Sugar rush.

The time is ticking away. Exam time is getting closer. Nerves are just over powering. Went grocery shopping just to get some foods to sustain this life of mine as well as feed my cravings. But, at the same time, I have to start finishing what I have in the cabinets and fridge. It's 3 weeks before I go home to hometown!!!

So today, started revising properly. They were more like refreshing and visiting to areas where I was not really unsure about. It was easy to grasp now compared to when I first read things around. Like today, I actually got better and clearer understanding on the 3 principles of lesser toe pathologies - Flexor stabilitsation, Extensor Substitution and Extensor stabilisation after reading the 12 pages article!!!! My reading materials I must say are boring. But once you actually got into it, it's actually fun and you'll have this thirst of wanting to know more. And I even said this, I HATE BIOMECHANICS, but I think it is something that I should overcome. Maybe I should specialise in Biomechanics!!?!??!?! Yes I said it, maybe will do that for Postgrad!?! haha More money?? Well I think Biomechanics is the biggest area of Podiatry, especially in America. That's what Podiatry is mostly about, and the most money generating area. Imagine, making a pair of insoles and consulting someone who has walking/foot problems, that is £1000 in the making already for a single patient!!!!!!

Ok, enough of that. All these brains challenging set of activities, I could see that my crave for sugar is by far more than any days. I'm not a sugary person, nor I fond of chocolates. But I think it's just the psychological thing that makes me crave for sweet stuffs. I was at Sainsbury's doing my shopping, and I simply wanted everyhting!!

I bought a box of pre-cooked tiger prawns, something which I heart. On top of that, I bought myself different chocolate biccies, chcolate rolls, and today I thought of giving this Nestle Breakaway a try. I think it's a new product on the shelf. Like I said, I am not a chocolate fan, and I'm quite a fussy one when it comes to chocolate. Let alone trying new chocolate stuffs. But I bought it anyways. Eating one as I type this entry... hehehe.

In the end, I've finished that prawns which I had it with ketchup and mayonnaise. It was so succulent and crunchy.

Here's my stash of sugar supply - oh and the breakaway biccies has to be my favourite now. But won't be long before I say goodbye, cos by then the craving would have been gone. It's too sweet for my liking.

Exam stress?

Yesterday was last day of clinic. Didn't feel anything unusual, just that it was more quiet and relax. Had 2 patients to see, all cases were light cases. They were the first years' patients. Since they won't be able be seen by the first years anytime soon, they were recalled to come earlier to our clinic instead. Since it was just simple chiropodial work, I thought of giving the patient some extra work than any other usual days. Both patients were so happy and delighted with the work done.

The first patient, who stayed in Malaysia for 7 years was happy to talk to someone from that area after several years now. So we chatted about food and she said she missed Kway Tiaw. She also missed "porridge" which then I taught her how to do it.

The second patient was so pleased with the treatment rendered as she was in agonising pain when she came into clinic. I tried to look for the problem and diagnosed it immediately. Here I realised how much knowledge and skills I have gained compared to the past years. It's just amazing to see how much you have changed intellectually and psycho-motor wise, well for the better of course. I was there with the patient one to one with no interruption from anyone else including tutors. The best thing was, when I asked a tutor for some advice and when she took over, the patient simply couldn't bear the pain. Tutor then said.. "you go for it Sani, I can't". Not to say that I am good or anything to brag about, it's just something I see as personal achievement in myself.

On the exam note, I kept on saying I AM NOT PREPARED. Maybe those are just my anxious statement, and not wanting to feel complacent on anything. I just don't want to miss anything. My philosophy is not just to get the work done, but make sure it is perfectly done into details and with satisfaction. Although I feel that I am still not prepared, it was apparent that I could already sit for the exam now! Haha. AD was questioning me from the Q&A book which I have not read before, and I managed to answer all the questions in first instance!!! Even the vague ones, I NAILED IT ON THE HEAD, as referred by AD.

As I was carrying on my revision last night, Shahin invited me to join his group night out. It's the first year's last day, hence their get together. Was a bit reluctant, but since it's going to be a long weekend, I thought, maybe I should de-stress myself a little bit. Met few of the first years that I know, and some whom are going to be future housemates. We talked about work and 2nd year experience. Well, I don't know whether they could retain the information or not, cos they had gone tipsy as I had to repeat the same answer again and again and again....

