11th May 2024
It really has been a while... again.
08 Oct 2024
2nd post of the year in 2024. Oh wow I have been neglecting this blog.
Attending a course on palliative care here in the cancer center now. A rather important topic in oncology.
09th Oct 2024
Plenty of time to type over here at the reprocessing room in the inpatient endoscopy clinic.
So reread my last post and realized I should mention that I'm now a licensed registered nurse, under probation.
Things are amazing here, absolutely a paradise compared to my final clinical/internship - everyone is helpful and friendly, the environment is so comfortable and clean, the management believes in taking proper holidays with our annual leave days instead of using them one at a time, the entire building is new including the gym. What's not to like about this place?
Moreover, endoscopy nursing is easier to learn and involves minimal interaction with conscious patients while simultaneously being a very direct way of helping patients as a diagnostic tool - in fact it is the gold standard for diagnosing cancer. I really like it because as the scrub nurse, I am the one who snips and catches the polyps for the doctor or, on rare occasions, feel the hardness of the polyps for him/her in order to have a better understanding of the condition.
The unit isn't opened yet, so I'm attached to the ones at the main hospital for a few months. The work is actually pretty simple, and is really like a simplified operating theatre. Saw a lot there that made me appreciate why we have been recommended to do certain things.
First, we should not hold our shit inside when we feel the urge to pass motion because it leads to the development of little pouches in the colon known as diverticula. These diverticula can trap faeces regardless of what your body does, and the shit clogs can eventually lead to the prosperity and longevity of bacteria, ie infection in the diverticula aka diverticulitis.
Second, if someone is within the recommended age range for regular endoscopy, that person should go get it done. Early stage cancers are always much much more survivable than late, and early stage gastric and colon cancers tend to have no symptom. Do these scopes and find them while it's still easy to treat.
Third, alcohol and drugs make a person more desensitized to sedation drugs so it is good to avoid them. I have seen petite people who drink regularly end up totally awake during their scopes, whereas big Muslim men who have never touched a drop of alcohol get completely knocked out with minimal amount of sedation. If you drink often or indulge in binge drinking, I am sorry.
As a side note, feels a bit bad for my PRCP preceptor and instructor for all their efforts and frustrations that have now gone to waste since 90% of the stuff they do in the wards aren't relevant to me. Heck, not even the wearing of name tag matters over here.
New rings soon. Already have my eyes on some. Wedding could be next year. Already considering where we can afford to go for our honeymoon. She isn't asking for much, merely mentioned she would like the castle I've stayed at, but that's too easy. I could include a week there and another week somewhere in Switzerland. Won't even have to consider a luxury cruise, as much as I may miss it.
Two main concerns in this area:
1) Finances are down to the skeleton as my business is no longer running in any meaningful way. Income from there are barely trickling in. Kids will be require sacrifices.
2) Children will have higher risks of health issues due to our ages. Many implications including emotional and financial tolls.
Was a pretend patient for an ECG class and then my result got interpreted by my girlfriend's instructor at the cardiac ward.... so it turns out I may be having a mild left sided enlargement. Not a major concern, but it is something to watch out for in future health screenings. Signed up for a staff health screening later this month, paid extra for the cardiac profiling, will see how it goes.
A more serious concern would be my obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) which my gf has observed frequently. Will mention it on the next visit to the GP. See, they are coming, as expected in my early 30s.
Have seen what a continuous stream of oxygen through nasal prongs can do for someone with OSA sleeping during the recovery period after the endoscopy session - oxygen level drops to under 80% and they wake up, so ie not much. Wonder what magic the CPAP can do.
Where should I migrate to, if at all?
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