The Woman

"You're gonna be a Surgeon? How will you find time to raise kids?", he asked.

"Just like my Mom did", answered the daughter of a Surgeon.

Until next time,
Chandana Shekar

Happy Doctors' Day 2011

To the 5.5 years of medical college,
To the cocktail of slogging and fun,
To the pre-pg and pg struggle,
And the life that starts later on..
Cheers mates... Happy Doctors' Day :) :)

 

Loads of love,

Dr. 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

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

Happy ending :)

Oh boy!! Dermat postings came to an end :( How I wish it hadn't. Enjoyed this posting thoroughly. Asking me reasons? Oh there's no reason not to enjoy it. Go to the wards even after past nine and put notes, nobody will bother (unlike other departments where you go at 8 am and odd). They just need that job to be done. Everybody from the HOD (who is moody at times and blasts everyone and anyone when he isn't in a good mood) to the professors to assistant professors to P.G.s to nurses to patients are very cool. No 'kirik parties'. No patient comes as an emergency. And yeah quite a few people remember that they have skin problems only on government holidays and sundays!!! Because they get free then and so the OPD is loaded with patients on government holidays :) Nobody shouts at you for minor mistakes. Nobody wants you to be 'very' punctual. They don't exercise their power unnecessarily. All they bother is that you should know your work and do it. And for that, you get all the help you want. There is a 'comedy material' in the department too ;) ( only people from my college who have finished skin postings will understand this :) What say people? )Most important, they teach you stuff. At the end of the postings, I'm able to diagnose the common skin conditions atleast(I think so). I agree that you have to do the clerk kinda job here too. But still, you do quite a bit of intern's work also. And hey, if your interested, you get to learn and do procedures too. I did and I loved it. Thanks to the wonderful P.G.s - Pavithra and Sandhya especially, and the assistant professors (especially, Dr. Savitha). I liked the procedures here too. They are so delicately done. I agree that all surgeries are delicate. But these are extrw-delicate. Cosmetic reasons you see :) I am now keen on Dermat as an option for my P.G. than earlier :) Its a nice subject. I liked the prospects of it for an M.D.

Given an option, I would definitely finish my whole internship in this department itself. Missing it :( Had a real nice time and hope the next postings go as good as this. :)


Chandana C. Shekar

Happy birthday Mommy :)

It's my Mom's birthday today and we had fun. Wished her at 12 midnight. Gave her her gift ( I got her a bag and a wallet). Went to Chamundi hill. Went for dinner at her favourite restaurant. And the most special part - Mom looked very very pretty :) Dad's a real lucky chap :)

Mom's kinda my friend ( as most moms and daughters are). But trust me, the things my mom has done in life for us, I'm sure not many would have done that ( No offence to anybody). I can't do even 40% of it. I don't think many will survive it too!! Hats off to her :).

I have written poems and dedications for my sis, brother, friends. I've always wanted to write one for my mom. But it never happened. Every time I used to pen down matter to write on, it would go on for pages together. Come on yaar, a poem can't be so long right? You guys tell me, when a person does n number of things for you in one single day, how can you describe a whole life-time experience in just 4-5 stanzas?!?!?! And so being the reason, I've never got to write any specific thing for her. Sorry mom :-( :-)

But then, there are two posters in my room and I love what they say. Here it is-

A mother really knows you.

A mother really cares-

you are in her fondest thoughts

And always in her prayers.

She loves you very dearly..

As she has right from the start.

And she's the one you turn to,

When you need a 'helping heart'.

M - is for the Million things she gave me

O - means she is Oh, so beautiful

T - is for the Tears she shed to save me

H - is for her Heart of pure gold

E - is for her Eyes, with love light shining

R - means Right, and right she'll always be

Put them all together, and they spell

MOTHER - A word that means the world to me

p.s.- I gave an Intra-Lesional Steroid Injection today. Yeah I know it's as easy as Intra-muscular. But I cherish the 'first time's of everything in life. And this one's no exception :)

Chandana C. Shekar

The first surgery I assisted at JSSH

17 days of internship and Oh Yes, I get my chance to assist a surgery. Do I call it surgery or a procedure? A procedure maybe. But it took one and a half hours. Well, I assisted a Micro Punch Grafting :) . I placed 6 grafts myself too :) Though its not the first surgery I've ever assisted ( I've assisted my mom whose a gynaecologist quite a few times), the fact that its the first one I 'washed' (my hands) for, in the hospital I'm officially doing my internship makes it feel so special :). And I liked it :). I always love the 'First Time' in every aspect of life. First medal, first award, first concert, First monsoons, first birthday gift, first crush, and on and on and on..And this is no exception. I'm happy about it :) Was excited the whole day. :) This happened around 5 days ago, but never got to write about it. Now, i finally wrote about it too.Yippee.. :)

p.s. : I'm liking Dermatology :)

