The advantages of getting injured during Chinese New Year (assuming that you're in a country that celebrates it).
1. You are guaranteed an ang bao.
If you're young, you'll probably get an extra large ang bao. If you're old yet unmarried and on the verge of no longer qualifying for an ang bao like yours truly, you get guaranteed one.
2. You can excuse yourself from any preparations.
This includes the spring cleaning, shopping, preparations for the reunion dinner and cleaning up afterwards.
3. You can excuse yourself from visiting any unsavoury relatives.
Don't like that uncle who has bad breath and asks for money every time the relatives get together?
"I can't go... my leg hurts."
4. You can guilt trip your parents into buying you anything you want.
5. All the tastiest morsels of food will probably end up on your plate.
6. You can order your siblings around like servants.
"I can't get up... get me some water!"
7. People will let you win at Mah Jong out of sympathy.
8. You get to sleep in late because you are "recuperating".
Well, i can't think of any others but feel free to add to the list. 8 is a prosperous number anyway!
Showing posts with label complaints. Show all posts
Showing posts with label complaints. Show all posts
20 Feb 2012
21 Nov 2010
The runs
Nothing works better as an alarm clock than having colicky pain, incredibly loud bowel sounds, a reflexive clamping of the anal sphincter and the alarming instinct that one must sit the ass down on the toilet bowl the very next second before the shit literally hits the fan.
I swear i have never gotten myself awake, tumble out of bed and scramble the 3 metres to the bathroom this quickly in any other circumstances.
The disbelief and relief is almost palpable when one actually makes it in time... again... for the xth time in the middle of the night.
Brilliant.
If dehydration doesn't incapacitate the person, then exhaustion and anxiety will. With the body in high alert mode 24/7 for massive explosions, it's not a wonder the fight or flight response has run the system haggard.
I've noticed another interesting fact over the years of experience with gastroenteritis. Normally, faeces just smells repugnant, but when one has the bowel runs, the smell actually induces nausea and sometimes vomiting as well.
Another miraculous way our body has designed for us to purge all toxins from the body, be it from the top or bottom end.
Enchanting.
So Lai, if anyone asks how i dealt with your departure, you can say that my body became to wrecked with grief that i had to take 3 days off to recuperate. ;)
I swear i have never gotten myself awake, tumble out of bed and scramble the 3 metres to the bathroom this quickly in any other circumstances.
The disbelief and relief is almost palpable when one actually makes it in time... again... for the xth time in the middle of the night.
Brilliant.
If dehydration doesn't incapacitate the person, then exhaustion and anxiety will. With the body in high alert mode 24/7 for massive explosions, it's not a wonder the fight or flight response has run the system haggard.
I've noticed another interesting fact over the years of experience with gastroenteritis. Normally, faeces just smells repugnant, but when one has the bowel runs, the smell actually induces nausea and sometimes vomiting as well.
Another miraculous way our body has designed for us to purge all toxins from the body, be it from the top or bottom end.
Enchanting.
So Lai, if anyone asks how i dealt with your departure, you can say that my body became to wrecked with grief that i had to take 3 days off to recuperate. ;)
5 Jul 2010
The shadow...
I am the shadow that stalks the hospital, creeping up to unsuspecting babies, pulling off their blankets and sticking them with my stethoscope!
I flash them with my torch, i poke and pinch them with my fingers and rattle in a raspy voice secrets in the dark.
I float between 5 storeys for 12 hours each night and turn into a zombie with the first rays of the sun. After which i return home to my dark room and attempt to go into an abbreviated form of mummification under the layers of blankets.
On days when my mummification is insufficient, i turn into a snarling werewolf. Beware all ringing devices and their owners, which i will have a violent urge to smash into the wall. Should i be deprived of food or expected to labour for more than an hour on it, i snap my powerful jaws and bite off the head of the nearest animate object.
Consider this a warning to stay away from me unless otherwise invited.
I flash them with my torch, i poke and pinch them with my fingers and rattle in a raspy voice secrets in the dark.
I float between 5 storeys for 12 hours each night and turn into a zombie with the first rays of the sun. After which i return home to my dark room and attempt to go into an abbreviated form of mummification under the layers of blankets.
