Artificial Limbs

9:32PM - My life.

March 1590
I have realized, as a 80 year old man, how much I have truly accomplished in my life. I feel ill and I fear my time is coming to an end. If I am correct, then, for a final entry, this is my story (one last time!):
When i was (a lot) younger, i was just a low barber-surgeon (which, i suppose, you could compare to a nurse). When I turned 19, I went to France to learn how to become a surgeon. That meant that I could now leave all the mediocre work of surgery to the other barber-surgeons! I passed all my classes and next thing I knew, I was working as a surgeon for the army.
Those thirty years... These are the years I am most proud of. I still remember my first medical discovery. Gun-shot wounds had become something new in those days. I can still clearly remember the moment when there was no more oil for the wounded soldiers! When I used simple ointment and bandages instead, I quickly published my findings of this treatment being better than the oil. How excited I was! Now surgeons from all over the world praise me for my findings.
And how could I possibly forget my findings on controlling bleeding during amputations? It was as simple as tying the blood vessels! Many other scientists were doubtful of this at first, but now, they can't imagine life without it!
But there is one thing that I am most pround of. It still hasn't become popular, but there's something about this topic that kept me up all night all those years ago: Prosthetics. Other surgeons still think this is such a silly idea. But I still have this strong feeling that one day, all my artificial limb research will finally be put to use. It hasn't been used to it's full potential, and maybe it never will be, but I feel that this is my most accomplised project of my life.





"I dressed him, God healed him."

Current mood: thankful

7:44PM - Trapped in a closet

July, 1546
Now, i am known for being the surgeon of many monarchs (I worked for Henri II, Francis II, Charles IX, Henri III, and Queen Mother Catherine de Medici.). I even helped Henri II with his problem of not being able to have children!
As much as I respect the kings, I still can not forget the day the king, himself, locked me in a clothes closet! I was unable to treat a king's fatal blow to the head during a tournament. I understand the anger, but locking me in a closet?
I'll admit I was frightened. Luckily, that was the same day of Bartholomew's Day Massacre. That was the day Catholics attacked Huguenots (and I am a proud Huguenot!). And luckily, King Charles IX saved me.
I will never forget that day.

Current mood: contemplative

7:40PM - My published work

May 1546
I published all my ideas of the artificial limbs and using ointments about a year ago. Of course I was expecting every doctor in the world to now look up to my work, but no one has taken me seriously yet! Yes, all that I have right now of the artificial limbs are mainly sketches, but isn't that enough? So although my work wasn't actually created, the idea of it was invented for use in the near future. It would be a shame if all my work doesn't change anything in medicine. I really had a lot of hope in these projects.
But maybe it can take a while for my work to be recognized. Maybe in a few years, people will finally listen to me. That is possible, right?

Current mood: annoyed

6:55PM - Walking again? Perhaps one day...

August, 1538
Lately I have had these ideas, visions, if you will, of replacing the limbs that were lost by men during battle. Many's the time when men's hands were shot of or shin plate was shattered by a stray bullet, and to avoid infection that limb had to be amputated. But what if i could fix that? What if with my new healing steps I could include a reconstructive surgery? What if the limbs that were lost were found again? What if it seemed as though they were never lost to begin with?
I’ve drawn up these ideas, prosthetics, or artificial limbs, I must see if they will work. I could help hundreds of men! Men who could not walk and had to hobble or be helped around could have the option to walk again!
Granted it would take time, some getting use to and effort, but if these men want it, and I can create it, it shall be done.
Below are some of the sketches I have made, hopefully my ideas will come to life, and mankind shan't worry of lost limbs or losing limbs due to stray bullets or rough battles. Those body parts may be claimed again by just going through a reconstructive surgery, how will they be attached? I must get to work.

7:02PM - ointment and bandages

June, 1537
                  A few weeks ago, I had treat a soldier who had a gunshot suring battle. But since i had very little oil left, I tried something different and used ointment and bandages instead. When I looked at how the soldier was doing today, I noticed that the healing process on his wounds seemed to be more favorable than a wound treated with oil. Does this mean I have found a better way to treat soldiers? Perhaps this can be a new way to help a soldiers' pain after an amputation or a gunshot wound! But it can't be that simple. Afterall, like I always say: "I dressed him, God healed him."

Current mood: excited

12:43PM - Prosthetics

January, 1537

I have been amputating soliders for months now. But  just today i was thinking, "It would be great if these brave soldiers could have the chance to get their normal lives back." 
Everyday I amputate, resulting in another man never being able to run again, or forced to require assistance the rest of his life, or even being able to properly hold their newborn child. Just thinking about it makes me weak.  
If only there was something to help get these soldiers up and living life just as before. 
Maybe there isn't.
Sometimes I wonder if my improvements of amputatation, resulting in a higher chance of survival, are truly worth it.

11:34AM - Out on the battlefield...

September 20, 1536

My name is Ambroise Paré. I was born in 1510. I am a French surgeon. I attended medical school for quite sometime. Between the years of 1533 and 1536 honed my skills in the field of surgery. Soon I am to become a field surgeon for wounded soldiers. I’m a little apprehensive to begin. I’m not particularly nervous just excited.

    Today was the first day of being a medical surgeon for soldiers. It was a terrible site to see. There were wounded soldiers and more wounded soldiers. I couldn’t keep up. It was here that I began to question my skills. I thought to myself, “Did I make a mistake? Is this where I belong?” Amputating was the worse part, having to cut the limbs off of someone while they asked me if they would be okay. Lying to the brave men, telling them everything would be fine. Amputation is the worst thing for a soldier. After a soldier loses a limb, they have nothing else left. They know, as do I that they haven’t a chance to do anything else in life. Still more and more soldiers came pouring in to the medical camp. I don’t know how much longer I can take this.

    Boiling the oil today for the wounded soldiers once again brought me to a low place. I have been feeling this way for many months now. Medical training could have never prepared me for the part of my job when I have to look a soldier in the eye and tell him he’ll never walk or use his hand again. If only there was some way not to amputate.

    Today I ran out of oil to burn. I mixed egg yokes, rose oil, and turpentine, in an effort to relieve the pain of the wounded soldiers. These weapons of war seem to guess worse each day. Amazingly, I discovered that my concoction had worked. In fact it worked great. My mix appeared to have had a better effect on the wounds that the traditional boiled oil we usually used.  It was today that I realized that those Latin textbook could never teach me how to properly treat a patient. In the past they have served a great purpose, but from here on out, the only thing to teach me about the proper treatment is the experience I have developed. A patient in pain can tell me way more than any text book.

Current mood: anxious

Current music: none.