Soul-searching

Have you ever found yourself too consumed by the moment that you no longer feel like you're part of this world? It was absolutely silent and the only sound I could hear was my own breathing.

I was utterly mesmerised by the perfect loneliness which I deemed to be an effective remedy for any wounded spirit. For just about 15 hours ago, I had to deal with 3 ill-patients in the Resus room, with one of them tried to hit me in the face with his literally bloody hand while cursing my ancestors with every breath that he could mustered.

None of the remarks was taken 'cos he was sick and probably would be the nicest 90 kg 15 year old around if he wasn't poisoned by his own rising acidosis in his bloodstream, a typical picture for a diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) in Type 1 diabetes.

Having said that, still my mind was frantically searching for other perfect ways to spend one's Friday night.

Anyhow, let those be bygones and all I wanted to do right now there and then was to indulge myself in the quietness of the moment while feeling for my radial pulse so to be certain that I'm still a regular cast in this troubled world.

1, 2.... 4!!

2am somewhere in Klang Valley...

St John: ER, coming over.

ER: This is ER, go ahead St John.

SJ: We have a 22 year-old male with SOB, over.

ER: What's your ETA? over

SJ: ETA 10mins, do you copy?

ER: Roger that, we'll be ready for you, over and out.

By the time the ambulance pulled over at the main door, the whole resus crew had already scrambled to the trauma room with the drugs syringed up, locked and loaded.

A senior emergency physician who acts as the team leader will be doing the bird-eye view on the whole resuscitation procedure and coordinate the team members to act as a unit. The rest of the team will be busy securing the airway, providing ventilation and inserting IV lines.

Phew! With that huge sudden amount of adrenaline rush who needs coffee anyway.

But what interest me though is this is the only hospital in Malaysia that address its Accident & Emergency unit as ER.

Which make me feel like I'm working in Chicago ho ho ho!

"Hey where's the GSW victim?!!"

**

SOB = shortness of breath

GSW = gun shot wound

Hidup bebas atau...

YEHAA!

Dunno what to put here anymore to be honest. Lately I've been running amok around the wards with empty thought and loaded balls. Hey it could be vice versa and that would be briliant.

Btw it took me the whole weekend to move my stuff into the new apartment. Dang! I love the place, the smell of fresh paint, the fantastic view I laid my eyes on moments before I kiss the night goodbye -- Oh the whole enchilada!

At least this new place could rejuvenate my dying moral and would be something I look forward to at the end of any given post-on call day.

Psstt! I heard a story, a doctor got a heart attack and complicated by a rhythm abnormality (arrhythmia). However, seconds before his impending collapse, he reverted the arrhythmia himself by coughed-up forcefully.

Thought that may come in handy - when you are all alone and miles away from SJMC :)

Oh btw.... MAMPUH KERAHH is bloody awesome. Willis maybe bald but he still got some nasty moves left in him.... more sequel puhlessss!

What was that again?

It had been quite busy days and weeks for yours truly. The amount of cases need to be seen just keep climbing up by the days. Most often than not, I find myself lost somewhere between the huge amount of patients and this ever-busy hospital. Huh! The situation can be even more baffling than comprehending who's who in LOST season 3.

Not to mention, the need to open up books and read around cases is a must if one need to survive in a post-grad world.

Everyone else appears to keep their composure quite allright. For some reasons that I'm yet to found out, the other docs seem to be able to breeze through their daily routine without any problems. They seem so cool and have it all suss out well within their cerebral capacity.

Am i missing something?

Is this whole thing happening because I skipped that late afternoon lecture given by that boring lecturer 6 years ago?

Sometimes I wonder if that lecture was entitled "How to look damn cool like Travolta even when you know diddly-squat about this patient in front of you"