Cleaning Time

It was a shock for me when I arrived in the ward this morning for my ward round. All the patients had been moved around and things were stacked up at the corridors. A nightmare scenario wading through the ward as all the patients were squeezed into a small room. The main ward floor were being polished. Spring cleaning time!

In the last few years, since the major renovation were done on Menara Timur where my ward was located, we have had problems with infection. The renovation in the last year were directly below my ward. Since then, we had been doing regular cleaning and polishing - I think the major clean-up were being done every three months. The results from this intensive cleaning had been very good. It was rather inconvenient on the day though, but being clean is important!

I couldn't wait to get out from the ward with the noise from the machines, as well as the smell of the chemicals they poured onto the floor was driving me nuts. If I felt bad, imagine what it would be like as a patient?

Finished the rounds, and is now enjoying the air-conditioning in my room. Argh! Careful! I might fall asleep. Hunger is a potent inducer for sleep for me!

6TD Nurses Day Party

It has been a yearly event internationally - The Nurses Week. Once a year they had a party in the ward. The nurses did a collection, bought each other prezzies and had a jolly good time. This year was no exception but I must say that this year’s event was the biggest I remembered at least in my ward - Ward 6TD.

When everything was still civilisedYes! Haemato-Oncology is not exactly a rosy subject. The patients stay with us for long period of time, staying in for a good month during their chemotherapy. The nurses and doctors tend to get to know them pretty well. We go through a lot of ups and downs with them. After a while, the patients also get to know us, the nurses and doctors. Some of them were even my Facebook contacts, and that brought down a layer or two in terms of communications. Some of them regularly tweet me and the best way to contact me would be through email as I don’t give away my phone numbers that readily.

On the other side, leukaemia and lymphoma is not exactly conditions that were easy to treat, and sometimes these “friends” of ours never made it through. Ward 6TD can then be a sorrowful place. Things can get depressing. I learned from way back to not feel guilty when I eat in front of patients or have a do like this, behaving like normal human beings. But having a do inside the ward can be awkward still.

The event yesterday was a great one. It was a shame that I can only join late on after my clinic. I finally made it after Jumaat prayers after a few phone calls from the ward sister. Luckily they have saved some food for me. The satay were still aplenty, the soto was set aside for me, so were the dessert. All the food were prepared by the nurses themselves, insisting on me trying all of them. By the time I was done, I could hardly walk! To all the nurses reading this .... much appreciated and Happy Nurses Day.

Slideshow for the party can be found here.

Ang Pow from patient

Disclaimer: of course the content was sent straight into the ward coffer! I don't do rasuah ah! Nanti kena tangkap!

Chinese New Year fever is gripping the ward. The number of Mandarin I consumed was enough to fill my yearly quota. Having gastritis now. The turn-up for this morning's clinic was also smaller than expected. I am therefore dreading next week's clinic as those who ran out of medications will come flooding in. Plus my colleagues will be on leave with me holding the fort! 

Posted via email from Stamp up those photos!

Off the chart

Have not been well in the last few days and had to take some chill time. My vertigo came back and for the first couple of days I was mainly in bed. It was a lot better since yesterday an I was told by my ENT colleague to rest. Unfortunately I will be kinda busy with the upcoming Chinese New Year. I will on call this weekend as well. Rest will just have to wait.

Happy Holidays!

Wishing my patients and friends Merry Christmas for those celebrate it, and Happy Holidays for those who don't. I noticed this rather festive banner in front of the Palliative Ward and it hit me that tomorrow will be a holiday. 

When I was working in the UK, Xmas was the time when I was definitely on call since I'll be covering my colleagues who were celebrating. The actual Xmas Day was usually quite but the days leading up to it and the days following were usually among the busiest in the year. Relatives would send their parents and oldies to be admitted while they enjoy the festives period and at times it felt really sad that the system has been manipulated somewhat.

The days after Xmas were usually busy for the right reasons as patients tended to stay at home during the Xmas and came to hospital right after. They tended to be more ill by this time. I used to hate this period. Luckily I will be having the weekend off. Will be traveling tomorrow to Kuala Kangsar for a couple of days, having a look at Puan Anita's house there which was just been built. Will blog from there then. Again, Happy Holidays.