Journal Entry #4

Amita Raj

Abney

6^th Period

Journal Entry #4: Thursday, September 23 2010

                Today I met my mentor at the hospital. She showed me two of her ‘more interesting’ cases. One patient had temporarily had the blood supply cut off from her leg because of a clotting issue. Because of elevated kidney failure and the hindered blood circulation, ‘Great toe’ on one of the patient’s feet started dying. It was not getting oxygen from the blood and eventually turned a greenish-black hue. To prevent this dead limb from getting infected, the patient had to be scheduled for amputation.

                Another patient I saw was admitted in the ICU. He was in a worse condition compared to any other patients I had seen. All the toes on his left foot had been amputated, and the right leg was amputated from just below the knee. This is a more aggravated condition compared to the woman I had previously seen. The man was clearly in constant pain and was not in his right mind, even with all the medications that were given to mitigate his condition.

                These two cases were eye-opening because I had not previously seen the disastrous effects of kidney disease, and they really showed me what can happen if people do not take care of themselves.

                I was incredibly impressed that the doctor still wanted to work with me on Thursday because her clinic hours had finished early, and if she was not as committed as she is, she would have been able to go home. I appreciate all the time she has given me and the fact that she goes out of her way to teach me everything she can.