SSC - General Urology - End

I cant believe it!
General Urology for SSC ..END! *sobs*
It has been SOoooOo GOOD! Time really flies when we r enjoying something very much

Next week start back General Medicine.

On another part,

These few weeks the British TV has been showing tv shows about obesity & discussing about unhealthy lifestyle & diet. Make me wanna go exercise as well. Believe it or not my BMI is good & I m not thattt fat (or that thin) BUT my LDL (bad cholesterol) & total cholesterol are high!
Really must do more exercise & eat proper food.
One tv programme hosted by Jamie Oliver was particularly very good in highlighting about unhealthy diet. He also brought in Professor Gunther von Hagens to show some cadavers whose organs has been badly affected by bad diet. (Dr von Hagens is best known for his plastination technique, which he invented in 1977. Von Hagens developed the Body Worlds exhibition, showing numerous cadavers plastinated in various poses and dissected to various degrees. Read more about him http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunther_von_Hagens)

At the same time the tv are showing cooking shows by Gordon Ramsay & Jamie Oliver. I also 'tergoda' to try the recipes. How to keep fit leh. Journalist in the newpapers has been complaining about this irony of large numbers of tv programmes talking about obesity but at the same time showing so many tv programmes on cooking & gourmet food!
However I do not share that view. I think that by showing people how to cook & prepare their own food, that can help them to learn to how to cook & prepare fresh food (instead of frozen pre packed food or fast food) & can learn how to control portions & introduce new ways of trying different variety of food!

Other than that, I have been watching a lot of movies, taking a lot of naps, trying new recipes and most importantly has been thinking about Chinese New Year! hahaha..
I guess it's not the angpows, but it's about the family & friends & food back in Malaysia. Well human are always not contented because we tend to think that the grass is always greener on the other side. I m happy where I m now but I do always think that how great it will be IF I can go back to Malaysia during weekends then back again in Belfast to start my weekdays! (sorta like the KL-Segamat-KL journey). Belfast-Segamat/KL-Belfast. Crazy!

Been thinking about "wai kong"(grandpa) & "wai po"(grandma) recently. Dunno why. I guessed I m still emotionally attached to them in a way though they passed away some time ago (2002, 2006)
I always tell myself "23 year old already lorr..cannot always cry. Discipline a bit."

And I think I have been able to control myself from contacting a certain someone so that I will wake up & stop drowning! Discipline is all I need! And I must trust myself in making the right choice.

Urology happenings

Mr Rajan: Tell me which cancers metastasizes to bones?

My brain: Lydia Please Be The King
My answer: Lungs Prostate Breast Thyroid Kidney

Mr Rajan: Good!


Good job Lydia for giving this idea to us when we were studying for Musculoskeletal System last time! Obviously Lydia created this herself!

This is the one Nadia created:

Examples of Gram negative rods:
Legionella pneumophila, Bordetella pertussis, Yersinia pestis, Haemophilus Influenza
Neumonics:
Lydia Bang Your Head

One odd thing happen today:

Old granny : Hi there, are u going down to ground floor?
Me : No. Do u want to go down?
Old granny : Yes , but i need someone to accompany me downstairs. Usually the nurse will accompany me.
(She's in her pyjamas & has the hospital tag on her wrist)
Me : Ok sure I can take u down instead. Why do u need to go downstairs? (I was making sure to make sure that she knows what she is doing & also so that I won't be accused of "conspiring" with the patient who wants to runaway!)
Old granny: Actually, I need to go down for a smoke.

Right. Then she said that she was admitted after she had a stroke & some other details that she refuse to elaborate to me. (She is in a Urology ward surely there's a problem with her waterworks. But she s not telling me.)
Ahh wat to do. I m not supposed to support her to go down for a SMOKE!
sheesh. but then again. she's already so old, it's too difficult to kick the habit and i dont think she knows much about atherosclerosis. She just need the mild "high".
Many COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) patients also cant seems to kick of the habit too. When they are not in bed in the ward, they are downstairs smoking by the hospital's entrance.

Old granny, wrapped her arms around mine like I m her granddaughter & we walked to the hospital's entrance. Thinking about telling her to cut down/quit smoking but I can't seem to open my mouth to do it. Oh well.

