A Reason To Be Happy

In a way, today felt like Deepavali.

Finally, our ward received a new stock of syringes and gloves etc.

In the beginning, we lacked sterile gloves.

Then non-sterile gloves.

For the past few days, you would be lucky if you can find any gloves at all!!

It has been more than a month since we had 10cc syringe.

Let me tell you why you need 10cc syringe.

When a patient is admitted to the ward, here are a few basic investigations:

1. FBC - 2cc

2. RP/LFT - 1cc

3. RBS - 1 to 2 cc

4. PT/INR - 2cc

Which comes to 7 cc.

So, how do you use a 5cc syringe to take the blood?

2 choices - prick the patient twice, or you use a 5cc syringe and take the blood and then remove the syringe from the needle and in place put in another syringe (don't take the needle off from the patient). The first way, the patient will hate you, the 2nd way, you are at a risk of needle prick injury - so, which would you choose?

Branulas are hard to get too - someone made the wrong orders and certain wards have this horrible branula which is SO hard to use!

Tegaderm - another almost extinct thing - nowadays we just use plaster.

Thankfully, today we received our stock.

I really felt happy to see the PPK pushing the trolly full of stuff today.

Anyway, quote of the day, by Dr. LYF - "Only 2 things in life is certain - death and income tax".

Thoughts To Ponder

1. If time doesn't wait for you, don't worry! Just remove the damn battery from the clock and Enjoy life!

2. Expecting the world to treat you fairly because you are a good person is like expecting the lion not to attack you because you are a vegetarian. Think about it.

3. Beauty isn't measured by outer appearance and what clothes we wear, but what we are inside. So, try going out naked tomorrow and see the admiration!

4. Don't walk as if you rule the world, walk as if you don't care who rules the world! That's called Attitude! Keep on rocking!

5. Every lady hopes that her daughter will marry a better man than she did and is convinced that her son will never find a wife as good as his father did!

6. He was a good man. He never smoked, drank had no affair. When he died, the insurance company refused the claim. They said, he who never lived, cannot die!

8. So many options for suicide: Poison, sleeping pills, hanging, jumping from a building, lying on train tracks, but we choose Marriage, slow but sure!

9. Only 20 percent boys have brains, rests have girlfriends!

10. All desirable things in life are either illegal, banned, expensive or married to someone else!

11. Drinking is our biggest enemy- Jawaharlal Nehru
We should learn to love our enemies- Mahatma Gandhi
Now, whom to follow and which one to choose?

12. 10% of road accidents are due to drunken driving. Which means - it a logical statement that 90% of accidents are due to driving without drinking!!

Day 2 In Barcelona

I have not been able to stick to my 1 year-ago events.
It was too tiring - putting up posts for the days that I was oncall.
Besides, I had other things that I wanted to blog about as well.

However, I would like to finish what I started - I have about 3 days more of the trip left.
So, here are the pictures we took on the 30th of June 2008.
It was our 2nd day in Barcelona.
As I mentioned previously, Barcelona is all about Gaudi.
On this particular day, we visited 2 other Gaudi creations - Casa Mila and Casa Battlo.

Our first stop - Casa Battlo

I think Gaudi never liked straight lines


That is a fireplace - cute, right?

Have you ever thought of doing up your window in that shape?

The Casa Battlo chimney

One of the rooms that was done up to show what it would have looked like during the period the house was built - compare this picture to this.

Next up - Casa Mila. This is a model of the place.

The many different chimneys - this is what Casa Mila is famous for.
No 2 chimneys are the same.

The windows are positioned in such a way as to receive the maximum amount of sunlight.

A chair designed by Gaudi. We were not allowed to sit on sit, but the curves supposedly 'correspond' to those on a human body, making it extra comfortable.

After that, we went to the Barca stadium.

A visit to the market.
Even now, looking at these sweets make me drool!

Colourful, no?

Me and Puspha then proceeded to go on a bus ride around Barcelona, just to pass time. And guess what, we met Von Yen, Swee Hung, Jan, Beng and Quek!! Such a coincidence! But it was just a short meeting 'cos we were headed in different directions. Still, it was fun to meet them.

And now I miss them.
:(
Just wish to sit and lepak and talk till dawn like we used to.

There are a few quotes that I would like to share with you.
'Thing do not change. We change.'
'If at first you don't succeed, you're running about average.'
'Never grow a wishbone where your backbone ought to be.'

p/s - here is a post I wrote on that day from Barcelona.

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?

What Is Marriage All About?

I've got this a number of times in my mail, but everytime I read it, I can't help buy smile. Hope you enjoy it too!

MARRIAGE QUOTES BY KIDS!!!

HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHO TO MARRY? (written by kids)
You got to find somebody who likes the same stuff. Like, if you like sports, she should like it that you like sports, and she should keep the chips and dip coming.
-- Alan, age 10

No person really decides before they grow up who they're going to marry. God decides it all way before, and you get to find out later who you're stuck with.
-- Kristen, age 10

WHAT IS THE RIGHT AGE TO GET MARRIED?
Twenty-three is the best age because you know the person FOREVER by then.
-- Camille, age 10

HOW CAN A STRANGER TELL IF TWO PEOPLE ARE MARRIED?
You might have to guess, based on whether they seem to be yelling at the same kids.
-- Derrick, age 8

WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR MOM AND DAD HAVE IN COMMON?
Both don't want any more kids.
-- Lori, age 8

WHAT DO MOST PEOPLE DO ON A DATE?
Dates are for having fun, and people should use them to get to know each other. Even boys have something to say if you listen long enough.
-- Lynn , age 8 (isn't she a treasure)

On the first date, they just tell each other lies and that usually gets them interested enough to go for a second date.
-- Martin, age 10

WHEN IS IT OKAY TO KISS SOMEONE?
When they're rich.
-- Pam, age 7

The law says you have to be eighteen, so I wouldn't want to mess with that.
- - Curt, age 7

The rule goes like this: If you kiss someone, then you should marry them and have kids with them. It's the right thing to do.
-- Howard, age 8

IS IT BETTER TO BE SINGLE OR MARRIED?
It's better for girls to be single but not for boys. Boys need someone to clean up after them. -- Anita, age 9 (bless you child)

HOW WOULD THE WORLD BE DIFFERENT IF PEOPLE DIDN'T GET MARRIED?
There sure would be a lot of kids to explain, wouldn't there?
-- Kelvin, age 8

And the #1 Favourite is........

HOW WOULD YOU MAKE A MARRIAGE WORK?
Tell your wife that she looks pretty, even if she looks like a dump truck.
-- Rick, age 10