There's social distancing, and then there's SOCIAL DISTANCING!!!!!

[Gawdzilla Sama]

[zebo-the-fat]

WTF???

[Gawdzilla Sama]

WTF???

There was no other doctor available. I assume the impression they tried to give that he was alone was deliberate. The rest of the station crew was ready to take over if they had to. He had spent hours coaching them on the procedures.

[Fake Messiah]

This reminds me of that scene in "Master and Commander" when the ship's doctor has to operate on himself.

But talking about crazy appendectomy, there was also Dean Rector who had first appendectomy on a submarine and it was during ww2 in Japanese waters. He was operated by ship’s pharmacist’s assistant, who had no medical training, did not know what an appendix looked like or where it was to be found, and had no surgical equipment to work with, and yet he managed to do it.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

This reminds me of that scene in "Master and Commander" when the ship's doctor has to operate on himself.

But talking about crazy appendectomy, there was also Dean Rector who had first appendectomy on a submarine and it was during ww2 in Japanese waters. He was operated by ship’s pharmacist’s assistant, who had no medical training, did not know what an appendix looked like or where it was to be found, and had no surgical equipment to work with, and yet he managed to do it.

And the jokes started:

Radio conversation, hospital to sub:

HOS: Okay, are you read to make the incision?
HM*: I'm ready!
Radio interference blocks communication.
HOS: We're back! Where are you?
HM: Incision made!
HOS: How did you know where to cut?
HM: I cut along the old scar.


*Hospitalman, or corpsman.

[Fake Messiah]

This reminds me of that scene in "Master and Commander" when the ship's doctor has to operate on himself.

But talking about crazy appendectomy, there was also Dean Rector who had first appendectomy on a submarine and it was during ww2 in Japanese waters. He was operated by ship’s pharmacist’s assistant, who had no medical training, did not know what an appendix looked like or where it was to be found, and had no surgical equipment to work with, and yet he managed to do it.

And the jokes started:

Radio conversation, hospital to sub:

HOS: Okay, are you read to make the incision?
HM*: I'm ready!
Radio interference blocks communication.
HOS: We're back! Where are you?
HM: Incision made!
HOS: How did you know where to cut?
HM: I cut along the old scar.


*Hospitalman, or corpsman.

Actually, there was a joke and it went like: “Look, Dean, I never did anything like this before, but you don’t have much chance to pull through anyhow, so what do you say?”

[Rev. Rye]

I'm reminded of the last episode of The Knick. Throughout the past two seasons, Thack has been struggling with drug addiction, and while he doesn't exactly overcome it, an overdose on laudanum and ether on a good friend convinces him that general anæsthetic is bad. And because he has an insane amount of confidence in his abilities (bear in mind, The Knick is to medical procedures what Mad Men is for advertising, and Thack is its Don Draper), enough so that when he has an ischemic bowel and needs surgery, he elects to do it ON HIMSELF WITHOUT ANÆSTHETIC (well, except for a spinal block.) It goes well until this happens:





Ave atque vale, Thack.
Ave atque vale, The Knick.

[chimp3]

Who would you sue?

[Fireball]

This reminds me of that scene in "Master and Commander" when the ship's doctor has to operate on himself.

But talking about crazy appendectomy, there was also Dean Rector who had first appendectomy on a submarine and it was during ww2 in Japanese waters. He was operated by ship’s pharmacist’s assistant, who had no medical training, did not know what an appendix looked like or where it was to be found, and had no surgical equipment to work with, and yet he managed to do it.

A submarine rates at least a 3rd Class Corpsman who has been to the appropriate "A" School and has quite a bit of experience prior to being assigned that kind of billet, and the equipment is available. Don't place to much credence on a movie. Yes, a non-doctor could be assigned to that sort of emergency surgery in a pinch. Then again, I had a ruptured appendix when in the Navy, and it was 6 weeks from the time of discovery (by a non-Navy GP in the town where I was) until I had surgery. 9 days in the hospital, 3 weeks on bed rest, and a Medevac to California. Then two weeks in a medical holding company until I was forced into some manual labor by a "superior" against orders that exacerbated the problem and then I had an appendectomy. I've been hospitalized for a total of 6 weeks because of that appendix. The scar tissue still gives me trouble.