life is a roller-coaster ride

I was at the edge of my frustrations yesterday. It started with failed attempts of taking bloods, one after another, that took me the whole morning to recover from the frustrations. Then from there the workloads kept building up, and more frustrations, and more works, and more frustrations hit. I didn't have any break for food or pee, and I even missed the compulsory interns tutorial. One more push I probably had surrendered and wasted all the built up passions I've been having all these while. Luckily I managed to swallow it all, painfully, and leave it as it was. I know that yesterday was not even close to be called one of the bad days in my career. So I slept all the troubles away and hoped to wake up to a new day.

I did.

Today was a total turnover. Bloods drawn out on most first attempts, 3 successful arterial bloods, 3 successful referrals to the physiotherapy, social worker and occupational therapy, an IV line in, and again, a medical student to do the Serial Data for my patient who had chest pain. I managed to pray zuhur earlier, and lunch was salad of olives and feta cheese! Been waiting for this a long time now!! So I can proudly smile at the end of the day and say my gratitudes to Allah SWT for if not for Him I wouldn't be able to survive this all along. Alhamdulillah.

Life is indeed a roller-coaster ride. One time you're flying high, you've your adrenalines all shooting to the roof, and the next you find yourself at the bottommost of the playground, inhaling the dusts and dirts of the system. But you know you're gonna be up again later, and the cycle shall continues. Interesting ain't it?

Few tips to share with the intern friends out there. I know you're (the ones who'll be working in M'sia) all be laughing at me for my not-even-up-to-M'sian-busy standards of daily job, but I guess some of you might benefit the experience I'm sharing here. Feel free to apply!

1. Always make a good rapport with the patients. Go and see them, ask how are they feeling now, did they sleep well last night (they won't usually, layan je la hehe), how's the food like, touch their hands when you talk to them, give comforting words (without overdoing one), etc. At least if you have failed attempts of bloods/IV line, they'll know that 'the nice lady doctor has tried her best to do her job and not hurting me as much.' Although you're da*n sure that you had hurt them pretty badly!

2. Know your colleagues from other departments. Nurses, physiotherapists, the technicians from the radiology departments, the porters, anyone at all. Respect them regardless of their level and jobs, call them by their first names and give your sweetest smiles to them (be sincere though! he he). They'll make your life much easier, and you can take my words for this!

3. Get dressed for success! The first day I was all ready to put up my best first day impression outlook. Wrong day for a fancy pair of shoes! Few cinderella moments occured when one shoe fell out of the foot to the bottom stairs while I was trying to cut time short by jumping up 2 stairs at one time. No luck that day, there wasn't any prince charming to pick up the shoe for me. I must be dreaming. The second day I was back to my best red Adidas pair. Cinderella moments no more! The point is, no one really care for your look, it's the speed and your comforts that matter! (looks like I'll have 2 pairs of stiletto heels I won't be using, at all!)

Cinderella lar konon..

I'll leave it to those 3 for the moment. Cheerios!

BTW, my physiotherapist happens to be someone who can pass for a role of the next Superman. And yep, I mean this! :p