So Tired
I feel so tired and sleepy. My initial hope was that the clinic would end early (fat chance actually) and I could go to the gym and maybe just sit in the sauna and relax. I have not gone to the gym the whole of this month and I felt it's good money wasted.
Unfortunately, the clinic was packed! 50 listed patients and 41 unlisted ones. So that was a total of 91 patients not including those who walked in with a referral letter from wherever they came from. I didn't have much energy to start with, having slept badly last night while on call. By 6pm, I felt like I had no more energy left. So I did the unthinkable....I left the clinic! There were about 5-6 folders not seen yet. Sorry my dear fellow colleagues, I just didn't have the energy to see another patient!
Usually seeing patients is a breeze. Not today, most of the patients I saw were new referrals. That would mean taking a long detailed history from each of them, examine them thoroughly and finally formulate a plan of action, and then...explain to the usually bewildered and ignorant patient what I think is wrong with them, and my next plan of action. Long, tedious, tiring....
I saw a young chinese man today. He had this neck swelling that wouldn't go away. So, he went to a private hospital and they took out some of the swelling and subsequently diagnosed him with tuberculosis. He was promptly started on anti-TB but he defaulted after he felt better and the lump disappeared. The lump came back with a vengeance within 2 weeks. Back he went to the private hospital, he was restarted on the anti-TB and was asked to go for a blood test.
Blood test came back last week....he has HIV. He came today with his mum and sister. His wife left him last week, taking along the 3 children they had together. He was a drug addict. Sigh! I think deep inside, he must be a very broken man.
You know, I really feel for him. I have great concern for patients like this young man. It's one of the reason why I want to be an ID physician. A lot of people I know would have turned away in disgust. Some will say he totally deserves it.
I beg to differ. It's not for me to judge him. It's a challenge to get him back on his feet again and to offer hope. He is admitted now. I wish him well. I know that he will be in good hands. I also hope that he will have his family again; maybe not now, maybe someday, eventually. No one should go through this alone.
It's been a long day and I am tired. But I feel happy. I believe I have started some one on the path of recovery. I like to think that now he feels a glimmer of hope.
I feel so tired and sleepy. My initial hope was that the clinic would end early (fat chance actually) and I could go to the gym and maybe just sit in the sauna and relax. I have not gone to the gym the whole of this month and I felt it's good money wasted.
Unfortunately, the clinic was packed! 50 listed patients and 41 unlisted ones. So that was a total of 91 patients not including those who walked in with a referral letter from wherever they came from. I didn't have much energy to start with, having slept badly last night while on call. By 6pm, I felt like I had no more energy left. So I did the unthinkable....I left the clinic! There were about 5-6 folders not seen yet. Sorry my dear fellow colleagues, I just didn't have the energy to see another patient!
Usually seeing patients is a breeze. Not today, most of the patients I saw were new referrals. That would mean taking a long detailed history from each of them, examine them thoroughly and finally formulate a plan of action, and then...explain to the usually bewildered and ignorant patient what I think is wrong with them, and my next plan of action. Long, tedious, tiring....
I saw a young chinese man today. He had this neck swelling that wouldn't go away. So, he went to a private hospital and they took out some of the swelling and subsequently diagnosed him with tuberculosis. He was promptly started on anti-TB but he defaulted after he felt better and the lump disappeared. The lump came back with a vengeance within 2 weeks. Back he went to the private hospital, he was restarted on the anti-TB and was asked to go for a blood test.
Blood test came back last week....he has HIV. He came today with his mum and sister. His wife left him last week, taking along the 3 children they had together. He was a drug addict. Sigh! I think deep inside, he must be a very broken man.
You know, I really feel for him. I have great concern for patients like this young man. It's one of the reason why I want to be an ID physician. A lot of people I know would have turned away in disgust. Some will say he totally deserves it.
I beg to differ. It's not for me to judge him. It's a challenge to get him back on his feet again and to offer hope. He is admitted now. I wish him well. I know that he will be in good hands. I also hope that he will have his family again; maybe not now, maybe someday, eventually. No one should go through this alone.
It's been a long day and I am tired. But I feel happy. I believe I have started some one on the path of recovery. I like to think that now he feels a glimmer of hope.
posted by Jimbo @ 4/26/2006 06:29:00 PM
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