Crazy at work

Didn't have much time to plan out this weekend's stag party apart from getting a time and calling up some of Tiny Tim's friends.

Work was crazy today and I barely had time to breathe as cases poured in from the outside. Never let it be said that life in the operating theatre's dull and methodical. Just as I'd gone through a laparatomy for a perforated gastric ulcer, then came a pregnant lady with one twin having a cord prolapse. As I rushed through the emergency cases, I only had time to admire Yummy Yee's new haircut. What can I say? Even under the scrubs, he looks quite delectable.

Unfortunately, he still makes me feel old. Unlike the rest of the jaded old souls in the hospital, there's still that blindingly bright and shiny sheen of idealism on the kid and I hope he doesn't lose that lovin' feeling.

Newfangled interns have a lot of work on their hands, mostly grunt work, I'll admit. Clerking the incoming patients, drawing out blood for investigations, doing the necessary routine ward work... all at the ground level. Still they're usually required to toe the line and blindly follow the orders given by their superiors at work. The scope of the work changes once they become residents - yeah, like me. :) There's still the same alarming amount of work but it comes along with a heavy burden of responsibility as we're required to take charge of the situation. That actually takes some time to pick up.

First time I was faced with that responsibility, it gave me a moment or two of fear. The terrifying, brain-numbing feeling that comes when the staff nurse swivels her head around to ask for further orders as a patient collapses in front of your eyes. I can just recall my first reaction was - You have got to be kidding! Me? And then instinct ( relentlessly drummed into our heads by years of medical school ) takes over and you react.