made.good.again

Third week of placements at the clinic. More responsibilities = makes me feel important like a real doctor:

Got to cut off someone’s precancerous skin measuring 4cmx1cm:
Non-English-Speaking-Background surgeon to patient: I’m going to give you some local anaesthetic…
(after a while)
NESB surgeon: pain??
Patient: yes
NESB surgeon: Mmm.. I think you are sensible (a.k.a. sensitive to most people). I will give you more anaesthetic…

Note to self: need good hands to be surgeon. england not powderful nemind.

Then the surgeon guided me as I made a confident, clean elliptical cut with the scalpel. Blood oozed out as I lifted the skin and sliced it out. NESB surgeon simply dabbed off the blood as we went. Then I calmly brought the skin together and sutured it close again. It’s amazing how un-anxious, un-nervous, un-frightened I was despite the un-known (was my first time slicing such a big piece of skin off someone’s hand). Must be because the master is watching. He’s there if anything goes wrong =)

*****

Some not-so-glamourous moments:

1. A piece of instrument (forceps) was missing after the procedure. Realized that Mr Surgeon must have dumped it into the bin accidentally, so had to look through the infectious waste bin and it’s a good thing it was just sitting right on top. Phew… if not the nurse will scold…US.

2. A teenager came in the afternoon and said that he thinks he has fractured ribs because someone "stood on him". (I was thinking why didn’t he wriggle away or something and laid there to get stood on). Asked a few questions about the incident and how the person managed to stand on him. Found out later that it’s just a slang meaning someone attacked him. Cheh…

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