Yoohoo...
Saturday, November 20, 2004
Friday, November 19, 2004
Have I mentioned that surgeons are busy people? Ah, I have. Well, they are extremely busy people.
Today, we sort of entertained ourselves and wandered around the hospital on our own because virtually all the surgeons do not wish to be tagged around. Because they were too busy.
Went into the OT again. Saw the brain again and some blood vessels. It was an aneurysm operation.
We couldn't even touch the surgeons' gowns... or brush against them. If we did, they'd go, "Did you touch me? Did you? Did you? Are you sure you didn't?" Then, looking annoyed, they'd go change into another gown just to be sure. And we stood for three hours in the OT, just like yesterday. Feet were aching like MAD. I employed the flamingo method of standing on one leg at a time. Helped a little bit. And the masks smelled icky. Smelled like airplane smell - magnified.
We wandered around... using the phrase "We're students from RJC on attachment with Dr So-and-so" to get virtually anywhere. The ICU wards and the OT changing rooms. But even so, we hated having to press the intercom button each time, and tried chasing after open doors. You see, most doors require special access staff cards, which we don't possess. So we'd hang around a door... and dart after this nurse or that doctor. Quite amusing. Sometimes, walking down a corridor, we'd see a nurse walk through a door, then we'd all break into an almighty sprint before the door slams shut. And then burst into laughter thereafter.
After lunch, we decided to go back to the OT again as there was nothing else to do and despite the prospect of aching feet again. We were outside the changing rooms... waiting for the doors to open. And finally, the women's room did. So me and Estella (from So3K. A nice girl, easy to talk to.) went in. Then we sneaked out the back door, whispering furiously as we did so, and into the men's changing room. I held open the door for Estella, who went to the front door and opened it for Derrick and Jensen who were still hanging around the corridor. They were quite shocked to see us. Thank god there were no men inside. I was sooooo scared but excited. It was like an insane adventure. Then the both of us girls returned to the women's changing room, giggling hysterically as we did so.
Then we took photos in our OT gowns. So funny! Hope they send it over to me soon.
Today, we sort of entertained ourselves and wandered around the hospital on our own because virtually all the surgeons do not wish to be tagged around. Because they were too busy.
Went into the OT again. Saw the brain again and some blood vessels. It was an aneurysm operation.
We couldn't even touch the surgeons' gowns... or brush against them. If we did, they'd go, "Did you touch me? Did you? Did you? Are you sure you didn't?" Then, looking annoyed, they'd go change into another gown just to be sure. And we stood for three hours in the OT, just like yesterday. Feet were aching like MAD. I employed the flamingo method of standing on one leg at a time. Helped a little bit. And the masks smelled icky. Smelled like airplane smell - magnified.
We wandered around... using the phrase "We're students from RJC on attachment with Dr So-and-so" to get virtually anywhere. The ICU wards and the OT changing rooms. But even so, we hated having to press the intercom button each time, and tried chasing after open doors. You see, most doors require special access staff cards, which we don't possess. So we'd hang around a door... and dart after this nurse or that doctor. Quite amusing. Sometimes, walking down a corridor, we'd see a nurse walk through a door, then we'd all break into an almighty sprint before the door slams shut. And then burst into laughter thereafter.
After lunch, we decided to go back to the OT again as there was nothing else to do and despite the prospect of aching feet again. We were outside the changing rooms... waiting for the doors to open. And finally, the women's room did. So me and Estella (from So3K. A nice girl, easy to talk to.) went in. Then we sneaked out the back door, whispering furiously as we did so, and into the men's changing room. I held open the door for Estella, who went to the front door and opened it for Derrick and Jensen who were still hanging around the corridor. They were quite shocked to see us. Thank god there were no men inside. I was sooooo scared but excited. It was like an insane adventure. Then the both of us girls returned to the women's changing room, giggling hysterically as we did so.
Then we took photos in our OT gowns. So funny! Hope they send it over to me soon.
Thursday, November 18, 2004
Started on neurosurgery job attachment today.
Surgeons are such busy people. They walk around very fast, surveying their patients. Seem like very decisive and confident people too.
Went into the operating theatre (abbv: OT) today. Was quite amusing at first because we had no idea of the correct procedure. We simply wore the blue robes over our uniform. And when we appeared outside the OT, the nurses were horrified at our attire. "Are those your own shoes?" And we went, "Ya..." Apparently, we needed to take of all our normal clothes and shoes. So we had to go back all the way to the changing room and adorn the attire correctly.
