Tuesday

Before we started, we meet out front with the patients and sing a song called "Alabara mi Senor." It is the only official religious moment of the day.

Back to triage to start the day. The hospital was packed. I had a hallfull of people all talking a hundred miles and hour in Spanish. I got their names, dates of birth, towns they were from. I took their vitals, weighed and measured them, and got the gist of their complain, and then turned them over to a nurse who grew up in Cuba, who got their full history and did a full exam. And then those we think need surgery are told to wairt until the doctor gets out of surgery, and he comes down and examines them and they get booked. I make certain to say Buenas Dias and tell them all my name. Now whenever I walk down the hall, they all smile and call my name and have questions for me. In pre-op in the afternoon, I was talking if not in hundred mile and hour Spanish, at least going fifty-five.

I worked hard today and felt less guilty about my beer -- this time in La Mar -- the ocean.