Friday, March 26, 2004

The Night's Still Young

After a year-long posting in CGH A&E, I can tell you with 100% confidence that the crowd will come only after 12am. Which is why I'm going to write this entry now before I get swamped with who-knows-what later. And just for fun, let's guess what I'll see tonight, shall we? My bets are on:

(1) NS boys who'd like an MC for Saturday, so they can have a long weekend off.
(2) NS boys who went out partying and got bashed up, or are suffering from some alcohol-related gastrointestinal symptom ( e.g. vomiting usually ).
(3) assault cases, often alcohol-induced.
(4) other acts of violence ( rioting / gang fights is pretty hot in the East, I notice ).
(5) a whole school of teenage glue-sniffers nabbed in a police raid then hauled here for blood toulene levels.
(6) traumas from drunk driving, bar fights and what-not.
(7) the occasional middle-of-the-night asthma / COLD attack, myocardial infarct, drug overdose and food poisoning.

Hmm, looks like the typical day shift attendees, but with only 3 MOs and 1 senior running the entire show with little sleep and lots of extra stress. And people ask why I love the ER so much. :)

So a few readers are asking: Have I met re-minisce yet?The answer is yes, but seeing that he didn't say anything about the meeting on his blog, I shall follow suit, which will no doubt drive many people up a wall, which is fine with both of us. :D I will say this though: I always had this impression that he'd look a bit like my ex -- but he doesn't, which is a good thing. ;)

Just saw a 75-year-old lady with classical signs and symptoms of either carcinoma of the pancreas or the ampulla of Vater. Obstructive jaundice, marked loss of weight, with a gigantic non-tender gallbladder ( Courvoisier's law ). Very sweet woman, accompanied by an equally pleasant daughter-in-law. During my years in the medical profession, I've noticed how some of the nicest people tend to get the worst diseases ( just had a middle-aged guy with psoriasis and gout in my consult room, who treated me with so much respect I started to feel embarrassed ). No wonder 6 months in haematology back in 2001 almost induced an emotional breakdown. Hats off to haematologists and oncologists everywhere.

It's only 10:45pm...

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