A tiny flashback of my OBG postings

Disclaimer: This is just about the OBG Postings during my Internship at our hospital. No offence to other OBG people elsewhere :)

Was at a hospital today. A lady came up to me and asked, "I need to consult the Gynaecologist. Could you tell me when she would be here?". I had my college bag on and there were a group of interns or residents walking a little ahead of me. Maybe this made her think that even I belonged to that hospital. I obviously said, 'I don't know', just to get an extra question mark on her face. I didn't even know where the OBG OPD (Out Patient Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology) was.

Missed my internship at that moment. Had it been at our hospital, I would have told her anything about the Gynaecologists there. Comes when? Goes when? Yells when?, everything. Wait a sec. Maybe I wouldn't be able to tell the last one. Who knows why and when an OBG would yell!! I guess even they themselves don't know. All that the world knows is that they yell. No offence to any gynaecologists elsewhere, but in our hospital, they very much do!!

Aarrgghh!! OBG postings during internship was such a pain!!Stories of the weirdness out there used to exit every single day. They always used to be the hot topic of discussion in the Interns' common room. Come on, where else would you find an 'emergency reference' put to medicine for fever and surgery for abscess in a case of thrombophlebitis?? And to top it, make the intern run to get it done asap!! Heights!!! (For my non-medico friends, in such cases, the fever is due to the abscess and when u treat the abscess, the fever subsides on its own).

Or even, making the intern go and wake up the lab technician at 4 am to get the haemoglobin percentage of a patient with no emergency and absolutely no pallor, and then it turns out to be 10.9% (That's more than mine!).And on another day, the junior PG doesn't inform the bystanders to arrange for blood immediately for a patient with 4.2% haemoglobin, because she is waiting for the 'senior PG's orders'. Wow!!

Forget that. In surgery postings, we did reasonable monitoring for patients where things from his abdomen were so totally taken off. And here, in obg, I was made to do monitoring from 11 am to 8 pm for one single elective tubectomy case. And hey, I was not supposed to go out of the ward. The patient had gone out of the ward at 6 pm and was playing with her kid. When I called her and asked her to lie down to check her BP, she said , "I'm fine doctor. Why are you checking it so often?". Yeah right! I needed that from a patient!!

And the kich-kich that exists there? Oh, I better not talk about it! All that exists in that department in our hospital is hierarchy. Not a healthy one for sure. OBG is such a lovely subject. Just that more than half the people out there are '"kich-kich"s. Wonder how the sweet ones survive between such colleagues!

One of my friend had told me, "Until and unless you open your mouth and let those PGs there know that even you have a temper, they won't let you live in peace". That so turned out to be true. No wonder my co-interns and I were so-extra-extra-happy when we raised that "To the end of obg postings" toast when we partied the night obg postings got over. Was such a relief!

Phew!! I'd never belong there again!!

Back from the flashback,
Chandana C. Shekar

Life changes so soon...

The number of pictures clicked on my (fav) Sony Ericsson Satio during,

February 2010 - 52  hmmm..

March 2010 - 410 Whoo!!

April 2010 - 13 , of which 10 belong to my mom's b'day!!

Life changes so soon!!! Pathetic!! :(

Well, for those who were not my batchmates at JSSH, here is some explaination. We were supposed to finish our internship on 15th march 2010. So the nostalgia of the 5.5 years spent together hit all of us sometime during late january. So, all the parties and get-togethers increased and spending time with everyone was at the peak durin late feb and march. Duty doctors' room was the fav hang out and writing out slam books was the most important job. Graduation, final parties, farewells, drives, movie nights, my b'day what not!!And every moment was a photo oppurtunity. March was an amazing time. April ? Well, I was at home, jobless!! Miss my internship. Miss the 04-05 batch, big time!!

Chandana C. Shekar

A Conversation

Started studying today. Thanks to a friend of mine. But when you try to study after ages, Oh man!, it's really tough to even sit at your table yaar!!. Needed a change. Got an urge to write. But staying at home all day almost leaves you with nothing to write on. Was just remembering If I wanted to write on something earlier and I hadn't. And one thing struck me. A conversation. And then I was sure that that would be the post here for today.

I had some guests at my place a couple of days back. A family with a 4 year old son. I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with him. After Paediatrics posting during my internship, I hardly found kids cute. Almost everyone from my College would agree to that (excepting the people who wanna take up paediatrics as a speciality). Our postings were so hectic and irritating ( Coz we did all other work except what Doctors ought to do), and with kids crying all around, at the end of one month, we had had enough of kids!!. But this one, was too cute and refreshing. I wouldn't mind spending time with him every single day. Loved the way he talked. I'll tell you one conversation that happened.

His Dad happens to be an Orthopaedician and the way this kid describes that is ,'My dad repairs broken hands and legs'. Courtesy his Kindergarten School, he can identify parts of the body. Now,

Him: " You also are a Doctor like my Dad? What do you repair?"

Me: "Well, I'll be a surgeon. I'll repair a lot of things then."

Him: "Lot of things? Name them."
Me: "Well, If I become a plastic surgeon, I'll repair scars. Like the one you have on your chin."
( He had a scar on his chin due to a fall and I thought that would be the easiest to explain to him).
Him: " That's all? Why repair that? It doesn't hurt at all!! Repair something that hurts. That will help people"
Me: "????...Ok.Forget it. So what will you become when you grow up?"
Him: "A Cricketeer, but only in the evenings. I'll play for RCB one day!! I'll be a Doctor during the day."
Me: "Oh!! That's nice. So will you also repair broken hands and limbs like your dad?"
Him: "No, Dad will do that. I will repair only knees and elbows"
Me: "Why only that?"
Him: "Because they hurt the most. Don't you know?!!!"

