Yesterday was pretty much one of the most satisfying day in the first week of a completely new year :)
Right after ward round, when one of the lift arrived, everyone squeezed inside it. The moment that I wanted to step inside, it was so full that I gave up and planned to take the stairs. Then I heard Dr Loh was talking to some of my group mates about some sort of outing. Out of curiosity, I joined in then I knew she was going to home visit somewhere in Klang right after the ward round. Seeing I was there, she asked me whether I want to join. Without hesitation, I nodded happily.
Before the home visit, she brought us to lunch in a Chinese restaurant. We'd ordered a lot (prawns, vege, tofu, fish, meat...) but she said we ate far too little from what she'd expected and she'd even prepared more money :P
Then we went to visit a patient. He was diagnosed with thyroid cancer which has metastasised to the lung and liver and we later found out that the bone was also involved. He had done a tracheostomy and was not able to talk. All of us stood there and watched how Dr managed the patient. She even told the patient a joke about one of us who claimed that he can eat a lot and ended up eating only 2 prawns :) We were also given a chance to talk to the patient since he was willing to talk to us. Before we left, the patient seemed to be grateful and everyone was satisfied :)
Dr Loh was very nice towards us. During the entire time, she chit-chatted with us in English, Chinese and Hokkien and discussed about patient care with us. As a palliative care doctor, she shared a lot of her experiences with us especially to us who tumpang her car :) There were a lot of things that I would like to ask but the 3 other girls who shared the car didn't say much and I was still a pretty much shy type :S Regret already... But she tried to start all the conversations and there were times we laughed out loud in the car. And I realised she is very enthusiastic about what she's doing and she really did enjoy talking to us :)
She really taught us a lot. She said we are all too serious and kept asking us to have fun before we feel trap in our little room and become depressed. She is always stressing on group work by comparing these 2 terms 'independent' and 'inter-dependent'. She told us happiness is not difficult to obtain if we find good in each and every one of us. She told us how a famous Islamic Study professor lived a simple life in a low cost house instead of a bungalow. Although he suffered from urinary retention for 2 months due to misdiagnosed, not only he didn't curse the doctors like most of us will do, he taught her that instead of requesting many things during prayer, we should be thanking the Almighty one in our prayer :) She shared how a poor man who lived on a tin of Jacob crackers offered her a cracker while a multi-millionaire with a gold-coated toilet bowl asked her for cheap medications. There was one time when she was in Singapore and the famous gangster taiko called them up in the middle of the night. When she realised it was just scrotal swelling, she felt frustrated because it was not urgent at all. Then when the patient told that he feared that the scrotum would burst, she realised that patients are not doctor, they do not know what is urgent or not and instead of being frustrated, we should be allying them of their fear. She also said that a patient became very depressed for one year after a prostate cancer screening test because the doctor didn't reassure him after the result came out and he kept thinking that he had cancer. She told us that there would come a time when we would hate our patients because of the demanding work loads and midnight calls but she reminded us that without patients, we would not have a job. Instead of putting up a long face, we should at least give the patient a smile and make the patient less miserable.
Before dropping us back to hostel, she was telling us how a prof told her that the key to a woman's success in a demanding medical career is having a good mother-in-law for there is no other better person than your mother-in-law who can control your husband. That way, you can focus on your career without worrying that your husband will have affair, your children are pretty much taken care of and your mother-in-law is happy since she is completely in charge of everything. And have a not-so-good-looking husband since he'll be nice to you :P Good looking guy are only for a few dates to boost up your ego. Haha :) But since not everyone is not that lucky, I would rather not get into relationship. Hehe :)
Next week, she would bring Dr Yoong from Klang Hospice to talk to us and perhaps we can have a chance to go home visit with him. Can't wait :)
I remember at the end of Paeds posting, Prof Lucy told us that we are all very lucky to have Dr Loh as our lecturer. Now, I can't help but agree with her. Thank you Dr for all the lunch, teachings, sharing, knowledge and advice :)
Mock OSCE next Tuesday. DIE :(
摸不到的颜色
是否叫彩虹，
看不到的拥抱
是否叫做微风，
一个人
想着一个人
是否就叫寂寞。
好好听 :)
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