Shut Out From The World

Finally.
After almost 2 months, now I am at the O&G headquaters - the labor room.

But life in the labor room is isolated.
You are practically there the whole day long.
You don't go out for lunch.
You don't go out to get a drink.
You just sit/walk in there as the day passes by.

It is quite a happening place.
You never know when an emergency will surface.
Sometimes, when you have to be fast, you have to be fast.
Patients get pushed in for caesarean in 5 minutes.
By then, you have to prepare everything - consent, booking slip, make sure bloods taken, make sure blood is available at the blood bank, set line, inform anaest, inform paeds.
You just have to, somehow.

Since life is just labor room and nothing else, I can't think of anything to say.

But I've been getting some rather interesting e mails recently, 2 of which I would like to share..

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The Bathtub Test

During a visit to the mental hospital, I asked the Director 'How do you determine whether or not a patient should be admitted to the hospital.'

'Well,' said the Director, 'We fill up a bathtub, and then we give a teaspoon, a teacup and a bucket to the patient and ask him to empty the bathtub.'

'Oh, I understand,' I said. 'A normal person would use the bucket because it's bigger than the spoon or the teacup.'
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'No.' Said the Director, 'A normal person would pull the drain plug.

Well... Would you prefer a bed near the window?'

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Dan was a single guy living at home with his father and working in the family business.
When he found out he was going to inherit a fortune when his sickly father died, he decided he needed a wife with whom to share his fortune.

One evening at an investment meeting he spotted the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

Her natural beauty took his breath away. "I may look like just an ordinary man," he said to her, but in just a few years, my father will die, and I'll inherit $200 million."

Impressed, the woman obtained his business card and three days later, she became his stepmother.

Women are so much better at financial planning than men!

Wonderful Medical Advice

Q: Doctor, I've heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life. Is this true?
A: Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that's it... don't waste them on exercise. Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up your heart will not make you live longer ; that's like saying you can extend the life of your car by driving it faster. Want to live longer? Take a nap.

Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables?
A: You must grasp logistical efficiencies. What does a cow eat? Hay and corn. And what are these? Vegetables. So a steak is nothing more than an efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to your system. Need grain? Eat chicken. Beef is also a good source of field grass (green leafy vegetable). And a pork chop can give you 100% of your recommended daily allowance of vegetable products.

Q: Should I reduce my alcohol intake?
A: No, not at all. Wine is made from fruit. Brandy is distilled wine, that means they take the water out of the fruity bit so you get even more of the goodness that way. Beer is also made out of grain. Bottoms up!

Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?
A: Well, if you have a body and you have fat, your ratio is one to one. If you have two bodies, your ratio is two to one, etc.

Q: What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program?
A: Can't think of a single one, sorry. My philosophy is: No Pain...Good!

Q: Aren't fried foods bad for you?
A: YOU'RE NOT LISTENING!!! ...... Foods are fried these days in vegetable oil. In fact, they're permeated in it. How could getting more vegetables be bad for you?

Q: Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle?
A: Definitely not! When you exercise a muscle, it gets bigger. You should only be doing sit-ups if you want a bigger stomach.

Q: Is chocolate bad for me?
A: Are you crazy? HELLO Cocoa beans ! Another vegetable!!! It's the best feel-good food around!

Q: Is swimming good for your figure?
A: If swimming is good for your figure, explain whales to me.

Q: Is getting in-shape important for my lifestyle?
A: Hey! 'Round' is a shape!

Well, I hope this has cleared up any misconceptions you may have had about food and diets.

And remember:
'Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways - Chardonnay in one hand - chocolate in the other - body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming 'WOO HOO, What a Ride'

AND.....

For those of you who watch what you eat, here's the final word on nutrition and health. It's a relief to know the truth after all those conflicting nutritional studies.

1. The Japanese eat very little fat
and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

2. The Mexicans eat a lot of fat
and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

3. The Chinese drink very little red wine
and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

4. The Italians drink a lot of red wine
and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

5. The Germans drink a lot of beers and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

CONCLUSION

Eat and drink what you like.
Speaking English is apparently what kills you.

Ever wondered why OT gowns and towels are green? Well, as my lesson of the day, I looked it up on Wiki(pedia). This is what Wiki said :
Originally, operating room attire was white to emphasize cleanliness. However, the combination of bright operating lights and an all-white environment led to eyestrain for the surgeon and staff. By the 1950s and 1960s, most hospitals had abandoned white operating room apparel in favor of various shades of green, which provided a high-contrast environment, reduced eye fatigue, and made bright red blood splashes less conspicuous.