Well, All I could do was smile. Smile at his innocence, his know-it-all attitude, his zest for life (cricket and medicine huh?), and his thought to help people... Kids, they think wounded knees hurt the most!! :-)  No comments, but I really wish his innocence stays with him forever. Hope nothing else in life hurts him more than wounded knees.

And oh yeah, Cricket!! India and Cricket can never ever be seperated!!Never. No ways!! It's a religion out here. I guess that's the only thing wherein you can actually call India as a secular country. The only religion that everyone here is tolerant to. Such a small kid, and he wants to play for RCB!! I can understand if he would say that he wanted to play for the Indian team, but RCB??? Well, IPL Impact !! Guess this is worth all the publicity and hype and media coverage and what not the IPL has!!.

Chandana C. Shekar

Down the memory lane

This one goes specially to the 2004-2005 batch of  J.S.S. Medical College, Mysore :-) .

Finally Internship's over. Feels so empty today. I wokeup in the morning, and as usual, the still-sleepy me was deciding what clothes to wear for the day to hospital. Having nice coffee at home also felt inferior to the ordinary coffee my friends and I used to have at Parivar or Chavdi almost every late morning. I don't know if I'm missing the work. Maybe I am, a bit. But friends, oh god...missing them big time...Divya messages me saying she is feeling bad to walk to hospital alone. Moo messages saying he doesn't see any of those familiar vehicles parked... Well, that was enough to get me miss hospital more.

5.5 years of JSSMC...I still remember the very first day when we went to college. Everything was new. All the twists and turns, ups and downs, laughters and tears, crushes and enemies, jealousy and pride, so much happened. Spent the most influential years of our lives with a batch of people. One campus united different kind of people from different parts of the country and taught us to cherish and enjoy life together. Everything we did and everything that happened in life had the same people in it. And now, it's already time to part ways. Won't ever see atleast 70% of them again in life I guess.. Now it feels that 5.5 years happened within a spur of a moment..

UG life was fun. First couple of friends in college, bunking classes, proxys, the first year college day competitions, organising something for the first time, Sixers' trophy and the ragging, the birthday treats in first year, the whole class flunking in Biochem first internals, dissection hall and all those memories, pricking ourselves at Physio lab, some conference that happened and the whole class going to the movie 'Black' after that, unwanted rumours and gossips, few friends flunking in final exam and everybody going sad about it... First year had a lot of memories. Everything was in front of us to explore.

The Hospital postings in second year, standing on the footboard of the college bus to go to hospital on the very first day, getting posted with 'unit mates', with whom we scared the shit out of those poor patients, some medicos strike that followed, sitting at nescafe every single day in third term until dusk... enjoying the bus rides, cribbing on missing the bus back to college, asking for music to start in the bus before the bus itself started, the crushes and dates, my first ever trip with friends,organising events for college day competitions and participating too, getting shit scared whether we would pass in Pathology exam or not, getting caught for getting mobiles to Forensic class, never ever attending Pharmac classes,... Well, second year was an experience for sure.

Community medicine was one subject where we scored without actually knowing anything. That's where we learnt to leave hulas. The Jipmer fest ( we won antakshari there too ), kerala trip, all of us gathering at one patient to look into his/her eyes/ear/nose/throat at a time, our first class party, worrying about attendance at the end.... all was third year.

Whether we learnt anything in final year or not, we sure learnt how to copy in exams!!! Oh everybody did. All the internals and all the very intelligent methods of copying!! From chits, to sheets, to mobile and ear phones...and different ways of using the ear phones... From booking benches to dividing the portions with neighbours to finding out what size sheets would be given in the exams... well, everything was taken care of :). The long awaited class socials and finally clearing the exams to become Interns!!Whoo!!

Whatever said and done, Internship was the actual finale.. New name plates with 'Dr.' added to our names, steths hung aroung our neck and unbuttoned aprons.. Finally things were how we dreamt of always :). Made friends with people who we never thought we would even talk to. 'Duty doctors' room' was the most sought after place. Parivar and Chavdi trips became as necessary as air and water. From rating the PGs to complaining about night duties to going out for unit treats, well, had a lot of fun.We were no more students, nor were we responsible staff. Tensions resigned and outings and fun reigned. We complained about collecting reports and those stinking dressings and those post-op duties. But deep down, we enjoyed postings sure..For me in particular, Internship was one really important phase of life. Everything that happened in this one year was very unexpected. Something happened which I would say was the best thing that could ever ever happen to me. Was yet living it and something awfully pathetic happened too. But well, learnt my lessons atleast. Who can forget the last one month? Everyone started feeling nostalgic already. Interns' room got full with more and more people. Treats and parties happened every now and then. And the slam books!!!I need to write one mroe article to explain the slam-book-filling experiences. When I sit back and think, I enjoyed Internship. Memories of it always and always will bring a smile on my face. It would be one year of life which I can never forget. Lots and lots of memories.

