It's a beautiful day! The sun is shining, the birds are singing, the daffodils are out. I am happy because I have done my scary presentation and it went well, and also it is saturday tomorrow so I can sleep late!
I'm thinking of going for a run later. It's such a nice day, I should be outside enjoying the weather, and may as well get in some exercise. The problem is, the run will become more of a power walk than a run because I am not very good at running! I can swim for days but running is really hard! My chest burns very badly and I can't catch my breath so I end up walking most of the time. Apparently all beginner runners get chest ache for the first couple of weeks and then it gets better, but sadly I never get that far! Really like being out in the fresh air though, so will try harder - by the time I start work I work I would like to be able to run for a cardiac arrest without needing oxygen by the time I get there!
That's a good aim I think. Yes.
Friday, 23 March 2007
Thursday, 22 March 2007
Wow
Came across this AWESOME violinist today (thank you Suman Biswas) - have a look, it's incredible!
Last night I stayed up late working on a big presentation but never got to give it because the ward was too hectic. Don't you just hate that?
Last night I stayed up late working on a big presentation but never got to give it because the ward was too hectic. Don't you just hate that?
Tuesday, 20 March 2007
Madness
The weekend was great, thanks for asking - how was yours?
The gig was great, Elaine's sister cooked a fantastic roast, and all was well. I'm shattered though, and it's only Tuesday! Yesterday was pretty normal, ward round, clinic, multi-disciplinary team meeting, essay work, hung out with a friend in the evening. Also another friend who I haven't talked to for ages called, it was good to talk to him and catch up.
This morning was a bit mental - both our team's registrars are away, one on nights, one on annual leave and the boss was away interviewing people in a different city, so it was just the F2, the associate specialist and me. Normally we don't have much to do on a ward round, but today we had a very young patient come in very sick, and she started to decompensate, so we spent all morning putting lines in her and giving various drugs and fluids to try and stabilise her, then spent a while on the phone to a major surgical centre trying to arrange a transfer and trying to find a registrar to go with her in the plane in case she gets sicker...all a bit fraught, and the boss will no doubt be on the phone this afternoon for all the news.
Got a presentation to give on Thursday about chemotherapy regimens and protocols for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, so am home this afternoon working on that. Wish me luck!
The gig was great, Elaine's sister cooked a fantastic roast, and all was well. I'm shattered though, and it's only Tuesday! Yesterday was pretty normal, ward round, clinic, multi-disciplinary team meeting, essay work, hung out with a friend in the evening. Also another friend who I haven't talked to for ages called, it was good to talk to him and catch up.
This morning was a bit mental - both our team's registrars are away, one on nights, one on annual leave and the boss was away interviewing people in a different city, so it was just the F2, the associate specialist and me. Normally we don't have much to do on a ward round, but today we had a very young patient come in very sick, and she started to decompensate, so we spent all morning putting lines in her and giving various drugs and fluids to try and stabilise her, then spent a while on the phone to a major surgical centre trying to arrange a transfer and trying to find a registrar to go with her in the plane in case she gets sicker...all a bit fraught, and the boss will no doubt be on the phone this afternoon for all the news.
Got a presentation to give on Thursday about chemotherapy regimens and protocols for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, so am home this afternoon working on that. Wish me luck!
Friday, 16 March 2007
Livin' for the weekend
I've been really tired this week, and have had some pretty tough clinics with a few heartsink patients, so I'm glad it's the weekend now!
Tonight I am going to the medics' revue - a night dedicated to the ritual slagging of the various clinicians and scientists in charge of 'educating' the medical students. I've actually never been before, but by all accounts it is very entertaining so I'm looking forward to going with some girlfriends, catching up, relaxing and having a good laugh.
Tomorrow, I am going back to the Auld Reekie for what promises to be a great gig by, yes, you've guessed it, The Mars Patrol!!! You can see the flyer for their gig here. They've just released their new single so will be playing that among other things, at Studio 24, 7pm, free entry..........spot the plug!!
Then on Sunday I'm going with my friend Elaine to her parents' house near our uni city for Sunday lunch - Elaine comes from a family of great cooks so no matter who is cooking on the day I am bound to be well fed!
So a nice, relaxing-but-not-boring weekend planned. What are you planning?
Tonight I am going to the medics' revue - a night dedicated to the ritual slagging of the various clinicians and scientists in charge of 'educating' the medical students. I've actually never been before, but by all accounts it is very entertaining so I'm looking forward to going with some girlfriends, catching up, relaxing and having a good laugh.
Tomorrow, I am going back to the Auld Reekie for what promises to be a great gig by, yes, you've guessed it, The Mars Patrol!!! You can see the flyer for their gig here. They've just released their new single so will be playing that among other things, at Studio 24, 7pm, free entry..........spot the plug!!