On days when my mummification is insufficient, i turn into a snarling werewolf. Beware all ringing devices and their owners, which i will have a violent urge to smash into the wall. Should i be deprived of food or expected to labour for more than an hour on it, i snap my powerful jaws and bite off the head of the nearest animate object.
Consider this a warning to stay away from me unless otherwise invited.
10 Feb 2010
Arghhhh...!!!
Day 1: 0730 - 1830 10min lunch during meeting
Day 2: 0730 - 1900 No toilet break
Day 3: 0730 - 1930 No lunch and no toilet break
Scheduled Day 4: 0730 - 2130 Foreseeable no lunch, no toilet break and no dinner.
Day 2: 0730 - 1900 No toilet break
Day 3: 0730 - 1930 No lunch and no toilet break
Scheduled Day 4: 0730 - 2130 Foreseeable no lunch, no toilet break and no dinner.
29 Dec 2009
How i survived christmas...
So almost everyone on my previous list in their many variations, except item no 7 (thank god!), turned up over Christmas.
1. Fake hemiballismus old man with flaking fungal infections on his face who made writhing movements on his right side saying that he doesn't have control over it. I caught him out. Wanted to turf to psych, but just as we were about to do it, his stay in hospital finally gave him a hospital acquired infection and we had to keep him. Shit.
2. 20 year old girl who lived alone and drank too much alcohol on Christmas eve pretended to have ataxia and other subjective signs like vertigo and scored herself a CT Brain, which was completely normal of course, brought estranged mum and dad scurrying to bedside.
3. Middle aged man who recently broke up with girlfriend and lost $2k+ gambling while pissing drunk on Christmas Eve attempted suicide by ingesting 57 panadol tablets and 10 diclofenac. No idea why he bothered calling the ambulance if he was serious.
4. Chest pain. Not just one... What more do i need to say.
5. Obnoxious old lady from nursing home with sacral ulcers who refused meds, refused bloods, needed to be fed by hand, incontinent of faeces and urine, slapped, spat, smacked and yanked nursing stafff's hair while smearing faeces all over herself and bed. I didn't care if she was slightly demented, i told myself that if she even tried to hit me i'd hand lock her in self defense and then put her in restraints. Luckily, it didn't come down to that.
So our solution to the above plus the misery of working 16 hours a day without time for dinner break... chocolate, chips, biscuits, fruit juice... anything with carbs and fat.
Borrowing a phrase from an article in National Geographic which made a resonating impression on me: it's a wonder that i didn't detonate with the sheer force of rage.
1. Fake hemiballismus old man with flaking fungal infections on his face who made writhing movements on his right side saying that he doesn't have control over it. I caught him out. Wanted to turf to psych, but just as we were about to do it, his stay in hospital finally gave him a hospital acquired infection and we had to keep him. Shit.
2. 20 year old girl who lived alone and drank too much alcohol on Christmas eve pretended to have ataxia and other subjective signs like vertigo and scored herself a CT Brain, which was completely normal of course, brought estranged mum and dad scurrying to bedside.
3. Middle aged man who recently broke up with girlfriend and lost $2k+ gambling while pissing drunk on Christmas Eve attempted suicide by ingesting 57 panadol tablets and 10 diclofenac. No idea why he bothered calling the ambulance if he was serious.
4. Chest pain. Not just one... What more do i need to say.
5. Obnoxious old lady from nursing home with sacral ulcers who refused meds, refused bloods, needed to be fed by hand, incontinent of faeces and urine, slapped, spat, smacked and yanked nursing stafff's hair while smearing faeces all over herself and bed. I didn't care if she was slightly demented, i told myself that if she even tried to hit me i'd hand lock her in self defense and then put her in restraints. Luckily, it didn't come down to that.
So our solution to the above plus the misery of working 16 hours a day without time for dinner break... chocolate, chips, biscuits, fruit juice... anything with carbs and fat.
Borrowing a phrase from an article in National Geographic which made a resonating impression on me: it's a wonder that i didn't detonate with the sheer force of rage.
1 Dec 2009
Ward Rounds
So i started gen med about 3 weeks ago. Day 1 was ghastly, i went through a total of 5 ward rounds/board rounds/handovers that horrific day. My heart sank as i thought about the rest of my 10 week rotation.