To Live Is To Suffer

Everyone has problems.

I think I mentioned this in one of my previous posts, but then it is so true, I can't help but say it again - if you want a life without problems, then you should not be alive at all, cos life is full of problems.

Indeed, one of Confucius's teaching is - to live is to suffer (at least that is what I remember).

So, happy suffering!

*end of post*








Nah, too depressing an ending, don't you think?

There are always 2 ways to look at things.
The bright side, and the not-so-bright side.

Unfortunately, we always tend to look at the darker side.

Why is it that we always compare ourselves to the more fortunate ones?
Human nature?
Competitiveness?
To improve ourselves?
Unsatisfaction?

I have my own set of problems.
-not enough intubations
-possibility of getting extended?
-putting on weight
-not enough pay
-not enough savings
-crazy laptop
-my eyes have been kind of blur the past few days. Am not sure whether or not it is related to the lack of sleep I have been having recently. :(
-lots of laundry to do
-have to adjust to new department if (hopefully) not extended
-crazy internet
-wrong job?
-will I ever be a good HO?
-how will I ever be an MO?
-unhealthy diet every day
-I think there are MOs out there who hate me
-I think I am incompetent as a doctor
-what am I going to do in the future?
-to specialize or not to specialize?
-no food for breakfast tomorrow

This list can go on and on.
Mostly are just minor stuff.
Some I constantly worry about.

But then, I know my problems are nothing compared to what other people face.

A mother who's child had just been diagnosed with cancer asked me the other day -how did her child get cancer?
How do I answer that question?

Do you know how many children are born ill everyday?
How many progress to be ill throughout their life?
It's not just the children who suffer, but their parents and siblings as well.

My problems are NOTHING compared to theirs.

I am not trying to preach.
But sometimes, I think that we should thank our lucky stars for what we have.
We can see, we can hear, we can speak.
That in itself is a miracle.

I am too lazy today (postcall), but someday, when I am more hardworking, I will give you statistics of children born with congenital problems, and you will be able to see for yourself how lucky you are to be born the way you are.

Here's another story you should read : Wonderful Life

Good night, everyone!!
Am turning in for the day.

Life's Like That

Today afternoon, on the way back to Ipoh, I was complaining to KR that after 4 days of holidays, now I have to go back to reality where I don't have enough intubations and might get extended. In his efforts to make me feel better, he brought to my attention a previous post of mine, where I wrote about all the uncertainties of starting a new life.

Here is a small part of what I wrote in that particular post :

I don't know where I'll be staying - I'll be in the quarters, but have no idea which room or what it looks like.
I don't know who my roomate will be.
I don't know which department I'll be in.
I don't know what time my work starts and what time it ends.
I don't know where I'll eat or where to do my laundry.
I don't know when I'll be back next.
I don't know when I'll be able to go online.
I don't know whether or not I'll be having weekends.

Right now, I have answers to all the above 'I don't knows'.
-I live in the hostel - there is one room and a hall.
-My roomate is Suguna, who was in the same induction with me.
-I am in Paeds, and will be going on to Ortho.
-For now, work starts at 7.30 and ends at 5pm (except when I am oncall).
-I have eaten in many different shops and have found 2 laundry shops.
-I went back in the end of January and last Thursday. Hopefully will be going back again in the beginning of April.
-Although it took some time, I can go online everyday now (once again, except when I am oncall).
-I have one weekend off in a month for now, think the next department will be the same.

I guess everyone has doubts in all stages of their life.
I guess that is what life is all about.

One of my brother's lecturer once told his class - if you want a life without problem, then the only way is to die, because in life, you would always face problems.
Can't argue to that statement, right?

Starting A New Life

Tomorrow I start a new life.

Tomorrow I'll be leaving for Ipoh.

I will be reporting for work on Tuesday.

I don't know what I feel.
A little excited.
A little nervous.
A little afraid.
A little sad.
A little happy.

I have no idea what to expect.