In the theatre, there was this 50 stg old man, lying front down on the table. Only the back of his head was visible. It had already been cut open when we came. The sight wasn't stomach-turning... but it was eewy. The cut was about the length of my palm and half as deep. They kept sucking up blood (the poor guy was bleeding so much), then they drilled part of the skull, so they could get to the brain. Then I saw the brain. It was white with blood all over it. Much like tofu in red... liquid. And it was throbbing... with the beat of the heart. Really fascinating. Then the surgeon kept probing and scraping the brain tissue, with the aid of a microscope. There was a television screen for us to watch. And we saw the tumours. Though I really wondered how he could tell for sure they were tumours and not more brain tissue. We were standing there for approximately 2 and a half hours, being quiet and watching. We couldn't see much most of the time. Or didn't understand. Feet were aching! And, boy, was it cold. The robes were loose... and the aircon was on full blast. Freezing.
Later on, went to the clinic to observe consultation with patients. Interesting ailments...
Realise that I shall have to learn a number of languages in order to be an effective doctor since most of the patients don't speak english or malay.
Languages I have/wish to learn:
1. Mandarin
2. Hokkien
3. Cantonese
4. Hindi
5. Tamil
6. French
7. Spanish
8. Arabic
Later, Dr James Tan said that, other than the fact that patients can sue you for post-surgical problems, taking up medicine is fantastic.
How encouraging.
Surgeons are such busy people. They walk around very fast, surveying their patients. Seem like very decisive and confident people too.
Went into the operating theatre (abbv: OT) today. Was quite amusing at first because we had no idea of the correct procedure. We simply wore the blue robes over our uniform. And when we appeared outside the OT, the nurses were horrified at our attire. "Are those your own shoes?" And we went, "Ya..." Apparently, we needed to take of all our normal clothes and shoes. So we had to go back all the way to the changing room and adorn the attire correctly.
In the theatre, there was this 50 stg old man, lying front down on the table. Only the back of his head was visible. It had already been cut open when we came. The sight wasn't stomach-turning... but it was eewy. The cut was about the length of my palm and half as deep. They kept sucking up blood (the poor guy was bleeding so much), then they drilled part of the skull, so they could get to the brain. Then I saw the brain. It was white with blood all over it. Much like tofu in red... liquid. And it was throbbing... with the beat of the heart. Really fascinating. Then the surgeon kept probing and scraping the brain tissue, with the aid of a microscope. There was a television screen for us to watch. And we saw the tumours. Though I really wondered how he could tell for sure they were tumours and not more brain tissue. We were standing there for approximately 2 and a half hours, being quiet and watching. We couldn't see much most of the time. Or didn't understand. Feet were aching! And, boy, was it cold. The robes were loose... and the aircon was on full blast. Freezing.
Later on, went to the clinic to observe consultation with patients. Interesting ailments...
Realise that I shall have to learn a number of languages in order to be an effective doctor since most of the patients don't speak english or malay.
Languages I have/wish to learn:
1. Mandarin
2. Hokkien
3. Cantonese
4. Hindi
5. Tamil
6. French
7. Spanish
8. Arabic
Later, Dr James Tan said that, other than the fact that patients can sue you for post-surgical problems, taking up medicine is fantastic.
How encouraging.
Wednesday, November 17, 2004
For the past two days, I have been attached to two neurologists (with 6 other people) at Tan Tock Seng Hospital. So far, it has been extremely enlightening. And tiring as well.
The attributes that a doctor should have (According to Dr Lee):
Passion
Empathy
Humility
Patience
Clarity of thought (A bit worried about this, seeing as how muddled up I can get about things.)
I've been thinking and thinking... and thinking. About what I want to do with my life. Is being a doctor it? At certain points of time, I am so sure. But then... certain things will discourage me. The competition for placing in med school. (200 out of 1300 or so applicants succeed). The seemingly bloody difficult exams. The years of studying. (appx 15 years to be a specialist). The cutting up of live bodies - do I have the guts? Am I decisive enough to be a doctor? Can I handle the pressure of being responsible for someone's life?
When I do feel sure, it's because when I'm at the hospital, I seem to think I can work in that sort of environment. The whole team of nurses and all of the staff (therapist, radiographer etc)... their seamless communication and cooperation, with the sole purpose of serving patients and saving lives, inspire me. I also think the 'detective work' of diagnosing patients' diseases very exciting and intellectually challenging. And what is better than knowing that your work helps other people? In this case, it prolongs their lives. That motivates me. (Apparently, the advice for choosing the right career is finding that thing that motivates you. So you can enjoy your job and make it your hobby.) And imagining myself when I'm 40 saving people's lives makes me excited. My life would have meaning.
And when I was on the way home on the train yesterday, a million thoughts about my future, my life and my career, rushing through my head, I saw a rainbow. The second time in three days. That's quite something. And it seemed like a sign. Or a good omen. I just grinned like mad. No one else seemed bothered about the rainbow. I didn't think anyone noticed. Except for this lady who just stared at it with a stony face. Honestly! It's a rainbow! How often do you see rainbows in Singapore? At least think pleasant thoughts! It gave me hope for the future somehow... seeing that rainbow. (:
The attributes that a doctor should have (According to Dr Lee):
Passion
Empathy
Humility
Patience
Clarity of thought (A bit worried about this, seeing as how muddled up I can get about things.)
