Pruritus vaginae?

VAGINAL ITCH

Can vagina itch? LOL...... It never occurred to me that you can't itch at the V, nor any mucous membranes. Think...have you ever experienced itch inside your mouth? Around your lips, yes but never inside your mouth. Pruritus vulvae, yes, is possible because vulva consists of skin. But never pruritus vaginae...

HAHAHA....

A friend, a guy might I add, accidentally blurted "No itchiness in the vagina" during BST, and I never thought anything of it, until the lecturer laughed out loud and said "You don't itch in your vagina" and turned to look at us, girls with the expression that said "He's so funny to say that but it's so ridiculous but he probably didn't realise that because he's a guy". Of course, my friend's face turned as red as a tomato after that. Pity him. Honestly, until that moment, it never occurred to me as well, although now I think back, I never had itch at the aforementioned area.

And now, whenever I thought of that scene and 'vaginal itch' I can't stop bursting into laughter. Seriously, when I'm driving or when I'm walking towards a store or in the middle of lecture. Jeez..... 

LMAO....ROFL...LOL....HAHAHAHAHAHAHA..... 

Serotonin analogues

My 2 greatest joys in life these days are ....

&

Movie Night with best buds: Nadiah & Chandran

The Big Bang Theory has been around for ages but I only started watching it one day, out of boredom. I can't stop ever since. It's so funny..it's not stupid, lame jokes, Mr Bean funny...it's nerdy, geeky type of funny, well, mostly because the sitcom features this bunch of nerds. I have to stop watching man...Exams is in 2 weeks. But that just gives me more reason to watch it.

In the past few weeks, there has just been premiere after premiere of must-watch movies. So Friday Movie Night has become a routine for Nadiah, Chandran and I. Sorry, no, you can't join us. We are snobs. We don't invite other people. :) Captain America tonight! 

Shudder ~~~

Throughout my life, I have met many types of people, people from all walks of life. I have had wonderful experiences knowing, talking and interacting with nice and pleasant people. I have also had my fair share of coming across the worst 'sub-species' of my kind. Maybe it's not suitable to use 'worst' here. After all, I'm only 20-ehem-something. A long way to go and many more opportunities to come across worse people. 

I have met fierce, mean, intimidating people. I like to think of myself as someone not easily shaken when I come across fearsome figures. I react to such people, not by cowering in fear. I react to such people by stepping up to be more confident, even proud, rude sometimes, acting nonchalant and basically, just trying to beat them at their own game. I always believe the more vulnerable and timid you appear, the more they enjoy intimidating and scaring you. 

I remember when I was late for a lecture with an external lecturer, who has the reputation to be able to tear you to shreds when he 'acts up'. He walked out of the class because a student, namely me, was late (and a whole load of reasons as well). He asked that the student meet him in his office in the hospital. Believe me, I was scared at first, but then, my defense mechanism (the one I explained above) kicked in and boy, was I ready for the showdown! I was ready for him, for whatever that was going to be hurled my way! But of course, things didn't turn out as dramatic as I expected. He barely turned and literally 'hmmph-ed' when I apologized and I was out of his office in less than a minute.

But, in the past week, I have met this OBGYN specialist, who has achieved rank #1 in my List of Most Fearsome Figures. She was notorious throughout the hospital. All the doctors and nurses openly talked behind her back. I wouldn't call her a tigress or a lioness. She is more like a snake to me! She has the softest and gentlest voice, which will automatically make you perceive her as a nice and gentle person. BUT.... like a cobra or python, she can pounce on you so quick, so sudden and so deadly that there is no time for my said defense mechanism to kick in to protect my ego. The look on her face, that frown, that stare, that look....just think of a pouncing snake and you will understand. You all know how afraid I am of snakes. And to think that I should use 'snake' to describe her is enough to prove my point. Luckily she is not a paediatrician. All the children would wet their pants and those with persistent enuresis would definitely not recover if they were to be treated by her. 

*Shudder*  

'

A wake-up call

I wish I can be one of twilight vampires, who don't need to sleep, eat or go to the toilet. 24 hours a day is just not enough for me!!! But then, where's the joy in life if we don't eat or sleep and maybe go to the toilet. Bathing and luxuriating in a nice bubble bath with nice bath soap can be enjoyable, I think. 

I have so many things to do- the amount of knowledge that I have to effortlessly cramp and force into my brain, the patients which I have to clerk for teaching sessions, the number of cases which I have to clerk and follow-up for case reports, the endless reports, assignments and presentations to prepare for, make me wish that I don't have to eat, sleep or go to the toilet so that I could have more time. I haven't enjoyed my lunch break since I started my posting because I get so stressed up preparing for the case presentation or teaching sessions after the lunch break. Jeez...I have to enroll in stress management class. Although I have to admit, this level of stress is pushing me to work harder...so, it's positive stress, I think.


