Surgery comes to an end...

Bismillahi rahmanirahim…

Ok, let’s get started. No, I’m not going to write something like ‘it’s be ages since I last blogged *cry out loud*’, yes for crying out loud, it is obvious! So, no, not going to mention that on my epilogue this time.

There are redundant of events and matters occurrence during my last few months of blog-less. Too many to write, too many to tell, too hurt to remember, too sorry to be forgotten, too little to be kept and what matters is I was too busy to blog.

To start from where I stopped. Sounds like a real devastation to have failed my surgery pre-test uh? It was a big deal, but seems like almost 80% of those who have gone through the surgery department didn’t absolutely pass every exam, and consequently have to repeat at least one division. I’m not alone! Haha. Conversely, surgery department is the best major department (I must say). Am I into surgery? Yes, maybe.

First day - DONE

14 days - DONE

The best part of my surgery posting was the 2 weeks of internship. Everyone would have imagined of nightmares and themselves turning into zombies whenever they heard the word ‘internship’. It wasn’t that bad people, it was great indeed, trust me! Who said interns don’t get enough sleep? How much is ‘enough’ when you’re dealing with patients in their battle of life? Who said interns don’t get to bathe? I bathed twice a day and I even get to go to the saloon during my 8-hour hiatus. Now, let me tell you what me as a surgery intern got during my 2 weeks of being refugee in the hospital…

1.    1.  When the A & E (accident & emergency) is flooded with traumatic patients, the hall is horde with trolleys/beds that left the doctors with no space to run, so we literally had a little but quick brain game – to map out our way to avoid ‘cross-roads’ or stump upon vomits or blood on the floor.

2.     2. After inserting catheters into countless of urethras, I am now good at holding penises to semi-erection and distinguishing vaginas and urethras by locating the clitoris first.

3.     3.Inserting NGT (naso-gastro-tube) is no more a big deal. After getting the patient’s consent and prepared with all the procedure, all we have to tell the patient is

“Pas dirasak no sela ne nang tenggorokan, di-lek pak ngih? di-lek! Di lek pak! Di lek!” (agaknya kalau patient tu mat salleh, kita kena ajar dia pakai English and it’ll sound something like “when you feel the tube is already at your throat, just swallow okay sir? Swallow! Swallow sir!”)

and keep on pushing the tube through his nose into his throat until his stomach, and at the same time to encourage him to swallow

“di lek pak! Di lek! Ayo, di lek! Ya pinter, di lek lagi, ayo pak!” (again, if patient tu mat salleh, kita akan bagi dia semangat untuk menelan “swallow! Come on sir, swallow! Yes good, swallow again, come on sir!”)

Raw piece.

In progress.

Done!

4.    4.   Hecting / suturing / sewing is however my all time favourite! My first procedure was on a patient’s foot where he got skinned in a bizarre stellar shape. It was like connecting puzzle pieces and sew them back into a piece. The resident came to checked out my work and said

“dasar cewek! Hecting-nya rapi puol!” (“Typical girl, very neat suture”)

and of course I take that as a compliment. And that actually permitted me to start sewing on more delicate skins e.g face.

5.      5. Since we have orthopedics in our hospital, and the residents are not so affable to the interns or probably they are more independent, interns don’t get the chance for casting (you know, putting the bulky white cement on broken arms or legs…)

6.     6. I encounter bloods and broken bones with a straight face. I never thought I would react as such. It is no “Whoaaa” or ‘Aaaa!! Whattha?!” anymore

7.      7. I especially got irritated when they don't prepare the right size of glove. My hands are big I know... I need extra latex to cover them up.

I did a few lipoma excisions. (read my glove size)

 8. Besides smokers, rempits and reckless drivers are next in my hate list! Idiots! You guys should have thought of the people in the hospital who are trying to get some rest at night. We prefer to be served coffee rather than your bloody heads.

The next best thing about surgery are the residents and angelic nurses (at the ICU). Although some are snob, but most of them are helpful, friendly, approachable and just nice. I find myself still talking and never missed to say hi whenever we bump into each other along the aisle in the hospital or at the A & E or at the cafeteria or just anywhere. They ethically make good human relation.

Observing surgical procedures are one of my favourite part too. Awesomeness!

Surgeon-come-carpenter during cranioplasty

However, this is the part which is most probably will hold me back from becoming a surgeon. First, I don’t like to put on the green scrubs, so not sexy! Second, I don’t like the hectic working hour because I don’t think I’d like to wake up in the middle of the night to cut off someone’s scrotum to untwist the twisted duct at their testicles. Thirdly, I don’t like the unsociable cold life in the operation theater.

Thus, there was a bit on my surgery posting. Two months is too short, but I just had enough. After all, I rate this posting 7 ½  out of 10. The 2 ½ points were taken by my frustration of failing the inhumane pre-test results, and the ridiculous ‘absen malam’.

Sila sengetkan kepala anda