We are done today, still wanting to live those days. Grad day is around the corner and after that, everyone would go their ways... How much ever I write about college life, would never suffice.Neither would I be able to make complete justice to it. All that I can say is, We've lived life's biggest bargain these years. And will miss it big time sure... Loved life at JSSMC n JSSH :)

P.S.- Happy Ugadi to one and all.... n yeah, my blog has crossed the one year mark :)

Cheers,

Chandana C. Shekar

Memories

Few people in this world write diaries. They pour their heart out there. The diary is their confidante. They have the confidence that nobody's gonna know anything of it, and yet, they don't have to keep things to themselves. Few others call such people as jobless. But then, every person has a life. Every person is a critic of their own life. Few people jot it down and few others just comment about it to themselves. So at the end of the day, everybody analyse their own life and to an extent, others' too. By doing so, we get happy sometimes and sad at times. At the end of all this, all that we end up with, are 'Memories'.

Memories are a diary that every person carries with him wherever he goes, whether he wants it or not. It's as good as our shadow, but invisible to everybody else but oneself. We repent having a few of them, and cherish having the rest. Few are worth storing in an album titled 'Golden times' and few others are a classical example for 'Shit happens'. Somebody enters your life and you have memories, somebody goes too far away, and yet, you will have memories. Even if you are thrown into 'kala-pani', into a room where you can see nothing beyond the walls, still you will have memories. You will still end up missing your mom kissing you good night, or your best friend pulling you to pose for a snap. They make you sigh, 'how I wish it was the same now'.

According to me, missing something or somebody is a bad thing. It just makes you give a sigh. But yet, nothing that you can help. Things just happen. Sometimes, your brain has a brain of its own. It just does whatever it wants to.It 'thinks' whatever it wants to. And it always and always, since ages , has claimed that 'memories' are it's hard earned property; and it can do what it wants with them. Well, no comments on that. Coz my own mind doesn't listen to me. It gives me bad memoirs, that I don't want to ever think of. But it gives me amazing ones too, which make me smile before I go to sleep. Whatever it is, I'm happy I have them. Learn from the bad ones and smile for the good ones.

Life goes on at its own pace, with so many things happening. But why is that only few things are stored as memories? It's something like, your walking along a sea shore and among all the pebbles out there, you just pick a few! Why those selected few? Coz you liked it maybe. Maybe they were good. What about the ones with bad shape? Well, you just chuck them. Same way, be happy with the memories you like.Spend time with people you like. Judge people properly. Don't do bad things anytime to anybody. Because at the end of the day, your memories are so very dependent on the 'World around you' :)

Last few days of my internship. I'm well aware of the fact that these days are gonna be the last few days of my memories of my college life. I'm enjoying every day of it. Spending time with as many people as possible. Clicking pictures whenever needed. And that too now that I have my Satio, pictures are just a reason to use the phone ;). I see every intern walking around

the hospital , not with investigation reports, but slam books in their hands. Well, just few ways that memories are created and stored. One fine day, all this would surely bring a smile on my face. Nostalgia and nostalgia and nostalgia then. Till then, I'm smiling at the old ones, and happy for the ones which are getting created now. :)

Cheers

Chandana C. Shekar

Random again :)

One days goes 'yuck', and the next day (so far) goes so good :). Sometimes, even if you're not doing anything exciting in life, life seems amazing.. It feels, what I would call 'a pleasure'. They say two is a company.. Well, it can be any kinda company. When its good, its nice. When its better, its whoo. But when its the 'best', its 'WOW'. I've had some real nice company today. Even though I was doing the boring job of filling my application form for my PG entrance, I swear I didn't get bored. When somebody genuinely wants to help you, it feels so good. Even though the job is so damn simple, you just don't feel like saying a 'no' to the help offered. And if somebody goes out of their way to help you, all you can do, is stand back, and smile :-). I did. :-) And I really enjoyed that smile of mine. Not very often do you get to enjoy your smiles thoroughly in life. I haven't got many oppurtunities after my college days. Well, how, who, where??...well, all that's not necessary. Just that, I'm glad :-). Well, anyways, had a nice time today with my friend- One friend of mine, who never reads my blog :-). And so, is not gonna get bloated up by how much praise that 'idiot' gets here :-).I swear we didn't do anything special. Just hanging out, or maybe I should say, just doing some pending works. But still, I liked my day... till now..

It's getting time for my night shift to start. And work is not that great offlate. Maybe I should say that a colleague is not that okay offlate. So there are unnecessary complications popping up. Its like a classical example of - Two is a company and three is a crowd!! Well, problems exist at more than half the workplaces I guess. But I just wish, it wouldn't exist at mine.Anyways, gotta deal with the shit..

Hey one more thing. I watched few shows by 'Russell Peters' today. My friend had videos. I swear guys, he is amazing!! He is a 'comedy phenomenon'. The best comedian I have ever seen. You should surely watch him guys. He is so sarcastically hilarious, and he doesn't have a margin to his jokes. His jokes range from deaf people to races to accents to girlfriends to porn!! I swear that guy is too good. Do google out his videos on youtube and watch them. You'll find it really worth watching it. Don't be surprised if you are ROFL or LMAO :-)

I had to go to the temple today. And church too maybe. I'm gonna get allotted new postings from tomorrow and there is one 'dreaded unit' where I don't even wanna step into. I missed to the places of worship today. Just hoping god gets some mercy on me and doesn't put me into that hell.