The first weekend, my ward round took 5.5 hours to complete. My face was a mask of stony disinterest and contempt, my back was aching from standing around too much, my ears were straining to hear a semblance of regard for the patient from the weekend consultant as my brain was trying and failing in deciphering a plan from all the nonsense he was spewing.
My co-intern is the son of my home team's consultant, who is too bright, cheery, talkative and hyperactive. He was so keen, eager and enthusiastic that we would fight for jobs to do. Many a times he would do things without updating me and we ended doubling up on the work. Despite all his good intentions and his congeniality, it felt suffocating.
Things started looking up last weekend when i was given a free reign to do my own ward rounds and deal with my patients in my own way, only requesting help from the reg and consultant if there was a problem. Sweet autonomy. Things went much smoother and faster.
On the weekend i watched my weekend buddy intern do a lumbar puncture and today, i got to do one myself. Red bloods cells in CSF: <1. Apparently something to gloat about among med circles. Yosh!
Finally a procedure! Hands on, no thoughts required. The essence of see one, do one, teach one.
So my conclusion, i think i really should have gone for a surgical job.
The first weekend, my ward round took 5.5 hours to complete. My face was a mask of stony disinterest and contempt, my back was aching from standing around too much, my ears were straining to hear a semblance of regard for the patient from the weekend consultant as my brain was trying and failing in deciphering a plan from all the nonsense he was spewing.
My co-intern is the son of my home team's consultant, who is too bright, cheery, talkative and hyperactive. He was so keen, eager and enthusiastic that we would fight for jobs to do. Many a times he would do things without updating me and we ended doubling up on the work. Despite all his good intentions and his congeniality, it felt suffocating.
Things started looking up last weekend when i was given a free reign to do my own ward rounds and deal with my patients in my own way, only requesting help from the reg and consultant if there was a problem. Sweet autonomy. Things went much smoother and faster.
On the weekend i watched my weekend buddy intern do a lumbar puncture and today, i got to do one myself. Red bloods cells in CSF: <1. Apparently something to gloat about among med circles. Yosh!
Finally a procedure! Hands on, no thoughts required. The essence of see one, do one, teach one.
So my conclusion, i think i really should have gone for a surgical job.
27 Oct 2009
Digging a grave
Counting down my last 8 emergency night shifts. Last 8 emergency shifts ever in this shithole of a hospital where the bosses don't care, don't know or don't want to know. Sometimes all 3 in combination.
Initially at the start of this rotation after psych, i told myself to take things easy, slowly, patiently because i no longer need references. If i get angry or frustrated with patients, i'm only sabotaging myself as there is no outlet for this frustration.
For the first 5 weeks, this attitude kept me afloat, and then everything else about the god forsaken place started to wear me down again. The queue of nonsensical presentations pacing in the waiting room grew longer as the weather took a better turn. The number of sick patients stuck in ED grew larger due to the bed shortage. The number of people who could be seen in the available space fizzle down to 0 and the original purpose of being a turnstile was lost.
The interns who are leaving in 3 months time (aka yours truly) collectively don't give a shit. The residents who are stuck here for good and know they will never be fired because of the existing shortage of doctors continue to drag their asses. The bosses who can't get a job in another department of SCH or any other hospital dish out resentment while cracking the whip for patients to get seen faster, always pandering to the bottom line of getting people out, either discharged home or palmed to another department. There is no pride, no integrity and no self respect.
The nurses knowing the cluelessness of most of the doctors snort derisively behind our backs and oppose our decisions, always harrying us to discharge patients out of their care.
Come friday evening, all the GP clinics in the region shut down and every single person trying to get sick leave for the coming monday gravitates towards the ED. The waiting room swells with the influx of people, the number of doctors rostered to work over the weekend decreases against the flow of logic and unsurprisingly, we reach an impasse.
If i don't get out of there at the end of my 2 weeks, i'd start having death wishes, suicidal ideations and perhaps even homicidal tendencies.
Initially at the start of this rotation after psych, i told myself to take things easy, slowly, patiently because i no longer need references. If i get angry or frustrated with patients, i'm only sabotaging myself as there is no outlet for this frustration.
