A mizdiagnosis

Why did I choose medicine?!

Thursday, November 22, 2007
1 more year?!
Housemanship in Malaysia has been extended to two years for new graduates. One more year to be treated like the lowest lifeform in the hospital.

This is an example of times when I truly ask myself, "Why did I choose medicine?!!"

I really have no 'polite' words to describe what I really think about this. So I'll save it, go to a quiet corner, and repeat to myself, "Being a doctor is the noblest job of all" until my head can't think of anything else.

Oh well. In Kanye's words, "What don't kill me, only makes me stronger.." One more year of more training can only make you better, right?

But on the other hand, "%&$@ it, man." *sulk sulk*


Sources: New Straits Times Online, The Star Online, Malaysian Medical Resource



Sigh.. I can't even say of anything funny about this picture. I'm not looking forward to graduation anymore... :(
posted by Sha @ 11:36 PM   2 comments
Monday, November 19, 2007
Like mother like children?
I watched this movie over the weekend. It's not really something I would watch, seeing that it's about crime, but the reason I bought the DVD was because the DVD-seller was trying so hard to convince me that it's a good movie, and because of the:

"JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE IS A REVELATION"

Reeeaaaally? *rub chin in curiosity*

I'm not a fan of his, I don't have any of his solo albums, I prefered JC over him in N'Sync.. but I was curious if he really was that good at acting.

I don't really like crime movies. In short, I'm content to live my life knowing there are dangerous people out there that could hurt you and you need to always be cautious, but spare me the details on what happens to the victims. Yeah, tell me some poor girl got raped where and when and and why she became a victim. Don't tell me in detail what exactly was done to her. Maybe I'm fragile, use whatever word you want. That's why I've not watched more that 10 episodes of CSI and Law & Order.

But I started thinking about how raising a child is, what's the word? Challenging? How the wrong kind of parenting can make your children become the worst kind of people. That's why I still can't imagine myself having children. I've had friends tell me how adorable it is to have a little 'you' to look after.. but my fear comes when I imagine the little 'you' becoming a bigger 'you'.
When we're that small, we all want our 'mummy'.. in my case, I was, and still is a daddy's girl :p

That's the thing that gets me thinking. My child might be 'me'. Will they make the same stupid mistakes I did? Will she become as stupid as I was if she had a crush on a guy 5 years older than she is? Will she illegally enter a club, drink too much, take drugs, do something stupid? Will she think sleeping with a guy after finishing Form 5 was something to try out? Yes, I was that dumb, except I have yet to get wasted and high on drugs. And no, I broke up with the guy long before there was a chance to have a 'sleepover'. A guy I trusted tried to take things too far once, but I was strong enough to not give in to 'flowery words' and 'affectionate hand-holding'. Thank God. But will my daughter know what to do if the same thing happens to her? Will my son be stupid enough to treat a girl in such a demeaning way?

I'm lucky, my parents did the right thing that prevented me from doing so many things that I would regret. The problem is, what exactly did they do? Will I know what to do when my time comes? But one thing for sure, I'm glad I was raised the way I was. Where yelling and major punishment was the way to get your point across to your children (my mother's style) and giving a 'disappointed look' without having to say a word was scary enough (daddy's trademark). Yet my brother and I could still share anything with our parents without fear of being judged badly or insulted. We know they are doing what they believe is best for us. God knows what my style will be. Well, I guess I'll find out soon enough if I was so lucky to get married *shivers* and have children *hair raised*.

Lastly, no way was he a revelation. And the movie wasn't that great, it's so predictable.




posted by Sha @ 8:02 PM   3 comments
Thursday, November 08, 2007
Dealing with lives
4 weeks into my Surgery posting, and 90% of the patients who have cancer that I've seen are coming to hospital because of recurrence of their cancer or metastases.

A 42 year old woman had a breast tumour the size of a fist on her chest. We found out that she had a mastectomy and axillary clearance awhile ago and did not do any radiotherapy or chemotherapy because of financial problems. When asked why she did not seek medical help when the new tumour was growing, she said she had to look after her 43 year old husband who had liver cancer. He's now in a vegetative state, and she's having severe back pain (possibly cancer spread to the spine). Her eldest child is 15 and youngest is 5 years old. There's no one else to look after her children if anything happens to her.

And all the doctor said was, "Makcik, you pergi JB Hospital jumpa doktor pakar cancer, ok?"

That's it. No explanation, no counselling, nothing.

A woman in her 50s was told that she had rectal cancer and that she needed surgery. She insisted that she did not want surgery for fear of pain. I realised that she is so afraid of surgery anywhere near her rectum because of painful experiences when she did her colonoscope. And now she's willing to do anything but go for surgery.

All the doctor did was tell her that the worse thing that could happen to her was being unable to pass motion.

That's it. No convincing her that if she delays surgery, the cancer could spread to other parts of her body and cause more pain and suffering. No explanation on how the surgery could possibly save or prolong her life. Nothing.

A woman in our ward was admitted for breast cancer which later caused 'automastectomy', basically the breast tissue died off by itself. She was told she had breast cancer awhile back but she did not come back for treatment. I'm thinking the doctor gave poor counselling or she was too afraid to do a mastectomy.

A 32 year old woman with bilateral breast cancer passed away in our ward. To lose your life at such a young age.

If I was their doctor, and I took 10 extra minutes to talk to them, convince them to let me help them, to find a way to make them see that they have a chance to prolong their lives, would it have made a difference?

A specialist once said, "Some of you are religious people. You are willing to spend 2 hours in the church, mosque or temple, but do you spend 5 minutes holding the hand of the patient in your ward? 5 minutes talking to the patient in your clinic?"

Doctors have the power to kill, not heal. If you do something wrong, you will kill your patient. If you don't do something right, you will kill your patient.
posted by Sha @ 10:40 PM   3 comments
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Name: Sha
DOB: 6th July
Email: shasynergy@gmail.com

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