I've been thinking and thinking... and thinking. About what I want to do with my life. Is being a doctor it? At certain points of time, I am so sure. But then... certain things will discourage me. The competition for placing in med school. (200 out of 1300 or so applicants succeed). The seemingly bloody difficult exams. The years of studying. (appx 15 years to be a specialist). The cutting up of live bodies - do I have the guts? Am I decisive enough to be a doctor? Can I handle the pressure of being responsible for someone's life?
When I do feel sure, it's because when I'm at the hospital, I seem to think I can work in that sort of environment. The whole team of nurses and all of the staff (therapist, radiographer etc)... their seamless communication and cooperation, with the sole purpose of serving patients and saving lives, inspire me. I also think the 'detective work' of diagnosing patients' diseases very exciting and intellectually challenging. And what is better than knowing that your work helps other people? In this case, it prolongs their lives. That motivates me. (Apparently, the advice for choosing the right career is finding that thing that motivates you. So you can enjoy your job and make it your hobby.) And imagining myself when I'm 40 saving people's lives makes me excited. My life would have meaning.
And when I was on the way home on the train yesterday, a million thoughts about my future, my life and my career, rushing through my head, I saw a rainbow. The second time in three days. That's quite something. And it seemed like a sign. Or a good omen. I just grinned like mad. No one else seemed bothered about the rainbow. I didn't think anyone noticed. Except for this lady who just stared at it with a stony face. Honestly! It's a rainbow! How often do you see rainbows in Singapore? At least think pleasant thoughts! It gave me hope for the future somehow... seeing that rainbow. (:
Sunday, November 14, 2004
First of Syawal today.
Saw a rainbow while sembahyang hari raya at masjid ghufran. Very pretty. I can't remember the last time I saw a rainbow. Anyway, the mosque was overflowing with people... as usual. There never is enough space. And every year, people end up praying on the grass. But love the feeling of... togetherness. And seeing all the different people come from everwhere. Besides the Malays, Bangladesh workers, Chinese converts, 3 ang mohs and one extremely adorable brown haired boy. And all the colourful clothes.
Wore a blue baju kurung with glitter. And ended up leaving a trail of glitter everywhere I go. Glitter got on other people as well.
Bumped into Fairuz at Granny's place. Quite surprised to see him.
There were so many people at granny's house throughout the day there was no space. really. My sis and me hung around outside for half an hour at one point, because we couldn't even go in without intruding into somebody's comfort zone.
But fun all the same. :)
Saw a rainbow while sembahyang hari raya at masjid ghufran. Very pretty. I can't remember the last time I saw a rainbow. Anyway, the mosque was overflowing with people... as usual. There never is enough space. And every year, people end up praying on the grass. But love the feeling of... togetherness. And seeing all the different people come from everwhere. Besides the Malays, Bangladesh workers, Chinese converts, 3 ang mohs and one extremely adorable brown haired boy. And all the colourful clothes.
Wore a blue baju kurung with glitter. And ended up leaving a trail of glitter everywhere I go. Glitter got on other people as well.
Bumped into Fairuz at Granny's place. Quite surprised to see him.
There were so many people at granny's house throughout the day there was no space. really. My sis and me hung around outside for half an hour at one point, because we couldn't even go in without intruding into somebody's comfort zone.
But fun all the same. :)
Sunday, November 07, 2004
Dreamt about Jude Law. Again. This time, my whole family went to his house for a visit and he cooked maggi mee. There's more to it actually, but some parts are hazy so I shall not bother describing... This is getting really mad. If I could slap my obsessions out of me, I would. The weird thing is... I dont exactly think about him everytime. I'm not that obsessed. He's just constantly on my desktop background and besides that, I just have to always correct my mum, who, except for the first time, deliberately mispronounces it as Jud-y Law. I dont see why he keeps manifesting in my subconscious.
Maybe Jiawen can give a psychological explanation to this.
Maybe Jiawen can give a psychological explanation to this.
Friday, November 05, 2004
Thursday, November 04, 2004
Feeling extremely annoyed with Pinnacle video editing software. It's not letting me open my projects properly. Argh. Annoying. Annoying!!! I better not lose all my stuff... And limewire is pissing me off too. Can't anything go right...
Still rereading PiF. Was reading on the way to school yesterday, and was refraining from making weird faces in the train. PiF is just so painful to read. I have no idea why I love it... It really makes my heart ache, like someone's stomping all over my heart in hobnail boots. And I haven't even gotten near the end yet. I have to keep reminding myself that these characters aren't real.