Overall, it was fun night. Made a few new friends and that is what it was all about anyways. Plus, I hadn't been out for quite a while now, if dinner night out doesn't count. hehe

Oh, been craving for Hainanese chicken rice for months, and now have made it!! See below!!




Wish me luck people!!!

Ta!!

Beef Ginger Spring Onion.

Ingredients:

• Sliced Beef
• Few Stalks of Spring Onions
• Sliced Ginger
• Onion wedges
• Light Soya Sauce
• Oyster Sauce
• Cooking oil
• Dash of sesame oil

Method:

Stir fry some onions, add beef and let outer layer cooked.
Add soya sauce, oyster sauce and ginger until it's well done.
Add in spring onion and let all well mixed and cooked.
Before serving, add dash of sesame oil and mix a while.
Done!

Butterflies in my tummy.

Yes, I can start feeling it already. The anxiety and the adrenaline rush are starting to play their respective roles. The exams are just within a blink of an eye. Everyday in class is all about exams. Exam this, exam format, exam revision, etc. Yesterday had my turn being the clinical examiner.

The whole idea of being a clinical examiner, and being examined is to have a feel what it is like in such situation. Also to look out for rooms for improvements such as communication, what to look out for etc. Plus, it's in a very non-intimidating environment where you get to discuss where you need to improve by your own colleagues/friends.

Apart from that, I have not really intensively start my revision as I should. But no doubt, I have started reading around and have some basic understanding on areas potentially asked in the exams. As the nerves kick in, my crave for sugar has been quite off the limit too. I've been friends to Ice Creams and Chocolates. I am not a fan of all these, but time like this, WHY NOT?! Hhaha

Let me introduce you to my friends.

1- Solero Exotic - will take a picture of it next time. It's low fat creamy vanilla ice cream covered in mango, peach and passion fruit sorbet. It's extremely good!!!

2. Maltesers!! woohoo. My childhood favourite. Blame Mrs Freeman the surgeon who brought it to class for her lecture where she put one bag on each table!!! Yites!!

Essays Done!

Yes yes!! hehe. All essays done. 2 weeks ahead the dateline. That is something. Now working on the poster presentation and hope to start revising for the exams.

Spent some short time at the library today to look for sources on Diabetes. It was empty!!! Eastbourne was so hot today that everyone was at the beach. At my street in town, one could literally stay safe lying down on the roads! Having said that however, all the chippy shops were full.

Here are some shots taken today.

The mock exam.

It went well, it's just not my best of luck to have a difficult patient. Fortunately it was acknowledged by the lecturer, that's fine. This patient had a very long list of medical history, long list of difficult medications. *sigh*. Luckily it was just a mock. Hope I won't get patient as difficult as that on the real exam.

Had only 4 hours of sleep before hand. One of the reason was the injection site was giving me a hard time. Nevertheless, it was the assignments and the anxiety to be blamed.

So, had caffeine fix in class today. I was wide and alert in a very dry Neuropathology lecture.

It's almost 2am and I'm still up.

Had my Pneumovax jab this afternoon. It wasn't really bad although it was a mega huge needle poked into my right arm. I wonder how am I gonna deal with it tomorrow in clinic. I will have my mock clinical exams tomorrow afternoon. Hope it's gonna be very helpful and productive.

Right now, I am currently polishing up my essays (overly anxious with the standards). However, as of now, I just wanna get away with it. With tomorrow, I must make sure that I have all the algorithm in place so I can visualise the sequence of history taking. Hope the mnemonics developed for us will come handy.

Basically the exam is set up in a real clinical setting with real patients (although they were told what and what not to do). As much as I'm scared with the pharmacology bits of this clinical exam, I am not that worried as the BNF's are available in each cubicle. What I'm worried about is to put the puzzle pieces into a clear picture - gathering differential diagnosis followed by a hopefully a definitive one. By which later correct intervention can follow.

Let see what mnemonics have I got so far??

Well, I need to make sure I address the right question, the right way and easy for the patient to understand. Eg. duration of pain may be a very deceiving. It could be duration of an episode of pain, or duration of the pain that the patient has been experiencing. Tricky? Well Sani, you better come prepared!!!!

Right, mnemonics?

With medical history, it's not easy to ask a patient by just asking "Do you have medical history?". To a layman, answers could simply be anything about history history (such as those war kinda thing), or involved in the making of medical history perhaps? But rather, I should be asking what's known as the system based question. This is according to the body systems, hence CRAGCELD. For instance, I would be asking "Mr X, have you ever had any problems with your heart before? Anyone in your family having heart problems that you know of?" Those kinds of questions. At least that will lead me to a narrower spectrum of answers, rather than beating around the bush of no where.

