The Accelerated Passage of Time

   One evening Doug our chief of medicine asked me if we were still doing as many amputations. I answered, "No, I haven't done one since yesterday." This little interchange illustrates the rapidly changing situation.  Doug asked the question because his predecessor, also a non-surgeon who arrived immediately after the quake, had had to perform an amputation.  My answer shows how my conception of time passing had been altered. To my thinking yesterday was a long time ago. Now that we are home yesterday is very recent.