Tag: Gary Botimer

  • Leaving Hangzhou

    Leaving Hangzhou

    As usual, I woke up early yesterday. Packing occupied most of the morning. Then, Cai Hongxin came to my apartment and we chatted for a little bit. He brought me and my parents to tour the other bank of Qiantang River, along the new developments. We had a wonderful time visiting the Nine Creeks and Longjing regions and the Liuhe Pagoda. His wife and daughter joined us for lunch amidst the tea plantations.

    The area remains the same as I remembered. The last time in this region, it was during my rotation here as a resident, and some of the young adults from the local church brought me here on a bike ride. There seems to be more people, though, and more cars fight for the right of way now. But, the neat rows of cultivated tea plants along terraced hills are timeless.

    From there, Cai Hongxin and I went to the West Lake Guqin Association, and his wife took my parents shopping. I bought some strings and an instrument case. After leaving the stuff in his car, we climbed up the nearby peak for a few of the lake.

    Drs. Shi Peihua, Gary Botimer, Zhao Xing and his wife, my parents and Cai Hongxin’s wife joined us for dinner at a quaint restaurant set in a rennovated section of old town.

    This morning, I saw my parents off on their flight to Hong Kong and finished packing. Rain poured down on the streets, cleaning the dust-laden air. I have my usual breakfast of toast, tea eggs, cereal with milk, and coffee. My driver picked me up at 8:00 and we headed to Shanghai Pudong Airport. Security seemed less stringent than previous years.

    Now in flight, I found an open seat at the bulkhead, both the window and aisle unoccupied. It’s nice to have room to stretch out. Having just gotten over jet lag, it’s time to experience it again; but this time, it will be at home.

  • Church at MeiLiZhou

    Church at MeiLiZhou

    The MeiLiZhou Church is beautiful. After all, the name means “beautiful isle.” Sleek modern lines make up the contemporary campus, and stark natural maple decorate the inside. Engraved Ten Commandments hang on the front wall, illuminated by sunlight streaming in from the windows.

    Located as part of a resort, the church lies an hour away from Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital. Feng JinE took us there. The young preacher gave a meaningful sermon about the Lord’s Prayer.

    From church, we had lunch and then visited the Liang Zhu museum. Here, archeologists discovered a primitive civilization, dating to the dawn of Chinese culture. Some of the early written characters, societal organization, and obsession with jade have made their way through history.

    Traffic was really bad on the way back, and we finished the evening off along the night markets of Hefang Street.

  • Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital 7th Academic Week

    Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital 7th Academic Week

    Having arrived in Hangzhou on the high speed train Wednesday afternoon, which was delayed by a few minutes, Drs. Cai Hongxin and Liu Chao picked me up at the station and got me situated at the Foreigners’ Residence. My parents arrived from Hong Kong and joined us at the warm welcome reception hosted by the Orthopaedics Department.

    Before morning report and rounds yesterday, I went for a run. It had been many days since my last exercise opportunity, and this morning’s was invigorating. There weren’t too many cars, and the trip to and from the Qiantang River in the brisk morning air traversed about three miles.

    Trying to get an elevator is entering a war zone where one shoves through the crowd to squeeze oneself in. At the last resort, I asked security, and he directed me to the back elevator.

    Morning report went quickly, and I made rounds with Dr. Shi Peihua. In the afternoon, we did a proximal humerus hemiarthroplasty for fracture treatment in a ninety-year-old female with severe comminution and osteoporosis.

    Drs. He Chao and Li Hong, together with Sherry Sun, took us to the beautiful New Pavilion Restaurant 新亭子 inset along the shore of Xiang Lake. The old style courtyard house overlooking the waters created a serene atmosphere for dinner and conversation.

    Academic Week here at Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital began this morning. The main topic was shoulder arthroscopy. It was good to see Dr. Mike Coen again, having to travel around the world to China to meet him. He talked about Bankart repairs and also on ACL reconstruction. Dr. Gary Botimer discussed computer navigated knee replacements and minimally invasive hip reconstruction. I gave a talk on rotator cuff repair, one on capsular release, and finished off with a video demonstration.

