Resolute

I vowed I would blog more as the new year started. 

Last year I blogged less than I have ever done since I started this blog, but in my defence I ended the last two months of the year feeling unwell.

The illness has followed me into the new year although I'm now better than I was in October and November.

Despite all of this, third year is the start of real clinical stuff, and I want to share this with you. So I promise I will make more of an effort from now on.

Promise.

What type of blog...

I followed on from Dr Anderson and decided to Typealyzer my blog. Actually, mine is quite apt for me, I'm not sure about my blog though....

The active and playful type. They are especially attuned to people and things around them and often full of energy, talking, joking and engaging in physical out-door activities. 

The Doers are happiest with action-filled work which craves their full attention and focus. They might be very impulsive and more keen on starting something new than following it through. They might have a problem with sitting still or remaining inactive for any period of time.

Let's put it like this. I am forever getting in trouble for not sitting still. I'm either all out doing several things at once, or I'm asleep. There is no middle ground. I'm also religious for starting something and not finishing something, so I'd say this is quite accurate.

My blog is probably the most spontaneous thing I ever did that I managed to sustain!

Wards

Despite what many prospective medical students think, a hospital rotation isn’t quite what Grey’s, ER, House, Casualty or Scrubs* would have you believe.

A quick note – you will always be in someone’s way, no matter where you stand. You would think that having worked in a hospital for nearly two years I would know the best places to stand, but alas, even I still manage to get under someone’s feet.

My auxiliary uniform is my armour, and I lose my protection as soon as my Medical Student ID card goes on.

Expect to follow the consultant around like a lost lamb and get asked ‘who are you?’ a hell of a lot**

Oh, and if you ever get asked to do something for the first time, for which you have been trained (like take blood, cannulate, catheterise etc) then go for it. You don’t know until you try, and opportunities don’t come up all the time on good patients.

Placement is long and tiring, but it’s meant to be not only a learning experience but a preparation for work. If you’re not knackered when you finish it then it’s not going well.

My year is usually in it’s scruffiest clothing possible when placement finishes, so take the time to look smart and professional. Boobs, belly and bum does not a doctor make!


*Actually Scrubs is probably the closest.
** if my rotations here are anything to go by

In the middle of our street

In July I moved out of my last student house to live with a different group of friends. 

As I have alluded to in a previous post, my last house didn't work out for a variety of reasons. I was the youngest in the house by quite a large margin, and while I got on very well with one housemate, my other housemate and I didn't quite always share such a good relationship.

For once I am not going to bitch. Call it 'turning over a new leaf''*

I miss my my male housemate, but I still see him around. In fact, when I moved into my new student house in July, he moved in around the corner, and he still occasionally tries to scare me into falling off my bike on the way into uni.**

My new student house is proving a good move. I'm living with a female medical student in my year who I've been friends with since the first year, her boyfriend who is studying for a masters degree, and a final year law student. 

The house is new, peaceful and lovely to live it, but it's the atmosphere that I love the most. I was a bit worried when I sat and thought about living with a couple, but since my partner is here visiting in the evenings quite a lot, then he's become part of the house too, and provides much needed male company for medic's boyfriend!

All in all, I'm hoping this year is more peaceful than last.

And I'm hoping I start to hear properly soon, as peace definitely won't last for long if I keep shouting 'pardon?' everytime anyone tries to speak to me!

* cos that's really gonna last long, but let's all enjoy it while it lasts!

** Because, as he well knows I cycle with headphones in listening to music loudly. It's cycle path all the way, so cars aren't a problem, but an ex housemate with a death wish grabbing my rucksack takes advantage of this fact fairly frequently.

Side effects

Since I started to feel unwell at the beginning of October I seem to have been tried on a whole host of weird and wonderful medications that have had me and my BNF making friends again.

The latest tablets are not just not working, but come with a whole startling array of side effects that are leading to fun and games.

I can't go to bed without TV or music on because I have tinnitus so loud it keeps me awake, my mouth is drier than Ghandi's sandals and I have a thirst I can't quench. It's like I've been out to a nightclub but without any of the enjoyment. I've got nausea and occasional pins and needles in my feet.

