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ER Diaries: Making fool of yourself

My life and cupboards are parallel these days , both messed up. I have no clue how to organise it! I am usually bursting out with things to say. I forget entire universe with opinions stays with me. I miss out on perspective I  could get. All the things I  could know if only I stopped and listened. The maturity to differentiate between a personal attack and constructive criticism is still in progress .Unless you come in terms with the fact that you’re going to make fool of yourself in ER and that it shouldn’t be taken seriously , life will be crazy.  I try to find humour in the embarrassment instead. If I don’t , life begins to appear longer than it is. I feel instead of crying on old mistakes. I often try new things and make new mistakes. I have learnt to own up to the mess I make. And you know what , that’s the first sign of adulthood! Yaayie! Grown up. Taking responsibility for screw ups ,ambitions and things you want it’s liberating an

ER Diaries: Kidney Zoned Doctors

We were nagged . We are going to nag you , flog you . Why ?  Legacy .  Some senior doctors have this kind of attitude. But there has to be a way to channel out their frustration. Some smoke and drink to do the same . Sometimes that isn’t just enough and some don’t do anything. Where does the negativity drain? It drains down to the junior most resident. It’s an unwritten bond every junior medical resident  in the medical field  across the world has signed up while joining residency.  Some try to combat . Some give a deaf ear . Some shed a tear . All they wait is for the end of their residency or atleast joining of their junior. Because hey! They also have to channelise their stress out of their body. I find it a little weird when I read people leaving the job because they ain’t able to cope with this. How I deal with this ? Honestly I find it very funny.  There are times I get offended .  There are times I feel guilty when I realise I am at fault. The r

ER Diaries : Gen W : W for Whiners

One of the saddest commentaries on my city that I see on an all too regular basis is the absolute lack of coping skills in the growing generation. We had generation X and then Y, and I guess they’ll need to call this generation W for whiners. Too pampered while growing up that they have no idea how to manage their own problems after they very effectively create them. I had the unfortunate experience of seeing A teenager who came to ER on three separate occasions seen by three separate ER physicians for what he described as chest pain. Day 1. Chest pain , Palpitations. ECG and all normal. Some anxiolytic and discharge. Day 2 . Chest pain , palpitations. ECG and all normal. Some anxiolytic and discharge. Patient insists on admission. Counseling and CIAO!  Day 3 . Palpitations. ( My day)  I heard Nurse while checking his vitals reassuring , you’re fine .  Nothing is wrong. She told me that the boy had appeared twice earlier to the same centre with chest pain . And

ER Diaries: Refugees in ER

Hey all I found myself in this situation the other day. I didn’t know what I was doing was right. Didn’t know if there was a RIGHTER alternative! I wish there was one. The other day early in the morning shift a couple with 2year old kid was accompanied by a lady constable. The moment they realised the doctor (I) was Muslim, they surrounded me! The man pleaded that I declare his wife unfit for court proceedings so that she is not prosecuted. He doesn’t mind even if he had to stay in jail for 7 years. I didn’t know what was wrong.  So the issue was Those were Rohingya Muslims .They created a duplicate Aadhar Card to gain xyz benefits. Since they are not nationals but refugees , this turned out to be illegal. So they were arrested. They were got here for fitness certificate. I went to my senior for help. He said me to be truthful to my job and write what I found on examination and nothing else. Writing false information would invite unwanted trouble. I examine

ER Diaries: Medical GoldMine

Hey all So , philosophical plus political . In short totally random post. There are too many groups mining in the medical gold mine . The malpractice lawyers, the insurance companies, the pharmaceutical companies, corporate giants etc.  They each have powerful lobbies to back their interests. The purity and simplicity of the doctor-patient relationship with all that it  used  to contain of trust, friendship, understanding and forgiveness has been plundered and I personally am not sure we can return to that after having let in the greedy pirates mentioned above. So far so much

Description again

Hey people  This is the Nth time I am describing what my blog is like.  I seem to grasp the smaller life moments that may be missed or may seem mundane to someone without a searching eye. It's these simple, boring moments that hold so much more excitement. These moments of rawness  make the path that I am on so much fun ! I ask a everybody for a favor. Be patient and give me time to unwrap my layers to you. My stories will be funny. My stories will be heartbreaking. My stories will be personal. My stories will be professional. My stories will be your glimpse into a life that may be different from yours! I pride myself on catching the obscure snapshots of typical life moments that occur daily while dealing with patients and their families in the emergency department, occasionally there are times when I am so focused on the task at hand that I completely fail to see a glaring moment of obvious humor, sadness or tenderness. So far so much! 

ER Diaries : Turning into a Poker Player

Hello Folks! I know I have been updating the blog a lot recently, and I’m not very sorry for that. I have a growing list of posts in my head, but I have been working too hard to jot them down.   I am turning into a poker player of sorts, keeping my personal feelings hidden behind my smile while I measure up the alpha male, the needy daughter, and the nosy neighbor, all begging for more attention than the actual patient. With all the family dynamics swirling around the  patient . It’s important to figure out who wants what , when? And yes how! So that you can attend the patient. The security people in every corporate hospital are timid bears trying to disappear on sound of a large crowd appearing. So , you become your own security , you become the healer , you become the reliever. Often I find myself in standing in midst of Tall Giant figured men trying to prove my point. While the nurse gently whispers. Madam, send the bunch out fast . They look scary. I politely as

