Poking fun!

Dear Blog,

I'm confused. My knowledge about all the systems in the human body are seriously jumbled up.

However, 2 days ago meant the world to me (slightly over-exaggerated. maybe just confined to Malaysia only lah).

In the morning, about 9am I arrived on the 6th floor, PPUKM expecting to see alotta medical students walking and clerking about. But, what I saw was an empty hallway. Okayyy...so I dragged my arse to Medical ward 2 tutorial room to put my bag and belongings before I start clerking by myself.

There, I saw 'em missing med students sitting on chairs, leaning against the table, wearing gloves, syringes in hand, alcohol swab ready, tourniquet 2 inches above the venepuncture mark.

"Ohhhh...they're all practicing venepuncture lah", I told a friend of mine.

What else is there to do? Like they say, "if you can't beat 'em, you join 'em". So join them we did!

I took Fatin's blood, she took mine. Taking blood from Fatin was easy, mind you. Her vein was very, VERY prominent. The problem was, it was a bit too painful for her. Thank god, as soon as my needle went under her skin, blood was already seen in the proximal end of the syringe. Or maybe I was just too good to be true? *battering eyelashes*

My blood was a bit difficult to get. Not only that, my vein was also nowhere to be seen. I was poked twice - first in the left arm, then the right. The 2nd worked like a charm. Good job Fatin! I was also Assila's lab rat for the venepuncture. But, again my blood wasn't free for the taking. That was the third hole in my arm that day.

Since we're all JUST in our 1st week, lacking confidence isn't really a big deal. But because of that lack in confidence, we chose to do venepuncture on eachother rather than practicing it on patients. "How thoughtful are we?" - Eva Mendez in Hitch, one of my all-time favos..

That was FUN. But nothing can compare with me, Ain, Assila & Fatin observing and assisting in the Lumbar Puncture (LP)! That was interesting. We stumbled upon that opportunity by chance. LPs and Bone Marrow aspirations aren't often done in PPUKM due to the small ward capacity for patients and cases lacking the indications to do so.

Dr. Rafidah was the doc incharge, but the HO performing the LP was Dr. Kamini. That was her 2nd time, after failing her 1st time before this one. Thank god it was a success! Congrats Dr. Kamini, it was amazing.

Lumbar Puncture : taking cerebrospinalfluid (CSF, fluid surrounding the spinal cord and brain) to check for abnormalities such as proteins, infections and other substances that aren't supposed to be in the CSF. The fluid is as clear as water and every drop is so very precious. A few drops into 8 bottles and the CSF are to be sent to the labs for further investigations. (Note: LP opening pressure is 20cm! Remember that)

Ok, so other than these 2 events there really isn't much to say. Everyday is just the usual ward rounds, clerking, getting scolded, feeling stupid etc etc etc.

I'm waiting for me twin sis to pick me up. Gonna go back home tonight, yeahhh~ Bye-bye =D

.a "cepatlah skit Sarah!" l e n a.