For the first 5 weeks, this attitude kept me afloat, and then everything else about the god forsaken place started to wear me down again. The queue of nonsensical presentations pacing in the waiting room grew longer as the weather took a better turn. The number of sick patients stuck in ED grew larger due to the bed shortage. The number of people who could be seen in the available space fizzle down to 0 and the original purpose of being a turnstile was lost.
The interns who are leaving in 3 months time (aka yours truly) collectively don't give a shit. The residents who are stuck here for good and know they will never be fired because of the existing shortage of doctors continue to drag their asses. The bosses who can't get a job in another department of SCH or any other hospital dish out resentment while cracking the whip for patients to get seen faster, always pandering to the bottom line of getting people out, either discharged home or palmed to another department. There is no pride, no integrity and no self respect.
The nurses knowing the cluelessness of most of the doctors snort derisively behind our backs and oppose our decisions, always harrying us to discharge patients out of their care.
Come friday evening, all the GP clinics in the region shut down and every single person trying to get sick leave for the coming monday gravitates towards the ED. The waiting room swells with the influx of people, the number of doctors rostered to work over the weekend decreases against the flow of logic and unsurprisingly, we reach an impasse.
If i don't get out of there at the end of my 2 weeks, i'd start having death wishes, suicidal ideations and perhaps even homicidal tendencies.
10 Oct 2009
The truth behind it..
5 lacerations in a day - Sweet time to do and not think or talk.
Cannulating a baby who did not scream or cry - New procedural skill acquired; level up baby tricking skills.
Blowing small vein on back of hand and sticking the 18 gauge cannula conveniently lying around into cubital fossa in a needle phobic patient moaning, groaning, rolling around on the floor complaining of 10/10 abdo pain. Ripping off sticky tape and tegaderm from extremely hairy arm when removing cannula. - Take that you malingering drama queen of a wuss; free waxing service with compliments from yours truly.
Telling patient who complained of "blacking out" while lying in bed but "didn't fall asleep, oh i don't know what happened" and insisted on having blood tests done because she was "anaemic" with Hb of 140 a month ago that if her brainless GP who sent her to ED thinks she needs bloods, he can do it himself - Cathartic release of frustration and finally having enough guts and experience at picking out phonies to tell them to get the f*** out of my ED in civilised words.
Picking out vertebral compression fracture verified later by radiologist when supervisor dismissed it. - I knew you didn't know what you were doing all along dumbass.
Cannulating a baby who did not scream or cry - New procedural skill acquired; level up baby tricking skills.
Mesmerising every kid under 5 years and adults over 40 years with flashing oinking keychain piggy - Best investment in equipment ever; the power to control minds... muahahaha.
Favourite drug prescribed: Ketorolac - Jabbing undeserving patients and giving more pain than they originally presented with.Blowing small vein on back of hand and sticking the 18 gauge cannula conveniently lying around into cubital fossa in a needle phobic patient moaning, groaning, rolling around on the floor complaining of 10/10 abdo pain. Ripping off sticky tape and tegaderm from extremely hairy arm when removing cannula. - Take that you malingering drama queen of a wuss; free waxing service with compliments from yours truly.
Telling patient who complained of "blacking out" while lying in bed but "didn't fall asleep, oh i don't know what happened" and insisted on having blood tests done because she was "anaemic" with Hb of 140 a month ago that if her brainless GP who sent her to ED thinks she needs bloods, he can do it himself - Cathartic release of frustration and finally having enough guts and experience at picking out phonies to tell them to get the f*** out of my ED in civilised words.
Picking out vertebral compression fracture verified later by radiologist when supervisor dismissed it. - I knew you didn't know what you were doing all along dumbass.
14 Jul 2009
Mum!!!
Remember how i whinge about all those nonsense cases that come into through the door of my Emergency Department?
Remember all those people who hit their finger while playing a ball game and although it's not broken or dislocated want someone to check it out? The people who arrive in the middle of the night complaining of a heavy period? The people who think their kid has appendicitis when said kid is bouncing around playing happily?
Now remember how much i detest them? How annoyed i get at being treated like a GP?
General #3 wrote to me about her many health problems from a separate continent via email. I said to her it's an inadequate history unless she answers all of my unending list of questions, thinking that it would be a major deterrent and advised her to see her GP instead.
She writes back with all the answers, which are still inadequate, to all my questions and says "but my GP is not as thorough as you are..."