Then on Sunday I'm going with my friend Elaine to her parents' house near our uni city for Sunday lunch - Elaine comes from a family of great cooks so no matter who is cooking on the day I am bound to be well fed!
So a nice, relaxing-but-not-boring weekend planned. What are you planning?
Monday, 12 March 2007
The youth of today...
In clinic today. Lots of kids, all on chemotherapy for various cancers. Lots of potential side-effects of chemo, including hair loss, nausea and the topic of the day, infertility.
One of the patients was a teenager who had an interesting question - well, actually his mother raised it when we were just thinking about long-term effects of his chemo. She just said 'of course, there's a girlfriend now' and straight away my consultant said 'you must assume that you are fertile and take proper precautions' while the mother nodded enthusiastically.
I was shocked!
No 'that's nice, do you go to the cinema/bowling/whatever?', just straight onto contraception! Gosh, I'm so naive.
Just feels a bit weird giving contraception advice in a paediatric clinic!
One of the patients was a teenager who had an interesting question - well, actually his mother raised it when we were just thinking about long-term effects of his chemo. She just said 'of course, there's a girlfriend now' and straight away my consultant said 'you must assume that you are fertile and take proper precautions' while the mother nodded enthusiastically.
I was shocked!
No 'that's nice, do you go to the cinema/bowling/whatever?', just straight onto contraception! Gosh, I'm so naive.
Just feels a bit weird giving contraception advice in a paediatric clinic!
Sunday, 11 March 2007
Glass half full?
So, in the absence of any emails stating otherwise, I have got a job! I'm pretty happy about it really, especially as I've been told time and time again how competitive my chosen rotations are.
However, while I am feeling happy and am looking forward to starting my career, a huge number of junior doctors everywhere are panicking about theirs...yup, you guessed it, MTAS. Nobody likes it, and it really doesn't seem fair. I was having a look round some blogs written by fellow medics this evening, in the absence of anything productive to do, and I have to say it makes pretty miserable reading.
Most of the docs out there seem to truly hate their jobs.
I can't really say anything because I have yet to become immersed in the NHS proper, but I really, really hope that I won't end up that disillusioned with medicine, and I hope I won't end up as miserable as these poor people.
I love medicine, I'm a total geek about it, I read things when I don't have tests to study for, I look things up randomly, I look forward to going in to the hospital. Sometimes I even get goosebumps, I love it all so much. Obviously I have bad days, as everyone does, but the good days far outweigh the bad.
Am I destined to become disillusioned, grumpy and hateful of my chosen career? Is MTAS going to ruin my oncology dreams despite all my best efforts and prayers? I sincerely hope not. I want to become one of the doctors that I have admired during my training - a doctor who really cares about my patients, who is keen to teach students rather than dismiss them or give them crap jobs, who loves medicine and for whom it shows.
Is this too much to ask?
However, while I am feeling happy and am looking forward to starting my career, a huge number of junior doctors everywhere are panicking about theirs...yup, you guessed it, MTAS. Nobody likes it, and it really doesn't seem fair. I was having a look round some blogs written by fellow medics this evening, in the absence of anything productive to do, and I have to say it makes pretty miserable reading.
Most of the docs out there seem to truly hate their jobs.
I can't really say anything because I have yet to become immersed in the NHS proper, but I really, really hope that I won't end up that disillusioned with medicine, and I hope I won't end up as miserable as these poor people.
I love medicine, I'm a total geek about it, I read things when I don't have tests to study for, I look things up randomly, I look forward to going in to the hospital. Sometimes I even get goosebumps, I love it all so much. Obviously I have bad days, as everyone does, but the good days far outweigh the bad.
Am I destined to become disillusioned, grumpy and hateful of my chosen career? Is MTAS going to ruin my oncology dreams despite all my best efforts and prayers? I sincerely hope not. I want to become one of the doctors that I have admired during my training - a doctor who really cares about my patients, who is keen to teach students rather than dismiss them or give them crap jobs, who loves medicine and for whom it shows.
Is this too much to ask?
Friday, 9 March 2007
Gormless
I forgot to mention...the student who was the 'subject' of yesterday's rant was in again today - still with his badge on his crotch - but he also managed to do the entire ward round with one black trouser-leg tucked into his (white) sock!! Didn't have the heart to tell him, but giggled quietly to myself...well, my F2 saw as well so we both giggled. Quite typical of the madness we encounter with colleagues every day!
[It's now 17:34hrs and I still have no email...am I 'home' and dry?!]
[It's now 17:34hrs and I still have no email...am I 'home' and dry?!]
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