Blogging Sabattical

Wow! More than 4 months since my last blog post. I can't tell you how much I have missed blogging! Unfortunately work and life (although work is my life at this stage) have been so demanding, that I haven't had time to even shave my legs, let alone keep a blog on track. My aim is try to become better at multi-tasking...

I have missed the blogosphere, other blogs and all you crazies that actually read the shit I write.

Here's a recap of what has been happening over the last 4 months

- I got engaged. YAY! The Boyf has tossed his old title and has now become

- I am working like a dog

- as a result I still get back pain, hip pain......basically body is still falling apart

- I still hate medical students

- and I still hate tik users

So not much has changed.

Normally not one to put a question out there, but...

Do you think I should continue my blog?

I love blogging, but putting time and effort into it if no one reads my rantings and ravings is pretty futile. So please be so sweet to leave a comment below!


LMM
xoxo

Working Easter

For all of my sins I will be working this long Easter weekend.

source

I am really not the hugest Easter person, so I don't mind really, just as long as I don't get a tik patient.

They really seem to be coming in droves. I don't know what it? Possibly the fact that it's so damn cheap.
My last tik patient was annoying as all hell...




Little Miss Medic: Miss Tikkie, I know that the pain is severe but when you feel a contraction, I need you to push.

Miss Tikkie: Ek...sob....kan...sob...nie! *ugly cry*

LMM: You can! You just need to listen to me.

MT: You Ma se....

LMM: I am only trying to help you. Swearing won't make me go away.

Contraction starts.

MT: Mommmmmmmmeeeeeee. I......sob...want....sob....my....sob...mmmmoooommmmmeeeee! *ugly cry*

LMM: I can see the head. Almost there. Just one more push.

Miss Tikkie proceeds to put her fingers in her nether regions.

LMM: Don't do that. I just need you to focus on pushing.

She continues to do this and then brings her hands to her face, smearing excrement all over herself in the process.

LMM: I told you not to do that. Now look what you've done.

MT: Fok jou!

LMM: Now listen here lady, do not push me! You have yet to see a white person's inner coloured come out. And believe me it isn't pretty.

Eventually the poor baby came out and was named Renesme. Dear Lord...

Please let there be no Miss Tikkies this weekend!

HAPPY EASTER!

LMM

xoxo

Where the HELL have I been?

I know, I know! I have been terrible at blogging this year. I don't really have an excuse, except that I haven't really had oodles of time to blog. I've even stopped reading other people's blogs *eek*

So a quick recap of what I've been up to...


...been working my behind off

...sleeping as often and as much as I can (due to point 1)

...only just signed up for RubyBox and I freakin' love it!

...still loving Scandal......consider it handled

...am off for the month of April to do my research, hence the renewed blogging.


What have y'all been up to?


LMM

xoxo

Why Oh Why

What is it with people and being in denial? Why does someone only go to doctor once they have a tumour the size of a small child growing on them? Why do morbidly obese people only seek help once they need a crane to get them out of the house? Why does someone with AIDS only agree to be tested once they are on death's door?

The obvious answer is denial.

de-ni-al    An unconscious defense mechanism characterised by refusal to acknowledge painful realities, thoughts or feelings. -Oxford Dictionary

But still people. Buck. The. Fuck. Up. If it means saving your life, get over it! I know. Easier said than done.

What are you in denial about?

My answer: all the fucking work I have to do!


LMM

xoxo

These last 2 weeks...

Apologies for the lack in blog posts, but life has just gotten carried away!

Anyway...this is what I've been up to...



...I managed to hand write and post 50 Christmas cards. Organised me 1 : chaotic life 0

...my colleague got TB and now we all have to work extra shifts :(

...I had a catch up dinner with Lulu from Berry Diaries. She is just amazing and so inspiring!

...I felt somber, sad and empty, dealing with Mandela's death. The Boyf and I went to watch the funeral on the big screen in town,it was amazing to see all kinds of different people there, and laying down my flowers with everyone else's is a moment I will never forget.

...went to work numerous times with chipped nail polish (a big no no for me), went to work without lunch and even went to work without shoes. Chaotic life 1 : me 1

...went to a wedding on the beach.


Hope you life hasn't been too chaotic!