Well, That's it for now I guess. The day's ending and the night's starting. For me, Work is starting. Something I have not been looking forward to. Especially after having spent a day, which I would smile thinking of.. And knowing that the night's gonna be bad.. Well, All good things come to an end maybe. I just want this 'glad' phase of life to last longer. I want more of days like today. If not more nice people in life, atleast I don't wanna lost the few nice people who already exist in my life :-)

OK guys, see ya tomorrow. Do write in.
Cheers

Loads of love,
Chandana C. Shekar :-)

One more relaxed day.. Whooo!!! :-)

I kinda have this intense urge to write something since yesterday. I've been bragging people around me to tell me some topic that I can write something really nice on. But I don't know why people over-estimate my calibre. They suggest topics that will need a minimum write of a few pages!! I don't mean to write so much. I just want to write an article for my blog that's short and effective enough to create an impact (good or bad, is left to the reader) in the reader's mind. But looks like bad luck is on vacation somewhere around me. I haven't got a topic of interest yet!! The ones that are flashing up here and there in some corner of my mind are just not worth writing about.

Well anyways, looks like again I'll have to write some random stuff. Nothing great happened today. Yet, I feel it's something exciting, coz it's been a 'chit chat day' today. I spent the morning on the phone with my aunt and my cousin's wife until it was time to go to the hospital for my follow-up. Late morning passed by chit chatting with Mommy dearest :). No doubt I'm her best company when she is cooking :). Had a friend come down to visit me in the afternoon. I'm a patient now you see ;-). He got me a big dairy milk bar. Wow!! I'm haappiiee.. lolz. Had two more friends come down in the evening. So all I did today was chit chat, and somewhere in between, bits of gossip too ;). Was a nice day all in all .

But yeah, one thing I heard about was really irritating. Somebody in authority to give me leave at my hospital, has a doubt that I've not met with an accident and I'm just making it up!! Heights!! First of all, when I called that person to ask for leave, I wasn't even asked as to how I am doing now, or do I have fractures. But yeah, I was surely told to get the medical certificate or else I shall have to repeat these particular days of internship. But that person went and asked my co-interns whether I was really hurt or was I making it up. My friend says that that question was accompanied by a sarcastic smile. And I sure can imagine that!!! What the hell on earth man!! If I had to make it up, I would say vomiting or back pain or even dengue fever (that's everywhere nowadays) and would have taken the certificate for that. Why would I say that I can't walk!! Wonder what people think!! If the same thing happens to their kith and kin and they are not given leave, I wonder how this person would react. I would love to see that, any day, any time. Anyways, at the end of the day, who cares what such people think. All I need is my leave. And about such mean questions and comments that are passed, well, all we end up doing- is bitch about it :).

Okies. I better go do something. hmm...not watch movies for sure. Have been watching two per day since the time I'm at home :). I think I should study a bit. My table looks so clean!! By the way, my legs far better :). See you guys soon when I can find something to write on. Cheers :)

Chandana C. Shekar

One week at Immunisation

They say na, when you truly ask for something, you do get it sure.. Well, I asked for a week off from paedo postings and I got it sure :) I always cribbed about the Paedo postings in my college and guess what, I got one whole week off!! Asking why? Well, I was posted at immunisation for a week!! Yippee!! :)

One week of just you and the nurse at the immusation department, with no P.G. or staff that you have to keep reporting things to (trust me, that feels really good) , hardly any work on days other than monday and thursday, no collecting reports and best of all, no taking samples to the laband no roaming around for references :). WOW!! Plus, you have flexible timings. No running to the hospital before 9 am. To top it all, I had one half day per se and a sunday holiday!Whoo, my first sunday holiday in the whole 51/2 months of internship!!! College fest too was at the same time, so I was not there in the hospital in the afternoons :) (coz our college fest events start in the afternoon). Had no problem asking for permission and crap, and no headache of running back for night duty after the events get over late evening.

And yeah, not to forget, I missed two OPDs!!! Missing even one single first unit paedo OPD feels like you've missed hell!!No exaggeration here for sure. Felt like I'm a doctor for a week and not an ayah(In our hospital paedo, interns are just doing ayah's work of taking samples to labs, taking the patient along for all the referenxes and x-rays and scans and blah blah blah). We get to sit in 'The doctor's chair', and not in the one next to it. You have your colleagues coming over to chit chat when they are free and you too are (Immunisation is free on all days except mondays and thursdays), and nobody will question you anything about that. I swear, I was as happy and and as relaxed as I could be. :)

Well, one week gone by, I never realised how swiftly it passed by. Had a real nice posting here. Will have to report back to paedo first unit from tomorrow. That's not something I'm looking forward to. But, as they say, all good things come to end. So did immunisation postings. I'm glad that I got one week atleast. I have got the highest number of days at immunisation amongst my colleagues and all of them are invariably jealous of me. That just gets an impish smile on my face ;-). So, back to paedo emergency ward tomorrow, and hoping this fortnight passes soon :)

Chandana C. Shekar

Won poetry at my college fest :)

My first reaction when I saw the topic for the poetry competition at my college fest was, 'WTF'!!! Asking me why? Well, it was such a bakwaas topic. It was 'Light of life'. So first think what can be the light of your life, and then jumble words to write on it. All this in less than an hour, because another competition was about to start after an hour. Moreover, the fact that I hadn't written since months together, made me go 'aarrghh'.. But yet, as they say- alls well that ends well, I thought, I wrote and I was happy about what I wrote. And to top it all, I won too. :) Though I wrote poetry since the past 2 years, this was the first time I took part in any competition per se. And I won. I'm really glad about it. And this happenening to be my last fest at my college , makes it feel more special. I'm putting up my poem here. Kindly have a read and let me know what you think. Comments and critique most welcome. Will really be glad. Thanks in advance :)

LIGHT OF LIFE

I wished he was here, to give me company,
Until the sky fell down, upon him and me.
But the news of his demise, made me go so sore,
Even before he knew, he'd have a kid to adore.

