Monday

My first day was like assimilating into a country so different it causes culture shock; the hospital scene was not something I was prepared to experience on a day to day routine.  At the beginning of the day at 8:00 A.M., I arrived at Baylor Hospital, where during my wait for Dr. Demarco I witnessed a colonoscopy for the first time.  To keep the details brief, it's like hunting for treasure in a cave like playing a video game; removing polyps and navigating through the intestines is an exploration by itself.  during the day, various patients came in for followups for various problems regarding topics from Crohn's to simple abdominal pain.  IBS or Irritable Bowel Syndrome seems to be apparent in many individuals, because half of the patients today had the same disorder. At noon, Dr. Demarco did a PEG on a woman who had a stroke, where a camera was threaded through the throat so Dr. Demarco could know where he needed to puncture the stomach so food can be directly transported to the stomach (she was unable to eat); this is the way in which most unstable patients are fed - after a PEG is performed.  Many thrilling random facts are taught to me every day, where i cannot ask for a better senior project; a better first day is something I cannot have asked for.