Observe 2 different extreme reactions today:

1) How happy, relieved & grateful the patients were when the consultant told them that they are now free of the cancer after all the treatments(surgery/chemo/radiotherapy) & from the blood results and scans. Make me feel happy for them as well. It feels as if they just striked lottery or won a major championship!

2) How silent and "stony-dull" when the consultant announced to the patient that he has cancer. The patient's daughter cried. Devastated look on his face. Worried look of his wife. Just silence. What a big stigma the 'cancer' word can bring. Consultant & nurse did a very good job in explaining & reassuring them but it all takes time to absorb the shock. Reminds me of last time when Pa told me that Granpa had Duke's B colon adenocarcinoma.

Ahh..shit happens.

Down There..Again!

While everybody else in the university had end of semester exams and holidays for some..we have SSC (student selected components) for 3 weeks & for the 1st time ever my faith was NOT challenged on the stupid computer matching system..I got my 2nd choice! Whew! General Urology! Yeap it's about the "down there" again.

Gimme whatever that will be held in BCH (Belfast City Hospital) cos I ain't wanna travel to somewhere FAR..i.e. anything requiring me to walk more than 15minutes or take a bus or move to somewhere for 3 weeks. (Yes the diva and lazy side of me is talking)

Little that I know that General Urology is a surgical related posting = "lenggang lengguk" time in the O.T. something that didnt require my brain to think/crack.
But I enjoyed it as long as the consultants or the registrars explain during surgery on whatever that they are doing! Or else it's spacing out time unless the occasional
"Tell me what's the length of the vas deferens?" (%#%! huh?)
"Where are the 3 constrictions of ureters?"
"What structure to avoid damaging while approaching/dissecting the bladder & prostate?"
or
"This is (name of structure) here & (name of structure there. Can u c it?"
(Me: "ahh yes." Actually all I can see is your back/dorsum of your hand blocking the structures 0_0)
That's the funny bit!


But of course we have fun moments when:

- The registrar told me that I can scrub in for an 'Ureterolysis + Ileal interposition' for this patient with retroperitoneal fibrosis post chemotherapy. "You've got to see this. We havent done this in years!" & I was quite shocked to find out that this surgery will be conducted by the consultant that I most fear which I nicknamed --> Mr "White Htin Aung". He is actually very friendly & kind. He was so different when he gave us a lecture last year!
Some of the registrars told me to read up on my anatomy the day before the surgery (& I fcuking did.) because Mr "White Htin Aung" is very devoted to his anatomy & likes to ask questions like "Give me the branches of internal iliac artery".
& LUCKY he didnt asked me any.
Well if I can answer, it's a "bragging-and-pat-myself-on-the-back" point for me.
If I can't, it always make me feels like burying my head in the sand like an ostrich! Why cant I stay awake during anatomy lectures last time..Grrr.

- I get to do 4 I.V. cannulas! (Yippee! Something we will eventually get tired of doing when we are working next time~)

- 3 digital rectal examinations (Thank u to the patients who gave me consent to do the PR!)

- 1 male catheterisation (on a real patient ..at last! I dont want any plastic models anymore.)

- Observe cystoscopy for the 1st time. & many other surgeries that I was keen to observe because our urology posting during our surgery attachment wasn't very organised.

- & many other little interesting things here & there~ & of course the friendly registrars(Alex and Mr Sam Gray), consultants (Mr Rajan, Mr Keane) & the junior house officers and friendly staff nurses! & knowing a new classmate called Naomi who texted me just to make sure I woke up in time in the morning for class! Hehe. And (i know ppl always ask) nope there's no hansome/cute guy classmates/doctors (there is one lah but I think he's taken. Biasalah. -_-").

- & not to forget about the Results Clinic a.k.a. Bad News Clinic
It is absolutely admiring to see how calm & composed ppl are when they know they have cancers. Of course they breakdown inside at some point but u know it, they are trying to be strong at least & brave against all odds.
& that reminds me that I shouldnt be sulking/whining so much about trivial things that happen sometimes.

This SSC definitely in my opinion better than the previous SSC of "Testicular Germ Cells Tumors" in August/Sept 2007 when I 1st arrived in Belfast. Not that it is a difficult topic to understand but assignments are harder to execute & abrupt.