I yearned so much, to him, say 'I love you',
But fate didn't let me, even a last aideu.
He was my soul sure, he was my world,
Everything I now saw, looked so unpurled.

When all about life, was black with gloom,
And all I felt, was pending doom,
When my bones were racked with grim despair,
And every breath, was just a gasp of air..

When I could only sigh, and only grope,
All I could give myself, was a chance of hope.
I hoped my cloud, would have a silver lining,
Just enough to make this world, a place worth living.

When days to weeks, weeks to months, in me, you turned,
Within me, feelings and emotions, just churned and churned.
You finally entered the world, and wasn't a suprise,
But yet my darling, it took me time, to realise.

You're the greatest gift, god could ever bestow,
The most exquisite joy, than I would ever know.
You're just that's needed, to take away, all my strife,
Just know that my baby, you're truly, The Light of my Life.

Chandana C. Shekar

p.s.- My 50th post on the blog :)

The rangoli we did at our college fest

That's the rangoli that my friend and I did at the competition at my college fest. We didn't win anything. Well, no comments about that. But we are really glad that a lotta people liked it and took pictures. :) We had fun doing it anyways :) For those who need an explaination, the picture has a female foetus (thats why the caption says 'her'), who is dreaming to fly high, but is being killed and the dream is being plucked off in the bud itself. We just meant to say, stop female foeticide. :)


Chandana C. Shekar

Aarrgghh !!

For the first time in my internship, I'm regretting being on leave :( Yeah, you heard it right, It might sound insane, but yeah, its true. I must have said "What the hell", quite a few times now. No intern would repent being on leave. Even I wouldn't in other circumstances. We jump and grab the leaves we can get. But now, there are three things that are making me regret. One- I'm sick :-(. Two- It's happening during Ortho postings of the lot!! Three- I'm royally bored!!! Ortho postings has hardly any work to be done. Coming home by 11.30 am on free days feels nothing else but 'bliss'. And I'm missing out on that.. Wish I had fallen ill during some other postings when I had loads of work to do :( I would have slept with peace..

This fever is so sickening. It's changed from intermittent to continous now. I'm so royally bored sleeping all the time. The only other thing that's happening is that music is playing. And my 'younger' sister keeps advising me to stop it coz she thinks that it'll give me a headache!! My younger sister reigning over me? yeah, I know, power does a lot to people. Mom's not in town.So, my sister thinks she is responsible to look after my health now. Poor girl, she ends up asking me if I want anything umpteen times a day. Mom will be back tomorrow. I'm glad. It's always so nice to have Mom around.

Gave my blood for repeat investigations. Waiting for the reports. Have to call the physician after that. I realise, there are a few advantages being a doctor. Or even a doctors' kid. No need to worry about hospital hours, even for the slightest problems. Things get done anytime. :-) I wouldn't have consulted a physician for this fever. Thought it's viral. But it's been a week and sumptoms aren't reducing.So, my parents need 'expert' opinion for that. lolz. See, when your kith and kin fall sick, you forget that you are a doctor too :-).

My friends are giving me varied diagnosis every time they call me. And they seem to be very sure of it. It's fun when they say, "This disease doesn't usually present like this, but it can you know?"..Yeah, yeah, I know :). See, this is what happens when you know half and half :). Anyways, best one was when somebody said 'swine flu'.. hehehe... How could he say that? But poor guy, i appreciate his concern :)

One of my best friend's wedding got finalised. I'm so happy for her. The wedding's after a year. I just wish it was somewhere at a more nearby date. I'm sure I'll be a part of it. So wondering if it could happen somewhere now. Atleast would have had some excitement in life. lolz :) . I guess it'll be the first wedding among my 'best' friends. So, pretty excited about it. :)

I seem to have fallen in love with the song 'chor bazaari' from the movie 'Love aaj kal'. Been hearing it over and over again. Love the beats in the song somehow. My sis says that I need to change the song. I've played it so many times that she has the lyrics by-heart itseems.lolz. I won't change. Getting some sadistic pleasure by irritating her ;-) .

Ok, I'm hungry now. Need to go eat something. Feels so good scribbling my mind out. I feel less 'aarrgghh'. I hope you guys don't feel 'aarrgghh' reading it :) . If you do, don't write to me.. Write to..,.maybe...hmmm... My sister... lolz ;-)

Take care

Chandana C. Shekar

Done with Surgery-VI

"The End" of Surgery postings..

Over and out with 49 days of 'Surgery-VI'. Got so used to saying that word 'Surgery-VI', that it became similar to the 'Hi' that I used to tell my friends. Every time I went to get or submit the O.T. list, to collecting reports, to calling the wards, to references, to telling umpteen people as to where I belong,...well, it was always 'Surgery-VI'. The fact that it was my first 'major' postings made me go more accustomed to it. All my previous postings were only for 15 days each, and I hardly had any work to do. By the time I would realise that I belong somewhere, postings would get over and I would belong somewhere else. But surgery-VI, Oh it gave me so much work that for the starting few days, I felt that I'm being royally, extremely, unreasonably overworked!!!. Lolz.. I don't blame the people who I worked with, no ways!! There was so much work indeed!

