The first ventilator (breathing life-support machine) was invented by a Dr. Bird, and, especially on "Dr. Kildare" (the 1960's television show), it came to be known as "The Bird".
Medicine here is very interesting - you must have your wits about you. We have Xray, but there is no CT scanner. There is no MRI. We have only very basic blood tests. The only ventilator we have is for the operating theatre and is of the same vintage as the 'bird'. Granted, we have an ultrasound, but today was a good example of why clinical judgment outweighs scans and tests - just as it did in medicine 50 years ago.
A young woman was admitted to my service with minimally abnormal blood tests, an essentially normal ultrasound of the abdomen, and an exam that just wasn't quite right for appendicitis, though it certainly could have been. There was a potential alternative diagnosis for which she'd been previously treated with some relief, and we could easily have decided to pursue that. In the States, the next step would've been a CT scan, and that would have revealed no more than the ultrasound.
In Dr. Bob's judgment (the surgeon, who is also of the same vintage as the 'bird'), something just wasn't right. 50 years ago, the right answer was to 'open the belly' and have a look - surgery - so that's what he did. She had peritoneal 'studding' - small white bumps all over her intestinal lining that are invisible on scans. This is either TB of the intestines, ovarian cancer, or rarely a fungal infection. We'll find out in 2 - 4 weeks.
Please pray for 'S'. Two of the above options are far preferable to the third. We've started treatment for TB, hoping.
I wonder if the bird is a Kingfisher. We saw a similar, though much more brightly colored (almost emerald green) bird when we were in a village south of the Bangladesh border.
ReplyDeletePraying for "S", and for all of you providing her care!
I keep thinking about how she must see the medical facilities as miraculously advanced, perhaps opening her to belief to God's hand in her life, and the caregivers working against the lack of more efficient diagnostics and seeing God's hand moving to guide them.
I am almost positive I found your Bird. It is a Fingey. I looked up birds of Bangladesh. It beak is too short to be a kingfisher. The coloring was the same likes marshy areas and lives by watery areas. Have a great day and God Bless:-)Sharon
ReplyDeletePlease keep the pictures and stories coming! what you are doing is so amazing.!
ReplyDeleteI love that it's a "Fingey", what a great name!
ReplyDeleteYour houses are looking very lonely for you. They must be mirroring us. ;)
Hope you all get to see the "Super moon"! It's gorgeous!
Dear Ben, a true story of medicine in the "developing" or "third" world . You have a good diagnostician there! Some of the best practicioners in India we met when we were there used only their fingertips ,stethoscopes and observation skills to make the most refined diagnoses. It makes we wish all American medical students would spend some time abroad in those situations to refine their diagnostic skills without the use of fancy advanced technology. And to better appreciate what they have back here. I look forward to hearing more of your medical impressions! Good work! Love Aunt Mopsy
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