Aww... Shucks... Next time i'm going to write in big bold letters "I DON'T CARE AND I DON'T WANT TO KNOW ABOUT IT"
Intercontinental medical consult via email over the course of several days. Someone just shoot me.
Remember all those people who hit their finger while playing a ball game and although it's not broken or dislocated want someone to check it out? The people who arrive in the middle of the night complaining of a heavy period? The people who think their kid has appendicitis when said kid is bouncing around playing happily?
Now remember how much i detest them? How annoyed i get at being treated like a GP?
General #3 wrote to me about her many health problems from a separate continent via email. I said to her it's an inadequate history unless she answers all of my unending list of questions, thinking that it would be a major deterrent and advised her to see her GP instead.
She writes back with all the answers, which are still inadequate, to all my questions and says "but my GP is not as thorough as you are..."
Aww... Shucks... Next time i'm going to write in big bold letters "I DON'T CARE AND I DON'T WANT TO KNOW ABOUT IT"
Intercontinental medical consult via email over the course of several days. Someone just shoot me.
8 Jun 2009
What is this nonsense?
So ends my stint of nights. Nights are filled with people who need psychiatric involvement.
It sucks being the only female doctor on because any problem remotely related to the female nether region is automatically assigned to me. Not to mention that females are the ones more prone to anxiety and depression.
Like when there is a lady who was having her period who rushed herself to emergency at 2.30am after seeing a few clots, complaining of heavy bleeding and no other symptoms. Have you ever heard of someone bleeding to death from a period? I didn't think so.
Then a lady with a tension headache crying her eyes out and sayings things like "I'm just so tired of all the expectations everyone has of me. Everyone is depending on me." I stood there and stared at her. When her pain was resolving, her husband was brought into the room and she promptly coughed herself into vomiting and said her pain was back. God.
My favourite is a totally wasted young lady with a knee laceration who was hysterical at triage. She screamed so loudly that everyone else in the department and probably upstairs in the surgical ward thought that i was chopping her up with a cleaver when i was injecting local anaesthetic. She even screamed when i was tying off my stitches. Tying the knot for goodness sake. The nurses were giving her murderous looks.
The only funny thing that happened last night was this regular customer of ours who faked a collapse and was pushed into the department slumped in the wheelchair by his relative. He managed to stand on his feet when we transferred him onto the bed, we cut all 3 layers of his clothes off and i very mercilessly stuck him with an 18 gauge needle. I don't think he'll be coming in anytime soon if he values the rest of his clothes.
Oh how i wish we could do that to every undeserving patient who walks through the door. Hohoho...
12 May 2009
4 May 2009
ira ira suru koto
Saturday, my ED was flooded by guess what? Footy injuries. 90% of the patients i saw had footy injuries.
Males of all ages ranging from 11 to 46 came in complaining of pain somewhere in their body, all convinced that there is a broken bone somewhere.
Only 1 of them had a fracture.
Men. No matter how old, are still mummy's little boy, needing someone to comfort them and say that it's going to be alright. Wuss.
Yesterday, i treated a very intelligent person who drank more than 15 standard drinks and then decided to head into a spa. He, being severely intoxicated, naturally slipped and fell on the wet tiles and bumped his head. Then comes into my ED complaining of headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, unsteadiness on his feet. And because he had a small bump on his head he scored a CT Brain because we couldn't take the chance of it being a intracranial bleed.
There was no pathology detected. I did a CT Brain for a hangover.
I wanted to strangle someone.
On the brighter side, i received a present from one of my patients in thanks for plastering her fractured radius. Although i was kinda hoping that it would be food rather than a stuffed kangaroo, i still appreciate the gesture.
It shows that i'm not the heartless bitch i make myself out to be, sometimes.
Males of all ages ranging from 11 to 46 came in complaining of pain somewhere in their body, all convinced that there is a broken bone somewhere.
Only 1 of them had a fracture.
Men. No matter how old, are still mummy's little boy, needing someone to comfort them and say that it's going to be alright. Wuss.
Yesterday, i treated a very intelligent person who drank more than 15 standard drinks and then decided to head into a spa. He, being severely intoxicated, naturally slipped and fell on the wet tiles and bumped his head. Then comes into my ED complaining of headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, unsteadiness on his feet. And because he had a small bump on his head he scored a CT Brain because we couldn't take the chance of it being a intracranial bleed.
