Whats up?!?!

I must apologize for being rubbish on this blog. Well, well, I must confess its so hard to blog about my hospital experience, not because I am so busy (which I kinda am), but primarily because of patient confidentiality. Its hard to twist a story, to preserved patient confidentiality, but I try when I can, because some cases are worth sharing.

An update: I'm currently in Malta (oh d places my final year has taken me to!), for two months and currently doing my obstetrics and gynecology practice. The hospital is a new state of the art national hospital and the primary hospital on the island. Malta's health care system is rated fifth in the world by WHO, very similar to the UK ( I did my internal practice there) which ranks at 18. The Maltese people are so friendly and polite and I am having a great time here.

So the other day, I attended a surgery of a 23 year old lady who had invasive cervical cancer. I know this is not the normal scenario, and as young people we never expert to have certain illness. The truth is that we feel we are immortal, and certain illnesses is for the elderly only. well I had a reality check. I'm sharing this not to scared people or all, but to tell any one who reads this post to go get a PAP SMEAR. VERY IMPORTANT!!. read more here.

P.S
Medical students intrested in doing an elective in Malta, click here  .

Stay positive and keep smiling.

Much love always,

Milo's story

Milo was fertilized in a glass (what medics call an IVF, in vitro fertilization) unlike most of us who are fertilized in a human, our biological mothers uterus. He was put back into his mom and again unlike most of us Milo didn't spend the complete number of weeks in his mum uterus, he was born really premature. Being  born premature means you are not fully fit to survive outside the uterus. The major problem prematures face is underdeveloped lungs (there lungs will just collapse when they exhale), usually steroids are given to help, well in Milo case not only were his lungs underdeveloped but his heart also. He was born with a heart defect. While most children born with heart defect undergo surgery after 3 months or so, Milo was not fit for surgery because he was too little. He was placed on steroids and everyone hoped. The doctors looked at Milo and believed he wasn't gonna survive. But Milo the wonder child survived till he was fit for surgery. He underwent surgery, and everyone, friends, family and doctor were glad the battle for life was won!
But they were wrong, Milo had another heart defect that required he go in for surgery again. This time no doctor wanted to cut open this poor kid. Let him enjoy what was left of life pain free. But it was the strength Milo showed that allowed the bravest of cardiologist take him in for surgery. The surgery went well, once again Milo had beaten the odds.
To everyones disappointment, Milo was still so sick, his heart wasn't supplying his body with enough blood. The brain which is very sensitive to low oxygen will also under develop, meaning if Milo survived  this time he will have a very poor IQ. A check was done and it was discovered that Milo needed a corrective surgery because one of his previous surgery hadn't gone as well. Milo will not survive this!!

Fast foward to 3 years later. I'm standing in the cardiology examination room of pediatic really getting tired and fustrated at all the crying kids who come in. Who knew peds could be this annoying. I'm about to tell my tutor I feel sick, so I can get the hell out of there. The door opens and I see one of the most active, happy kid walk in ahead of his parents, he greets everyone one in the room, and the immediately the mood in the room changes. His mom places him on the examination bed, he looks around at each of us and smiles. He then looks at the doctor and says I've HAD  heart problems, still with a smile on his face. Milo had survive, 3 years later with no complications and the perfect IQ for his age. He is indeed a wonder and a story worth sharing. Even my tutor despite being with Milo in his years of struggle and good health is still amaze as he tells me Milo's story. He didn't believe Milo would survive, no one actually believed not even his parents. Milo is healthy and doing fine and comes back regularly for check ups. He is the wonder kid, who's spirit inspires me.

"The power of the human spirit is to rise up when faced with adversity and as we rise.... we have a responsibility to bring others along with us".




keep smiling, love

Happy Valentines Day!!

A cliché post I know. But all the same, I'll say it Happy Valentines day. Whether you are spending the day with someone special or alone, Doing something special or doing something very boring ( I spent mine in pediatrics with crying children), I hope its a FABULOUS day for us all and the message of love is spread out more in the world.

While its lovers day let me draw your attention to my giving back page here, love is giving right!

Happy Valentines day people.

Keep smiling, love

Impossible is Nothing!

I have loved the quote since the frist day I saw it in an addidas ad. I made it mine and it has been my motto for many years now. Today I need to hear it over and over.

