O is for OBSTRUCTION

Yesterday, was a terrible online day for me, could barely send out my post for “N”, not to talk of visiting other sites, commenting on their posts or even replying comments dropped on my blog. It was soooo frustrating, aarrrggghhh!!! Anyway, I hope today is much better. Today, let’s take a look at the word “Obstruction” and what it could actually mean in medicine.

Say the words “obstruction to many doctors (especially the surgeons), and I can almost bet you that the first type they think about is intestinal obstruction. They are however, not wrong in coming to such a conclusion. There are many forms of obstructions in medicine; many involve the intestines one way or another. The many types include;

• Intestinal Obstruction
• Airway obstruction
• Anal obstruction (constipation)
• Urinary obstruction (or retention as it is called) – urethral stones, posterior urethral valve, enlarged prostate)
• Hernia obstruction (actually called obstructed hernia, but I had to make it rhyme. Lol)
• Lymphatic obstruction (as seen in elephantiasis)

Okay, okay so you get the gist. Almost anything part of the body can be obstructed and many diseases are caused by obstruction. I’d love to share a story with you (you know I love to tell hospital stories, that’s why my theme is medical drama). It was a battle choosing between which tale to tell.

So this teenager was brought in by her dad with a vague complain, she didn’t want to say it in front of her dad. (You know how female teenagers can be – rolling my eyes). Anyway, sent the dad out and found out that she hadn’t been able to pass stool for a few days now, and urine since that morning. Ordinarily, I would have been worried, but the person in front of me looked okay. So, I dug a little deeper, and did some examinations and realized that she was just severely constipated and that indeed, somehow, it compressed a part of her urinary tract making it impossible for her to urinate as well.

Soap and water enema solved the problem. The girl was smiling within minutes. That was the first time I’d seen anything like that. Guess what though, another patient came in with the same problem a few months later in worse pain, but I already had an advantage right? – Experience. Like they say experience is the best teacher. You mustn’t be the one have the experience all the time though, (it might just kill you). You also learn from other people’s experiences.

Do you know of any other types of obstructions? What experiences have you learned something new from? Leave your thoughts in the comment box.

Cheers....