Oh it has definitely been a relaxing last weekend. Tasting yummy food & having the company of my Belfast buddies (Be it at Yeepei's or at Magi's!)!
Oops promised to cook some barley drink for the girls in the flat and also for the ground floor IMU gang! Will do it this weekend..Sunday maybe.
Cant wait for Han ni to finish her exams. for Yeepei to be back from Omagh. & for ShieLing to cook for me during weekend (her Diet-Off days).
Michalina told me something interesting ^_* yesterday which I think it's a novelty cos it rarely happens to me lah. But this usually does not progress as far as my experience goes. Oh well!

More snow pictures + My B'day

Was so so tired after playing with snow the other day. Then woke up later than expected the next day. But still managed to drag myself outside because I dont wanna miss seeing Belfast in WHITE! Phaik Har called "Chia Ling, u should really come to Botanic Gardens. It's SO beautiful here!" Me & ShieLing springed out the next moment! What's more exiciting for a girl from tropical country than SNOW!

Me, Shie Ling, Ting Hwey & Phaik Har in front of Botanic Garden.
*Aiyoh I m still the shortest one. At least I have lower point of gravity which makes me more stable than higher objects ..*grumbles grumbles*


In Botanic Gardens:

When I saw the beautiful thick white snow on the large fields surrounded by big trees, it feels so calming, clear & pure.

Sudden feeling of melancholy hits me. Ahhh...my static romantic life~
What more can I say! The same snow that had healed my heartbreak reminds me of my ever disappointing romantic life. ~.~
*Now i m starting to wonder if my female pheromones are actually working! -_-"*

But that doesnt kill the fun! ^.^
Life goes on & every present day deserves its right to be thoroughly enjoyed & savoured!
As cockily or bitching-ly as Karl Lagerfeld puts it that we are making the future secondhand if we constantly reminiscence about the past!

Moving on...

By far, i think this is the MOST creative snowman!

Cute canines always brighten up my day! Never fails!
*Wish that Loon Loon was here with me*

Barney!
Honey!

Snow ice flakes on tree branches ~
Pretty isn't it?

Making snow angel for Jo! *It is actually quite comfortable to lie on the snow in the park!*

Nah, Jo..your snow angel ^_^
Oops it is not very clear in this picture! Pretty difficult to capture the snow angel on camera~
Another snowman in the park made by somebody else! Cute right? A mischievious one I say!

Shieling & I made this snow BRIDE! Nah this one for u Pek Chin (as requested!!). U like it?
We tried to imitate the previous snowman but i must admit that it is difficult to roll the snow into balls to make a snowman. Need some "canggih"/particular technique to do that. We decided to do a simple one (or rather amateur one..) But i think it turned out quite alright lah for beginners ^.^




02.01.2008

I m blessed that my first birthday overseas is filled with friends who are close to me!
*I can still recall the horror of loneliness when I first arrived in Belfast*
& also felt very very happy by the birthday cards I received from Malaysia & Singapore & UK itself! & also very surprised by some of my flatmates who unexpectedly gave me presents!
& felt extremely happy by the phone calls from family members & friends.
*hearing familiar voices are the best! haha*
& not forgetting some texts from friends via sms, emails, msn, facebook, friendster & my blog~
Felt : WARM & HAPPY!



Phaik Har, Shie Ling, Me, Han Ni, Michalina & Yoong at La Tasca Tapas Restaurant in Odyssey!
(Would have included Magi & Yee Pei but Magi still in Germany & Yee Pei still in M'sia..)

Paella..my favourite!


Back in Guthrie to chill ~
Thanks to the girls for MAXIMISING my birthday until 12 midnight & beyond~

Presents & cards that I've received this year~
Mucha garcias!

Some presents are creative like the furry school bus pen which lights up when writing (ala Legally Blond) from Han Ni, pepper/salt mill from Magi (she thinks it is much better for me cos the last time she saw me primitively crushing peppercorns in plastic bags with wooden stick -_-"), Thorton's chocolate Birthday princess from Joey, Birthday candles from Lilian (apparently she bought the birthday cake & ate it on my behalf & sent the candles to me -_-" haha)

Some are carefully thought like the perfume ^^ from Han Ni & Yoong and the mismatched necklace from char boh Meiyi >_< and bookmark from Vivian

Some are bought in front of me...hahahaha like black earrings from Phaik Har (sweet!) and a movie treat from Shie Ling ^_* (what movie to watch?)

