunt and Chase!

December 28, Day 11: Second Day of Camp!!

We started off in Mahadevabura, a county in Bangalore for the 2^nd day of camp. We held it this time in a building next to a long dirt road that was semi-rural like the first day. We had a hard time figuring out how we were going to arrange each station, lines, crowd control, and where each person would be stationed at. The building was quite dim inside. My job today was being the middle man between the doctors and Dr. Padma. We had to round up surgery patients so we can get an ambulance to take them to MediHope, Aircity Hospital, or the Lion’s Club hospital. All 9 patients I was able to get to send to the hospitals went to MediHope.

 I got to interact with Dr. Nanda and Dr. Janaki from MediHope to arrange the transportation to MediHope. It would take so long to round up 4 patients, so the patients you do get in the beginning had to wait almost hours because there are 4 patients qualified for surgeries. I was surprisingly comfortable with some of the really serious businessmen of the Lions Club because they were laughing at me for being so paranoid with the patients whereabouts, making sure they don’t leave and worrying when the ambulance was going to come! I even had to walk outside a few times looking for a couple lost patients that just couldn't wait! I tried to hung them down, but it was impossible once they stepped out. There were so many people outside and they all stare at you when you come out too. However, I ended having a total of 9 patients I sent to MediHope that needed neurologist, urologist, surgeon consultations, or surgeries of the varicose veins, papilloma excision, etc. 

During the camp, one of the doctors was using a medical term I didn’t know so I had to ask for clarification. The whole time she thought we were medical students already, but the term was micturition, a urinary condition. Other than those times I was chasing down patients or hunting down the ambulance driver, I was helping direct patients who were mostly very friendly. People were very thankful for the help they received so they stay to receive all the check-ups and stations available to them. 

The happiness of all the doctors and nurses, their eagerness to serve the community, and the fact that they don’t complain or treat patients badly even after 6 hours of tending to endless patients, makes me remember why I want to be a doctor. 

It was amazing to see the doctors and surgeon's ability to diagnose the patients after just a few questions! Their medical knowledge was so spot on,  it gave me motivation to work harder to be able to get to the same level and help others with that knowledge. It was important to be observant, especially today. 

After camp, we had a fresh coconut from the roadside they break for you, and ate the flesh inside that was delicious! Akash, Kim, Arveen, and I squished in the backseat meant for two people and it was so uncomfortable but man we’ve gotten so close this trip! After hours of deciding where to eat and how to order, we finally were able to get pizza hut at 9pm! We ended the day with Dr. Shah telling us all his passport visa horror stories for almost an hour so he and his fiancée saw me slowly falling asleep...oops, way too exhausted from camp!

Let the Camp Begin!

December 27, Day 10: First Day of Camp!

We woke up around 8 today and had breakfast before we set out for our first campsite around the White Fields of Bangalore. It was a semi-rural area, lot dirtier and dustier than the central city area where our hotel is situated.We set up camp under a big shaded building so it wasn't hot and the patients weren't in the heat either! Food was provided to the people and we tended about 343 people today!!! Amazing! Services we offered at the camp were basic height weight, blood pressure, and hemoglobin check ups. They were then able to be examined by doctors to talk about their health issues and a pharmacy that provided useful medicines and pain relief. 

We had a team of doctors from MediHope, a local hospital and our own from America (Dr. Shah, Dr. Parekh), and one local Indian surgeon Dr. Padma. Kim and I were in charge of the height and weight station in which the people came to see first, Arveen and Akash did hemoglobin/blood pressure, while Curtis and Daryl went to see surgeries at MediHope. They saw a fallopian tube tying, which is done so a woman cannot get pregnant anymore.

 Kim and I had a really good time, even though we had to suffer the smells of people, coughing, people starting to suffocate us by not giving us space, and ills. However, we loved getting to hold the cute babies, smiling at everyone, and surprising random people by saying Nemastay to them! It was a sight to see those who couldn't believe how heavy they were oh dear. It was amazing how efficient we were even without communication issues, this was because we relied heavily on universal communication: hand motions, facial expressions, and body language. 

Dr. Shah also showed us how to do blood pressure, being over 140 for cystolic, over 90 for dystolic, are bad signs. After camp, we chilled out for a bit before going out to Taco bell for dinner. We visited the supermarket really quick for nail clippers then had a talk with Dr. Shah. Dr. Shah had us talk about long-term goals and short-term goals. Firstly, Lion Club wasn’t very happy that we’re here at this time because it’s in between the holidays, so we discussed future dates like the beginning of winter break and end of Aug/early Sept. Also, the problems from the first day was that the lines were disorganized, slippers were being lost at the height and weight station, and the hemoglobin station should be put at the end so that they can be easily be referred back to the doctor when the level is less than 10. However, it still ended well but we won't see surgeries tomorrow so we’re really hoping we can observe some the last day on the 29^th. 

So You Want to be a Doctor?

December 26, Day 9: Day after Christmas, Cancelled first day of camp!

 We were supposed to start camp today but there was some miscommunication and the Lion's Club (the association we partner with for the camp) were busy with another event at the same time. Our doctors, including Dr. Shah and all of us were pretty disappointed with the lack of communication and organization, but it was a lesson not everything goes the way we want it to in these situations. However we had breakfast in the morning where we met Dr. Shah, his fiancé, and Dr. Parekh.