There was no pathology detected. I did a CT Brain for a hangover.
I wanted to strangle someone.
On the brighter side, i received a present from one of my patients in thanks for plastering her fractured radius. Although i was kinda hoping that it would be food rather than a stuffed kangaroo, i still appreciate the gesture.
It shows that i'm not the heartless bitch i make myself out to be, sometimes.
26 Apr 2009
Footy Season!!!
I think one of the reasons that so many people across Australia are fascinated by footy is because it gives them a reason to express their sadistic desires to bash or to see someone get bashed up in the name of a sport.
Let's face it, it's a violent sport where punches, elbows, knees and every other hard bone in the body is hurled at the opponent. And what do they get? A slap on the wrist after the game is over.
So i don't watch it but i don't particularly oppose it until... my ED gets flooded with footy injuries!
Do not deliberately participate in an event which you knowingly would get injured in and then rock up to my ED expecting us to fix your painful body part which is not even dislocated or bleeding!
You break it, you fix it. You can't play anymore because of this injury? Thank goodness for that!
And don't expect me to hand you a medical certificate excusing you from work due to your self-inflicted injuries. Grrr...
Let's face it, it's a violent sport where punches, elbows, knees and every other hard bone in the body is hurled at the opponent. And what do they get? A slap on the wrist after the game is over.
So i don't watch it but i don't particularly oppose it until... my ED gets flooded with footy injuries!
Do not deliberately participate in an event which you knowingly would get injured in and then rock up to my ED expecting us to fix your painful body part which is not even dislocated or bleeding!
You break it, you fix it. You can't play anymore because of this injury? Thank goodness for that!
And don't expect me to hand you a medical certificate excusing you from work due to your self-inflicted injuries. Grrr...
25 Apr 2009
Grrr....
I'm sick and i want the whole world to know about it!!!
Grrrr!
I want to be pampered. I want someone to cook, clean, wash for me, keep me company, feed me medicine, warm my bed.
And because there's no way i can obtain that, i've resorted to taking 2 days sick leave instead. I've been languishing at home nursing my viral URTI.
Tomorrow, i shall suck it up and stop playing the sick role and go to work. Hopefully i won't be infectious by then...
But beware you annoying category 4 and 5 patients who present for no goddamn reason, i'll be making it a point not to spray my hands with debug when i cough. So if you have any survival instincts, you'd better not turn up to my ED at all!!!!
GGRRRRRR!!!!!
Grrrr!
I want to be pampered. I want someone to cook, clean, wash for me, keep me company, feed me medicine, warm my bed.
And because there's no way i can obtain that, i've resorted to taking 2 days sick leave instead. I've been languishing at home nursing my viral URTI.
Tomorrow, i shall suck it up and stop playing the sick role and go to work. Hopefully i won't be infectious by then...
But beware you annoying category 4 and 5 patients who present for no goddamn reason, i'll be making it a point not to spray my hands with debug when i cough. So if you have any survival instincts, you'd better not turn up to my ED at all!!!!
GGRRRRRR!!!!!
5 Mar 2009
Green...
with envy!!!
LAI!!! How can you take a holiday just like that? I want a holiday too.............. *wailing like a spoilt brat*
Do you know what the definition of busy is? It's when you don't have time to pee even though you're busting to go for the past 3 hours. And when you do pee, you try get out of the toilet within 20 seconds because the consultant needs you to do something now. Like NOW!
Patients are dehydrated because of low urine output? Talk to the hand. I haven't had a sip of water and haven't passed any urine for the last 12 hours. I'm more dehydrated than the patient.
LAI!!! How can you take a holiday just like that? I want a holiday too.............. *wailing like a spoilt brat*
Do you know what the definition of busy is? It's when you don't have time to pee even though you're busting to go for the past 3 hours. And when you do pee, you try get out of the toilet within 20 seconds because the consultant needs you to do something now. Like NOW!
Patients are dehydrated because of low urine output? Talk to the hand. I haven't had a sip of water and haven't passed any urine for the last 12 hours. I'm more dehydrated than the patient.