Well, had a nice experience in a few ways and I wanted to flee away from the unit sometimes too.. Had quite a few nice people to work with. Few of them were 'fun' too. I'll always remember them. Had 2 fights too with somebody not-so-nice. lolz. :) But hey, I won- both times. And that's all that matters ;-) I cribbed about the workload quite a few times, but never had any bad experiences that would bring tears in my eyes. I'm just so glad that the Saturday OPD days are gone, atleast for the time being. It used to feel so awkward to work 'busy' on Saturdays and Sundays!! Got to learn quite a bit too. All thanks to-well, those who taught me ;-)

Personal front too went well in the period. No regrets about anything. The number of games in my phone increased, chit-chat sessions with my co-intern increased, number of coffee day visits increased..Only thing that almost came to a nil, was my studies. Its in dire need to be started again!!

Well, all in all, I'm content and happy that I'm done with 'Surgery VI'. But somewhere in some nook of my mind, I'll miss it too. No specific reasons for it. And I don't wanna decipher it too :) Glad just the way it is :)

Chandana C. Shekar

Wedding Bells everywhere

Looks like Wedding bells are ringing everywhere. One of my friend is getting married this weekend and celebrations are full-on. Its a marwari wedding and so, you can imagine the pomp and grandeur that's into the wedding. Its somewhat what you ideally call, 'The Big Fat Indian Wedding'. Yesterday was the mehendi function and I was no exception. I got my mehendi done too :) . Had fun yesterday. Everybody had fun. It's really good to have a wedding in the family. Its far better than any other festival. It gives people so much joy. An occasion for family and friends, to rejoice, to feel glad, to sing, to dance, to bless,to make merry, to say 'forever and ever'.. Wow!! I loved it yesterday. And I'm sure I'm gonna love the rest of the wedding too :) Going to Bangalore tomorrow for her reception party. Looking forward to the next three days. I've got leave from the hospital too :)

Three of my friends got engaged this month. Three more have their match-making going on on serious terms. And the rest, well, atleast few are thinking about it. I'm happy for all of them. I'm glad their 'happily ever after' is starting. But somewhere, it feels all different to know that, the girls and guys I hung out with, till recently, are already responsible enough to start a family!! Wow!! I too will get my number, one fine day( a long way to go though). Until then, I'll enjoy being the bridesmaid :) I'm loving it :)

Chandana C. Shekar

Just when I think I'm done...

Saturday is back again!! Unfortunately!! :( Yeah, you didn't hear me wrong..I said 'Unfortunately' itself. Almost every sane human being looks forward to 'weekends'. For youth like us, Saturdays are always more fun than Sundays. But for me and a few more working with me, well, we just wish Saturdays cease forever..

It feels like just yesterday, that we had Saturday and our OPD and admission day and night shift and all that crap. And Saturday is here again :( How soon did the week pass by ? :(

Physiology says , your body and mind needs adequate rest.Being doctors, we all have studied it properly in our very first year of medical school. We know the disadvantages of not getting enough rest. Then why on earth are we doctors ourselves expected to work like donkeys?!?! We aren't some machines right? Why are we put on 36 hour shift and 70 hour shift and all that? Forget me, one of my friend took up MS general surgery in a government college recently. And poor fellow, he is getting to sleep only for an hour everyday for the past five days!! I mean, won't our efficiency decrease if we work like this?How much can you force your body and mind to work. When your drowsy and your mind is not analysing the history and findings and investigation reports of a patient to come to a diagnosis, forget the treatment part, whose at loss? What if you make a blunder in the treatment?At the end of the day, patients do get affected because of this right?But the world's very diplomatic. Everybody is of the opinion that, 'your a doctor. The noble profession. You should be able to handle all this'. What crap!! I wonder why shifts are so unreasonable. But I know for a fact that, nothing can be changed.

Intake of PGs and staff can be increased and work load will reduce. MBBS graduates are staying at home without PG seats and very low paid duty doctor jobs. But no. No college admits more PGs. I wonder why.When you can admit 150 students for an MBBS course, and you know that just an MBBS degree without an MS or MD leaves you nowhere, why is that you hardly have 50 seats for MD and MS? What are the others supposed to do? Stick to a 10,000 job all through life? Amazing logic ya!! Whatever it is, the hierarchy in this field is horrible. 'Rules' here, means, just what the seniors say. That's it. They are the rule makers and breakers and everything.

I'm not feeling well today. It looks like its gonna continue for tomorrow too. And tomorrow is supposed to be our busy day. How do I work when I myself am not feeling well? But yeah, I have to and I have previously worked while ill too. According to me, almost every intern and pg would have. Nobody in the hospital bothers about it. If at all I go and ask for leave, I won't get it because tomorrow is duty day and moreover, even if i get it, my leave for shruthi's wedding will get cancelled. Heights!!

My friends who I used to hang out with all these years have now shifted to Bangalore and elsewhere because most of my friends are engineers and are working in Metros. They come to Mysore only on weekends and they laugh at me when I say I'm at work!! Wow!! Amazing na? Life is screwed up if your weekends are screwed up yaar.

