FemPop

In my 2nd week of surgical posting now :) my 3 main consultants are basically lower GI surgeons. So it's mainly lots and lots of back passages. Interesting? Tried very hard to keep straight face when i see them examining. Especially stuffs like soiled back passage and when the registrar tries to stick the rigid sigmoidoscope up the patient's bottom end while the patient whinges in silence or not so silent. I'll probably get used to it by end of 4th week.


Most of the patients in clinics are follow up cases. Or cases that needs urgent attention via the 2weekrule. I've seen 2 incisional hernia cases today. huge ones. And as i listen to the reg's explanation I kinda get the hang of the management plans. It's interesting :) Ok, well... in a way it is. hehe of course alot of times i tend to tune off a little, and then the patient will mumble something to me and i just smile back cos ops, i didn't know what they were chatting about there. my stomach loves to grumble. i was eyeing Mr. Bev's cookies whole morning >.<


Still, i got to say these clinics are somewhat more interesting than that I attended back in medicine block. Not that i find back passages interesting. 5 out of 6 patients come in with an IBD follow up. Alot of coeliac too, and some IBS. BUT, the wards were certainly more interesting. I see alot of alcoholic liver diseases. A few oesophageal Ca and colorectal ca.. who came in for other complications.


Oh well, it's just the beginning of my surgical block:) Should be getting more interesting now I get to go to theatres. Ah, and this is where FemPop comes in! Yeah so last thursday afternoon we were supposed to follow one of my consultants in OT. So we happily got changed into our scrubs and went into the designated theatre. Turned out the surgeon wasnt there that day and it was a vascular surgery but the guy said sure we could have a look if we'd like to. So we stood in for 3 hours watching a FemPop (femoral-popliteal artery bypass surgery) done, using the long saphenous vein as a graft... It's amazing to watch that initally pale leg turning a healthy pink and to see the graft "dancing" by the end of it. And i forgot to mention, the gentleman who was lying on the table was 93 years old. i'm utterly impressed :)

Memory Lane

One of the days of my community posting, I was sent to a nursing care home. It was called "Memory Lane", simply because most of the residents there has dementia.


There was Joe who used to be a really successful businessman, traveling all over the world living a comfortable life in a large home and running an internationally known company. He's been married to his wife for nearly 70years. Now he randomly holds another lady resident's arm to take a stroll or dance, because he thinks she's his wife. But when his real wife came around to visit him, he couldn't recognise her at all.


There was another man who was an engineer. He still goes around dismantling the television set, the fridge and then get frustrated when he couldn't piece them back. Just because that was what he used to do all his life.


There was a lady who used to bake really beautiful cakes and wonderful pastries. Now she lost all her skills of that, even though i bet she's still fond of baking.


And then there was another one who lost her husband a while ago. When she gets part of her memory back, she'd start crying. Then her memory switches off, and she'd be wondering what she is crying for. Which will make her cry even more because she doesn't know what is making her sad.


With their short term memory gone, they all lived in their own little world of different eras. He may remember how he'd fought through the war, but not the names of his own children. Some of them had family members who would rather shut them out of their lives altogether, and would not even come by to visit them not once. While some had spouses who'd come and see them ever so often. Even though forgotten, even when they are ill themselves and needed to be taken care of.


Isn't it sad?


To think about waking up one day and slowly forgetting ur own life bits by bits. I'm sure it must be even more painful for those who loved them so dearly. He/she will no longer be the same person u knew all ur life. It may even change one's personality. Listening as their stories were being told it saddened me deeply. It reminded me about my grandma who pointed to the huge teddy and asked why my dog had became like that. It sounded funny, but more so it was horrifying to hear that. And to think that it could just happen to anyone....

Happy Birthday To Me :)

It's my first birthday away from home. Somehow I wasn't at all excited about it, or rather i chose not to get excited over it? I asked a friend and she told me the same. Could it be that after ur 21st you feel less excited about the rest of the birthdays. I laughed, could it be i'm finally bored after having too many birthdays?

I chose not to expect surprises. I do want close friends to keep me company ... just so i won't think too much (and miss home). But i still do miss my twin sis. Its after all my first birthday without her.

Bought myself lilies after GP morning!:)

And after PBL in the afternoon, I went to Borders and sipped my hot choc (wanted to drink mocha but didnt >.<) and a little pie with siewsing, my clinical partner+shopping partner. =)

Well it's not as sad as i made it sound...my friends were really sweet!! i did have a surprise on Saturday during dinner .. and presentss and cardss! my first tatty!!! *thanks everyone*

*makes a wish*

Hey There Delilah...

a funny conversation between Tom and i in the shuttle bus.. when Hey There Delilah suddenly came on the radio

Tom: Will u fall for a guy if he sang u this song?
Me: Yesss!!! I luv this song!!
Tom: I know the guy who sang it. He's a friend of my cousin's..
Me: serious?
tom: yea ..
me: are u serious .. ure kidding me?
tom: im serious..
me: cool..... ( i was gona ask where abt in england is he from)
tom: u know, i acutally made it up. i dont know the guy.
me: :S !!
tom: u know actually the girl he wrote the song for, her name's not delilah, it's julia..
me: huh, then why did he change the name? delilah sounds better huh..
tom: haha yea i think so .. (sings : hey there julia ..)
me: yea julia doesnt seem to fit so well
tom: i'm still lying u know
me: yea.. i know i'm just going along with ur lie ;P

laughs.