ER Diaries : Brain Overdrive

Hey! It’s not a pleasant situation to have ZERO control over  •What you think •How you think •Where you think For me it’s two poles . All good or all bad!  I feel like I want to murder someone and at the same time I don’t mind having a shawarma. • It’s tiring  •It’s exhausting  It’s must to speed dial your BFF when thoughts are out of proportion to Get out of unpleasant trial of thought. •I live more inside my head than outside it. There really is no bright or positive side to living with anxiety, and although each sufferer has a different experience .  P eople who immediately act on those ‘wild-card dangers’ are more likely to survive and preserve the lives of their loved ones.  People believe that those who suffer from anxiety have a better likelihood of being empathetic as they may be better at reading emotional signs as well as being attuned to certain energies. So far so much

ER Diaries: Family Reunion

Hey People! Frustration mode on. One thing I or any ER physician  can’t emphasise enough: the ER is not the place for a family reunion. Bring one responsible adult to help you through the process. If you must bring children, see that there is an adult to watch them. We are not Romper Room. We need to figure out what’s wrong with you and treat you. We don’t really want to deal with your sister’s, best friend’s hysterics at the same time. Please leave the entourage at home! So frustrating how crowded ER’s have become. The root cause is overuse by patients who’ve figured out they can get seen sooner than getting to see their primary care doctor–if they even have one. No one part of our medical system exists in isolation. Like a long line of proverbial dominoes, when one part tips over, it knocks down almost all the others in someway. It’s high time people understand. Small problem = small hospital like a minor cut or something where they can get attended quickl

ER Diaries: Horny Patient

Hey all, Sharing a Rather funny incident today!  A 20 something girl walked into the ER with 45 something man . Both seemed healthy and fit. I enquired who the patient was.She asked me if Gynaecologist was available. I was replied No, am an ER physician. Tell me your problem . May be I can help you with it if it’s acute ? You won't find a Gynaecologist at this hour. She starts, See I have itchy vagina. For a few days now. I enquired about the discharge,  Odour ,Blood and all. All had a negative answer .Meanwhile the man looked like a father figure to her , but you never know . So I asked her who he was. She was burping out anything and everything without hesitation which is VERY RARE irrespective of your race and nationality, whatever be your religion or culture to talk about your personal details in your parents presence. She continues Whenever I itch I am feeling horny. I thought I heard it wrong, I asked her twice , thrice . HORNY she says loudly.  Um

ER Diaries : Being a Zombie doc!

Hey people! I talk about Emergency medicine and my life around it much, and that’s on purpose. Here’s why :  My life is wonderful. I really love it. Is it perfect? No. Is anyone’s life perfect? Definitely not. I would never wish to portray my life in a negative fashion and certainly not to wish for sympathy. I would talk about it in an informative way, but even doing that, to be comprehensive, you must hit the low points because all careers have them, and again, just doing that can come off as complaining. I always end up thinking. I’m exhausted physically. All I have had to eat is a protein bar on my one washroom break in the middle of a 12hour shift .and sometimes not even that. And sometimes partied like crazy. The concoction of being hungry like a pauper or partying like a king makes it all worth living! I haven’t had quality sleep in days, and I feel like no matter what time I leave the hospital, I have left work undone. I miss feeling normal. No matter

ER Diaries: Finding a groom - The struggle is real

Why did you land up here?  People are scared to take a step further! I want you to write the entrance one more time and get lost from this field  !  I spoke to a lady for matrimony purpose and she cut me down saying Emergency Medicine ? This a demanding field! Just take a Paraclinical subject and SETTLE down.  - My Mother said. Some more Free Me Time . I laugh as I breathe heartily before my mom runs behind me with her belan!  Dust settles down. I don’t ! Cutting down the cliche crap . Some serious fodder down here: While common marriage advice holds that a person should place his or her marriage above all else, doctors  often don't. Living with this reality often requires a lot of patience! Patience these days is like biryani takes a lot of efforts and wait !  The healthcare  is a cross section of our society, and just as in any other community, there are always promiscuous men and women. The type of work doctors deal with tend to attract partners th

ER Diaries : Adrenaline ! Adrenaline!

Hey! One should experience what it's like  to be in the playing field.  The rush of adrenaline is nothing ! Like anything else in the world. And, the satisfaction of  having tried, beats the crappiest loss ever! As you start walking, the path appears . The diagnosis settles. Once you  jump off the plain and tread onto the   uneven terrain, you will  thank yourself for doing that because  the feeling of being  'born new' gives a high ! Don't let the skin stand in between you and the diagnosis !   I am most certainly activated and not the least bit tired! Dress your bruises and start running again because what happens , happens! You can almost feel Mr.Death looking over your shoulder, smirking as you do all this. So far so much.

ER Diaries : The inevitable flatline

Hey! The joy of healing is certainly the greatest, but the dilemma of declaring death is worse No problem is big enough to be unsolvable.  No failure means you don't have another chance to try.  Every cardiac arrest is worth a CPR . So far so much

ER Diaries : Who is the hero?

Hey folks! For every life saved there are plenty of people you see in ER who take the credit . Their timely intervention is so remarkable that you can do nothing but address them.  The housekeeping taking credit for how timely her shifting the patient helped. The security explaining his difficulty in handling the quarrelsome bunch of attendants. The ambulance driver who took so many wrong turns just to get the patient here on time. The proud patients attendant who used his influence in reducing the hospital bill thereby reducing the financial burden of the family. While my nurse and I smile at each other. I tell her , everybody here is a hero. We ? We just did our job. That’s a routine. Nothing great about it ,right? She giggles and walks away to help a lady with her Foleys. Anything that induces adrenaline is welcome! LOL ! So far so much!