26 Jan 2009
The Godforsaken Thing...
The "zzzzzzzzz" *vibration* and "rrriiiinnnngggg" can only evoke feelings of dread, anxiety and annoyance.
Each time the bloody pager goes off, someone somewhere wants me to do something for them. Yet i can't just throw my pager aside and ignore it because come one day that will herald my downfall.
So now it lives a detestable yet irreplaceable existence on my pouch which i carry everywhere. And i mean everywhere. Even to the loo when i have the rare leisure of visiting it.
Sis was saying that being paged makes one feel needed and important. Somehow, it feels more like a porter's bell, i'm at their beck and call.
If paeds gives me another page i swear i might just fly off the handle this time.
Each time the bloody pager goes off, someone somewhere wants me to do something for them. Yet i can't just throw my pager aside and ignore it because come one day that will herald my downfall.
So now it lives a detestable yet irreplaceable existence on my pouch which i carry everywhere. And i mean everywhere. Even to the loo when i have the rare leisure of visiting it.
Sis was saying that being paged makes one feel needed and important. Somehow, it feels more like a porter's bell, i'm at their beck and call.
If paeds gives me another page i swear i might just fly off the handle this time.
14 Jan 2009
Oven
Did i complain about the weather just a few posts ago? It must have been my big mouth because now it's even worse! It's bloody 42 degrees out there today. Last night my sis and i pulled the mattress out into the living room because that is where the air con is.
Not looking forward to the 15min walk home in the baking sun.
Don't anyone try to annoy me now because i will seriously explode because i'm just goddamn tired after running around the whole day. And i really mean the whole day. I downed my lunch in 5 mins while i was hiding in outpatients clinic flipping through a patient's notes at 3pm. I didn't even have time to go to the toilet!
Grrr...
Not looking forward to the 15min walk home in the baking sun.
Don't anyone try to annoy me now because i will seriously explode because i'm just goddamn tired after running around the whole day. And i really mean the whole day. I downed my lunch in 5 mins while i was hiding in outpatients clinic flipping through a patient's notes at 3pm. I didn't even have time to go to the toilet!
Grrr...
15 Dec 2008
I flew... erm... fell gracefully...
Thank you Lai! Did i tell you that i mentioned you in my yearbook? You must be so touched. When you come over i'll let you have a look at it.
My grad ceremony was such a farce. I was quite bad tempered before it started because General #3 and #3+ were having this ridiculous tiff and they dragged me out of bed at 10am just to drive them to uni, which is only 5 mins walk away. In addition, they made me rush to uni after my sis' ceremony so that i could take pictures and then i had to endure a full hour of walking around in that outrageously stifling regalia which kept on slipping backwards and came mostly undone by the time i was meant to receive my certs.
So i'm mighty glad it's all over and that i probably don't need to go through that again.
Cairns on the other hand was fun. It turned out to be a major puke fest for me though.
Sky diving was so quick it was over in a flash before i could fully register what on earth was going on. We jumped from 11, 000 feet from a small tiny plane with the door open the whole time. My sis went first and when i saw her flip out of the plane and fall away at an incredulous speed i was thinking "Oh Shit!"
Basically, i was pretty much pushed out of the plane by my tandem. I went "aaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrgggggghhhhhhh..... pause to catch my breath.... aaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrgggggggghhhhhh". It was exhilarating! We were falling at around 160km/hr. Can you imagine that? I've never even driven so quickly in my life!
Strangely enough, the sky diving didn't do me in but the obnoxious bus ride in an overcrowded, poorly ventilated mini van seething with a mixture of body odours did. I got off the bus and minutes later, was looking at the remnants of my breakfast.
Scuba diving was enjoyed the most by General #3+. He was getting all excited about the fishes and was posing for the camera with many OK signs. :D
I discovered with certainty that the sea is my death star. Remember how i puked underwater when i went scuba diving with MOAO in Vanuatu. Guess what? I am now officially crowned the Queen of Underwater Puking. I puked at least 4 times that day.
Armed with the experience on how to handle puking underwater, after my first puke into my regulator, my instructor was keen to bring me up to the surface but i said no, i was fine and soldiered on. However, I did give General #3+ a shock of his life when he saw me kneeling on the ocean floor turning green while spewing my guts out. Hehehe. I've never seen him so acutely concerned about me before.
