daily delights

Sigh..tmr will be the start of the last week of SIP..feeling kinda sad liaoz..yeah i know i'm a mad girl, but perhaps my experience in ttsh has just been really nice and it's just sad to see it all end.

Today was the last day for my MO..after which she changes posting. I really don't expect praises or outright appreciation for my work, but i was very touched when she came up to me and said thanks and that i should consider internal medicine. That simple comment really made my day (even if my interests may lie elsewhere)..Esp since she's someone i admire too!

Other little delights..(yes, life is great if you tell yourself it is)..

-Ice kachang by the pool..even better after a yummy lunch and post call (don't you feel soo dehydrated during calls? hardly have time to drink water/pee) Thanks dear for the treat! i think tanglin club has the best & most refreshing ice kachang around!

-Wonderful treats by our lovely generous registrar dr ranjana! SHe's the best! Always treating us to morning drinks at kopitiam/starbucks..and a pricey delicious lunch at House of Hunan in Novena Square.. The food was great..from the chilled soya chicken to the steamed soon hock with diced pickled chilli. We returned to the wards full but happy!

-Great shows like 'Little Miss Sunshine'. Chock full of laughs, kick-ass action, touching scenes which made me sniffle & tear (to the extent i wish i wore waterproof eye makeup) It's one of those films which make you want to stand up for the oddballs and say "F*** YOU' to the common/popular crowd. One of my fav characters is the eccentric brother Dwayne..

'Do what you love. Fuck everything else.' --Dwayne

-A little feast at Crystal Jade, Paragon with parents and Angela..

medicine is my life

I have soo much to say..but this is the gist of the pressured thoughts in my mind..

It's a saturday night..i'm post call..but still got to go back to the wards tomorrow (sunday). Yep i've been going to the hosp every day of the week for my SIP (student internship program)..and it's not like the reg/consultant was mean enough to demand a 7-day-a-week attendance..I really am doing it out of choice. Doesn't matter if it means waking up early and getting home late everday, or that lunches come only around 2plus..

Of course a 23 yr old may wonder sometimes if this is really the life he/she wants: On a fri night when most other young adults are out socializing/schmoozing/chilling, you're either running around setting plugs for old ladies with impossible veins who keep pulling their plugs out, doing ECGs with machines that don't work very well/run out of sticky pads, clerking new admissions, or just trying to sleep in a cold bare call room.

But at the end of the day..i still choose to return to the wards time after time. Cos i feel so alive and fulfilled when i step into the wards. I know we're supposed to have big ambitions and dreams of saving people/ finding a miracle treatment/cure/procedure. But for now, it's really the little things in life which i live for, and which keep my passion for medicine burning.

The NUH/SGH doctors on the SIP committee came the other day to conduct a SIP feedback session for the 4 students on call that night..in my opinion, i would give my SIP experience so far a 10 out of 10. Or maybe i just have low expectations..But all the myths and fears i had about SIP have been dispelled. Maybe it's just that TTSH is a really nice environment to work in..

There are just countless little things that keep me smiling:
Nurses who call you by name and joke with you abt stuff;
Really nice HOs who gossip with us, buy us soya bean drinks and treat us to a not-so-cheap Jap lunch;
A MO who surprised us by remembering we were post call and bringing soya bean milk to us in the morning;
Another MO who takes time during rounds to impart his knowledge;
Patients who greet you everyday as they pass the counter where you're furiously typing discharge summaries and writing blue letters;

Seeing an elderly lady who's been septic the past few days suddenly open her eyes and smile at you one morning (despite what ID says, imipenem does do wonders);
Cute old men who on hearing their hypocount is 20.8 jump out of bed and walk across the ward to reassure you they only ate 2 soon kueh for breakfast..Haha..

I guess medicine has sort of invaded me and become a very big part of my life, like it or not.
Sure, sometimes it's just so darn tiring and daunting but i would never give it up for the world. Cos really, i see more heartfelt smiles here in the hospital than anywhere else.

