Blogging Advice?

I know I said I'd write about some patients I saw this week over the weekend, but I think I'm going to take that back. Obviously patient confidentiality is a pretty big thing.

The case I wanted to write about is a pretty rare one these days and I'd be worried that someone reading my blog might recognise it. I'd never mention a patients name, but otherwise I wonder what advice other bloggers have on making cases less recognisable?

I'm guessing if I leave things a couple of weeks, it'll be less likely people will recognise the case?

The one thing that has really struck me in paediatrics is parents reactions to their children's illnesses and how even the medical staff get very upset by a sick child. I think it's the hardest thing to deal with in medicine so far. How can you offer comfort to parents who have just lost a young child? It is heartbreaking to watch.

I've found myself getting frustrated all week with non-medical friends making comments like "Well you just need to get over it, that's part of being a doctor. Nothing should upset you." I've seen that it's OK to be upset as long as you're still professional, and that it's OK to come home at the end of a day to reflect on things.

Even with the emotions that paediatrics uncovers I'm enjoying paediatrics so much that I'm actually looking forward to another week of it. Unfortunately I'm dreading the accommodation. I've been looking into how difficult it would be to commute, but as well as a busy motorway there are a lot of tiny A-roads that apparently grind to a standstill in the morning, so I'd have to leave freakishly early.

Lily xXx

Squalor

I now understand what people mean when they complain about hospital accomodation. Where I am now is awful.

There is one shower between about 10 people. 6 of these are nurses and other healthcare professionals who need somewhere to stay short term, so there is a big turn over of people.

The kitchen stinks and is filled with rotting food. It's always swarming with flies. The shower isn't much better and is black and green all over. I felt dirtier after I left the shower than when I got in.

Amazingly I don't think this attachment is too bad though because the actual placement is so amazing and the team are so lovely. I'm saying this even though I'm doing the longest days I've ever done! I have lots of work to do tonight (papers to read... fun.) but later over the weekend I'll recount some of my stories of the sometimes amazing and sometimes upsetting world of paediatrics.

Lily xXx

Banished Again...

I'm back off to a mini placement at a DGH.

I'm presuming it will be like normal... no internet access in our rooms and no internet access to anything remotely interesting within the hospital.

I'm driving my new car which should be "interesting". I haven't parallel parked in well over a year so I might just have to abandon the car in the middle of the road.

I'm looking forward to finding out what the accom is like. Hopefully we'll have a TV like last time because it's nice to be able to watch desperate housewives. I'm not holding out for having freeview though, although that would be amazing because then I could watch Glee. I LOVE Glee!

I'm doing paeds so it should be pretty interesting. It's my first foray into clinical paeds though so here's hoping that the doctors don't expect too much out of us.

I'll be back in London on Thursday as I have a project meeting and lectures on Friday, so I'll be able to let everyone know what it's like. Apparently it's pretty isolated. I'm hoping there's a pub within walking distance. I'm far from an alcoholic, but a nice vodka and slimline tonic, or pint of cider on a sunny evening to unwind would be loved. Fingers crossed!

Lily xXx

Strange Notes

Madsadgirl took me out for a lovely lunch today. While munching away we had lots to chat about. I ended up mentioning some random things I found written in my notes after hours and hours of lectures. I think they sum up the state of my mind once I've been in lectures for over 6 hours.

The first was about delirium. My page of notes starts as follows...

Delirium is...
... a hamster in a ball.

After this I have two pictures of a hamster. One merrily rolling along in his ball, the other flung around the ball after someone's kicked it and he can no longer keep up. This apparently is delirium.

My next set of notes look even more bizzare to the naked eye. It's entitled "Recipe for Low Weight Babies". Clearly at this point I was getting hungry and meant "step-by-step of care..." or something like that. But anyway I wrote recipe...

Step 1. Baby is born

Step 2. Put baby in ziplock sandwich bag (do NOT forget to hole for head!!)

Step 3. Put baby under warming up thing.

...at least I didn't say put baby under the grill... or something like that! Reading it back the next day I actually had to double check that I hadn't completely lost all my marbles in the lecture and that small babies went in sandwich bags. They do. I'll never look at ziplock bags in quite the same way again. I wonder if the manufacturers realise they're put to such good use. I had a vast amount of respect for them for keeping my sandwiches fresh, but now I see them in a whole new light.

Lily xXx

Overwhelmed.

Earlier in the week I was so excited about all the work I have to do. Today I'm just feeling a bit overwhelmed by it all.

I'd made a plan for reading the whole paeds textbook without it meaning hours and hours of reading in one go... it all made sense in my mind. Then I remembered that I also have to learn geriatrics and dermatology. I'm hoping that I can learn the little bit of dermatology I need to know from a book like "Dermatology at a Glance", but I have no idea what book to use for geriatrics. Anyone got any tips?

