Friday Night
I'm unbelievably bushed. Emergency medicine posting's not as bad as that horrible door-to-door surveying project. But I know that this time round throwing in the towel is not an option. So there. Sometimes the easiest way to soldier on is to understand that one has no alternatives.
It doesn't help that I'm as physically exhausted as I am mentally exhausted. My whole body's aching, on my feet, getting around, rushing one thing or another continuously. Aching, as in, muscle aches all over. I kid you not.
Afterall, thursday afternoon was spent rushing from place to place, getting things done in town.
Evening, and overnight attachment to the ambulance team in Bishan Fire Station. Was pretty uncertain what would happen. Since it's a one-student-per-station-per-shift thing, I was all alone in the place with strangers.
Really glad that the ambulance team were really friendly and all. Didn't learn much, but boy did I experience alot. The 4 trips the team made the night were not urgent cases, but it was an eye-opener to see how people react to their illnesses and stuff. The patients and families are strangely calm given the situation they're in.
Total count: 1 breathless old lady, 1 man who had been vomitting blood and became weak and pale, 1 man who had a very bad tummyache and 1 lady with a recurrent pain in her womb.
Managed to catch a few - but not many - winks there.
Day broke, and my shift ended.
Reached home, feeling horribly dazed. Is it today already? It feels like yesterday.
Slept for a while.
1pm and out I rush for school again. Yikes, gonna be late. Good thing the bus driver drove like a madman. I swear he was driving the bus at 70+kmh at the straight stretches. He was being even more aggressive on the roads than the ambulance driver yesterday.
Rushed off the bus, dashed across the road without waiting for the traffic lights, dodged a couple of cars and found my way to the lecture room with 5 minutes to spare. Phew.
Back home after the lecture. Dazed.
Plonked myself in front of the computer. Dazed.
Dinner. Dazed.
Blogging now. Dazed.
Is it Friday 8pm already? Am making an effort to just accept that there's nothing I can do with my horrible schedule, so I shouldn't even think of wallowing in self pity.
3 comments:
I remember my ambulance posting. On one of the calls, it was a lady who had delivered the first of her twins at home.
Got to the home, mother sitting on floor with a pool of blood, 1st baby out already. Cut cord.
In the ambulance on the way to KKH (the old KKH), 2nd baby started to come out. Breech presentation! Luckily she was a multip, so delivered her second baby for her in the ambulance.
When we got to KKH, paramedic and I carried the two babies and passed them into the hands of the neonatal department doctors while mother was wheeled to the A&E area.
After all was settled then I realised that everybody was staring at me and then I realised that the white shirt I was wearing was stained with blood!
Drama mama. At that time ER just started airing in Singapore and was a damn popular show also.
Was you sound like you gonna have trouble with calls during housemanship in future.
Take care man!
@ dr oz: Their reaction sounds dramatic.. perhaps they were thinking that you were a murderer or something... Get a fake knife, and I think the hospital will clear out quite fast :-)
yah
thanks for rubbing it in!
well excuse me while i go practice on my char kway teow skills
at least when you put hum when the customer says mai hum, you don't get malpractice suits slapped against you and angry forum letters berating you
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