LMM

Xoxo

Freebies

This PH I was at work. It was awful. It was busy. But it was the first time I have EVER gotten a perk, freebie, call it what you like, through work (besides those panados that I once nicked). I suddenly noticed that there was not a nurse, sister or even a porter to be found. Rumour had it that Link Pharmacy was coming to give out gift bags. Unfortunately a labour ward is not a place that you can leave completely unstaffed, and so I remained behind to hold down the fort. When there is something up for grabs, nursing staff will be there in a flash. And who can blame them, as they never get much recognition, let along a goodie bag. The amazing people of Link Pharmacy gave every single patient of ours, every staff member, including the doctors, one of these bags.

Thank you to Link Pharmacy, for making us feel special!


LMM

xoxo

Snow...Seriously?

Today it snowed somewhere in all 9 provinces.

This is a lion at the JHB Zoo....cool hey. Either global warming has arrived or this is the Winter Fairy's idea of a sick joke. Anyway, all I know is that I'm cold.

In other news...I have been feeling super tired and am trying to fit everything into a normal day. Am working with a new crowd at school. They are not as nice as the old bunch, actually pretty bitchy. I miss my old colleagues!


LMM

xoxo

Day 1

Tomorrow is my first day as a Registrar....aka slave to the academic world of preggers and postmenopausal women. Tonight is the last night of my free life. I am drinking red wine. A lot of it :)

Wish me luck!

{source}

LMM

xoxo

Sorry for the silence...

I am back! Life has been a whirlwind these last few weeks. So many things have happened...

The most exciting news is that I got a post to start specialising in August. This means I am a bitch slave to O+G for the next four years, at least. Am so thrilled, excited, could-pee-in-my-pants happy :)

In not so good news, my puppy, Max, fractured his ulna. Luckily it can be treated conservatively and he's on the mend.

Anyway, sorry for being gone so long...

{source}

LMM

xoxo

I love/hate students!

Every 4 weeks we get new students. At times they can be incredibly annoying or slightly helpful, but no one really loves having students around.

The 4th year ones are there to catch their required 10 babies. They know nothing. They have not seen many vaginas. Especially the ones with babies head's coming out of them. They scare easily and they have never worked a night shift before. Invariably you will find them either asleep in a corner or fainting from sheer horror at seeing blood, placenta, shit and baby parts, in no particular order.

The 6th years know nearly nothing. This is the year when they practice being interns, which is what they will be next year. They have seen a few vaginas. They have never worked a night shift since 4th year. Their job is to help the intern and assist you whilst you do the casear (ie they hold shit for you during the operation). They will either be found asleep in the corner or asleep in your bed, which is fucking annoying when you are actually lucky enough to get to go and sleep.

At the end of their 4 weeks we have a meeting, where we discuss how retarded they are, whilst eating cake and drinking tea. It is the highlight of the month! No one holds back, from consultants to interns. We slate their personalities and shred the essence of their very existence. Then we give them a mark. If they are SUPER shit, we never fail them. That would mean that they would have to come back for another 4 weeks and that would be even worse than passing a shit student.

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LMM

xoxo

First Call

Hello my lovelies. Sorry I have been MIA for the past few days, work has just been so hectic and I am still finding my feet. I did my first call on Friday night. This basically involves starting work on Friday morning at 8am and then working till 12pm the next day. For the last 2 years the longest shift I have done, has been a meager 12 hours, so I was shitting myself. How would I stay awake? I also accidentally left my CROCS in the UK. You can diss them all you want, they are ugly, they are fucking ugly! BUT they are heaven to wear when you have been going for 22 hours straight. I wore my New Balance trainers from 2001. They did not do the job and my poor feet were left feeling very tender when I got home.

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The call went OK. I didn't get any sleep, but was so busy I didn't even feel tired. Everything was going well until 4am. A pregnant lady came in who had been at the clinic for 8 hours. Her baby was in fetal distress (not getting enough oxygen) and she should have been referred HOURS ago. We rushed her to theatre. I did the caesar and pulled out a blue, not breathing baby. The baby was resuscitated for 30 minutes but died a few hours later. It was a horrific event for a first call back and I was an emotional wreck afterwards. As I counselled the mother, she started to cry and I have a strict rule, never to be emotional in front of patients. But I couldn't. I balled like baby and have been carrying this heaviness with me ever since. I know things don't always turn out as expected and there is a lot of loss in the medical field, but it was too much for me to handle. I really don't want a death to be like water off a duck's back, to me it is still huge and if I am not touched by it, I know I have lost my humanity.


