Heya. Heyaaa

I'm still alive! Fear not.

A day in the life.

"What's that?" Says the Orthopod pointing somewhere near the thumb.
"Errr, is that the abductor pollicis?" I stumble, struggling vainly to remember my hand anatomy from 9 months ago... And why have I been unable to remember any of that cramming I did last night?
"What? No."
"Hmm, is it the palmar aponeurosis?" I'm not sure what she's pointing at any more. Time to guess wildly.
"Stop answering in the form of a question! I ask the questions! See it's white, now what is it?"
"Is it" I pause as a groan emerges from the surgeon. "It's a tendon..." I say with a slight upward inflection.
"It's palmaris Brevis" she says, looking up from the half-finshed carpal tunnel. I nod, having only ever heard of the palmaris longus.
"Oh... right. I've never even heard of that muscle. I don't think it's in my textbook. What does it do?"
"I ask the questions!" She yelped before laughing and letting me guess at its function... Apparently it has no function.

Actually that was a fun day. After another five carpal tunnels I finally had it figured out! We stopped halfway through the list to have ham and pea soup which one of the nurses had brought in declaring "It's very farty!" Fortunately the topic turned from me getting drilled to chatting about horses and the best way to keep bugs out of strawberries.

Country medicine!

On the topic of leaders

I enjoy politics. Well not really. But I enjoy watching it. All I can say from this leadership challenge, and all I've seen on TV.

I want to see more Annabel Crabb.

Because of the gift

An excerpt from someone who writes and sings much better than I.

I have lost my appetite!
And a flood is welling up behind my eyes
So I eat the tears I cry...

And if that were not enough !
They know just the words to cut! And tear and prod,
When they ask me “Whereʼs your God?”

Why are you downcast, oh my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
I can remember when you showed your face to me

As a deer pants for water, so my soul thirsts for you
And when I survey Your splendor, You so faithfully renew.
Like a bed of rest for my fainting flesh!

When Iʼm looking at the ground...
Itʼs an inbred feedback loop that drags me down
So itʼs time to lift my brow
And remember better days

There's something pleasingly angsty about this reinterpretation of Psalm 42. I've listened to it a few times now. I'm thinking about heading to Africa next year. I remember once listening to a song in church, sung by the youth pastor of all people. It's about a guy who lives a comfortable life, but can't quite shake something.

 It was entitled 'Please don't send me to Africa.' Strangely I think that's where my curiosity may have been sparked.

Oh Lord I am your willing servant
You know that I have been for years
I'm here in this pew every Sunday and Wednesday
I've stained it with many a tear
I've given You years of my service
I've always given my best
And I've never asked you for anything much
So, Lord I deserve this request

Please don't send me to Africa
I don't think I've got what it takes
I'm just a man, I'm not a Tarzan
Don't like lions, gorillas or snakes
I'll serve you here in suburbia
In my comfortable middle class life
But please don't send me out into the bush
Where the natives are restless at night


I'll see that the money is gathered
I'll see that the money is sent
I'll wash and stack the communion cups
I'll tithe eleven percent
I'll volunteer for the nursery
I'll go on the youth group retreat
I'll usher, I'll deacon , I'll go door to door
Just let me keep warming this seat

So much to think about.

The land of sore throats

For the first time this year, I think I'm fighting off some sort of throat infection. I had naturally assumed I'd be sick all the time in GP land. Ironically I think I caught it by sitting next to another medical student.

Having said that, I still recoil whenever I have to see a patient with gastro. I haaaaate gastro.

easy hiyo

Just took part in a paediatric resus. A very floppy child. After 5 shots at IV access they ended up using interosseous... I.e they jam the needle in to your shin bone and squeeze fluid in. Its actually pretty effective. Except you have to use a small power drill to drill the needle in.

Fascinating. Very emotionally charged for all too.

Reflexes

I've had a few awkward moments this year. Here's another one:

I'm what you might call hyper-reflexic. Very easy to trigger reflexes that are quite substantial in their magnitude. Unfortunately I happened to have my legs crossed when I slapped my hand on top of my knee. My remotely triggered patella-jerk kicked in, sending my leg flying forward. I kicked my patient right in the bony part of the shin. We both exchanged awkward laughs as I apologised profusely.

Maybe this is why doctors sat behind desks all those years.