I also have so much housework to do before I get sent off to the countryside for peripheral (again!) on Monday.

I hoovered the hallway and actally cleaned the carpet today. I've also squirted some cleaning/nice smelling thing on the sofa but I have soooo much tidying to do. I need to clear out my room (I've been saying this for months), I need to sort out my wardrobes to throw out everything I don't need and the kitchen needs a good scrub. It's just so frustrating that things need to be cleaned so much. I clean the kitchen throughly once a week and even that doesn't seem like enough. I also need to wash all my laminate flooring (which is most of the flat). Cleaning floors is one of my least favourite jobs!!!

Tomorrow is exactly 10 years since my Mum died. I'm taking the day off uni as I've been particularly emotional about everything over the past few weeks and won't be able to trust myself not to cry and feel really uncomfortable at uni all day. Fingers crossed I can get some work and cleaning done then though rather than sitting around moping.

Lily xXx

Pass!

I passed my exam! Woo hoo!

Unfortunately I didn't pass it as well as I would have liked to, and I'm a little worried that this will really affect my overall average for the year. My overwhelming feeling is one of relief though. I really didn't think I'd passed deep down. I was such a mess on the day of the exam.

In fact on the day of the exam I felt worse than I've ever felt in my life. I even had what I can only presume was a panic attack on the train on the way in. I was just standing there feeling pretty miserable. Then I started to feel warm and sweaty. After that I had a choking feeling. I couldn't breathe in fully and I felt like someone was crushing my chest. I then started to cry and hyperventilate. I'd usually be mortified by acting like this is public but I honestly thought I was going to keel over and die. Another passenger helped me off at the next stop and once I was in the fresh air I started to feel better and managed to shakily get on the next train and get to my exam.

I really hope nothing like that ever happens to me again!

Lily xXx

An Alarming Morning

I am officially a very silly girl.

I set my alarm last night. I also double checked it. Somehow I'd managed to set it for when I needed to leave, not when I needed to get up. Needless to say panic ensued when I woke up at 7.40... when I was supposed to be leaving. I managed to get dressed, get my stuff together and get out the door within 10 minutes.

Unfortunately I was halfway to the train station when I realised I didn't have my glasses.

A whole day of lectures with no glasses is pretty boring, it's also pretty unproductive.

Lily xXx

Busiest Term Ever

Gosh. It has just hit me today how busy term is.

I have a placement in London and a 3 week placement outside of London. I have written exams for this rotation, a practical exam covering the whole year and 2 presentations to do with community study. As well as this I've also got a new special study module which consists of 6 weeks of seminars, 5000 word essay and another presentation.

Maybe it's just because I still have a lot of time ahead of me, but more than dreading all the work I'm actually really looking forward to it. It's nice to have a bit of motivation for once. Excitingly all the stuff I'm doing, particularly the SSM really captures my interest. Fingers crossed I'll still be this excited about it all by the time deadlines are drawing near!

Lily xXx

Overdrive

There is already so much to do and I have only had 1 day back at university.

I've decided to arrange my own GP placement at home to save myself the drama of being involved in the random process of GP placement allocation in London. Fingers crossed the £2100 incentive they get paid to have me will encourage the GP surgery I want to accept me.

This particular GP surgery doesn't seem to have any email addresses, so I'm torn as whether to phone them up or write them a letter. It's difficult to find time to call when I'm in uni pretty much 9-5 for the next fortnight. Perhaps I will write them a letter now and follow it with a call as soon as possible.

As well as this I have lots of random bits of paperwork to do for my new car, the bank and to sort out my elective vaccinations.

I also had to get my bottom in gear for this term. I didn't even have a notepad ready! On the way home today trusty Sainsburies provided me with a notepad (and dinner).

Tomorrow I have a meeting to discuss my special study module which I'm quite nervous about as it looks like a difficult SSM. Fingers crossed it'll be OK.

Lily xXx

AWOL

So... I've been a little bit lax at blogging recently.

I did my exam Tuesday and went straight home for some TLC (and good cooking) from my Dad. I ended up staying there until today and as I hadn't planned on being there that long I was laptopless.

The exam seemed surprisingly easy so I'm hoping that I've passed, but you can never tell until results day.

Tomorrow is the start of a new term. I always find the final term of the year very daunting. Not only do I have all my usual placement work to do, but also exams to revise for. Eek!

This placement is paeds and geriatrics. Vastly different ends of the spectrum, but both should be very interesting. It's notoriously the busiest rotation too so I'm unfortunate to have it in the same term as final exams.

I'm a little unsure of what to expect. The first two weeks are lectures so at least once I start the practical side of things I should be armed with some knowledge.

Lily xXx