Some are meant for practical use like notebooks from Michalina, makeup pouch from Jia Li, Jay & Jeng Haw, & coin purse etc from Xiao Wei.

Some are heart warming wishes on cards for me from Aunty Meng Ing, Li Qing, Joey, Han Ni, Meiyi, Pek Chin & Lili Tong.

& above all, I thank Pa very very much for generously letting me buy the coat & for the dinner celebration!

(Most importantly, all the gifts that I've received were bought/made with sincere thoughts to make me happy & that I truly appreciate ^.^)
& no I m not going to thank Andrew(my brother) now until I get my present from him! Hmph! According to him, I will only get it when I m back in M'sia AND provided he still have enough savings -_-" apa macam ini brother.

Next post will be about my trip to Prague with ShieLing & Yoong on 26 Dec-29 Dec 2007! This is long overdue but I will not forget to blog about it!

As the weather forecast puts it..FLURRIES!

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH SNOW!!!!!!!!" *screams through the halls*
Every1 put down everything, grabbed their coats & RAN OUTSIDE (like it's fire drill..haha)!
It's SO lovely! I couldnt believe it when i c the snow~ (hard to describe the feelings..EUPHORIC!)
At 1st it was just bubble-like.

Then it became flakes! Amazing!
I reckon its like 15cm thick now! Just WHITE WHITE WHITE!
A lot of snowball fights..even from strangers! Haha..
Its a fascination according to Suba & I cant agree more~
I love Belfast kekekeke
Every1 is having so much fun..laughing..This IS THERAPEUTIC i must say!
Credits to Hannah who texted me in the morning today "It's gonna snow today ling ding! Exciting!" She was assuring me on Christmas that I ll definitely catch some snow b4 going back to Malaysia. & there I have it.
What a pleasant way to start the new year & to heal my heartbreak~
Heaven must have been listening.
Heaven must have decided to cheer us up!
Thank You.

Ahhh...
Let the pictures do some talking now!!

Tiny wee bit snow now...

My flatmates (Xinyi, ShieLing,Michalina, XiaoMing, Joey, Lei Lei & me

Jeng Haw, Me, Shie Ling, Jia Li & Jay
(we insisted on taking at the car to show the fallen snow effect!)

Me getting all excited at the back of the flat!

View from my room of the street...still not so snowy yet at that time~

More snow...

This is 3 hours after the 1st snow fall. This is at the right side of the main university buildings. On the outside of Queen's Film Theatre as well (was there to catch a movie by Tsai Ming Liang which was super artsy..meaning not much dialogues & lotsa still moments..but I love all the camera angles of the films..totally class!)

This is a more horizontal picture of the same place as the picture above.

Walked to the front of the Queen's main building & saw people rolling this huge snowball!

The front view of the main university building. Was meant to get a closer picture but when I was doing that, a bunch of guys just cant stop throwing snowballs at us! & we got snowballed while posing for the camera -_-"

Me camwhoring!
Han Ni said we can make ice kacang with all the snow flakes..all we need is syrup & peanuts & cendol ^_^

5 hours after 1st snowfall..

Shie Ling & Ray. After some drinks at Ryan's Bar. Ray thinks that we r quite "sua-ku" but NOT after he found out it's our FIRST snowfall.
See the amount of snow on the road (u cant even differentiate the curb~). So Shie Ling, no need to go Switzerland for the snow & ski liao lah..Hahaha.

Yeepei's house's backyard! Come back lah Pei Pei! Hope there is still some thick snow when u r back in Belfast!

View from my room b4 I go to bed~~

Just checked the weather forecast, it's -1 degrees celcius now. It's gonna be -2 tomorow morning & 0 at noon & MORE scattered flurries!
Gonna sleep now & wake up perky 2mrw morning to play snow! (No more boring days. I was still thinking of what activities to do to fill up my time before class starts next monday..Haha)
I m leaving my curtains drawn open tonight to savour every moment of it *grins*
Jo, I m keeping my promise, u r getting ur snow angel tomorrow~