New Year, New Placement.

Today was another start to a new placement. It sometimes feels as if I'm on a merry-go-round of placements. On the plus side, all this moving between placements, hospitals, departments and specialities means that I'm getting less and less bothered with change.

I've always been a bit of a change-hating control freak. Because of this my first day of new placement is usually filled with dread. Today my only dread was about finding the GP surgery. I must finally be used to all this moving around.

My first day was pretty chilled out. I didn't have to arrive until 10. When I got there I was introduced to the very friendly GP and automatically given a cup of tea by the even friendlier receptionist. I think I could get to like this place.

The morning was spent sitting in on a clinic. It was nice to see lots of young people after my time in geriatrics. I got to spend time with baby checks, vaccinations, lots of people with colds and sinusitis and some more long standing problems.

After clinic I went on a home visit with the GP to see a lady with an enormous leg ulcer. It didn't smell too bad, like many ulcers I've seen, but it was HUGE. It must have taken up 1/3rd of the surface area of her calf. She's had it for a very long time and is now running out of treatment options. Although she was unwilling last year, she's now going to try maggots. I've heard about maggots being used to eat the dead flesh out of ulcers to help healing but have never seen it. I'm pretty excited. I'm going to ask the district nurse if I can tag along to see what happens. I really hope it works as the lady was so lovely (not that I'd wish a poorly healing leg ulcer on someone who was horrid).

I got to go home early today which was nice. Unfortunately I had 2 sad phone calls in the afternoon with varying amounts of bad news, one of which I'll blog about once I've had a chance to cool down. Dreading the amount of housework I have to do and I have to start revision... eep!!

Lily xXx