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It's snowing again....
how beautiful....
I wish time could freeze in this one pristine moment...
where all is still
and all that is heard is the
soft hush of angel wings
whispering amongst the falling blessings from heaven...........
Saturday, February 25, 2006
Currently on my second rotation .... at DOME @ WOODEND HOSPITAL
Woodend hospital is a truly interesting place....
as one irritating coursemate said " It's like disneyland without mickey mouse"
Well from that I suppose you could make an intelligent guess that this hospital deals mainly in geriatrics, neuropsychology and neurology and everything else that goes with care for the elderly.
we've been introduced to the MSQ ( Mental Status Quiz ) I think,
which is a short series of ten questions where u humiliate both yourself and the person your questioning.
I've taken to telling the patients " If it's alright with you, may I ask you some ROUTINE questions"
and then I start asking them whether they know where they are, when the were born, and the most interesting questions of all....'' Who's the previous prime minister? (JOhn Major) and Who's the current prime minister?"
So far, the above two celebrities have been referred to as the Good Guy and the Bad Guy...respectively. No commento.
And yes, one little old lady said at the end of my clerking, " I knew what u were doing in the beginning my dear, you were asking me about my political views weren't u? But I nae (didn't) fell fer it" (Dun you just love the scottish tongue?)
watashiwa said .... " Aye mam, you got me there"
Yup, basically it's to see whether their orientated and whether their all there, and to see whether what we've just spent the past hour collecting is a big fat concoction of dementia, alzheimers or psychosis. Oh joy.,,
but it really is very interesting, these past two weeks I've heard the most intriguing and fascinating cases such as woman who spent 3 days in hospital talking to someone by her bed who wasn't really there and she suddenly cleared up on day 4 and little invisible person disappeared, man who slammed his head into a low wall on a sleding accident and believes he is 47 though he is really 53, really nice old lady who went on about her nervous coughs when her actual presenting complaint was pseudogout of the knee ( I loved this little old lady, she really was the sweetest)..... so on so forth.
I've learnt quite alot and through countless questions beginning with the slightly mocking " So Dr. Tan ( me frantically glances and badge, very sure that i had skewed it out of sight of tutor) tell me what other investigations would u be doing for this old gentleman with painless jaundice?" ( for all the med students out there, painless, post hepatic jaundice...differential diagnosis is head of pancreas cancer, impinging on common bile duct. prognosis, around 6 mths even with chemo and radiotherapy)
this whole Dr. business is disarming. It sends all of us nitwits into a freaking state of confusion. It puts added pressure. Please call us by our first names. It relieves some of the weight of responsibility. But of course there will be some shit heads who smile and bask at this whole Dr. business and at the same time give the most ridiculous, stupid, imbecilic answers.
For ur viewing pleasure .... 50yr old man, presents with jaundice and swollen legs
Tutor: " So Dr. M.., what is the most clinically worrying sign this gentleman is presenting with?"
"Dr. M.." ( smiling a confident smile) " His swollen legs."
yes yes, some may argue, swollen legs, right congestice heart failure and all that but! HE's FREAKING JAUnDICed? Does that not ring alarm bells of liver probs, or possible splenic hyperactivity? They are more worrying acute problems if u ask me.
yup...so , don't have high expectations of this graduating batch.
but then again, I have to once again applaud and extend gratitude to our most patient co-stars. The patients.
Thank u for putting up with a whole group of medics stabbing u in the carotids to get a pulse to figure out which is the first and second heart sound as they " molest" u trying to feel ur apex beat, but of course it's not in ur stomach or epigastric region, but that's where we fools will constantly prod u.
Thank you for not beating the living daylights out of us whilst we continuously ask u the same stupid question over and over again.
and Thank you Mrs S, for your words of teachings and ur kind words of acceptance and gratitude for this failing profession. yes, the medical profession has evolved into a more caring and concerned one. It's really sad for Mrs S, cause her MSC ( a more advanced mental test) has put her in high likelihood of alzheimers. FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT!!! Do not lose yourself!!!!
I'll always remember wat u told me when we shook hands at the end of our wee chat
Mrs S " You've got lovely cold hands."
me... " erm......."
Mrs S " Do you have a warm heart?"
me... " Well, I do hope i have a warm heart" ( me more concerned with physioogical implications)
Mrs S " I'm sure u do. as they say " Warm hands cold heart. Cold hands warm heart" "
me... " thank you so much."
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
You Are an Old Soul 
You hate injustice, and you're very protective of family and friendsA bit demanding, you expect proper behavior from others.Extremely independent you don't mind living or being alone.But when you find love, you tend to want marriage right away.
Souls you are most compatible with: Warrior Soul and Visionary SoulWhat Kind of Soul Are You?You Were a Swan 
You are a spiritual soul who sees into the future.
You are also good at interpreting dreams - those of yourself and others.Your Five Factor Personality Profile 
Extroversion:
You have low extroversion.
You are quiet and reserved in most social situations.
A low key, laid back lifestyle is important to you.
You tend to bond slowly, over time, with one or two people.
Conscientiousness:
You have high conscientiousness.
Intelligent and reliable, you tend to succeed in life.
Most things in your life are organized and planned well.
But you borderline on being a total perfectionist.
Agreeableness:
You have low agreeableness.
Your self interest comes first, and others come later, if at all.
In general, you feel that people are not to be trusted.
And you're skeptical that anyone else really feels differently.
Neuroticism:
You have medium neuroticism.
You're generally cool and collected, but sometimes you do panic.
Little worries or problems can consume you, draining your energy.
Your life is pretty smooth, but there's a few emotional bumps you'd like to get rid of.
Openness to experience:
Your openness to new experiences is high.
