Chinese New Year 2016

Day 1 CNY: Go to work with very unwillingness, but once I saw the babies in SCN, I smiled. Received a premature baby, sent to NICU. Quite busy until my friends have to pack some food for me tho I am not the one PM shift on the day. Yeah, that's my first day. 

Day 2 CNY: Again, received a baby from OT, I was informed by OnG MO for category 1 caesar. Attended, baby unable to maintain the saturation under room air, CPAP was given and again the baby ended up in NICU. Again, that is my second day. Staff nurse in the NICU warned me, Dr. Evelyn, I don't want to see you bringing another baby into NICU tomorrow morning, don't be so "huat" although it is CNY season. Smiled at them. Babies are so determined and so strong to stay alive. Good job babies!

Day 3 CNY: Today I had my PM shift, attended 2 OT cases at my near-to-end of my shift. Things go well, thank you Lord.

Day 4 CNY: My ON (On Night) shift today.  There's a baby LO and there's acute patients in ICU. My MOs worked hard. Many babies in postnatal ward, and attended two cases at around 5, thankful to God, I was so touched when I saw the staff nurse in postnatal ward helped me to take all the serum bilirubin! Feeling relieved, I ran to OT to attend a category 2 caesar. 

Day 5 CNY: Postcall, extremely sleepy. I felt asleep while driving and .... I had an accident. The accident itself is scary, but the people involved are even more scary. Thank you Lord for sparing my life. All I have now is yours. Totally yours!

The Very First Cry

I was in SCN for the past one week. Attended very few cases. Anyway, today was my first PM shift (6.30 am - 9.30pm) in SCN. I would say that it is quite calm, not very eventful, still satisfactory.

During the morning round, my specialist shared three things with us:
1. Have the ownership towards the patient. "The whole ward is my patient". For this, I will say that I was well trained in surgical department whereby we need to know each and every case in the whole ward. The surgeon only wants to know a few important points regarding the patient's issues.

2. Your patient is your textbook. So, learn from your patient and thank them. In fact, I have been hearing this phrase since I was in my early life in medical school and it is so true. Each and every patient is so valuable to me. I am thankful that their presence is a stepping stone for me to upgrade my skills and knowledge. They are not my burden.

3. The importance of the communication skills.

That's all.

The day went on quite cool and calm until I was called to standby for EMLSCS at around 9. Category 2, the O&G MO did the caesar quite fast. Tonight I appreciated that the first joy is to see a clear liquor gushing out (as dark thick brownish liquor, the meconium basically is not a good sign, it means the baby is in distress) and the next moment, all I want to hear is the baby giving out his or her very first cry.

The cry is like a sign of relieve, a hello from the baby that I am coming to the world, and above all, a shout from the baby that I am alive; I am strong and is coping with all the stress during labour, well......whispering to the doctor's ear that, "please give me a good APGAR score". (It is a score to rate how a baby is coping with the labour and how effective is the neonatal resuscitation).

After finishing all the admission work for the baby, I left the hospital at around 11pm, with a thankful heart that, all is well.

All that I want to hear after this in my career pathway is, the very first cry of a baby upon delivery.

Downfall

I enjoy this posting, but as much as I like it, there is always a downfall....

I hate it when it comes to intubation, what more if the baby couldn't make it to live. I guess maybe I am too emotionally attached. I can be super duper happy when a child recover from certain illness. And my heart sank to the bottom of the sea when a child condition become worst. 

May God strengthen the little child's parents, especially the mum. 

Anyway, I am thankful and grateful to have bunch of helpful MOs in paediatric posting. Sincerely, a positive environment give you a good spirit to go to work. At least, that is for me. I'll be going down to SCN starting tomorrow, but I missed the ward so much. Time flies, feel like I have not yet learn enough in the ward upstairs...

MOs are very approachable and they r very willing to discuss the case with u. That's how learning process goes on and on...