Medical students should never be allowed to self-diagnose

It's official lah. I'm sick. No, make that I'm ill. Is there a difference? Well, in UK, sick=vomiting, hence "I feel sick/I'm gonna be sick = I think I'm going to throw up". So yeah, I'm 'ill', but I think I'm probably going to be sick soon too. Here's a list of what I've self-diagnosed myself with today:

• diabetes (polydipsia, polyuria, fatigue, unfortunately no weight loss),
• Prader-Willi syndrome (just can't stop eating),
• cervical spondylosis (neck aches and pains),
• entomophobia (fear of insects),
• ADHD (distractibility, forgetfulness, serious lack of concentration),
• constipation & abdominal bloating (lack of fibre intake lately),
• pityriasis capitis (that's the fancy name for dandruff),
• palpitations (panic, stress, physical symptoms, panic even more),
• acne (pimples pimples everywhere arghh)
• high cholesterol levels (from eating too many eggs)

...among other things. And since none are caused by bacteria or fungi, no need to take antibiotics. Just take some analgesics or NSAIDs and remember to go up the pain ladder! Or maybe all I need is a smack to my head!

EMI paper tomorrow at 2pm. Fingers crossed that I don't die after I finish the paper 3 hours later.

Oh, and look at what I found on Youtube while 'taking time out' from the cheese and onion book to strain my eyes even more on the computer screen - It's House, M.D., but before he was Dr House. Never knew he was in (1) Stuart Little, and (2) Friends!! Look how much cooler some stubble and a bad attitude can make a guy ;D

Sweating... melting... dissolving...

Hot hot hot! It's hotter to stay inside than to go for a walk outside, I think. All this heat just makes me feel irritable, cranky, and so out-of-it. Another day of cold showers. All i feel like doing is eat, sleep, and not study...which makes me feel even more disgusted at myself And to top it off, I just feel utterly unmotivated, unfocused, and severely lacking in will power (to study, unfortunately not for eating though). Arrghhh!!

Went to the library to return books, one of them overdue by a week :P Managed about an hour and a half of revision before it disintegrated into doodling and daydreaming. Then went to buy canned food and other unhealthy sugary stuff coz I'm out of food, and I can't be bothered to cook a proper meal now. The landlady's having all the doors in our house changed due to some fire regulations thingy, so when I came back home, it was all 'thud thud thud...' downstairs. Ackk!

The best parts of my day were when I got to help other people do things though. Helped one housemate look for mail, and another to change a lightbulb. Doesn't it just feel good to be needed?

Well, what did I revise today anyway? Hmmm..it was mostly infectious diseases. Have been forewarned that a bulk of Thursday's paper will be on ID. *stressed* Let's see what I remember - there're about 3 thousand different pathogens (bacteria - Gram positive, Gram negative, viruses, fungi, etc), about 3 hundred different antibiotics (penicillins, cephalosporins, and others), and about a hundred different infectious diseases that we have to read up on *faints*. The thing is, most of them present pretty much the same though, plus minus a few here and there - fever, malaise, myalgia, hepatosplenomegaly (one or the other or both), V&D, anaemia, jaundice, rash, pain somewhere, and if severe, meningoencephalitis (again one or the other or both), shock, coma, fits, septicaemia, everything-paenia, and of course, death if untreated. If you're immunocompromised, you're more susceptible to anything and everything (duh!). Die die die...(me, I meant. Not the patient!)

3 more days. Counting. The. Minutes. And. Seconds. And. Miliseconds.

Heat exhaustion

It's too hot to think today. First time since I've moved into this house (since last August) that I had to shower with cold water. Yes, yes, it can't be as hot as back home, but don't forget we don't have fans or air-conditioners here (well not in this house anyway) to cool off. I know I said that I won't complain about the heat just coz Lord knows I complain too much about the cold weather here already; however today's an exception. The cold air setting on the little fan heater just ain't enough. And you know, when you're hot and the air is all stagnant and stuffy, you just don't feel like you can concentrate on anything. Which is why my revision plans just did not go down well today. (Or maybe I'm just looking for an excuse, any excuse to justify my non-existent revision today)

Anyway, can't think of anything else constructive to talk about, so I'm just gonna post an interesting clip of Hugh Jackman that I found on Youtube (just random searching, one topic led to another) - I knew he could act, but sing & dance too? Nice... Enjoy!

A Nurses's Prayer (but works for medics too!)

Lord, give me grace, on this and every day,
To do my work the best, not simplest way;
And to remember that in all I do,
The very smallest task, is seen by you.

Grant to me courage, Lord, when things go wrong,
To stop and think, and not rush blindly on.
And though the task I'm set, may not seem fair,
May I remember, that Thou too, art there.

Give me a humble heart, that I may know,
That things worth while are not just things that show.
For though efficiency and skill mean much,
The greatest gift of all, is Human Touch.

Fill me with love, that I may realize,
The suffering and the pain that round me lies.
And grant each day, that I may seek to share,
The burden of the people, in my care.

Lord, give me strength, to help me play my part,
To make my work the essence of my heart;
And show me patience, and true kindness Lord,
That I may spread Thy radiance through my ward.

So, when at night, I come back to my rest,
I pray that I may feel I've done my best.
And, Lord, at times I know I forget Thee,
But please forgive, and always be with me.

by Alwyn M Law