C- Cardiovascular (I am sure many patients will come with this condition, so hopefully I will obtain an exact answer, not just heart condition)
R- Respiratory - probably I am going to use "difficulty in breathing and asthma" for my question
A- Alimentary - stomach. Should I ask... "do you eat alot?" hahaha maybe not. Perhaps, any irritation would be right innit?
G- The genito-urinary. Urine infection? Difficulty to pass urine?
C- Central Nervous system - brains. ARE YOU MAD?? hahah. Well maybe like migraine, and things like that should be a good trailing question.
E- Endocrine - not too hard. Diabetes? Plus, the signs are normally spot-able
L- Locomotor - gait problems, MSK problems
D- Dermatology - eczema, rashes

Awful lot to ask in a nick of time!!!

Medication history - this is a nightmare. Imagine fiddling and flipping through the BNF with trembling cold hands, and with eyes over your shoulder!!! OOH LA LA!

All I am saying, I am back to the anxious mode!!!!!!!!

Oh, I didn't know that many of the past students actually took Beta Blockers (used in the treatment of high blood pressure to slow down the heart rate) before exams!! Hahhaha

Oh well, let's just get the battalion of knowledge be prepared in my cranium, so they can stick in the frontal an temporal lobes. Hehhe

Oh, an another set of mnemonics, it's the management one. COPPPPERSS

C- Chiropody : basically simple routine care.
O- Orthotics : whether the patient needs pair of orthotics to help with the problem.
P- Pharmacology : any medication that I should think of to prescribe eg. Pain relief, antibiotics?
P- Physical therapy : maybe the need of ultrasound, laser therapy.
P- Patient education, such as giving advice.
P- Paddings and strappings including dressings.
E- Exercises such as stretching of compartments.
R- Referral, thinking whether to refer to other medical colleagues, eg vascular surgeon, GP, radiology etc.
S- Shoes
S- Surgery

Arrrgh.......

It's time of the semester again!!

Insomniac strikes again! I was awakened by the rowdy sounds outside my flat, was I bothered? No. I needed the loo badly, was I bothered? No. So what made me running around like headless chicken then? Ooh.. it's 3 weeks before the end of the academic year. That means the datelines to my essays are just around the corner now






Nevertheless, took the time out today as I had to arrange an appointment with the nurse for my vaccinations. Whilst waiting, went to the pier as it's again a nice sunny day. Took few shots, and here there are for you to view. Isn't it great to appreciate the creation of the Almighty? And my way towards that is by taking pictures.

Ward Round & Paper Towels on Sunny Day Eastbourne

Talk about recycle ey??

Well, I forgot my notebook, but didn't want to miss any valuable infos from the ward round. Instead of wasting time going back to the locker and all, I went to the loo and grab loads of hand paper towels in my pockets. HAHA

So, I wrote my notes on the paper towels, and I kindly refused paper offerings from my mates. I was quite happy to write on the towels and it was nice. It makes my handwriting more "lawa" ... what you guys reckon? ahah

But my supervisor was so impressed that he suggested I make money out of it or maybe send it to the Tate's Gallery! aha.. Can u spot the brain / spinal cord? That's on Neurology for you.










On the brighter note, we had a bright sunny day today. Most of us gather in the lawn during lunch. It was great

Pancake and Golden Syrup

Decided to make pancakes today. But, I don't have self raising flour in my kitchen cupboard. It's bank holiday today, and being lazy as the town is, so I headed to the nearby Iceland. Again being an impulsive buyer, I ended up buying things not in my list. Here it is..

Workload - I need fuel too.

Well, I made Sunday roast no matter how busy I am at the moment. I need energy! ahaha At least with that HUGE chicken, I can keep it as sandwich fillers. Hence, save my time from preparing food again.

Here it is, roast chicken with honey and parsley, served with boiled carrots, potatoes, yorkshire pudding and vegetarian gravy. I thought I could stand being a "coconut" for once, and it proved me wrong. I couldn't stand without the rice. Had it with rice, wow... LICIN!!

Coursework ahead!

Well, albeit being busy with due coursework and all, I couldn't resist to get my camera and capture the glimpse of the beautiful day. Enjoy!!!

WARNING : 56k connection may go kaput!