Indelible Roots

I got a ride into work with Somath today and I think this will be our norm. I’ll pay him some money at the end of the week for gas. We stopped at the entrance to the rehabilitation complex for breakfast before starting work. I saw some interesting patients today to include a new patient whom I evaluated with Dr. Lee. He appears to have severed his wrist extensor tendons and Dr. Lee advocated exploratory surgery. The family was thinking about it last I heard and I told Dr. Lee I can at least make him a splint to offer him functional grasp if he decides against surgery.

I also saw a Colles wrist fracture whom had been pinned. The alignment didn’t look great and his range of motion was limited, but I got him doing some self stretches and strengthening for home. Next was a young lady with a complex fracture to the elbow with limited flexion range. The end field is hard, but she is more limited by pain. I also educated her on proper home range of motion. Home exercises are severely lacking and I can add home exercise pictures to my list of what I should have brought. [read on]

Work was uneventful today. It is pretty slow as all of the surgeons are in Taipei for a conference. In the afternoon many of us gathered in the records room and chatted, mostly about me. Again they are trying to hook me up with a Khmer woman of some kind. Again I am unfazed, my armor impenetrable. I pulled out my laptop and showed them pictures of Alaska to change the subject. Everyone was very interested and some found it hard to believe at the lower temperatures. All were awed by the beauty of the land and my personal freedom. [read on]

10/28/2007

I started off the morning with a leisurely breakfast in the restaurant on the first floor of the hotel. After finishing my banana pancake, toast, and o.j., I walked the three blocks to my favorite internet café. There ... [Continue reading this entry]

New pics are up. I walked all over town and went to three different internet cafes before I found one with a decent enough speed to upload these pics. I'm starving now, so I'm off to find some lunch.

10/26/2007

Wow! Things just are not going to die down and become routine here apparently. Rounds this morning were disturbed by the squealing of pigs next door, just beyond the six foot wall and barbed wire. However, no one else ... [Continue reading this entry]

I passed out last night at 7pm. I tried to stay up longer, but couldn’t. I awoke at 5am and got up at 6. After a few push ups and my first shower without a shower curtain or tub, I ... [Continue reading this entry]

Dr. Jim greets me in the morning in his undies and pot belly. He’s actually quite nice about it, asking me how well I slept and motioning me to eat breakfast with him. The gal from the night before then ... [Continue reading this entry]

It’s 6:58AM local time and the streets are bustling. It’s warm of course and a bit humid with a light breeze and cloudy skies. The sound of kids talking and yelling from the front of the house since 6AM led ... [Continue reading this entry]

Wow! It’s been an eventful four hours. Got into Phnom Penh around 730pm local time. Got down stairs to immigration and started talking English to the officer. He looked at my passport and said “your Khmer. Talk Khmer and ... [Continue reading this entry]

Well so much for my super awesome score on an almost direct flight to Phnom Penh. We left 45 minutes late from Anchorage and for some reason arrived in Taipei Taiwan 2 hours late. So instead of a 1 ... [Continue reading this entry]