Photos

I am actually tired of going on and on (cursing, moaning, ranting) about my big project.
So.. I decided to get back to one of my favourite pastimes: PHOTOGRAPHY.
I have set up a challenge for myself.
To take a picture each day using my (camera) phone for a week, strictly medical unrelated.
I will upload the pictures by Tuesday next week.
Till then, ciao!

Vain entry

I feel awful today.
I woke up to what I think could be deemed as the worst case scenario ever.
I currently have a lot of spots on my dear face.
I really mean a lot.
This is the worst it has been since like lower secondary school.
shit. shit. shit.
Spots on my forehead.
Spots on (both!!!) of my cheeks.
Spots around my nose.
Bloody hell.
To top it all.. the skin around my mouth area is super dry.
I almost didnt go to hospital today. Just want to sit in my dark room and die.

Dont say I didnt warn you.

Question

dont you just hate chunky notes?

Traveling (the bad one)

Sitting in the train the other day, looking outside as the world passed by, I thought to myself: in less than an hour I will be at home in my own bed. The distance (door to door) between my home in smallcity to my friend's place in BIGCITY is about 40miles. Here in UK I can travel between the aforementioned locations in just under 2 hours (provided that I don't miss any connection) all with public transport.

Now lets compare it to public transportation back home (especially my hometown).

For a 40miles journey, I won't even attempt to use public transport (not even for anything else for that matter actually). I will drive; or get someone to drive me to my destination. Back home, I certainly feel limited as to what is accessible. Restricted in other word. Imagine having use the tube-equivalent then still have to use a cab to get back home (no bus!). I can walk, but hell no with all the shopping.

Medical students are more likely to own a car once they get into clinical years. Community placements, DGH placement; being in one hospital for AM session, then communication skill session (PM) in another hospital, only to rush back to base hospital to borrow some books; the potential annoying traveling stories are endless. Thank God, so far I managed to travel/commute with bus/train/coach/tram only (only used as a paradox). The cost of train tickets are extortionately expensive (Editor's Note: p53 will probably talk about this in some other entries).

There are times that I thought of buying a car here. But is it really necessary?

P.S: Traveling (the good one) is going to somewhere foreign with lots of sun.
P.P.S: Click here for my dream summer car.

Latest fav

now tell me, how sweet is that?

a haiku

Muscles aching now
Falling apart I feel weak
But God, I'm so proud.

i'm sleepy

Gosh, yesterday (monday) I slept like the whole day.
11pm-11am, then got back home (in smallcity) and slept again 5-9pm.
then managed NOT to do any work despite sitting in front of computer for solid 4hours (or in other way of looking at it: because I sat infront of computer I had NOT get any work done).
and slept again 3-8am.

So today I'm sleep deprived. Right now I'm yawning excessively, I think I better make my way back home (Im in hospital reading patients' notes)

PS: Nothing to do with my super big lunch right? What a heffa!

Good start to a day!

Hey hey, rise and shine to all.
I would like to share a story. A good one to kick start my (long, tiring) day.
I received a call from my crush this morning. A wake up call more like it. He is SO cute!
Ahhh...I felt totally good after speaking to him.
So lets hope only all the good things gonna happen today.

P.S: If you remember, I'm running 10K today. I'll let you know how did I get on.

**These pics were added later (when I finished the run and almost died! I was in the latter wave, hence had to run midday, crazieeeee)**

You'll never walk (or in this case, run as we supposed to) alone!

There were 30000+++ runners on that day. I finished in the 20000-ish place. Hahaha.

I have to put this one up!

I'm sorry you guys, I can't contain my happiness to see them two together. And that was OFFICIAL! (off screen, yippee!).

PS: For those who havent watch Gossip Girl, Oh My God, go and watch it right now. ABSOLUTELY AWESOME SERIES!!!!!