Add to this the blocked sinuses I've acquired on a seperate note, and I also can't hear out of one ear. I'm a whole barrel of laughs at the moment!

Looks like I just have to grit my teeth and bear it

Christmas and New Year

Christmas and the promise of photographs sadly didn't really happen in Yorkshire this year.

I love my family to pieces but if my boyfriend had not have been with me this year, then the event would probably not have happened at all.

Tension was obvious throughout all of christmas with my parents, and hasn't really ceased yet.

Anyhow, that aside.

2008 has been a mixed bag of a year with family arguments, new relationships, new houses, new academic years, old housemates causing problems (I AM NEVER EVER BILL SHARING AGAIN UNLESS I CAN HELP IT)

Since September I have been a third year medical student, and would have loved it a whole lot more had I not become unwell at the beginning of October, something which has not really yet resolved. I've had to miss a lot of uni and paid work and my academic studies have suffered accordingly. Hopefully 2009 will bring an improvement.

But, for the time being, and before things go a tad mad, I am sitting on the private ward waiting to wish the patients a Happy New Year and head off on my break with a blanket and a pillow.

So I wish you all a safe and healthy night, and remember, hospital is not a place you want to be on New Year's Eve, or else you might end up coming across a grumpy Yorkshire auxiliary nurse with a stinking cold.

Look after yourselves and your loved ones, and think of me while I'm cleaning up diarrhoea, yet again...

4 people, 3 rooms

Merys is in the dining room using a computer and doing university work that isn't due for months. She isn't doing this because of stunning academic efficiency, rather that it keeps her out of trouble.

Merys' mother is in the living room watching EastEnders.

Merys' father is watching something relating to logging trees in the kitchen in the cold with the dog for company. The dog is only there because he hopes Merys' father will give him a mince pie.

Merys' boyfriend has travelled up to stay with Merys and family for christmas, and is currently sitting in the living room with Merys' mother, and he is sat playing Age of Mythology - The Titans. I don't think Merys' mother knows he's doing this though.

Four grown adults sitting in three seperate rooms on Christmas Eve.

No amusing photographs from me today, just a realisation that spending this much time with my family isn't necessarily healthy for me.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Love and hate

I have a love and hate relationship with my parents and their internet setup.

My Acer laptop is hellishly unreliable. It will not work with the battery even attached and crashes all the time. If I can find enough work this year I will be saving up for a netbook (or potentially finding a mobile broadband contract that suits me...)

Consequently when I am at home I borrow my parents larger Acer Aspire 7110. I was incredibly distraught to find this time that it seems to have acquired several Trojans including the Gadcom.exe, as well as 221 pieces of adware. Therefore, it would not go on the internet.

I've spent approximately 9 hours trying to clean the bloody thing, and have eventually managed it, but have been left with this. I cannot get it to update the automatic updates. I even went into the major control menu thing* to try and reset the automatic updates, but to no avail.

For now I am stuck. But on the 29th (if not before, pending war) I will be back at Uni.

* Girl speak.

Not my knickers

Simply because I can multitask, I can combine eating 'gathered earholes'*, ironing and watching ER season 5.

Because I'm simply amazing.

*I have no idea why my mother calls lemon curd tarts gathered earholes, but she does.

Climbing the walls

I've been home less than 24 hours.

Already I appear to be trying to get vertical on the building supports, if you get my drift.

I love my parents to pieces, but being an only child at the age of 25 and suddenly losing all independence is a complete pain in the arse.

I can't do anything, go anywhere or call anyone (because I have no phone signal) on my mobile.

Yorkshire is a wonderfully bleak place sometimes, and I love that, but I do wonder how the hell I would manage now if my parents didn't have broadband (they only got it less than 2 years ago, and when I first started uni broadband wasn't available in my village at all!).

I'm going to be taking a series of photos over my period at home to show you what I've been up to, so expect lots of crap pictures of the dog, wrapping paper and the tree, etc. I'm certainly no photographer...

Ho ho ho and all that jazz!