Anyways, I'm in this department for two more weekends. I'm on leave next weekend and that leaves me with only one Saturday duty and that's tomorrow. Hope things go easy tomorrow and hope my leave for the next weekend doesn't get cancelled. Want to get done with this..ASAP

Chandana C. Shekar

Heights of co-incidence!!!

How much can be a co-incidence? Two girls having the same kind of dress? Both of them being friends? Both of them being colleagues, working within the same 4 walls, almost always next to each other? Both of them wearing those dresses the same day? Well,Trust me, I'd say- ALL OF IT!!

One extremely funny thing happened today. I and my co-intern happened to wear the same coloured attire with the same kind of prints too!! Both of us wore white and blue with circular prints. The shade of blue was same too. It was an extreme co-incidence. I didn't even know that she had a dress of this sort ( being with her since 4.5 years, I actually am kind of aware of the dresses she owns). Maybe it would go unnoticed. But since we both are in the same unit and always working together, every other person couldn't help but notice it.From nurses, to our friends, to PGs to Unit chief too!! And the comments we got, were really weird.Here are a few:

-->"Are you twins?" ( that was really weird. Our clothes might have been twins. but how can we be?)
--> One of the my friend pointed at my co-intern and said, "Look look, Chandana's there!!" Duh!!
--> "Did you both get these dresses in any 'buy one,get one free' offer?" Oh gosh!
--> "Are you celebrating any white and blue day?"
--> "Has any uniform system been started in your unit?" Yeah dude, thats the only thing pending now!!

Others were decent enough to ask, "hey, how come same kind of dresses?"Thank god!! But the above mentioned comments-@$*^&@*&"~. We felt like going home and changing! But unfortunately, sugery postings doesn't give you so much time. But the next time I'd wear this dress to hospital, I'd surely call my colleague and confirm that she isn't wearing the same dress that day. We took a snap of ours too to remember this 'once in a lifetime' incident. I showed the snap to my mom, and she started laughing too!!Heights ya!!

Chandana C. Shekar

May I consult Dr.Chandana please?

It's a saturday morning and as usual, I was expecting a busy day and night at work. I go to the OPD at past 10 , after finishing the dressings in the ward and there is an OPD card lying on the table unattended. I ask the PG if he is done with that patient and if I can dispense the card, and he says , "That patient wants to consult you itseems". There's no doubt about my reaction. You can guess it right?I know he is just kidding. I ask him to stop it and he says the same thing again. 'What the hell ya, how can somebody fool around like this early in the morning when there is a busy day ahead yet?' is what goes on in my mind. I ask him for the last time to stop acting weird and there he goes, "The patient said that she wants to consult Dr.Chandana itseems". Ah!! Now I know for sure. This guy is nuts. He is having fun at my cost.

Then, for some reason, I turn around and see, and I find that, THE PATIENT IS ACTUALLY WAITING FOR ME!!!. I was shocked, speechless, wondering what my staff would think about it ,and happy too.

Now the explaination for her waiting for me goes like this. This particular lady had come to the OPD last week too and wanted a female doctor to examine her and she was pretty scared about something regarding her health. As I was the only female doctor around, I did examine her, but rest of the diagnosis and treatment part was done by my senior. That time, it has so happened that she has got to know my name from my name-plate. Now,this week, when she has come for follow-up, she is asking for Dr. Chandana!!!

Whoo!!! Felt good in one way. It's a completely different story that it'll be my seniors who will be doing the needful for her and I'm here just as an intern, still in my learning process. But when most of the patients address you as 'Sister'(Patients think any young girl in an apron is a nurse!!! weird!!!) and you keep snapping back at them saying 'I'm a doctor', if a patient asks for you and waits for you, it is but obvious that you will feel good right? When at times, you don't even get the respect that the para-medical staff get, by you very own staff, if somebody is respecting you as a 'Dr' , you will feel glad right? When most of the time you are doing clerical work at the hospital, if a patient actually wants you to treat her, you will feel great right? :) Nice :) :)

Chandana C. Shekar

Surgery, so far... so good :)

I report to Surgery Postings on saturday morning at 9. And I'm on continous duty till monday evening 5, making it a good whole 56 hour shift!!! Unfortunately, I'm supposed to be the only intern as my co-intern is at rotation postings at the Paediatric Surgery department for ten days. And unfortunately again, the junior PG is on leave. And more unfortunately, there are a lot of admissions for those two days. :(

Coming from minor postings and having so much work to do and not knowing how things are to be done felt a huge transition. Days passed and I got used to it. There was more work compared to other unit interns, but then, it all boils down to one thing. If the people who your working with are cool enough, everything goes on smoothly. So did it happen. The profs in my unit weren't 'very' cranky and P.G.s in the unit were really cool. I used to get my share of work to do, no running away from it. But I used to get enough time to do it too. No unreasonable time limit and stuff. Do your work, and your fine. Got to assist surgeries. Learnt a few things too. Felt for sometime atleast that I'm actually a medical intern and not just somebody doing some clerical work, filling forms etc.

There are a few things I have realised in the past few days during my postings here, and few are from some people around:
1. Always have Confidence, come what may. That's going to be your ultimate lifeline.
2. Everybody has workload. Learn to get on with it. Never crib about it for the whole day. Get done with it and then enjoy the remaining part of the day.Be bindaas.
3. Your here for something, keep that in mind first. First things first.
4. Don't believe in somebody else's opinion about people. Make your own. It differs big time. Trust me on that!! Opinions are very very subjective.

