Again and again, I re-visit this blog site and throw a few words of the happenings from me and Ina.. Sadly enough, despite many beautiful stories to share, the blog has not been gladly sharing.. Apologies from our behalf.. We will try harder to entertain and inform as much as we used to.. Certainly by numbers, everybody can appreciate that April only logged four entries from us..
Even more worrying, lately all the entries have been of recent happenings between us, but as many could remember, I used to have and write some interesting stories from outside this cubicle house of ours.. I could still recall my inputs on various different topics including of being a doctor and the Large Hadron Collider..
Maybe it is an indication that I have been reading less and less from newspapers and about the events of the world.. Maybe it is an indication that I am now phasing myself to being somewhat an ignorant..
I should make a change..
Flu
As many now have noticed, despite actively trying or passively drifting to be an ignorant of the world's event, the world is now facing a pandemic in the form of 'Swine Flu'.. Albeit, some have suggested that it should be renamed and called 'Mexican Flu'.. At current position, not much is known about this disease apart from few little details..
We know that it is a virus, and quite likely a variant of the recent (2003) virus pandemic in South East Asia the 'Avian Flu'.. The Avian Flu was caused by the H5N1 virus strain.. Now, this pandemic is likely closely linked to (or perhaps a mutation of) the virus and re-presents itself as the H1N1 strain.. The difference : The Avian Flu was transmitted by birds while this new strain is transmitted by pigs, hence the name.. But, more recently, one reported case of human-to-human transfer has been described..
Where did it start? The Avian Flu started somewhere in Hong Kong, but this time it sparked from somewhere in Mexico.. And with Cancun being a popular tourist attraction, it is quite easy to say how this virus can be carried outside the country and infect people so far away from the native origin..
I shall not babble so much about this flu at the moment.. I have to say, I have been reading about it and I will try to find as much information as possible and digest and present to my readers in the form palatable to non-medical-background minds..
Patient, my friends..
The Week
This week had been rather slow-moving for me.. Studies had been somewhat turtle-speed but job was great..
I had the opportunity to see how hard it is now to enrol into a medical school, to the extend I have now no idea what colleges are looking for in the CV.. Even straight A's and excellent extra-curricular activity list are now being deemed 'not sufficient'? Maybe I was lucky at my time..
Also, we had a very interesting case this week passed.. And to cut the story short, we had to look for somebody to transfer this patient to Charing Cross Hospital in London on Tuesday coming.. I initially opted myself out by default as I am taking the coming week as my study leave.. However, at the very last minute on Friday, the Air Corp rang and told us they would not be able to supply a doctor to escort the patient to London.. And it all fell back on to Limerick Regional Hospital to find the escort..
In the end, I agreed as the hassle of finding another escort was too overwhelming (not for me) for Patient Services and Human Resources to handle.. So, as far as this very moment, I am due to travel in an ambulance from Limerick Regional Hospital to Shannon Airport, transfer the patient to London in an air ambulance, then come back to Ireland the same day in, what I was informed, a 'state plane'.. The ones that the ministers use for official travels.. Maybe if I am lucky, I will be in the flight with Mary Harney and I will certainly take the chance to express myself about the cutbacks and closing off of Nenagh and Ennis A&E departments!
I will share my experience of transferring the patient in due time..
No Sushi
Ina was oncall on Friday and only got back home around 4pm on Saturday.. She was exhausted, drained to the very last drop of her energy.. She fell asleep as soon as she hit the bed.. Later that night, she had asked to have sushi on Sunday, so I agreed and decided to take her to Cork..
Unfortunately, the sushi restaurant was closed and all of that sudden her mood changed.. I knew she was heart-broken.. I knew if that one thing had fallen into place quite nicely, she would have been happy for the weekend.. It was only made worse when she was asked to come in to work on Monday (tomorrow) despite tomorrow being a Bank Holiday weekend.. And, it will only be the consultant, Collin the reg, herself and Donncha.. It will be harsh for the two SHO's to cover the whole Geri patients on a public holiday..
I wish her best..
Maybe I will make some breakfast for her tomorrow to smooth her day.. Maybe even bring her out to dinner later if she wants..
Salam..
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