BST today with Dr Teh made me feel as if I am still a 3rd-year student, instead of a final year student. My presentation, the knowledge...GOSH! It was like a wake-up call for me. I have so much to brush up before I can call myself a final year student. I am not even close yet, for now.

Hopefully,. I will improve and be better by the end of this posting, up to the level of "a future houseman who is safe and qualified to work for me" standard, according to how Dr Teh puts it.

Am I still...?

I attended a 3-day conference, which started on Friday. I am not sure if 'attended' here is a proper term as I kinda selected only a few talks to attend. The topic of the conference was Advancing towards tertiary care or something like that. It was a mumbo-jumbo of all specialties, all departments and all topics. 

The highlight of the conference, of course, has nothing to do with the conference. haha... I met a doctor, whom I almost forgot that I was? am? was? am? having a crush on. Yes, the 'was' kinda mean that I have? had? have? been having a crush on him for the longest time... jeez..so long, it's time I 'crush' on somebody new la... Running into him 2days in a row, unexpectedly, caused a minor (I would say minor..hmm..) jolt on my heart, as if the heart was trying to remind me of its existence within my thoracic cavity. You know how you think you act stupidly in front of the people you like or have a crush on? That was what I felt. I felt clumsy, stupid and ugly.. so much for my self-esteem. And then, the conversation with him ran again and again in my mind and I kept thinking how stupid my sentences or how feeble my attempt at maintaining the conversation was. Ah....I might as well have buried my head in the sand like an ostrich. That would have been better. I better not run into him next time. Although the fluttery feeling in my heart (atrial flutter? lol..ok..lame, i know) felt kinda nice, I am not sure if the self-assessment later on is worth it.   

I change my mind. The self-reproach later on is worth it..Hehe.. 

Accused

It seems that I have logged in quite many entries lately. Does that mean that I am very distressed recently? Jeez...I hope not....INNER PEACE...INNER PEACE...INNER PEACE.... 


Unloading my distress of the day will be a step towards inner peace...

Nad and I were accused of shouting at our 'poor' groupmate yesterday. Well, news spread like wild fire in the medical world, I notice, mainly because we have nothing better to entertain us other than gossips and more medical facts? zzzz....You see now why we stick to gossips for entertainment. I know...I know...gossiping is a sin. I will try to find other modes of entertainment.

Anyway, back to the story... This group mate of ours told his friends, who happened to be our friends as well, that we shouted at him, something we have no recollection of doing. From what I heard, he said we forced him to present this new case, which resulted in him doing badly during the case presentation in the teaching round because he was not prepared for it.

I was puzzled. I didn't even know he couldn't present his old case. I didn't even know that his patient had gone into labour until like 15mins before the teaching round. I didn't even know he had to find another new case to present last minute. In fact, I even smsed our group leader to inform that I have a case at hand which I could present as replacement in case he was not ready. But our group leader told me that since it was HIS turn to present, then he should be given the priority. Fair enough.. In previous occasions, this is usually what we do. If the assigned person somehow could not present his/her case as planned because something has cropped up regarding the patient, another of us in the group will usually stand in and replace. I guess with each new group and new leader comes new 'tradition' or rules.

So, how can I shout at him about it since I didn't even know what was going on with him until last minute? I feel so accused. To think that I felt bad for him and even texted him to kinda tell him it was just a typical bad day. It was the kind of day where one bad thing happens after another. Everyone has experienced such a day. He should know it wasn't his fault and that it wasn't his inadequacy as a medical student and that it wasn't that he was stupid, to put it bluntly. It was just a typical nightmarish sort of day. That's all. Period. Nobody is to be blamed. Well, of course, if you want to dig in, everyone and everything can be put to blame. And somehow, I feel like I was blamed for his bad presentation and his bad day.

I can be a mean person. I say sarcastic things. I say mean things. I say the most blunt and straightforward things. I am guilty of all of the above, I know. But shouting is not something I do. I get worked up sometimes when I talk about things that stimulate my emotions. But shouting is not something I do very often BECAUSE I don't NEED to shout. I have already been blessed with meanness, sarcasm and bluntness in speech, which is very effective in getting my message delivered across to people. Not to mention the rich vocabulary in swear words. And most importantly, I value my self image too much to risk tarnishing it by raising my voice in public. So for the life of me, I could not recall the moment when I shouted at him. Obviously, this is distressing me because I can't believe I am still bothered by it. Nothing works you up than when you are being accused of something.

