Crazy

Why surgeons are able to called off operation when teu are tired, anaethetists are allowed to stop functioning theatre when they think they should not continue... Why nurses hv to do everything despite the tireness and fatique and there is no human right for nurses....

This place is frustrating...

Nonsense

While everyone is enjoying their year end shopping during the weekend, I'm stucked in OT!

Just imagine: having on call on Saturday 4 weeks ago, morning shift on Saturday for the past 2 weeks, and again on this week!! What the hell is this about?guess what, we have 5 SSN on call among 7 team members!!

RIDICULOUS!

At times, there is none or merely 1SSN!

Our current roster pattern is really going hay wire...

Hopefully changes on it's way...


- Through Val's iPhone

Can't wait to go home...

Finally, it has stepped into my last week of training...

It seems longer than 8 weeks.

I used to be a very independant girl who didn't get home sick even if I was away from home for months. But now, merely 8 weeks of time in Edinburgh. I started to miss everyone is Singapore from the end of 5th week. Although I always complain that I was overloaded by my job, somehow I kind of missing working in theatre with my colleagues.

I miss my deardear too....Although we have tons of arguements and disagreements since the day I left for training, I still miss him very much.........

6 more days to go...I hope time really speeds up for me.

饶了一圈，一个人过生日

想不到，
走到最后，我还是一个人；
而且，最后一天是在我的生日！

他，给了我一个他很用心做的礼物-我们的照片剪辑；
他，却也给了我一个难忘的生日。

我们之间，真的很像台湾偶像剧。
小学同校，知道彼此的存在，却不曾打过交道；
初中同校，他和初恋女友在一起，我和初恋男友结束了；
高中同校，同班。被安排坐在一起，刚认识却叽喳得不得了。他和她是因为我而分开的。
高中最后一年，我和一位同班同学在一起，他却和我断了友谊，因为他喜欢我但我从来都不知道。
直到毕业旅行，我们才重新联络。而后，我和那位同学分手了，他却有了新的女朋友。
彼此在不同的国度求学，鲜少联络。但是和他相离的几年，我还是很想念我们之前的友情。毕竟，他是我最最最要好的异性朋友。
四年后，大家都踏入了社会。他开始了在KL的工作，我也继续在新加坡生活。
突然，他回来了。
我好开心，因为这代表以前的友情可以重现了！
但是，他却告诉了我他从七年前就已经喜欢我的事。
一番内心挣扎。因为我怕如果爱情不永恒，我会连友情也赔上！
于是，大家说好如果不适合，一定要做回知己。
交往不到一年，已经谈婚论嫁。
他连求婚戒也买了两枚，因为粗心的我弄丢了第一枚。
哭了好多，找了好久，还是没找回。
他没有什么钱，却拚了命还是要买回一枚给我。
九月，我离开新加坡到苏格兰训练。但却是我们的考验。
我从来不觉得那会是我们的障碍，因为我相信我们的深厚基础。
但是，我错了。
我们都没变，只是地点变了。
从九月到现在没两个月，架却吵了像两年。
不对，那不是我们原本想要的。
但，我无法改变我自己；却更不想他又任何的改变。
只是我们在爱情的看法上一直找不到平衡。
天枰找不到平衡点，一直左右摇晃。
在这样下去，天枰会塌的；倒不如，倒向一边，停在这里就好。

我欠他好多。
所以，我是应该再过一次一个人的生日。

一个人的生日，不好过；
特别是当我以为总有人会陪着我的时候，却一个人了。

对不起。
我对不起他，也对不起大家。

我又回到三年前，惩罚我自己。

Sorry

Lately, there is a lots of arguments and disagreements between me and deardear. It all started from the day I left for Edinburgh.

I just wanted to apologise......

I didn't mean to be so impatient and hot-tempered.......

I am sorry deardear...

Life in Edinburgh

Hi there! It's mid-autumn festival!Poor me have to be alone in the room and blogging pathetically while my other two housemates had gone for their London trip.

Oh well, talk about my life in Edinburgh.....Weather here is really getting more freezing. I was shivering while I was showering despite I've switched on the warmer to its maximum power! I hope I could be exempted from shower and just clean my body in the way guinea pig does.....

I was with Victor yesterday. He was very kind to let me be his assistant for kidneys benchwork. He taught me how benchwork should be done properly, which vessels to ligate and which to preserve to facilitate anastomosis during the operation. Thereafter I scrubbed up to be his scrub nurse for the kidney transplant. Oh, I was feeling kind of funny in a way that, we're from the same hometown, working in the same hospital but operating in a different place with unfamiliar faces around us. I felt as I've back to NUH assisting him in hepatectomy. Haha... That reminded me of the old day when he used to be nasty towards nurses and I scolded him for abusing my scissors. lol...