RIP

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LMM

xoxo

First day of work at my new job...

(This was supposed to be posted this morning, but with my allergic-reaction-to-seafood-fiasco last night - more to come later - I had to rush off to not be late for my first day!)

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Meep! I am scared! Know I shouldn't be but I am. Today I am starting my new job in an O+G (Obstetrics and Gynaecology) post. I love female patients. I love pregnant patients :) BUT the nursing staff are going to eat me ALIVE!

I have not worked in this field in over 2 years and will not know this particular hospital's procedures. They are going to hate me. They are going to eat me ALIVE!

                                                                          source


Wish me luck!.....meep....

LMM

xoxo

Last day at work!

Today is day 18 of my hellish stint of work-induced madness. It is my final day working in the UK and it is a helluva lot sadder then I expected it to be. I have said some goodbyes already and it has been hard. At my one job I was spoilt and got these beautiful flowers.

I have no idea what type of flower this is, but it looks like rose cabbage!

Purple cabbage rose!

LMM

xoxo

Day 9 of 18

While The Boyf is in India, I decided that I would work as much as I could to earn a few pounds to take back home (as I have saved fuck all NOTHING since being here for nearly 16 months). I have overextended myself slightly and committed to do 18 days in a row. Including Saturdays. And Sundays. Basically 18 days with no break. None. At. All.

Today is Day 9 and whilst I should be rejoicing in being almost halfway, I want to slit my wrists and paint my suicide note on the wall with my own blood. Yes, it's that bad! I hate every patient I see. I loathe their minor complaints and I don't fucking give a shit. Not today. Not tomorrow. And not for the next 9 days.

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slightly grumpy LMM

xoxo

2011

Reflecting on 2011, with a cup of tea in hand, I think of all the highs and lows the year has brought. Living in London has been amazing and has opened up a whole door of opportunities, but not having set foot on African soil once this year, has been extremely difficult and heart breaking.

I was lucky enough to get to go to 11 different countries this year and have definitely filled up my travel itch "hole" to last me for a while! From skiing in Austria, to sailing around Croatia, from eating paella in Spain to riding a donkey in Greece, I feel very blessed to have been able to do all these amazing things. That being said, the year has not been full of roses. Working hideous hours on a shift work basis, doing a job I despise at times, has been soul destroying. The only thing that kept me going was the next trip we were taking, with the few days off to recover. It is not that I have totally hated my job, but it is not what I want to be doing and as you know, having drunk f*%kers as patients, can be less than rewarding.

So what does 2012 hold? Moving back to South Africa, a new job, a new home, basically a new life for Little Miss Medic.

So I will leave you with one of my favourite quotes...

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LMM

xoxo

First day back at work

After my harrowing experience of eventally getting home from Greece sans luggage, I arrived at work the next day hoping for a relaxed day, so that I could ease myself back into work. NO SUCH LUCK!

My first patient was slightly psychotic and decided to throw her mobile at me (being assaulted on the first day back is never a good omen of things to come). Luckily I managed to duck the approaching missile and it hit the wall, shattering into pieces.

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I am hoping the rest of the week is slightly better!



LMM

xoxo




P.S: don't forget to enter this week's giveaway!!!

First days at work

I missed this weeks Tuesday's tips as I have been working. Yes! I got a J-O-B.
Well, not technically a full time job, but I had some locum shifts. Let me fill you in on my first day

Day 1

03:30am Wake up

05:00am Catch train from Somerset to London

06:10am Train in front of us breaks down

06:30am My train goes back in opposite direction

08:20am Arrive at Waterloo, 30 min late

08:30am Work starts. I am on a bus in heaven knows where.

09:20am Arrive at work

09:30am - 10:30am Ward round with a consultant

10:30am - 11:30am Do ward work

11:30am- 17:00pm Twiddle thumbs

17:00pm - 19:30pm Travel home


So that was Day 1. I had ten patients and not much to do. My youngest patient was 76, so it was a ward filled with decrepit geriatrics. My favourite!..........................................NOT!

Day 2:

08:30am Arrive at work on time

10:00am Have finished all my work

10:00am - 17:00pm Twiddle my thumbs

17:30pm Train breaks down..........seriously.....AGAIN.

20:10pm Get home, very grumpy


Am hoping that my next few shifts will go better, but beggars can't be choosers!


xoxo