This is an earlier post from the Panda post… Lindsey’s user error.

We started the new week off with a trip to the Sichuan hospital in Chengdu. Our first day was pretty mellow… our translators gave a tour of the grounds and entire hospital and we also had the great honor of meeting the president of the hospital Dr. Guo. He is a very well know and respected doctor and we’ll get a couple of opportunities over the next few weeks to observe him in action. The hospital is a combination of inpatient and outpatient and is primarily focused on the treatment of cancer. The hospital is integrative, meaning the patient receives traditional chinese medicine treatments (herbs primarily and acupuncture) as well as western interventions. We also saw patients!
Hospital: Day 2
The day started at 8:30 am. We hit the ground running. The doctor we observed saw about 20 patients before 12 noon. The room was small. There was just enough space to fit a desk, an exam table and a few chairs. So, when you add myself and another student along with a translator, the space began to feel even smaller. The doctor that we were with today seemed to specialize in gastrointestinal (GI) conditions. The majority of patients that were seen today did not have cancer. Instead, most complained of varies kinds of stomach pain and intestinal issues that could be linked to personal lifestyle choices and environmental factors. As I mentioned before, Chengdu is know for their hot and spicy food and over time these foods can generate a lot of internal heat and damage the GI system. This area is also hot and humid, the exact opposite of Seattle. In Seattle, there are many cases that could be associated or worsened by the cold-damp conditions and here in Chengdu the dampness and heat also cause or complicate many conditions. Todays patients reinforced the idea that there are things we can control and there are things we can not control about our personal health. And the things like food and drink, i.e. lifestyle choices, can be a tremendous benefit to personal health or a powerful force in the generation of disease..