Saturday, August 24, 2013

Sssshhh.....

I would begin with "Let me tell you a secret..."

But it is probably too late for that. 

Cat's outta the bag. 

This bag...


I'm in love. 

Spied with my little eye, amidst much procrastinating, this bag on Instagram and instantly fell head over heels. 

Until Phua promptly proceeded informed me that the Celine Trapeze was, in fact, very heavy. 

Trust Celine's No.1 biggest fan to already have set her hands on the bag and tried it out ahead of me. Lol. 

Helps that the bag is also all of 3000 USD. I won't even check how much it is in GBP. 

Well, at the moment since my days comprise of flinging my Longchamp tote on the dirty orthopaedic office floor which has not been cleaned for ten thousand years, I suppose a girl can dream on. 

And I need to stop procrastinating. 

Sunday, August 11, 2013

To print or not to print

So before the appearance of Kate Middleton in that fateful blue wrap dress donning the huge sapphire ring on her engagement day, the name Issa was not one that was groundbreaking as such, at least in my humble non-fashionista, layman books anyway. 

And then she appeared in this classic, Issa blue wrap dress and suddenly the whole world loved her sense of style. With my very own mother being first in row. 

And as much as I tried not to conform, I fell victim to being a sucker for her clothes as well. Kate's style is very much something that I aim to emulate, and very similar to mine, bar the fact that I lack a royal title and endless cash. 

So when Banana Republic came up with their own 'Issa' line, I was curious. 

A quick flick online and this was the first thing that caught my eye. 

A very refreshing twist on the Leopard print, I must say. 

Call me prejudiced but I have never been a fan of Leopard prints, especially after my dapple with the Singaporean Youtube series watching Barbarella gush about 'leopard pringz'. 

But this version is structured, subtle and yet keeps it from being too boring with the prints rather than being a solid colour or my usual favourite, colour blocks. In the past year or so, I have come to own some items with animal prints myself and I have come to appreciate that the leopard print does not have to be tacky as such. Paired with a pair of nude pumps as in the picture or my personal favourite, wedges, and perhaps even a neutral-coloured belt at the waist, I would definitely wear this piece, if only the price tag was less dear or if I had more in my bank account. Or perhaps if my job didn't constantly involve running around the hospital. 

And wahey, do we see a Kate Middleton on her engagement day here or not? This piece is classic and although you would probably require a 23-inch waist like Kate's to look as good as her in this, this is something I could see myself keeping in my wardrobe for a long time coming. I might not have a Prince William next to me to complement this, but I am sure I can jazz it up in many other ways without the need of a male escort as an accessory. 

Am liking this line already. Well done, Issa. Will saunter down to London after September to take a look at these. 

For the moment, the daunting life of being shot at Trauma Meetings in Ortho and running around the wards continues, on top of trying very very hard to keep my head amidst the studying. 

ARGH. 

Wednesday, August 07, 2013

From Surgical F1 to Orthopaedic SHO

Hi, I am your Orthopaedic SHO. 

Firstly, I know nothing. Secondly, the only thing I like about Ortho is looking at ECGs. 

Wow, that's helpful isn't it? 

I finished my last day of FY1 12 hours later than everyone else by covering my fellow F1's night because he had to move to a different location whereas I was still in the same trust. 

It was uneventful. I doubly played a role as a Medical F1 on call as well because the medical SHO (whom I swear I have fallen in love with after last night) was struggling but remained so pleasant, each time telling me that he was okay when I repeatedly offered to help him even clerk new admissions, and kept thanking me when I helped him do odd jobs. Unfortunately, the sickest chap died despite my heroic efforts at catheterising and ABG-ing him...but an inoperable CA and an ischaemic bowel with a Lactate of 8.6 would have unlikely interested the surgeons in a laparotomy. 

It is true what the Med Registrar was saying - there is such a difference now retrospectively standing back and looking at the events that had unfurled this past year. How much better I am now at the end of my FY1 career than at the beginning. Even if it is just small things like working the system or telling the nurse to just forget it when there is minimal urine output in a perfectly well patient overnight. Hello, nobody pees at 4 am when they are asleep for God's sake! 

So it is with a tinge of emotion that I bid my first year of my career as a doctor goodbye. 

It has been full of ups and downs and it has been such a steep learning curve and despite it all, I am proud that I have come this far with the following to be proud of: 

1) I made it through all my F1 on calls and normal days without shedding a single tear. Yes, I have had my fair share of being treated unfairly and being shouted at for no reason, and making mistakes that could potentially endanger a person's life but I had refused to cry. Not once. 

2) Actually gained some knowledge clinically. Or at least I'd like to think so. At least now I clearly know what dilated loops of small bowel look like and what to do when someone is in ileus. NG Tube for God's sake. I Don't care whether the patient likes it or not. 

3) As much as I was afraid of surgery, I actually learnt some surgery from the few sporadic bouts of being a surgical house officer and actually doing something useful besides a ward bitch. I am only looking forward to learning some Orthopaedics because let's face it, I know nothing and we all know that we just have to man up and face our fears sometimes. 

4) Learnt to read ECGs properly. I suppose that was one of my better areas in medicine anyway. Nowadays if something looks weird I just holler for the Cardio reg and force him to come over and take a look even if he gives me grief. That's because I have also learnt that despite all his swearing, he isn't all that fierce and I'm not the least fazed by him taking the piss out of me. 

5) Can successfully totter around in fairly high speed in heels/wedges. Fashion comes first, regardless of your job. 

6) Am hopefully one step closer to being a Cardio God. 

It's been a good year, F1. Despite the fact that my days on Elderly Care almost did my head in and made me lose all my hair, Cardiology was a dream and Colorectal was great fun mainly because I had the best registrar in the world who even gave me a present when I left. 

And now on to embrace the world of Orthopaedics. My first day tomorrow and I am scheduled in theatre. The Consultant is not just going to throw his hammer at me, he might drill a hole through me and throw me out the window eventually. 

Good Luck.