I can hear the swear words in my mind but mind over matters...I can control myself ...I can....I know I can... INNER PEACE....INNER PEACE....INNER PEACE....

Don't forget that you were once a med student

I went to the OT with Nad and Chee Guan today. First, we were sarcastically insulted by the anaesthetist. Don't what was his problem. We were only at the counter talking to the nurses and he, out of nowhere, just insulted us for no reason. Was he just dumped by a medical student recently? Jeez... Then a nurse shouted at us to wear our name tag from across the OT waiting area. Pleaseee....do you have to shout? And please, doesn't the fact that you are shouting at us show that you are already aware that we are medical students? And after the operation, we got screwed by the doctor when we asked him to sign our log book. He scolded us for not knowing what the case was all about when in fact WE KNEW! We have read the case note from cover to cover. He said Prolonged latent phase is not a diagnosis and not an indication for C-sec. Ok, fair enough. We were wrong. Then guess what his answer was? POOR PROGRESS. Jeez...! Poor progress is just as non-specific as PROLONGED LABOUR. And he said "Poor progress MOST LIKELY due to big baby, eventhough the baby is 3.9kg. Hello! Did I hear you say MOST LIKELY? Doesn't that indicate you don't know for SURE what is the reason for the C-sec as well? And you were the MO who was actually carrying out the C-sec!

And he went on and on about us wasting time in the OT observing the surgery and that he was sure we have not learned anything from watching the surgery. That we shouldn't WASTE out time coming to OT. Might as well spend our precious time studying. JEEZ! What kind of advice is that? And telling us coming just to fill our log book is useless and not important. That I agree...log book is a nuisance, yes. BUT, hello, how can we prove that we have watched 10 C secs, done 20 deliveries, draw blood for 30 times if we don't get our logbook signed? You were a medical student and a houseman not so long ago. Perhaps, you are so high and mighty that you have forgotten what is it like in our place, so down and lowly. 

Firstly, we could see very clearly the entire C-sec, from how you held the forceps to how you pulled at the baby's head so hard that we fear for the baby's brachial plexus! We were actually discussing every step of the C-sec while we were watching you and of course, cringing as well while watching you pull at the baby's head. And fyi, our lecturer asked us about C-sec during exams! 

Okay, my rational side is telling me to forgive you because you had been a very good MO to the HO, teaching the HO patiently during C-sec and for reprimanding us, which I have to take it as an advice that is supposedly for our own good, eventhough I do not agree totally. And for signing our logbook in the end. 

I don't know to think of you as nice or mean. Please lah...doctors, can you not treat us like crap?! And don't sprout nonsense. We may still be medical student but we actually go back and research the answer you tell us. So we know if they are fact or nonsense. Reprimand, scold, insult or ridicule all you want, as long as at the end of the day, we actually learn something. Scolding us for no particular reason is just a waste of your ATP and time.

PS: The correct diagnosis should be Abnormal or Poor uterine action causing prolonged labour, according to Prof Shirley Aye and Prof Soe Aung's notes. 

MALAS MALAS MALAS...

I wish I can spend my life just lying on a really comfortable couch in front of a swimming pool of clear, glistening water (less than 2 feet deep, so that my feet can reach the bottom..hee...) with endless stacks of novels and endless cups of fruit juices and yogurt in permanently cool weather. Maybe I would want a fridge nearby with Krispy creme donuts, marshmallows, fresh fruits, cool beer, muffins and delicious pasta in it. And maybe a microwave next to it to warm up the muffins and pasta. Life would be perfect!

Can I not go back to reality?! Here is my escape from reality. A half-finished case report is in front of me, screaming for my attention but the call of Cathy Kelly's Once in a Lifetime and my bed is stronger! :'(

To present ONE case tomorrow, I had to go to the hospital today, come back and prepare my case report, read up on Acute Rheumatic Fever, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Chronic Rheumatic Heart Disease, Rheumatic Heart Disease in Pregnancy, Management of Heart Disease in Pregnancy and may I remind you, there are a few sources and books from which I have to read EACH topic from.

I JUST WANT TO SLEEP!

Angel on my right shoulder says "Eunice, you can do this! There's only a few sections left on your report. The 1 month of combined lectures has made lazy. You have to buck up. It's the REAL DEAL starting tomorrow! You're in final year, no more procrastination! You love the thrill of hospital ward work...you love it when you come across an interesting case like this CRHD patient. You will be back to your normal excited self once you step foot in the hospital again tomorrow. The bed is a temptation! You will regret tomorrow if you give in to it. Don't let it get the better of you."   

Jeez...the angel should be an old fairy godmother. She is such a nag! I GET IT LAAA........