Just some pics of our lunch at the Jap restaurant..And to the other MOs and HOs who have rotated through the team, and not forgetting our very nice reg & consultant ..Thanks for being good to us too!

joel, philip, hwee seng

elenor,dawn,steph,lizhen

L'ivresse du pouvoir

French film festival
Went to watch the french film 'L'ivresse du pouvoir' (A Comedy of Power) at The Cathay..with Nic's magnaminous aunt & uncle & his cousins.
It was a truly thought provoking film..not those usual in-your-face-action-packed-full-of-airbrushed-to-perfection-people sort of hollywood films. The film revolves around this powerful lady magistrate..and it actually involves the themes of the balance of power, work, family and personal life. Quite applicable to many women in today's Singaporean context.. Women who want to rise up the ranks, yet in their immense drive they are actually selfishly (albeit unknowingly) placing a strain on their personal relationships. Can we blame them? Afterall, 'until what point can human nature resist the intoxication of this power?'

After a mind stirring 110 mins, it was time for supper at Shokudo, a nice jap restaurant at the basement..Isn't jap food just so li desu yo?!

A special angel

Anyz, this is just a note to all. Do read pg8&9 of today's (wed 11th oct) Mind your Body. It's about a SMA patient Puay Hwoon. She's a real inspiration..despite her many trials and difficulties, she's got an amazing drive that puts most of us to shame. In support of her true courage i've bought quite a few necklaces from her online business (though i already have a few drawers bursting with accessories). So i'm asking you all to support her too! I'm def gonna order more jewellery/clothes from her..

Please check out her websites: http://vgfashionhouse.blogspot.com (highly recommended) and http://vgprettyhouse.blogspot.com (second hand clothes)

There are many pics so the website takes awhile to load the photos..so please be patient. if you want, i can email you the catalogue..much faster cos you can view all the products in thumbnail size pics. And there are alot more products to choose from in the email catalogue..i was totally spoilt for choice! This is what i call retail therapy..i've never felt better about making these pretty purchases!=) Thanks a million Puay Hwoon for being such an inspiration!

riviera dining

Dinner @ Rivercafe, Robertson Quay
Went to this nice restaurant along the banks of robertson quay last weekend with my dad & angela..It's a quaint little restaurant housed in the singapore tyler print institute..Stepping into it was a pleasant surprise..almost like stepping into one of those restaurant cafes in the back alleys of european towns.

Though there's a european feel to it, Rivercafe actually offers modern australian cuisine, and they supposedly have one of the largest selections of australian red wines in s'pore.

Very romantic, whether you dine alfresco or inside the cosy little restaurant. We went on a sunday so it wasn't too crowded..One of the nicer restaurants where you can have a decent conversation without raising your voice, even with the jazzy/classical music in the background.

Rivercafe in colourRivercafe in sepia handsome daddy ange & steph

The food was great..i had braised veal osso bucco in tangy thai veal jus (yummy--i Love meat!); daddy had the australian beef tenderloin with blue cheese; Angela had the middle eastern spatchcock with minted yoghurt..

But the memorable part of the dinner was of course the desserts!

flaming angel cake bomb alaska & wild berries chocolate mud cake with raspberry sorbet & brandy cherry sauce
praline profiteroles with almond tarts & rose meringue

breathe

SIP is really enjoyable..I'm post call today but not very tired cos i had a very nice & understanding HO..(nice HO=free dinner + lots of rest + trust you to clerk new admissions& all sorts of procedures) And over dinner both my HO and MO agree that it's not fair to work students to death when we're not getting paid! Don't you just love understanding and nice seniors? ;>

Anyway, i'm really enjoying my SIP. Enjoy doing procedures, esp blood taking & setting plugs. Like nic said: the more you do, the more you realise how everyone's veins are different, and each presents with its own set of challenges. Haha i'm the blood sucker (as one MO said) and though TTSH has phlebotomists, they're always on emergency leave, or those in my ward just aren't very good..

Making small talk with patients is also fun--some of them can really light up your day with simple words--whether it's a subutex shooter, an old aunty with cancer or an uncle with HIV..They're all capable of showing you the lovelier side of life somehow. Of course there are those nasty ones, where despite you being nice and friendly with them, they can turn nasty in a second, demanding to discharged against advice..Thankfully these patients are few and far between.

Maybe it's only been 2 weeks of SIP but i already can't wait to start Housemanship! =)
Breathe (2am)
And i've found a new song to listen to non stop--in my car, at home, humming to myself the whole day..It's Breathe (2am) by Anna Nalick. Hey flea, after you sent me the song i have been listening to it non stop lah! Haha i'm addicted. Check out the music video
www.findvideos.com/videos.php?id=1634