Round 2

Salam!!

I'm definitely gonna start boring people who read my weblog (if anyone ever reads em)! My second week flew by and dare I tell you, I can now imagine how people work up to SpR and still remember what they had for their OSCEs. Time just slip right fast when you're working your ass off, dreading every minute that someone can just crash and die under your watch.

It has been a dramatic week, with Housemans cursing 'shit' under their breath when a failing patient's blood test came back with a Hb count of 4. The frantic call to the transfusion unit, at the same time chucking away everything in their hands, running up to the failing patient to find she was quite well perfused. Then finally understanding that a student doctor had taken blood from the ante cubital vein of the arm which had an IV drip infusing it. Lesson learnt as told by the reg: NEVER TAKE BLOOD FROM THE SAME ARM WITH A DRIP. (the student doctor wasn't me btw. lol)

 our stash

The second most amazing thing that happened was being able to be 'handy' to the doctors and do doctorly tasks. Its always doing bloods that excite ward newbies like us 3rd years and yes, thats what I've been doing as well. Hade a few pokes on ourselves first though, just to be sure we had the confidence to do it on patients. Gave my groupmate a subcutaneous lump of 10ml saline because the cannula I put in him went right through the vein. *try to look innocent* Anyway, luckily everything on the wards were fine. Went on rounds with my favourite Malaysian SpR, acting as his right arm and help out with the simplest tasks: obs chart. Might sound simple, but I missed out on a few MEWS score at the beginning but later on got the grasps of things and was more alert, reporting as required.

 My 1st cannula on Jonny (sorry for the lump!)

Kate had a go on Jonny 1st (yes, its the kitchen. =P)

The other good thing that happened was being able to diagnose 2 patients. Its a baby step in terms of achievement but I have to start somewhere right? The first was tagging along with the SHO on call. Just as he started talking to the patient in A&E (who was writhing around in agony, crying), he got bleeped because another patient's GCS (Glasgow Coma Score) just went down to 4 (the minimum is 3, it means you're dead, normal alert people score 15). So he left me to clerk the patient and come up with differentials. The A&E scenario got me panicking a bit but it was alright. He came back about 1.5hrs later (after I went to look for him on the wards) and presented it to him. Gave my primary diagnosis with a main differential. He agreed straight away and admitted the patient and also left me again to attend the failing patient.

The other experience was in OPD clinics. My consultant was stuck in theatre so the reg who was there just handed to me patients' files and told me to clerk them and examine them. *sweat* anyway, I clerked one and examined her, had 2 differentials in my mind and hung around. An hour delayed, the consultant came (he was pissed off because of the complications in theatre and also the fact he had a pile of files to attend to), and told me to present. I did as asked, gave my differentials and primary diagnosis and he agreed. *pheeeeww* Called in the patient and had a 3minutes chat and sent her on her way. (she was quite mad because her appointment was at 2pm, I attended to her at 2.40pm after waiting for the consultant who was delayed and he attended to her at 4pm) Hoooorraaahh! Its so good to feel useful and to find you've done a good job and made someone else's lighter. Anyway, my consultant wanted me to do more but I just had to rush home because it was thursday afternoon, 4.30pm and I needed to get back to Leeds. So I sneaked out and rushed home. What a week! =)

I'm bound to make mistakes and if unfortunate enough, it can cost someone their life. But I am aware of tthe fact that that stage is a good few years away and I need to continue sponging things up and soaking in knowledge and experience. There will be a day when I fu*k up and screw things, therefore I will take all the opportunity I have to make the most of things and to minimise screwing up. I always thought that I would grow up, working in an office with a suit on because thats what I know from how my father is.  Ive also imagined myself becoming a professional footballer but with a reconstructed knee, that seems very unlikely. Anyway, fate has led me in a different direction and this whole different scenario will be for my children to see.

 Theatre for day case

I hope next week will bring a whole lot more of exciting events insyaAllah!