Today we tried to take a public bus to go Go Karting, but it took so long, more than an hour, that we ended up taking rickshaws. We saw some cows crossing the street, and all the cars must make way for them! Go Karting was fun as well even if I did come in last and did a lap by myself after hahah! To my defense, I got stopped twice by the people for stepping on acceleration and brakes at the same time, then my bag was flying out of the kart. Afterwards, we chilled for a bit in our hotel room before we listened to a presentation by Dr. Shah about anesthesiology! It was pretty interesting although he didn’t want to be a doctor initially.He wanted us to make sure WE KNEW why we want to be a doctor and that we better have a good reason for it. So many people can try to go into the doctor business without thinking it through clearly and not knowing it isn't their true passion. It takes commitment, the right mind, and heart for the job. I won’t forget what he said about experiencing the death of a patient on your table, about how it opens your eyes and makes what you do a reality, so be ready for it. It’s a lot about your attitude and knowing what area you want to specialize in as well. 

After that shortly, we went out for dinner at a very fancy Indian restaurant we had to drive to, and then we met Dr. Padma and her grandson Samat. Dr. Padma is a surgeon from Bangalore who will be assisting us at the camp. Arveen, Kim, and I shared a Biryani Rice, Delhi Papdi Chaat (like Gol Gappay), and a Penne Arabiatta (Spicy Italian pasta). They were all delicious, including our lassi. Best of all though, was this crazy cool dessert brownie sundae we all shared! It was a brownie with ice cream on top and then the waiter pours fudge over it onto a hot plate where it sizzled into a sticky honey like substance which was delicious!!! Phew what a mouthful!

Christmas Eve, then Shub Krismas from Bangalore!!

December 24, Day 7: Bangalore Arrival and Christmas Eve

 Can you believe Kim and I didn’t sleep until about 3:20am probably and we had to get up at 4am to catch our domestic flight to Bangalore on SpiceJet Airlines? We were hoping so badly that our flight would be cancelled and we’d have to stay in Delhi for Christmas and Christmas Eve. However, the fog got so bad that our flight really did get cancelled but only until 12:15pm that day. Basically, we drove back to ThaiG’s house, we ran and jumped into bed until 10am. We had one more spicy breakfast corn maki that still managed to upset my stomach a little even though I shared with Kim. We used butter on it and ate bananas too. Well we eventually said our goodbyes and then ended up standing in a line for a long time to catch our delayed flight at 1:15pm. We had to wait to catch the coaches to our actual plane. 

After the long flight, we reached Bangalore and it was sunny! It was actually quite warm but a nice warm with the sun shining bright and mostly clear skies/air. We had to wait a while because the two hotel people who were supposed to pick us up did not even try to find us or something until we finally got to them! 





Our ride was about an hour and an half from the airport and Bangalore looked amazing like we weren’t even in India! It’s the Silicon Valley of India supposedly which looked like it. It wasn’t until we got further into the city where we saw poor areas, crowded places, and just dirt everywhere. It smells quite bad as well.

We checked in into our 16 Squares Hotel and it’s not bad! The wifi isn’t bad, the shower is good, and the room is pretty fancy! Ending with a random observation, there are a lot of toll roads and checkpoints here to stop suspicious people. 

December 25, Day 8: Christmas in Bangalore!

(SHRUB KRISMAS or MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Today, we got up early to get breakfast which was toast and butter really. We’re not really supposed to eat the fruits or drink the milk, dairy is risky here. Akash, Kim, and I played Christmas songs and just hung out in the room for a while (watched bits of Up and Transformers and music videos). After that, we all minus Arveen and Siva, went to explore the area a bit by going to the grocery store and department store. We helped Akash pick out a pair of nice shoes and got snacks for our Christmas stay in later that night. 

We went to pizza hut for lunch and the service was so amazing! It’s a lot cheaper to get drinks and things so most of us got mocktails and the spicy veggie pizza was really good! You get to ring a bell afterwards to say if you enjoyed yourself at pizza hut. I rang it and almost didn’t know how until the lady helped me, so embarrassing! 

Our hotel was right next to a little water canal that looked more like a sewage area...you can imagine the stink.

The streets outside are really cobbly and the area is just quite smelly L We returned back to our rooms to chill out for a bit before going out with Arveen and Siva to Forum Mall. We took Rickshaws (little Indian taxis) there and back which was really exciting! Three little children wanted to shake my hand and wish me a Merry Christmas like I was a celebrity or something before the ride! They were so adorable and friendly. 

At the forum mall, we got ice cream in waffle cone and then we ran to the crowd that was being entertained by something. It ended up being some crowd game and Akash got the right answer so we all went to the front to talk to the guy in charge. In front of everyone, he wanted us to sing a Christmas carol so I had to take the mike to sing The Christmas Song, or just part of it. Kim and Siva sang a little but so softly! It was terrifying but it got us all stamps for Christmas activities indoors which we also didn’t do! 

We did play a bit in the Apple store with their photobooth :)

Later, we went to Chutney Noodles for dinner and had Indian food. They served us so well like the Pizza hut people, they wait on you to serve you food. 

We came back to watch the Michael Bublé

Christmas special which was amazing but so short! Overall, it was a nice Christmas in India.