weekend's here!

I've had a pretty interesting week - on Monday I had the chance to watch up-close a partial nail avulsion procedure and a total toenail removal procedure. Truth be told, I was abit apprehensive at first; I thought I might pass out, seeing as it almost happened the last time I saw a wart removal. But thank God! I survived with 0% churning stomach and clammy feeling and pale sweat, despite the goriness of it all. :)

Tuesday saw me and Gabby at a vascular clinic with Dr. Paul Norman. It was the first time I came into contact with high-risk foot patients. People of sorts came in, ranging from young mothers to senior citizens, healthy adults with normal feet to diabetics with 4 toes on a foot, ulcer patients and skin disease patients. I learnt heaps that day - normal academic and educational stuff, and just a little bit more about life and the world out there.

Seeing those patients made me feel thankful for a couple of things:

1. Vision - A patient was going blind because the artery to her eye was blocked following a minor stroke. She wakes up every morning and everything on one side of her eye is blur. She was frustrated, worried, anxious, everything negative you can think of - heck, I'd be too, if I had to fall asleep every night, knowing that there's a possibility of waking up the next morning and every morning after that to blackness. Imagine that.

2. The ability to walk without feeling pain - Another patient had this problem called 'intermittent claudication', meaning there is blockage to one of the main leg vessels, resulting in reduced blood flow further down. As a consequence, there is pain upon walking a certain distance. The furthest she could walk was across the road, and I could tell it was really breaking her heart because she loved walking. Imagine not being able to walk for normal periods of time. :(

On more than two occasions patients came in with their spouses. They were both old, they were both hobbling along, but they were both holding hands and watching each other's steps. I found that really sweet. Mental note to self: Yes, I will take care of my hypothetical husband even when we're both old and wrinkly, and even when I'm sick, because he will deserve that much. In health or in sickness, for better or for worse, right? :)

The rest of the week pretty much sailed by, I am proud to say I stayed awake for the whole day on Friday - that's the longest day of the week. Tute, then 2 lectures, and another 2 lectures. It's stupid how everyone else is like TGIF TGIF! and we're all like ughhhhhhhhhhhh fridayyyyyy.

ah well. such is life. gotta run now, work time :)