    The rooftop garden atop Tower 3 was the perfect setting for dinner. Dr. Chao gave an inspiring overview of the hospital, with a little history and how SRRSH has now become the leading hospital in China for many aspects of hospital administration. As night fell, the city lights illuminated the landscape. Cars lined the highways, and the light cloud cover diffused the lights upward into the dark sky, contrasted by the crescent moon.

  • National Harbor and DC

    National Harbor and DC

    Very early on Wednesday morning, I leave home for the airport and arrive with the usual lead time to find the security line going across the entire baggage claim area and almost out the door. I nearly miss my flight. After transit through Dallas-Fort Worth, I make it to Reagan National Airport without any problems. The shuttle ride to National Harbor brought me to the Gaylord National, where I check in to the American Orthopaedic Association meeting.

    It’s good to see many familiar faces at the Welcome Reception. I meet up with Ben Chen and take the water taxi over to Old Town Alexandria for dinner at Landini Brothers. Then, we tour the monuments at night. Ben refines his photography skills.

    I present the Perthes Index paper on Thursday morning at the special emphasis session. This morning, the Supreme Court upholds the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare). John Tongue, AAOS President, and Ben Chen happen to run into each other outside the Supreme Court for this landmark ruling. After the meetings, Gary, Chris, and I have dinner at Bond 45. From the outside, it looks like an Italian restaurant, but we find out it’s an Italian New York steakhouse. I have a Caprese salad and grilled vegetables.

    Back in the hotel, I get a call from American Airlines with a recorded message. My flight for Saturday afternoon had been canceled, and they rescheduled me for Sunday. I call back and stay on hold for about a half hour, and they finally schedule me for an earlier flight Saturday.

    The Council of Orthopaedic Residency Directors (CORD) meeting takes place Friday morning. I applaud the taskforce for coming up with sets of learning milestones. Then, Ranjan Gupta moderates a very pertinent symposium on surgeon skill, and programs should do with residents who are obviously incapable of doing surgery. In the meantime, Washington, DC, bakes in record-breaking heat of 104°F.

    For the start of the Sabbath, I travel to see the Kandus and Brad Thorp of Hope Channel and longtime friends. Travel involves the NH1 bus to the Branch Avenue Metro station, the Green Line to Gallery Place-Chinatown, the Red Line to Union Station, and then the MARC 436 local train to Odenton. Brad meets me at the train station. It’s good to see Brad and Kandus again. Jonathon, having matched to Johns Hopkins for Internal Medicine, now lives at home. Allie is in town as well. At home, I meet Nerida and Daniel McKibben. They recently moved from New Zealand to help out with the health programming for the Hope Channel. We each share what we are thankful for during the past week. Kandus makes a beautiful salad with lettuce, Anaheim peppers, roasted pine nuts, blue berries, and green onions. We also have pizza on thin wheat buns topped with almond mozzarella cheese. Our meal finishes with dark chocolate raspberry dessert. Brad sends me back to National Harbor.

    My flight, which had been rescheduled to earlier, leaves at 11:45. I make it to the airport in plenty of time. The layover through Dallas is longer that it was supposed to be, but it’s time to have a lazy lunch, nap, and unwind a little before the upcoming week.

  • Samantha and Adam’s Wedding

    Samantha and Adam’s Wedding

    Samantha got married to Adam this afternoon in the beautiful setting of Edward-Dean Museum and Gardens. Low clouds diffused the sunlight, and the whole place was gently lit. The actual ceremony was short and sweet. Afterwards, there were appetizers, an elegant buffet dinner, and dancing.

    It was nice to see some of the orthopaedic family as well: Jacklyn and Gary Botimer, Wayne Cheng, Gary Frykman; and Ray, Zach, Alan, and Jason.