EXPLORING THE VEINS.......

      It might sound a bit ridiculous,exploring the veins.It was a tuesday afternoon when I visited a government hospital where I had another turn to the list of my experiences.

    

 To my surprise we were introduced to the non-living monstrous weapons. Yeah! I literally call them weapons. Injections and needles and syringes and all the possible stuff which would trouble the patient at first but later on bring ease to their 'disease'.

     At first we were told that it is a parenteral route of drug administration.Being amused by the word, I kept the literal meaning aside and thought for a minute parenteral means "SUGGESTED BY A PARENT TO TREAT THEIR NAUGHTY CHILD."But in the true sense it simply means giving medicines without letting it go through the gut.

    Every army will have different levels of members for different types of invasions. The same way this monstrous army has different ways to enter our body and are so precisely called as dispensers.

AMPOULES- This resembles a tiny little rocket of glass. Oh yes! A rocket just waiting for its launch.

VIALS AND BOTTLES- They are just like those small bottles you might have spotted at the physician.

POUCHES- They are large plastic collapsable bags which contain large amount of IV fluids.

The pouches contain regulators which have to be adjusted so as to know the frequency of the drops.

     Let me tell you first about my IV infusion experience.The two needles are of nos. 16 and 22. More the number, less is the hole at the tip of the needle. This hole allows the blood to enter into the syringe via the needle.Less the no. more the hole and ofcourse more painful too.

    I was delighted by the whole scenario of these injections and syringes. And this was just the intro of the 'weapons'.

    But when the time came to actually EXPLORE THE VEIN, that is when I actually felt...Im pursuing one more step ahead in medicine.

    After maintaining aseptic conditions, we have to attach the needle to the syringe. Then decap it. As it is not so difficult to search a vein on the dorsal aspect of your hand, Im still in a dilemma as to why do we have to dilate it so much.

   As we introduce the needle into the skin's first layer, I just had to keep one phrase in mind-"A doctor's path is never straight but a bit inclined." Similarly I had to insert the needle with a little inclination.

   That eternal feeling when I saw the blood entering the syringe, oh that was a sheer site to my eyes. For a moment I felt like a blood thirst vampire. And then I had to detach the syringe and still keep the needle  into the naughty vein and the attach my IV infusion pump to it. Most ridiculous moment was when I had to keep an eye on the regulator and count the frequency of the drop for a whole minute.

   Now let me take you to the dangerous area, the intramuscular one. That whenever I have let my parents know that I have high fever; they request the physician to give me an injection. And my reaction is "hello????? Its an INJECTION, not a chocolate that you are telling him to give.I dont understand why parents are often fascinated to see their child getting injections. An injection is most of given on the shoulder. But always on a non- dominant arm i.e. A lefty is always given on the right and vice versa. But what about Ambidextrous like me??? Yes you will be surprised to know that Im an ambidextrous and ofcourse at an advantage by that fact. Yuppie I do not have to take injections! Jokes apart. I seriously have to figure that out. 

   I think for me giving an injection would just be like pricking my friend with a needle. Lets see how would I be dealing with it further.

   But my first experience of exploring the vein, just dint let my EFFORTS GO IN VAIN!

Birth of one is life for another ........

       My title might give you a slight idea of what i am going to convey in this article.

        Yes I would like to share my experience of having a chance to see the most blissful moment of my life.

                
              OPPORTUNITIES ARE NOT ALWAYS GOLDEN,ITS JUST THAT WE NEED TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY AND MAKE IT GOLDEN.

   
 It was a long holiday of about 5 days.

     
          Oh yes! That is long indeed for me . (Any medical student would understand why). 

   I just got a call from my co-ug. I thought it was just a general one to talk about last moment journal completions. But she asked me if i wanted to accompany her to a govt. hospital for practice of history taking.

      
            Yes of course I was allowed into the hospital. Thats how I consider myself lucky. When we entered the hospital, we could see a whole lot of crowd suffering with various diseases. I felt so bad for them and thought how obnoxious God can be to his own creations. But later on I thought what  am I here for? 
       
           As I wanted to take history of a gynac patient, I went to the gynac and obstetrics ward.While taking history of one patient, we were informed by the intern that a lady had started feeling the labour pains. That was the moment when I actually felt OMG! will I be able to actually see a CHILDBIRTH.
    
         "BLISS IT IS TO BE BORN INTO THIS WORLD AND TAKING YOUR FIRST BREATH BUT TO SEE A CHILD TAKING BIRTH IS DIVINE"
    
          We went into the room and the doctor told us to wait in the observation room from where we could see the entire procedure.When the time came, I just observed the mother's expressions.The pain she went through had got goosebumps to me.

          Im always of this opinion- "Be it any woman especially a mother, she deserves the same amount of respect that you would give your own mother."

         And when I saw the pain she goes through my respect towards mothers knew no bounds.You may feel why am I saying this. So when I asked her how much painful was it, she just replied by asking me "How would you feel if you are breaking your bones conciously?".
I was shivering by the very thought of it.

       Lets talk of the neonate for a while or she would end up getting angry for not giving importance to her in the article :P just kidding.

      She was so eager to get into this world. The doctors tried to find out her position. She was a breech baby ( one born with legs comming first than head). As she was a breech one, the doctors asked the mother if she would like to undergo a C section. But as the lady was orthodox she refused to do so.
     
       As it was a normal delivery the doctors had to be really careful to avoid strangulations. The skilled doctor managed to get her out and there she was, all reddish blue shade.

     I just noticed the mother's expressions again and yes only one phrase i could remember at the moment.

   "WHEN IT IS THE CHILD'S BIRTH, IT IS ALSO BIRTH OF A MOTHER." 
     
     There was nothing more I could ask for because that would just make me greedy. I was really lucky as I mentioned earlier as being a 2 nd year ug I got this opportunity so soon.

      I want to thank that friend of mine. It was indeed an afternoon to be cherished in my memories.

MY FIRST DAY IN SECOND YEAR........

First day in second year began on world doctor's day i.e. 1 st july.
The change in second year was we were directly suppose to deal with live patients(enough of the dead i must say).
As a kid I always heard it from my family about how scary doctors at the hospitals are...
A doctor for a kid is always that monster who just has an injection to be given for no reason. For a fact even I was of that belief. But as I grew older and realised there is a different world a Doctor has to deal with. He not a monster who was potrayed to me. 
He is just that one angel sent by GOD to bring me at ease from any dangerous disease. And that is when I decided oh yes I wish to be that one angel. 

To get a true, representative account of what is troubling a patient, and how it has evolved over time, is not an easy task. It takes practice, patience, understanding and concentration. The history is a sharing of experience between patient and doctor. A consultation can allow a patient to unburden himself or herself. They may be upset about their condition or with the frustrations of life and it is important to allow patients to give vent to these feelings. The importance of the lament, and how it may be transformed from the grumbles of a heart sink patient, to a useful diagnostic and therapeutic tool for both patient and doctor.

The skills required to get the patient's true story can be learned and go beyond knowing what questions to ask. Indeed 'questions' may need to be avoided, as they limit the patient to 'answers'.

And today was the day when I had to put myself into that world where I was about to meet my first patient.......
I was posted in surgery and was taught about HISTORY TAKING and was suppose to practice on that patient.
When I went upto him to ask him about his injury, he described each and every detail of the pain.
For a fact I did feel emotional for a moment but then felt great that Im the one he believes in and I should not go so emotional.
because "A Doctor or Going to be a doctor has a stronger impact on the patient than any other drug".