Lump of dirt

Overheard above the background noise:

Patient:
I was showering today and i think my nipple fell off... See!

Dr:
Let's have a look....
(long pause)
Ok, you're fine..Nothing to worry about..it's just a little bit of dirt.

(silence)

Currently doing: nothing...my life has ceased to be exciting. =(

"The" feeling

I went into work yesterday with the feeling that it would be a bad day. Well it was. All the patients had already turned red by the time they were seen. Everyone i had seen in majors had to be admitted. Yes, sadly they were all ill. I almost crunched a cockroach under my shoe (gross). My 14 month run of 1st attempt successful ABGs ended abruptly yesterday. Crap. Oh, and did i mention i spilt lucozade all over myself...making my scrubs all sticky for the rest of the night. Yes, I was miserable. and it was only the 1st night out of 7. How like dat?

Currently doing: Getting my breakfast. I feel like i'm hung-over, but really, it's just the fatigue. There is no such thing as time for a relaxing glass of wine anymore - I have NO LIFE, remember?

General Malaise

Working in the ED has been really challenging, both mentally and physically. Whilst i'm at work, the adrenaline and stress keeps me on my toes and i'm fine. It's just once i'm done with my shift, the fatigue kicks in. I'm always tired these days, and falling asleep over my food. I don't wake up feeling energised and just count down the days to when i get that precious day off. I'm exhausted. And even Yorkie Bars or Godiva for that matter aren't doing their usual thingimagic. I've got awful dark rings. I'm only seen in my scrubs. And I'm back to my speccy self cos my eyes don't seem to keep open long enough for my contacts to stay in for 12 hour long shifts. The bf does not work in the ED, so he doesn't really understand. All he ever tells me is i'm best off not working in one. That doesn't really help either, cos i want to do this ED job and i can't change it anyhow.

I'm tired and nothing is shifting it. That makes me really miserable.

Currently doing: Not much really. Staring at the wall and counting down the minutes to when i have to leave the house for work again. Sigh.

Yet again, it's this term 国语.

Yesterday, being the only chinese person around, i was (again) asked to translate for a paediatric patient. We started chatting in Mandarin. and the mum said,

"你的国语讲得很好！

See, following the previous post with the confusion of the so-called 国语, i am now told that i do indeed speak 国语!!! Now, i 'm just confused. So 国语 = 普通话 = Mandarin right???

Following this chinesey theme, i've just listened to this song 最近 by 李聖傑. and it's oh so sad. the good thing is, i can understand what he's actually singing about. Hoorah! I'm just trying to figure out the MTV - were they or were they not actually together? and did she kill him in the end??? hmm.

Currently doing: Just got up..yeah its 1340 hours. People work twilight hours you know...and no, i DO have a perfectly respectable occupation, thank you very much. Gonna watch neighbours now...

What is 国语?

Overheard in the E.D --

ching-chong china man and his friend
(xu-xu-shaw-shaw in some funny dialect no-one's ever heard before)

a certain chinese female dr
hi there, i'm .....

(obviously don't know what the certain chinese female dr was talking about)

a certain chinese female dr
let's try again. 我会讲一点点国语。

ching-chong china man
你是从哪个国家来的？

a certain chinese female dr
(unable to explain her entire heritage, she thought this would be an easier answer) - 英国.

ching-chong china man
英国， 那你的国语。。。？？？
你是从哪个国家来的？

a certain chinese female dr & ching-chong china man
(totally and utterly confused with each other, but at the same time happy as able to communicate therefore not requiring to talk via ching-chong china man's friend over a greasy mobile phone)

==============

Later, when trying to explain this to HW (who's chinese is erm, how shall we put it..) - i was suddenly enlightened. When said 国语, a certain chinese female dr meant 普通话. Obviously, to ching-chong china man, if a certain chinese female dr was from 英国, wouldn't her 国语 be 英文= English? dang!

And they said she took Higher Chinese...you got to be kidding me.


Currently doing: I'm going out tonight. Woo hoo.

me is tired

Working in the ED is very overwhelming. the pace is fast. people are ill. the clock is ticking (damn the 4 hour rule). your brain seems to be perpectually zooming. the only time you don't think is when you are standing in front of the coffee machine..and order tea instead?!

doubled with the fact that your sleep is disrupted cos you sleep weird hours, chase the clock due to your shift times and there is now no such thing as a weekend makes people who work in the ED very very very very very very tired indeed. God give me strength.

I guess the good thing is that patients are still commenting on how smiley i am...although they still think i'm a nurse, for aren't all females who wear scrubs all nurses? chuckles. 1 patient said to my male nurse "oh doctor, that was such a lovely nurse" ?!!!?? - i did introduce myself btw.

blood money

i've changed jobs now, and have moved to another suburban hospital.
and i have been told today that unless i make my occupational health appointment whereby blood is drawn from me, i will not be put onto payroll and henceforth not paid. not even if i work my butt off.

now, is that not blood money or what?

Currently doing: Thinking that i am sure to fail the exam, considering my books are still in pristine condition contained within their original foyle's carrier bag.

Warning: don't be sick on August 1

Yup...that's what the Guardian Headlines screamed.
It was my last day today as a "baby" doctor. Suddenly tonight as i sleep, alongside with millions of other "baby" doctors, the transformation will occur, when we will wake up tmw as registered doctors (who apparently know stuff). I'm scared. I don't wanna be a "grown-up" doctor!

Today, in view of my last day at chav city...i did the following:
1. Bacon roll for breakfast. Ya-huh.
2. Ice-cream cos' its a really hot day
3. Move out 1 years' worth of stuff into my humble car...which did not explode!
4. Move back into the flat...with my possessions in garbage bags
5. Said good-bye to all the others
6. Shed 2..no, 3 tears.
7. Cannulated my fellow "baby" doctor cos she had cellulitis and required IV antibiotics, courtesy the on-call registrar
8. Handed over stuff the the person who will morph into me tmw at 0800hours...with words or wisdom like..." don't worry, it'll be fine..."
9. Have a run of palpitations cos i'm terrified of tmw!!!!!!

So, wish me luck for tmw, my homies...cos i'm scared!!!!!

Currently doing: Unpacking my stuff from bin-bags, before i forget and throw them out thinking it's trash.

Tick-tick-tock

I go back to work tmw, and start it by being on-call every day till next wednesday. How is that possible???

Currently doing: Enjoying the last of my short-lived regained "student" lifestyle of bua-long-longing and what best to complement it with a nice slice (or 2) of strawberry cheesecake, which, also happens to contain 400 calories per slice. Oh my life.

MB BS Finals

Congratulations to all my friends who passed the final hurdle!
You may be perpectually drunk till the 1st of August...Cheers! xxx

Diagnosis Wenckebach

Something for the medics:
P.S whoever said medics were ever dull?



Currently doing: Watching silly videos like these. Drinking (bev's) Budweiser and stuffing my face with MacD fries..Wahaha. I love saturdays.