 Every now and then I look up Job options, seeing as I'll be done in about four month its all that worries me now, making money! I've look at so many options, and realized that having study'ed medicine in a foreign country I'm pretty screwed (forgive my language).

 I have my Thesis to complete and that looks like an impossible task. I've got two more exams before my state exam, and I'm wondering where the strength is gonna come from, because right now I'm exhausted and burnt out and just wanna pack my things and quit school. Then there is the state exam, which is the big one, the final of the finals, and the thought of it makes me sick with fear. I try to always stay positive but I'm failing now.

So many things going through my head about WHAT NEXT? everything right now seems so Impossible.

I remember coming to debrecen 6 years ago and the thought of having to go through 6 years of gruesome medical training. It seemed so Impossible.


 IMPOSSIBLE IS NOTHING!!! 

Happy February!

Just a quickie To wish u all a Happy new month. Wishing you all the best february has to offer.
My resolution for this month is to work harder and quit procasting. What's yours?

Its gonna be a very cold month here in debrecen, its -10 degrees already! so I'm thinking of escaping the weather.. hmmmmm. we'll see. Right now I'm working real hard on my thesis. I'm out of the hospitals and in front of my laptop all day.
Have a fabulous months!

Keep smiling and stay positive, love

Are We Insensitive?

A very typical scenario, you walk into the wards their are patients screaming and crying, and the doctors there seem to carry on with their work like they are deaf. The patient is crying please not a needle, but the doctor goes ahead and stick the needle. The patient begs to be discharged so she can go home for her birthday, the doctor ignores or tells her you have to sign a form stating you left against our advice. We break really Bad news causually. So I ask the question "Are doctors insensitive"? Or are we being clam and rational? Are we trying to give the impression that it is no big deal or it isn't the end of the world?

I was siting in the labour ward the other day and all around all I hear is screams, no one seems to care but we the medical students. We look around hoping our eyes could help the patients, yet no one moves an inch. Those of us bold enough ask is she in labour and the doctor answers very causally, yes. Not moved at all by the crys and screams. The more time I spend in hospitals d more I realize that as a doctor crying and screaming means nothing, when usually it should be a call for help. I watch and observe doctors ignore this call and I myself follow suit or at least I try. I must admit it's hard for me but I'm learning.  
During my surgery practise one day, I went into the theater and there was a young lady lying in the corridor crying so loud. I asked a surgeon, whats d case? and he tells me ectopic pregnancy (which we are taught is an emergency and immediate surgery must be done). But oh well here is this patient lying in the corridor crying, yet no seems to be bothered. I looked at her and she's like "help me, I'm dying" ( I can't even imagine the pain she was in). I could have walk off like every other "busy" surgeon around, to be honest I was tempted to but this lady was crying real hard, so I held her hands and smiled at her, and she said "I'm going to die" I told her you will be fine (not knowing), she clamed down down a bit somehow and then I left to go find my team. 
Days later I'm walking in the ward and some woman is greeting me. She must have me confused with someone else, but I smile and say hi to, "don't u remember me 'doctor' (head swells) from the Theater?" she said, immediately I remembered, she was d the lady I told "you will be fine" thank goodness she was. She goes on to add "thank you so much". Oh my the joy that went through me as the doctors on my team just stared, thinking to their selves what could a medical student possibly have done, to make this patient so happy and grateful. Well I was SENSITIVE!


keep smiling, love

Procrastination!

One thing I really dislike on blogville about blogs I read regularly is inconsistency in posting. You start up a blog, u go hard, mayb update daily and then all of a sudden when things get interesting and there r promises made for interesting post, bam!!! u hear no more from the blogger, you keep checking back and still nothing, so u kinda give up. Then they put u a post apologizing saying they r back, you get excited once again and then still no post. I really hate this. And unfortunately this was exactly what I did. Well I could go on and explain how I have been busy with my practices I'm a doctor you know, studying for exam, working on my thesis, traveling up and down plus the holidays. But this are all excuses we like to give, especially as medics we are always busy. Well part of that is true, I'm not disputing d fact that we so busy. But in my own case its was simply this thing called PROCRASTINATION.

Procrastination is just a form of being lazy. I procrastinated so many things, my applications, my thesis work, blogging, cleaning my apartment, registering in the gym etc. At the end of the day, I find myself in a big mess, confused, stressed and having too much to do at once.

Always tell yourself this DO IT NOW. and DO IT NOW!

Keep smiling, love