Apparently we were oncall last night! We were 'fortunate' enough to be activated for a non heart beating organs retrieval in Perth! Without my further hinting, you should know I was his scrub nurse again la.....Therefore he gave me a brief lecture on how the procedure was going to be and which instruments he used first...blah blah blah......He wasn't worry of me being too inexperience for this such operation. It was the nature of this operation forces him to behave that way. This non heart beating retrieval is really not a joke.

Imagine:
1)Patient dies, transport to OT table, clean and drape within 10 mins;
2)Enter peritoneum, cannulate both aorta and portal vein within 2 mins;
3)Open up sternum, perfusion, liver out within 20mins;

This is probably more urgent and important than AAA or cardiac temponade cases whereby you strive to save one life. However you save 3 or more lives by retrieving organs from the donor successfully and timely.

He knows that we would be working with each other closely once we get back to Singapore, hence he taught me patiently. He didn't rush or being impatient throughout the operation. Thanks Victor!

I have been out for retrieval for 6 times and I'm still enjoying it! Although I have to head to hospital in the mist of night despite the coldness and darkness. I think I must be freakingly lucky to have hopped around the hospital in Scotland for retrieval training.......hmmm....lucky me..=)

Trip to Ireland

I've been in United Kingdom for merely two weeks. The HMDP training in theatre is tough as compared to my other two partners. It's up to them to decide their working hours. They knock off at their own time!! Isn't it lovely?

Well, my life here is tough and challenging. I have to adhere to their 37.5 hours of working hours at the same time go oncall at night for organ retrieval. Could you imagine after the tiring work in the day time, you have to stay up to work overtime till next day morning 6-7am?

You really have to park your phone beside you ALL the time whenever you are on retrieval call! The chances of being activated are sky high. I was oncall for 6 days and was activated 4 times!!! Yes, maybe you could say i'm such a jink....but well,the fact explains.

There's only ONE organ retrieval team in the WHOLE Scotland and north Ireland. Wherever there is a suitable candidate as organ donor in the area, RIE transplant unit will be activated for retrieval. A dedicated vehicle will transport them to the donor hospital as long as journey within 80 miles, otherwise they fly. That's why i got to hop onto a flight which Madonna used to take 2 years ago, and flew to Ireland for organs retrieval!

It was really an extraordinary exposure to be able to assist for the entire procedure. Especially with a mixture of Irish and Scottish team of surgeons! All thanks to Pam, my mentor.

This is my fourth retrieval in UK. Yeah! more to come!!!

Alright,after the eventful weeks, i'm actually in a train heading to London!! Depart to Paris by eurostar after London trip.

Do you kmow that my silly dear dear is meeting me in Paris for our first anniversary!! hahaha....

A Trip to Dundee Hospital

I was on my way to the Ninewells Hospital located in Dundee when I took this nice scenic photo. Such a nice greeny view accompanied me through the an hour and half journey to the Dundee. The hospital is under the National Health Service of UK, which belongs to the same family as my training hospital, NHS Lothian while this is NHS Tayside.

This is their authorised vehicle for multi organs retrieval whenever there is an activation. Driver remains the same person for each retrieval.

A fully loaded van with boxes and sterile items.


I was there for non-heart beating multi organs retrieval in which patient was announced as DNR status with heart and brain still functioning. Relatives have agreed with organ donations and hence activated the retrieval team which includes two surgeons, one scrub nurse and one trained personal for perfusion (similar to AU, but they do perfusion as well).


After the retrieval team has arrived at the hospital, patient would then be sent down to operating theatre. Prior to the sending, all the life supporting machines and treatments would be withdrawn. Everyone is basically waiting for the patient to die naturally with the scrub nurse and trolley fully prepared and perfusion fluid ready.


Unfortunately we came back empty-handed. Patient survives more than two hours. They called off this retrieval but, patient remains unaided until her end of life.........

I know this sounds terrible, but the organs may help others.

Princes Street and Fireworks Concert

Flew to Edinburgh only on September hence I have missed out the lovely international festival here. However, with a very kind-hearted landlady around, we were given three complementery tickets for the finale of the festival celebration - Fireworks concert at the Edinburgh Castle.

It started at 9pm and we actually were queue-ing from 630pm!! hahaha......excuse me, we are not bringing Singapore kiasu culture to Edinburgh. We were being warned to get there early if not we will never get into the garden for fireworks viewing!!

Princes street is the first street we visited in Edinburgh. I just so much in love with their building style - old England buildings are everywhere along the streets. I happened to walk pass a shopping centre which looks like a hotel to me at the first glance. Check the photos out and you will get what I mean....