Despite all that spewing, i managed to touch the most number of fishes among the 4 of us. I think physical contact traumatises the fishies. But the prospect of food keeps bringing them back anyway. Who would've thought that they possessed enough brains to process that?
On the second last day we went white water rafting. I think it was the best because i didn't throw up!!! Woohoo!!! Loved it. Our guide was humorous and experienced. Serendipitously, all of us assigned to raft Eh were from Melbourne. Here is my favourite photo from the trip.
Can you make out what we're signing? Hahaha... Don't you think we look hilarious?
Upon returning to Melbourne, all the other things i had disengaged myself from temporarily came back to haunt me. The word stress is an understatement. The unseasonably cold, wet and miserable days probably reflected my inner mood. I sat for the IELTS test required for my PR application on Saturday. It was unreasonably and ridiculously long for such an easy paper.
Now it's back to my house hunting and dealing with my car and internet troubles. Sigh. At least i don't have to hunt for christmas presents as well.
My holidays are dwindling awaAaAaAayyy.......
27 Nov 2008
Holidays?
Lai... you should've come over this time. I make a pretty decent tour guide, minus the grumpiness when i'm stuck in jams or slow moving traffic.
Things i've been doing since my last post:
1. Work
2. Chauffeuring
3. Going out for dinner
4. Dealing with my Visa, Regalia, Health Check, Leave application, Housing problems...
5. Tour-guiding - melbourne central, carlton gardens, ikea, freddo ice cream, docklands, night market, victoria market
6. Booking Cairns trip
7. Watching odd episodes of chinese drama serial
8. more Chauffeuring...
Things i still need to do:
1. Find a house
2. Sell my furniture and books
3. Pack my belongings
4. Research tours in Cairns
5. Research places to go in Dandenongs
6. Deal with the Prescriber number thingy
7. Attend my graduation and registration
8. Find out about salary packaging stuff
I feel so run down, it's almost as tiring as clinicals. Where's my 1 month of bumming around???
Things i've been doing since my last post:
1. Work
2. Chauffeuring
3. Going out for dinner
4. Dealing with my Visa, Regalia, Health Check, Leave application, Housing problems...
5. Tour-guiding - melbourne central, carlton gardens, ikea, freddo ice cream, docklands, night market, victoria market
6. Booking Cairns trip
7. Watching odd episodes of chinese drama serial
8. more Chauffeuring...
Things i still need to do:
1. Find a house
2. Sell my furniture and books
3. Pack my belongings
4. Research tours in Cairns
5. Research places to go in Dandenongs
6. Deal with the Prescriber number thingy
7. Attend my graduation and registration
8. Find out about salary packaging stuff
I feel so run down, it's almost as tiring as clinicals. Where's my 1 month of bumming around???
9 Aug 2008
Give me a break!
I was watching the Olympic procession yesterday and realised that it was nothing more than a show of population size, political stability and wealth. Naturally, only those countries that possess these can afford to send a sizable contingent to the games.
Afghanistan's representatives numbered a handful. Why? Cause everyone is too busy trying to survive and fight the Americans.
Fairness? There is no such thing as fairness. Numerous drug tests are not going to ensure that. Judges are implicitly biased anyway.
In the end in certain sports where medals depend on the scores given by judges, and the competitors are evenly matched, it becomes a demonstration of the weaker nations trying to curry favour the super powers.
So to the Australians who complain about how easy it is to get access to anabolic steroids in China, either you go there and do something about it, or go train in China and use those drugs. Otherwise they should just shut up. Haven't they learnt that life is unfair and they should quit complaining?
Afghanistan's representatives numbered a handful. Why? Cause everyone is too busy trying to survive and fight the Americans.
Fairness? There is no such thing as fairness. Numerous drug tests are not going to ensure that. Judges are implicitly biased anyway.
In the end in certain sports where medals depend on the scores given by judges, and the competitors are evenly matched, it becomes a demonstration of the weaker nations trying to curry favour the super powers.
So to the Australians who complain about how easy it is to get access to anabolic steroids in China, either you go there and do something about it, or go train in China and use those drugs. Otherwise they should just shut up. Haven't they learnt that life is unfair and they should quit complaining?
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