10K Manchester Great Run

Yeah, I'm participating in that (yup, in a couple of days time). Training wise, if you ask me, I would say so and so. There were days where I ran more than the others. Its pretty damn hard. I keep on having different problems at different locations. First there was problem with my ankles (which is long standing anyway). Then there was problem with my knees (which sucks! big time, because it was really hard to concentrate on the run when sharp stabbing pain kept on shooting from my knees to my ankles to and fro). Then I tried running with ankles AND knees support, which didn't help at all. BOO! Then I settled on running every other days for a short distance, because the longer I run, the more moaning I will do later. And seriously, you guys wont want to be around when I'm cranky as its awful.

Now I think I have trained enough. 3K easily. And from there on: wogging (walk+jogging)! I keep on having chest pain (crushing!) which I don't think anything serious. All exercise related. Possibly be due to ?anaemia. I promised to one of my running mates that I will get it all checked up after the run (if I go now, the GP will say don't run -yeah- like defeat the whole point right?).

So all in all, running is bad. Personally, look at me, I'm falling apart. Osteoarthritis will come insidiously when I'm slighter older. Let not even start on microfractures. Oh, wait a minute, have the arches on both of my feet collapsed? Damn. I will reduce the amount of running very considerably after the Manchester Run. Running is such a high impact sport that now I kinda don't understand how people can do marathon without any problem. But I supposed the will power defeat it all. Yet another area that I'm lacking in for endurance sport like this.

On a different note:-

• I finished my community placement. Really enjoyed myself there. My report was rated 'Above Average' --> how could it possibly be that? It was supposed to be an excellent. I have a theory here, to get an excellent score student has to be present at the evaluation session (just so to put pressure on the supervisor). I got excellent for both of reports where I was present at the final evaluation. On the other hand, I got 'Above Average' for those that were marked in the supervisor's own time. My standard of work had been very high for all four written reports (hence I do believe I should have gotten 4 Excellents) However this time, I was not as furious as the first 'Above Average' relatively because I did have an awesome placement with my supervisor.
• I started on my BIG PROJECT (3 months: 10000words) at my base hospital. My supervisor this time around is a bit loopy. Is he really? I picked him out of all consultants in my hospital, and instead of doing a project with nice, not to mention good looking consultant, I chose to do it with a consultant which I find very amusing. Full of life! More to come about this BIG PROJECT. Watch the space!!
• I had my exam last Monday, and I swear to God that it was the most difficult exam in medic school yet. I was so frustrated by the end of it, I felt numb to all stimuli, I almost felt suicidal (if that's possible!). Don't fucking ask about microbiology, I don't give a shit about it, and so do my friends (make it all medic students from my uni). Whats up with all the histopathology shits that were included? I was so pissed off. If I knew that it gonna be that difficult, seriously, I wont even bother to study in the first place. Doom for failure right from the start.
• Please, however, wish me luck. I do hope I will pass.

Facts and some afterthoughts

• UK has the highest teenage pregnancy rate among Western Europe.
• Approx 180 000 abortions are performed each year in England and Wales.
  
• About one-third of all women in the Great Britain would have an abortion by the time they are 45.
• Rate is highest among the women aged 19.
• Abortion is illegal in Northern Ireland.
• About 40 000 cases of under 18 conception in England and Wales each year.

I'm so pro-life so I think abortion is wrong unless really really necessary (like anencephaly). Now imagine if all those hundred of thousands of the foetus are being born each year. Man, thats alot. Great more babies without a proper place/parent that they can call home. Of course mainly due to irresponsible behaviour leading to unwanted pregnancies.
And teenage pregnancy is soooo stupid. If you wanna have sex use protection, take pills, do something. This is what happen when one (woman) doesnt have any future ambitions/plans. I dont want a baby to get in a way of me reaching for my dreams, doing things I want to do. Plan ahead. Use protection. Dont get me wrong, I certainly love to have a baby (or alot, hehe) of my own. Just not quite yet. I'm young.
Whoever is young out there please please please enjoy your life (enjoy sex if thats what you like), use protection and use EC if worse come to worse. Just dont do abortion. Not fair for the baby. See! Its that simple. Use protection and not get pregnant and not having to think about the dreadful, horrible abortion.

