Dr. Hill becomes a patient after suffering burns
By Viv edersheim Published: March 25, 2013
“On Sunday, I was selling Girl Scout cookies with my daughter and my clothing caught fire from my external propane heater,” Dr. Hill said by phone from the Oregon Burn Center in Portland.
He said he was able to extinguish the fire in his clothing but not before suffering third degree burns to the back of his right leg, up toward his back, and some on his left leg.
“I went to Willapa Harbor Hospital where they stabilized me, and got me taken care of, and then the Raymond Fire Department transported me to the Oregon Burn Center at Emanuel Hospital in Portland.
“Unfortunately, as physicians we don’t have a great deal of patience and we want to see things fixed fast,” he said. Healing will take longer than he would like and involves at least two surgeries.
“My first skin graft surgery is scheduled for March 22 and then it will be another week or so before the second stage of the surgery, probably more skin grafts. Hopefully about a week or two after that I’ll be able to at least come home.
“Although my burns are painful, they’re not life threatening and it’s just a matter of time to get well.”
He said he is “much better off than many others” in the 16-bed burn center. One of the other patients is a 6-month-old child.
While the doctor is recuperating, Dr. Michael Buben and Dr. Frank Hing have agreed to see his patients. But, “I will be back as soon as possible after I heal up a bit,” Hill said.
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