Well, a month more to go and I foresee a few changes too. Lets see how it goes :)

Chandana C. Shekar

ENT and Ophthal

Done with ENT and Ophthal postings. One cool month. Over and out with it.:( Life was 'cool' these days. No post opd and post op duties.No staff shouting at you- Thats because the PGs there form your armour and they get all the shoutings and yellings and screamings and 'gaalis' too. And that makes you so very protected :) Amazing PGs ya. Really, very friendly.Schedule there for interns was so very simple.Roam around, chit chat, sit in OPD,do clerical work(lolz)...Life just passes.. Wow!!! Now that I'm into surgery postings, I miss those days. I really do. Minors were fun.I feel like I'm doing the whole last month's work in 3 or 4 days now.

And hey, I did a Tonsillectomy during Ent postings :). Interns doing it is a rarity in our college. Very rare sure. But I got to do it. Luck by chance I guess.All thanks to my Unit Chief and more than that, my PGs ya!! Ashwini and Sandhya- two amazing people I've met. 30 years from now, if somebody asks me about my ENT postings, there will be two things I'd remember. One- that I did a tonsillectomy. And two- the two PGs in the unit.I cherish that I worked with them for a while. You might find PGs who are friendly, fun to be with, not so cranky and all that. But if your searching for those who are all these and 'kiddos' at heart and mischievous and so very nice to each other, you better go to these two. You just don't feel that they are your seniors. Spending time with them is just the way, when you are with your friends. It was 'really' fun being with them :). Well, all happy things come to an end. So did my one month of ENT and Ophthal. Now into surgery, first few days were hectic. I'm the lone intern for the time being.So.. Anyways, there are a few things that are making the postings a bit comfortable. So, lets see.. Wait for further updates :)

Chandana C. Shekar

I'm back :)

When your back, you should be back with a bang. I wanna be back. Back on my very own blog. Back on something I was obsessed with, a while ago. But I have nothing exciting in life that I be back with a so called 'bang'.!! Anyways, first things first- a honest acknowledgement to Nazish Rehman- for being such a punctual follower of my blog, that he instantly commented on my last post too (which I wrote after really long). I had thought that the followers of my blog might have even stopped following my blog, because my absence was for long. But you proved me wrong Nazish!! Thanks so much :) I appreciate it. :)

What do I talk about? Work? aarrgghh!! Anything but not that. Im bugged and disgusted and irritated with JSSH. I get irritated even while driving on the road that leads to JSSH. The friends group that I hang out with, went on a trip to ooty. And guess what!, I missed it! :( Thanks to the postings at hospital. I couldn't get leave :( These are the people I enjoy life most with and I couldnt make it to the trip with them:( God knows if this trip will ever happen again. And yeah, I fell ill too. And I had to go to the hospital with fever! Not as a patient. But as a Doctor!! What rubbish. Reason? Same old thing. Couldn't get leave :(. I'm just waiting for internship to get over.

Life otherwise? Nothing happening. My best friend had come down. Had a real gala time. Enjoyed every single day. It had been a long time since I had such days filled with so much of life. Seniors had their graduation day. And I truly felt our college hosts the most boring grad day. Two friends who were a couple got engaged. Thats some nice news!! Happy for them. God bless them forever :) . An old friend, Bhargavi got married. Happy married life to her. Just can't believe that the girls who I studied and played with are already happily married!!

That's pretty much about life so far ( in the period of my absence on my blog) in short. I'll be right back again, and in full zeal . Till then, take care. Cheers :)

ps: A dear friend got into M.S.(general surgery). Congrats to him and all the very best. Do well chap. nice to have a surgeon friend ;)

Chandana C.Shekar

Shift + Ent

I've been shifted to the department of E.N.T. I whole - heartedly wish this hadn't happened. Reasons? Oh, many of them. All of us had two 'batting' sessions on the first day itself for actually what seemed like 'no reason at all'. Did nothing other than writing what the professors said to write in the OPD registers and prescriptions. Hardly examined one or two cases. So got nothing to learn. Afternoon session was nothing but sitting in the seminar hall and listening to P.G.s do seminar, which went well above our heads!! Mind you, attending it was compulsory. One consolation prize- biscuits and coffee at the end of the seminar!! Phew! Forget us, P.G.s go through more than us. It goes without saying that they are the scape-goats for everything. And when they are missed for a target, we are caught!! Wanted to take leave for the next day, to go to b'lore, but due to circumstances, couldn't get one :(

Day 2- I went to B'lore last evening after postings to see off my uncle and aunt who were leaving to USA. Came back early in the morning to Mysore and I was so god-damn sleepy. Went to O.T. and had 2 'batting' sessions from some anaesthesia staff!!! Jeess!!! I don't even come under that department and she shouts at me for 'absolutely no reason at all'!!!! What the hell!! When your an intern, every Tom, Dick and Harry thinks its their birth-right to shout at you I guess! Again a consolation prize- The P.G. tells me that they too get scolded by that staff for crazy reasons. I feel consoled after listening to those reasons!! We get to do nothing in the O.T. Just stand, stand and stand, and fill some histopathology forms. Thats it. Thats such a waste of time. Thank goodness, O.T. got over by afternoon and I could go out for lunch with a friend.

Have OPD tomorrow. Hope things go well.

Chandana C. Shekar