Journey to Edinburgh..

It was on 4th September when I had to separate from my dearest and travel to Edinburgh, a 7-hour behind us country.

Deardear brought me to our favourite Japanese restaurant Wasabi Tei to farewell me with a sumptuous dinner. While we were waiting for the dishes, we realized that the next day is going to be their last day of business! Another Japanese owner will be taking over the restaurant as two of them are due for their retirement. It's such a waste that I could not enjoy any more delicious sashimi from them..........

Meet Kim and husband, Mag and Pek Lian in the airport at 2100 hours. Despite of having a hard day at work, the girls farewell ed me as if I am leaving for two years when it is only two months. Haha..... I feel so loved when they gave me a box of chocolates and sweets to keep my stomach full for the whole journey! They know me well enough, know that I will be crying for food during the 14 hours flight.

I am so tired now as I was not able to have a good sleep in the cabin. I was fearful of the potential DVT I might suffer......because my feet was so cold and numb, and there is no room for me to stretch my legs. As compared to the flight that I took to Seoul, this is NOT comfortable at all.......Boeing 777 is big but seats are not the best.

Therefore, good night guys..........

*Deardear, I am missing you badly..... Must take care of yourself and rest well there ya... Love you.

Coming soon, Scotland

After much suffering, finally I have settled most.

When accommodation, flight ticket and paperwork have been confirmed, I feel so light on my shoulder. Of course I hope the pimples broke on my face will SOON be disappeared too.....Too stress, too much pimples...@@

Just I realized, I am left with 3 weeks time before I leave home for Scotland for 2 months. Being first time to leave home for the longest, I can feel the excitement as well as the tension. The excitement of going Europe for the first time, the tension of the responsibility.

Not to forget my deardear. After the 2 weeks separation when I left him to Seoul, now come to a longer period. I would like to ask him to tag along, but too bad he could not run away from work.

I will be sick during the 2 months. Love sick,

Stress!

As pain is very subjective to individual, we always access the level of pain of patients via a scale called "Pain score".

"Uncle ah...If 0 is NO pain, 1-3 is bearable pain, 10 is the MOST unbearable pain, how is your pain like?"

Most of the patients understand what we are trying to ask and they will answer accordingly.
Although some time you might find an old lady crying her heart out but claimed that pain is of 4 only. Or rather you got a pain score of 9 from a foreign worker when he appeared resting calmly against his bed.



Is there any 'stress score' for missy? If there is, mine will be 9!!

The tension is killing me and it is non work-related!

As you might hear from others, I am departing on 4/9/9 to Edinburgh for my HMDP. It merely a month time. Air tickets, reimbursement, contract, visa, medical checkup are all settled, but ACCOMMODATION is not!

I have sent in a lots of emails for enquiry but only limited replies received.

Sigh...................................................................................

It's Nurses Day~!!

To all nurses,
Happy Nurses Day!

I have doctor friends ever asked me this question,
"Why is there a nurses day, but doesn't have doctors day?"

I replied,
"Because the public appreciate doctors everyday, but only appreciate nurses on 1/8 annually."

Haha.....

I reported work yesterday after my long 13days leaves with a still-holiday mood. Upon checking on my duty roster next week, I realized I am OFF on today, tomorrow and Monday! Haha...If I have one more day of AL, I would have taken on yesterday and enjoyed my 17days of leaves!

Well, it was great to have some doctors greeted you "Happy Nurses Day" when you just got back to work. You know, at least someone really appreciates the existence of nurses!

Enjoy! Weekend ahead.

Jack Neo Production

Just finish watching 'Love Matters' <幸福万岁> with my dear.

I know, I know. I am outdated as it was on film almost 6 months ago.
A great movie, I must say.

The first Jack Neo movie I watched is 'I no stupid' <小孩不笨>. As I was not familiar with Singapore education system and culture back then, it had not been my favourite movie. I thought it was just another comedy show.

After I got into Nanyang poly and blended well with the culture here, I started to appreciate his every movie.

There is always a reason behind his screen.
His capability of delivering a positive message via media, actors/actresses and story line is what I admire for.
Some people might find his movie crappy.
But that is exactly how he imprint the educational information to the public, especially to the youngster.

He is truly a talent.

Welcome to the world of missy!

Hello everyone......

Pardon me for my stupidness that I kept switching blog address.
After a few months of trial period on wordpress, I find that blogger is more idiot-proof towards IT idiot like me.
I am a nurse, IT is not my line of profession.

Well, this blog is still under construction. You will see a proper blog maybe like one or two weeks later.

Thanks for following.