photo via llu
SLO native, Dr. Scott Nelson in Haiti, headed for surgery. Click here to read the whole story.
Peter Nelson has been in sporadic touch with his son; last week, Scott Nelson told his father in a phone call: “ ‘Dad, I get about two to three hours of sleep a night. I’ve had about 90 surgeries so far (as of Jan. 19), with another 20 patients lined up and another 100 left outside. I can’t go outside because they’ll mob me (for help).’ ”
“Are you doing lots of plates and rods?” the senior Nelson asked his son.
“ ‘No, because of the crush wounds, it’s not reconstructive surgery. I’ve literally been cleaning maggots out of wounds. There’s terrible infection and gangrene. Once we get them healing up, then I can go back and do the reconstructive work.’ ”
When Peter Nelson asked his son how he was holding up, he replied:
“ ‘I’m doing good right now, but two days ago I thought I was falling apart. But I’m doing better.’ ”
He told his father that the trauma surgeons who had come to Haiti to help him “ ‘just fell apart and started crying; they couldn’t do it anymore. They’ve left now; couldn’t take it. The psychological coping of the situation was overwhelming to them.’
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