ED

ED = emergency department, not erectile dysfunction ok! :P 

Today is my day 6 in ED, alhamdulillah I completed tagging for 5 days and the department gave me a day off.. unrecorded leave! After tagging, everyone gets a day off to rest. I think it is really needed because working one whole day from 8 am to 10 pm is so tiring, so tiring that it's unexplainable. I developed all sorts of pain including neck pain, back pain, headaches and etc. But had to stay strong because everybody faced the same thing. The tagging part is the painful part, but the normal working hours is great because we work in shift system. ED is the only department that practises the shift system since ages ago, well it's understood why... on some days, you don't get to sit at all, and also, the turnover rate is very high so there is not need for continuation of care for a patient. 

I have also noted that since entering this department, my level of patience has decreased. It's sad to admit... I do feel embarrassed to admit, but on a few occasions I scolded my patient.... haha. Yes, it's bad, I know. Now, every morning I keep reminding myself and added "I talk gently to my patients" as part of my daily mantra! The difference between the patients in ED and the ones in the ward is that in ED, they are straight from home and more anxious about what is going on. Hence, the are more prone to be rude, so you on the end being a doctor just feel like being rude back. That is why if you can handle human you can conquer the world because human beings can be very unpredictable. I especially get pissed with the MC-seekers. On my first day, I had a patient coming in with diarrhea for 3 days, and had an episode of sudden headache while reading the newspaper, and he also had peripheral numbness.... I was really trying hard to correlate between each symptoms hoping that I'll come up with a good diagnosis. The way he explained about his condition sounded really alarming, he was so dramatic and looked unwell. So my impression was AGE and diabetic peripheral neuropathy. The patient ended the session with "doctor, MC dapatkan?"... I said, "Yes, tapi untuk hari ni aje." He said that it was fine but he wished that the date could changed to tomorrow because he'll be working tomorrow! And I am talking about an old Malay gentleman... if it's a young man, I can understand, they maybe immatured still, but not an old man. 

Anyhow... it's time for buka puasa. Selamat berbuka everyone.