Its getting hot

Joy!
I think today (6th May) could possibly be the hottest day so far for this year.
Sunshines and cool, comforting breeze.

I was supposed to attend a GUM clinic today, so I was completely annoyed when they people there told me that they are not expecting me (after I made a 30min trip there waking up so early in the morning when they already confirmed it last week for me).

Super annoyed.
The clinic secretary did apologized and I just didnt want to insist to get in the clinic as they were having another trainee doctor in this morning session.
[Hey, I dont want to miss out on all the smelly vajajays and ulcerated dicks. Please let me innnnnnnnn!!!!!- I'm just kidding you thick!]

So I decided that there was only a way to console myself. Shopping.
Boarded a direct bus from that small district hospital to the BIGCITY. And when I arrived, it was getting warmer.

Went into Primark (which was very organized since it was only 10am). Browse through the store and tried many different things. Cutting was generally bad, materials looked cheap-ish, and the price is a bit over the usual for Primark stuff. End up buying a nice pencil skirt. Hehe.

Then on to TKMAXX. Nice. NICE JEANS. I tried on few designers jeans. Fit ok-ish, mainly from last season. NICE SHOES. Tried few pairs, but didnt but anything (just dont feel right)

Then on to a sport shop looking for a ankle and knee support. I swear to God that everytime I run now, I will end up with pain and something crepitations. Ewww... so bought them, and some nice sport bras and running pants. Yeah, the Great Bupa Run... bring it on!!

Then on to all the shops in the shopping complex.... (which is a lot and window shop!)

Topshop! I tried on a lot of pair of Jeans. Their sizing is soooooooo wrong. I am size 0, but size 8 of the bloody discriminating Topshop is already too tight for me. And I know exactly that I havent gain any weight. What will the other girls feel like when they try a pair? Scream in despair?? But anyway, I end up buying two pairs. yeay!!!!

Super happy then.
Again I repeat, super happy.

Went running for a bit. My knees were killing me, even with the knee support.
4k top! Arrived at home moaning, because now my knees AND my ankles are Shiiiiteeee! Gosh, and to think that the run is less than a two week times, I'll be so screwed.

And coz it was so sunny and hot and nice, I opened up window and drew the curtain and lie down on my bed (oh well, my friend's bed actually, remember im staying a friend's house, haha) and sunbathed. So nice.

And slept for whole 4 hours (under direct sunlight) and dreamt of everything that I could possibly dreamt off. Woke up with the biggest mother of all headaches. ouch. PCM STAT. Why headache, I asked myself???? Why?

Anyway, hope tomorrow weather is as nice. can picnic!
p53 xoxo

Young girls and TOP

Well, it seems that I'll never drop this topic... might as well talk about it when its a hot topic under my radar.

The youngest person at the surgery that requested TOP was only 15 year 4 month. Almost half of the women that requested TOP in this particular surgery were younger than 20. In concordance with national statistics.

Taking us all back to why a large porportion of women asking for termination come from the under 20 age group. Some of them were simply too young. Some of them didnt even practice any contraception prior to falling pregnant. Was'nt that a big issue under public health that need looking into?

Sex in this cases might or might not be consensual [the latter which I wont discuss here]. Despite young women consenting to sex (read: not statutory rape even if illegal sex due to being under age) they should also practice safe sex. With accident (like split condoms etc) that lead to unwanted pregnancy hence TOP, the request in itself can be perceived as a good opportunity for patient education regarding reliable method of contraception.

A thorough discussion about this matter should be made compulsory during the pre-TOP counselling. Current guideline suggest that conraceptive should be prescribed before discharging these women following their abortion.

I rest my case.