I don't know where I'll be staying - I'll be in the quarters, but have no idea which room or what it looks like.
I don't know who my roomate will be.
I don't know which department I'll be in.
I don't know what time my work starts and what time it ends.
I don't know where I'll eat or where to do my laundry.
I don't know when I'll be back next.
I don't know when I'll be able to go online.
I don't know whether or not I'll be having weekends.
I don't know a million other things, but then it's already 12.30am and I don't want to tax my brain so much.

It's like when I went to Russia for the first time.
It's a whole new way of life.

There are many things that I will have to do before I actually settle down. Rajiv will be doing most of the settling down for me (I think) 'cos I have to start work immediately.
There are so many petty things to buy, but then I think it will be better for me to actually see my room first before actually buying anything, so Rajiv will be doing my shopping.
I don't know whether I have mentioned it in previous blogs or not, but then I don't have a problem living without a TV, but I NEED THE INTERNET!! Rajiv will be getting me the Celcom broadband thingy, so I guess that will be OK. I've got lots of stories to blog about and not enough time to write them. Hopefully, I'll get the internet connection soon (and also have the 'mood' to write a post).

I also will have to get used to working life. 3 months of holidays have certainly spoilt me. I know that it is going to be hard - lots of work and not enough sleep, but I hope that I will get used to it soon.

I think I've started blabbing. I should stop for now.
This would probably be the last time I am going online in my house for quite some time.

From Seremban, With Love..:P (actually, I couldn't think on how to end this post..haha)

The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night Time

This was the first book I read after coming back from Russia. I don't know what it is about this book that I like - maybe it's the simplicity in the way it was written; maybe it's the way the 'hero' of the novel thinks. There were many parts of this story that was memorable, but one particular part caught my attention.

(For some reason, the 'hero' of this book is attracted to prime numbers)

This is how you work out what prime numbers are.
First you write down all the positive whole numbers in the world.
Then you take away all the numbers that are multiples of 2.
Then you take away all the numbers that are multiples of 3.
Then you take away all the numbers that are multiples of 4 and 5 and 6 and 7 and so on.
The numbers that are left are the prime numbers.

The rule for working out prime numbers is really simple, but no one has ever worked out a simple formula for telling you whether a very big number is a prime number or what the next one will be.

I think prime numbers are like life.They are very logical but you could never work out the rules, even if you spent all your time thinking about them.

Now i feel like re-reading the book. But I'm halfway through two books for now, so I guess this book will have to hold on for a while. You should give this book a try too. I think you'll enjoy reading it.

What Studying Didn't Teach Me

My classes were over a few days ago. That was the end of my formal education. 18 years of studying and now it's time to move on with the next stage of life- working. Of the 18 years, I think the 6 years spent studying here are the most significant ones, because this is the only education that is preparing me for my working life (tadika was preparation for primary school, primary school was preparation for secondary school, and secondary school was preparation for university).

The thing is, if I am supposed to be prepared for my working life, then I am far from it. I remember maybe 10% of what I have been taught in the last 6 years. I remember so little, that I don't trust myself to diagnose or treat anyone, however minor the complaints may be. Thankfully, the government trusts us just as little - housemen are not allowed to prescribe medicine, everything is done under the supervision of an MO.

However, there are many things that I did learn..things that are not in the syllabus. I don't know why, but I really do feel that the 6 years I spent here are one of the most significant ones of my life. It has changed me in many ways, shaped me, and influenced the way I think. Here is a short list of the things I have learnt for the past 6 years :

1. to prepare a meal for myself - although it may be not very tasty, at least I enjoy eating it.
2. to bake a cake/pie - have to thank Yee Gin and Angeline for this
3. to be more independent
4. to be a good friend
5. to not judge a person too fast
6. to not trust whatever another person tells me
7. there is always more than 1 side to a story
8. to think about things from different perspectives before I come to a conclusion
9. to enjoy a good book/movie more
10. that no one is perfect, and sometimes you just have to accept a person as they are
11. money can make miracles happen
12. a good doctor is not one who knows all the answers, but one who listens to the patient - I learnt this by being a patient myself
13. guilt is not a good feeling - they haunt you forever and ever
14. you can never truly know someone until you live in the same room/house as them
15. you don't always get what you want in life
16. that the internet is a wonderful creation

There are many other things that I know I acquired, but right now, I don't seem to be able to think about them and put them in words. All I know is I am a bit more prepared about to face the many different types of people of the outside world than I was 6 years ago. At least I am not as naive anymore.