Fixing Bullet Holes
I was a third year medical student. My first clinical rotation was General Surgery. I still remember the first weekend I was on call. I remember the first time I received a patient on call in the OR. I remember his name. I remember his face. I remember everything about him. If he were to walk by I would still recognise him. Except he won't. He won't be able to walk by ever. That night, a single, small bullet had taken away from our patient his ability to walk, forever.
And so it had taken from him life as he knew it.
He was a young man, with dreams and hopes. He was to be married in a few days before this happened. And all that he was left with was a colostomy bag and wheel chair. Every time a resident, a consultant, a medical student visited him he would say, 'please make me walk again'.
It can make one think of all the time we spent on learning the tracts and leminisci in the spine, the pathways travelling in the spinal cord in beautiful nerve bundles. And how a small piece of metal, so recklessly, so carelessly fired can irreparably damage them.
The bullet before lodging in his spine had done a lot of damage otherwise. His spleen bled profusely and had to be removed. Eventually the surgeons did a colostomy for him and the procedure ended.
And so all the sutures and time in the world couldn't heal him completely. And we all stood there hoping we had a better solution for him.
There is science and research and progress. There are clinical trials and new technology. Everyday brings success and failure in this realm. We all continue to hope and work for solutions.
But is there any science, any research, anything that can make people hate each other less? fear each other less? Any technology that can prevent the desperation that makes one man pull a gun at another and shoot him with the intent to hurt him?
Can no scientist invent a cure for hate?
And so it had taken from him life as he knew it.
He was a young man, with dreams and hopes. He was to be married in a few days before this happened. And all that he was left with was a colostomy bag and wheel chair. Every time a resident, a consultant, a medical student visited him he would say, 'please make me walk again'.
It can make one think of all the time we spent on learning the tracts and leminisci in the spine, the pathways travelling in the spinal cord in beautiful nerve bundles. And how a small piece of metal, so recklessly, so carelessly fired can irreparably damage them.
The bullet before lodging in his spine had done a lot of damage otherwise. His spleen bled profusely and had to be removed. Eventually the surgeons did a colostomy for him and the procedure ended.
And so all the sutures and time in the world couldn't heal him completely. And we all stood there hoping we had a better solution for him.
There is science and research and progress. There are clinical trials and new technology. Everyday brings success and failure in this realm. We all continue to hope and work for solutions.
But is there any science, any research, anything that can make people hate each other less? fear each other less? Any technology that can prevent the desperation that makes one man pull a gun at another and shoot him with the intent to hurt him?
Can no scientist invent a cure for hate?
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