In life, you tend to be an early adopter of all new things and ideas.
You'll try almost anything interesting, and you're constantly pushing your own limits.
A great connoisseir of art and beauty, you can find the positive side of almost anything.You Are The Empress 
You represent the ideal female figure: beauty and nurturing.
You bring security and harmony to many.
At times, you are also a very sensual person.
You are characterized by love, pleasure, and desire.
Your fortune:
You need to take some time to think about the role of commitment in your life.
It's possible you need to commit more to others, or deal with how others have treated you.
It is very important for you to support your friends and family right now, difficult as it may be.
You may need to look at your relationship with your mother, or your relationships as a mother.Your Hidden Talent 
Your natural talent is interpersonal relations and dealing with people.
You communicate well and are able to bring disparate groups together.
Your calming presence helps everything go more smoothly.
People crave your praise and complements.You Have a Choleric Temperament 
You are a person of great enthusiasm - easily excited by many things.
Unsatisfied by the ordinary, you are reaching for an epic, extraordinary life.
You want the best. The best life. The best love. The best reputation.
You posses a sharp and keen intellect. Your mind is your primary weapon.
Strong willed, nothing can keep you down. Your energy can break down any wall.
You're an instantly passionate person - and this passion gives you an intoxicating power over others.
At your worst, you are a narcissist. Full of yourself and even proud of your faults.
Stubborn and opinionated, you know what you think is right. End of discussion.
A bit of a misanthrope, you often see others as weak, ignorant, and inferior.
Thursday, February 09, 2006
It is finally OVER!!!
Hooray! two months of fussing, worrying, stress ended today at half past 11 in the morning!
LIFE BEGINS AGAIN!!!!
yup, just an update...
Tuesday's paper, on the 7th of Feb,
The MEQ (Modified ESsay Question) part was ok, it was doable thanks to the numerous, CPC and problem solving sessions that we had. ( CPC, is when we go through post mortem cases, complete with post mortem video....yummy. )
It was also doable thanks to the tips dropped by mcclay and devereux....cheers man! or should i say men )
after our lunch break of 2 hours, we went back for the 2nd part of the paper which was the EMQ bit ( extended multiple choice questions apparently) yeah....and it was like.....
NANI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
yeah...everyone walked out of it with a, WTF look, even the smartest, nerdiest few.
yeah, the run down is that they gave questions, on topics and subjects that were NOT even covered in lectures, or from lectures that were missed and NOT RESCHEDULED.
So in short, it was a failed exam paper, because it failed to test us on the stuff that we were actually taught and was more like a test of our guessing skills....
oh well....at least everyone felt the same way, so hopefully the curve ( yes they do draw curves this year) will help me pass.
Funny thing that happened : I was so anxious and rushing here and there in the morning, that I put my polo T on front to back, only realised this when i was sitting in the hall and was about to take off my sweater, needless to say, it stayed on for the rest of the 1st paper.
Yup, the second paper on the 9th, Thurs
it was good, the questions were just right....and the only bad thing about it was that EVERYOne felt it was good.....
This is bad, because that means that if u get ONE MISTAKE, u fall a grade...
oh shit...I know I have a couple of mistakes already....
Anyways.....I'm going to watch ER...(hopefully)
HELLO WORLD!
ET-SAMA IS BACK!!!!!
Saturday, February 04, 2006
Esther, your true color is Black!
Your color is black. The color of night. Serene and mysterious, black conjures up images of elegant evening gowns, dashing tuxedos, and gleaming limousines. Traditionally a symbol of success, black also represents power and an uncompromising demand for perfection. Not surprisingly, you tend to set challenging goals for yourself and do whatever it takes to achieve them — your strength of character is second to none. This unfaltering determination, along with your natural elegance, impresses people. But keep in mind that your personality might be intimidating to some. Try to temper your demanding side with a little softness — trust us, it won't kill you. Overall, though, black is the color of professionalism and achievement, which means it's clearly the color for you.
Friday, February 03, 2006
Hey, it's either this or management of COPD! Japanese Proverbs...................
"Knowledge without wisdom is a load of books on the back an ass"
“Life without endeavor is like entering a jewel-mine and coming out with empty hands”
“What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal.” - Albert Pine
“The purpose of learning is growth, and our minds, unlike our bodies, can continue growing as long as we live.” - Mortimer Adler
and of course, how can we forget....the best philosopher of all eternity....“Life is thickly sown with thorns, and I know no other remedy than to pass quickly through them. The longer we dwell on our misfortunes, the greater is their power to harm us.” ~Voltaire~ Touche my man, touche ....
Wednesday, February 01, 2006
In line with ''the things that we shouldn't really be doing when we have an exam 6 days away...''
Here's
" The ULTIMATE Pad Thai"
By: Chef extraordinare ET-sama
yup...tonight we have succulent pad thai noodles from 'instant pad thai' from Matthew's the local favourite chinese food shop.
Prepare, the spices and oil which comes in neat little packets with precise proportions in the aforesaid delicacy.
Next start the water boiling, and add ur greens!
Now, for a little extra something, let's do our own side dishes!
why dun we have stirfried diced turkey with spring onions and a dash of soy for a refreshing twist throw in a couple of cherry tomatoes.
Next the main dish, salmon marinated in lemon and a dash of dark sauce with a whole lot of other SECRET ingredients into this mesmerising, tangy flavoured marinade.
Leaved, diced or sliced salmon to soak in this tasty bath for about an hour...
then let the sizzle and dazzle begin....
Yummy.....
such nutrition is ABSOLUTELY necessary for the starving mind....
especially when it's STARVING FROM FACTS and FIGURES!
Bon Apetit~!