ED posting

Dua hari lepas, sudah genap sebulan saya bertugas di Jabatan Kecemasan (ED). Rutin hidup bertukar dengan sistem shift di ED yang berbeza dengan jabatan-jabatan lain. Tiada istilah hari minggu. Hari-hari merupakan hari bekerja kecuali HK (Hari Kelepasan); itu pun setelah mengharungi double shift pada hari sebelumnya. Saya tabahkan hati mengharunginya. Kalau orang lain boleh buat, mengapa bukan saya. Lagipun bukannya lama, 4 bulan sahaja. (Tapi minggu ni saya tiada HK; saya bekerja dari Isnin hingga Ahad ni - tapi sebelum ni pun macam tak biasa begini, mode : tabahkan hati).

Walaupun begitu, saya gembira bertugas di ED kerana dikelilingi rakan-rakan HO yang sama-sama bekerja. Hampir semua mereka saya kenali kerana sama-sama bertugas di jabatan-jabatan lain sebelum ini. Bos-bos MO yang banyak memberi tunjuk ajar serta kawan-kawan staff nurse dan MA yang banyak membantu melicinkan kerja di ED yang memang sudah sedia sibuk dengan pesakit. 

Bersyukur juga kerana diberi peluang melalui pengalaman hidup ini. Setiap hari saya belajar sesuatu yang baru, belajar kembali apa yang saya sudah tahu dan membetulkan apa saya sangka saya tahu sebelum ini. Pengalaman bertugas di ED amat berharga untuk dibawa untuk district posting kelak; walaupun saya amat berharap untuk kekal bertugas di HTJS selepas HO nanti (borang pertukaran penempatan pun saya tidak isi). Apa pun, saya berharap semua ilmu yang ditimba semasa housemanship ini dapat membantu saya nanti; walaupun banyak lagi yang perlu dipelajari.

Hari-hari saya berdoa agar urusan-urusan saya dimudahkan. Ternyata Tuhan itu Maha Mendengar dan Maha Memberi. Terima kasih Allah.

Banyak lagi yang ingin diceritakan, Nantilah di lain hari. Saya bertugas shift petang hari ini.

71200 Seremban

Orthopaedics in memory

I've never imagined before that I'd love orthopedics like this. During student time, despite the feeling that orthopedics is just another subject and it-is-not-so-for-me, I enjoyed my posting with all the dedicated lecturers and in fact I got orthopedics case for my long case in my final professional exam - acute osteomyelitis in a child which complicated with sepsis that required ICU admission.

I was so afraid when I first started my ortho posting as HO; knowing my knowledge is all at the sacrum level. But somehow, I managed to survive my 14-day tagging period answering the basic questions that was frequently asked by our lecturers. Thanks to Allah for giving me opportunity to learn with great people.

Throughout the posting (leave the internal politics in the department), ortho is a very interesting field. It's not merely about a carpenter works in a sterile room. Everything is about knowledge in order to produce a perfect, functional and sustainable masterpiece. The aim is always to enable patients to regain his pre morbid functional level or at least to prevent further problems. The management is GENERALLY straight forward as compared to medical.

I was usually left alone by my MO in LA OT. It was only some lucky days when my MO was around supervising me doing the works. Somehow I felt appreciated as they trusted me but most of the time I felt afraid of doing mistakes without anybody correcting me. But, Alhamdulillah, Allah helped me along the way.

Doing call as senior HO in which I had to see all referral cases from ED or ward really helped me to appreciate the knowledge as I was the first person encountered the case before my MO. In every call, pelvic fracture is a must-encountered case. It was very different when I did the call in surgery where my MO was always available. Sometimes, I just can't imagine how could I go through it alone (as my MO was in OT or went back already as room is not provided for them); seeing cases alone in red zone in the middle of night whereby the other HO from surgical and ED team had their own MO with them. But I think that made me more confident in myself in managing the patient (but of course I need to know my limit!). And of course, my colleagues in ward would not expect a good night for them if I am doing the senior HO call.

I admired ortho surgeon (I repeat - ortho surgeon) very much. The stigma in the hospital is the lousy doctors are thrown in ortho (at least that was the perceptions of MOs in other departments in my hospital - there was once when I was in 'this' posting; my MO said those 2nd poster from ortho [as 1st posting] are not considered as 2nd posting). No (maybe not all). Ortho surgeons that I knew since student time until now are all knowledgeable and responsible persons. They inspired me; not really through their operational skills and masterpiece, but through the way how they coach us as junior doctors and the way how they show their care to patients. Yes, it was usually the hard way in coaching us but I took it as learning process.

Oh, how could I forget that I was the HO leader in ortho. I started doing the schedule on my day 15 in ortho. I was struggling at that time; adapting myself with the new department, new bosses, new rules and at the same I needed to crack my head for the schedule. It was difficult for me; as I'd be very upset if I couldn't fulfill their requests but at the same time I learned to become firm with my decision.

Thank you Allah for the life experience. Thank you Allah for easing the way. Please help me along my way in this world until the day I close my eyes.

71200 Seremban

Note:

1) There's another story in ortho...Nanti sambung cerita =)
2) 'Enjoying' my life in ED...huhu...