Gastric Sleave

Clif and I drinking our free daily coffee.
 (Indians pride themselves on being hospitable.)

Today’s hospital experience seemed a bit more organized.  After meeting the human resources guy, Rupesh, we had our free morning coffee and were sent up to surgery.   We watched a gastric sleeve surgery (kinda equivalent to a tummy tuck) and then a cleft lip repair.  For the first time while at the BSES hospital, the surgeon took us aside afterwards and explained the gastric sleeve surgery and the other types of bariatric surgeries.  He also explained the requirements for being qualified to get the surgeries done.  I found it funny in the United States, one needs to have a BMI of >40 but in India it’s only >32 if there are pre-existing conditions (heart/diabetes).

The head of the lunchroom was very happy to take pictures
 with us. He said it was his "good luck."

Lunch at the hospital was also an experience.  The lunchroom is a large outside porch-type of thing sticking out of the 3rd floor.  In the corner there is a small AC room with a big sign that reads “ONLY FOR DOCTORS.”  The head of the lunchroom came out and escorted us into the doctor room (probably because we were white and they assumed we were higher up).  After waiting for our order for about 15 minutes he came out and told us that it was almost done and it would only be 10 more minutes.  50 minutes later our food came! ☺  I didn’t mind the wait, but I was excited to get my food.  After digging into my large Chinese pasta dish, my mouth burst into fire!  India had gotten me again (haha).  India is famous for spicy food.

Left: Clif, Alex, Lindsay, Rupesh (hospital coordinator)
His daughter came to visit and he wanted to get a picture of all of us with her.

After lunch we talked with Rupesh and received another cup of coffee.  Then we went to the pathology lab and looked at some blood slides.  It was interesting but I didn’t really know what was going on because I hadn’t had the classes yet.