Had a dream the other night which involved pink hyenas with deadly bites, and Jude Law. Yes, Jude Law! I was trying to escape from them pink hyenas and was hiding in my room with sister. The rest of my family had been bitten. My home had been taken over by some evil foreign authority. And Jude Law came to help us. And, this is unbelievable, at one point, I called him Francis! Wth. I really should get a grip. Then we had to sneak out of my room quietly (by now, my sister seems to have vanished), and Jude Law went rummaging around in my mother's sewing drawer for some thread. Then he took out a tiny silver bow and arrow (from god knows where) and with the thread, shot the piece of string out the window towards the next nearest building. When the string was secure, he used it to jump out the window. Don't ask how a piece of flimsy thread can hold the weight of a full grown man. In the next scene, I found myself under my block of flats, with Jude Law there as well, (we must have escaped from my house) and a whole lot of people running and screaming. I don't know why. He then threw something small and metallic on the ground. I remember watching it roll... and the people running around stopping and staring at it. I had thought at first that it was a bomb, but then it slowly emitted a cloud of yellow gas. Then I got it (even though it doesn't make sense now). The gas was supposed to prevent us from being seen by the 'authority' as we escaped. The yellow gas was getting thicker, and he was still standing there. So I looked at him and told him, "Go! Go!" And he looked at me for a while and then left. He was going to come back and save all of us. Then I woke up.
And when I recalled it as I was bathing, I laughed myself silly.
The other dream before this which involved an actor was Hayden Christensen. That was really long ago... And all he did was stand in a lift with me and my cousins, smiling and grinning. Heh.
Still rereading PiF. Was reading on the way to school yesterday, and was refraining from making weird faces in the train. PiF is just so painful to read. I have no idea why I love it... It really makes my heart ache, like someone's stomping all over my heart in hobnail boots. And I haven't even gotten near the end yet. I have to keep reminding myself that these characters aren't real.
Had a dream the other night which involved pink hyenas with deadly bites, and Jude Law. Yes, Jude Law! I was trying to escape from them pink hyenas and was hiding in my room with sister. The rest of my family had been bitten. My home had been taken over by some evil foreign authority. And Jude Law came to help us. And, this is unbelievable, at one point, I called him Francis! Wth. I really should get a grip. Then we had to sneak out of my room quietly (by now, my sister seems to have vanished), and Jude Law went rummaging around in my mother's sewing drawer for some thread. Then he took out a tiny silver bow and arrow (from god knows where) and with the thread, shot the piece of string out the window towards the next nearest building. When the string was secure, he used it to jump out the window. Don't ask how a piece of flimsy thread can hold the weight of a full grown man. In the next scene, I found myself under my block of flats, with Jude Law there as well, (we must have escaped from my house) and a whole lot of people running and screaming. I don't know why. He then threw something small and metallic on the ground. I remember watching it roll... and the people running around stopping and staring at it. I had thought at first that it was a bomb, but then it slowly emitted a cloud of yellow gas. Then I got it (even though it doesn't make sense now). The gas was supposed to prevent us from being seen by the 'authority' as we escaped. The yellow gas was getting thicker, and he was still standing there. So I looked at him and told him, "Go! Go!" And he looked at me for a while and then left. He was going to come back and save all of us. Then I woke up.
And when I recalled it as I was bathing, I laughed myself silly.
The other dream before this which involved an actor was Hayden Christensen. That was really long ago... And all he did was stand in a lift with me and my cousins, smiling and grinning. Heh.
Monday, November 01, 2004
PW is over! Jubilation. Sort of screwed up presentation. Accidentally read the wrong slide at one point due to extreme nervousness, but what the heck. I could actually answer the question passably okay. And then it was over. Great feeling.
Watched hindi movie: Kal Ho Naa Ho. Loved it! I always have periods of time where I go crazy over a certain hindi movie. There was Kuch Kuch, Mohabbatein, K3G and now... Kal Ho Naa Ho. I love all the songs! And the story is just so sweeet. And now, sis and me absolutely adore Saif Ali Khan (from now on known as SAF). He's not that good looking per se, but his character in the movie, Rohit, was simply endearing. And me and sis also pity him more than we pity Shah Rukh. [Can't get the songs out of my head!]
Downloaded Limewire onto laptop. Finally. But everything seems so slow. Hm.
Watched hindi movie: Kal Ho Naa Ho. Loved it! I always have periods of time where I go crazy over a certain hindi movie. There was Kuch Kuch, Mohabbatein, K3G and now... Kal Ho Naa Ho. I love all the songs! And the story is just so sweeet. And now, sis and me absolutely adore Saif Ali Khan (from now on known as SAF). He's not that good looking per se, but his character in the movie, Rohit, was simply endearing. And me and sis also pity him more than we pity Shah Rukh. [Can't get the songs out of my head!]
Downloaded Limewire onto laptop. Finally. But everything seems so slow. Hm.