Chandana C. Shekar

My first day at the Department of Dermatology

Dermat postings started today and it was as cool as anything. It was just in contrast to the casualty postings. In casualty, you were always on your toes and in dermat, your always sitting :) Go to the department OPD at 9.00 am.Sit with a consultant, and prescribe whatever he or she tells for the patient. You get to see cases and you'll be taught a bit too. Saw an RFC (Radio Frequency Cauterization) being done for the first time in my life. Never got to see it in my MBBS life (It's a different story that I never attended skin postings then, but people who attended also never got to see it). An hour of lunch break and then, you hardly get any patients in the afternoon session. To get one report from the microbiology lab, I went thrice!! Anyways, no regrets about that. I was sitting since morning and I needed to stretch my legs and that was a nice stroll :)


One thing I liked about Dermat is that, the diagnosis is very direct. Your diagnosis is right in front of your eyes. Its just what you see. Its not that you don't do tests in this branch. You do do investigations, but comparatively, the diagnosis is more direct and straightforward than the other branches. Or do I have to call the diagnosis as easier than other branches?!?!? I'll decide about it in the next 14 days of my postings :) I have one more job to do before my postings get over. Learn as many cases as possible, and decide whether I'll want to do Dermat for my M.D. I've kept it as an option and now I wanna decide about it. Oh boy!!MBBS life was far better. One more year, and we shall be a part of a big pool of unemployed people, not knowing what to do in life next!!


Before finishing, I wanna mention about one patient that I saw this morning. For people who are not from the medical world, The department is actually "Department of Skin and S.T.D.". So HIV +ve patients also come to this department for their check ups. They are advised regular check ups. One lady, aged around 35 years, a middle class-working woman, came to the OPD (Out Patient Department) for her check up. I saw her OPD card and it was written that her spouse was not HIV +ve , but she had received blood transfusion and had undergone a surgery. She didn't look like somebody who could have had an extra-marital relationship either. Now, how did she get the virus then? Whose to blame? You never know!!! She's been positive since the past 4 years and her spouse was tested 2 months ago too and her spouse and her kids are HIV -ve yet. I went through her record and saw that she has come regularly for check ups every month and she has had some or the other problem every month- multiple joint pains sometimes and oral candidiasis sometimes and something else some other time. And she comes all the way alone from Coorg for her check ups. She smiles at you when she comes in and when she's leaving, as though nothings happened. Felt really bad for her. Well, tip of the iceberg I guess...


Chandana C. Shekar

Done with casualty postings

Finally the fifteen days of casualty postings got over. And it was a good experience in total. Though it was hectic, the only thing I hated there was the fights that used to happen when patients' attenders were told that no beds are available and the patient's condition is bad and they had to take the patient immediately to some other hospital. Had nice co-interns to work with and when you have nice colleagues, you can work anywhere!!Don't you guys agree? :) I learnt a lot of things in the 15 days of casualty postings that I never learnt in the 4.5 years of my MBBS life.

Chandana C. Shekar

The First suturing I did

Hey, one more thing. I did the first suturing of my internship today :) I had tried 2 days ago on a kid who had a cut, but he was crying so much that I left it for the experienced to do it. And I did suturing for a lady with scalp lacerations today :) And I feel so good about it :)

Chandana C. Shekar

One whole week of Internship passes by..

One week has passed by and I never got the time to write a blog entry. Do night shift from 8 pm to 8 am-come home-freshen up-have breakfast-go to sleep-get up and get fresh-have somethin to eat-run to hospital again. This was the routine. Oh I'm so glad casualty night shifts are over!!! But I had fun too. Actually, it just depends on the people who are working with you. If they are jolly people, you will have your part of fun :) And I did, except for some two days.

My first day was really something I'll never forget. Not because anything special happened, but just because it was 'The First Day' and I'm sure nobody will ever forget their first day. Lots of patients, my previous shift intern telling me that its too hectic while she was giving me charge, asking help and suggestions for almost everything possible, a brand new name plate with a white background (for those who are not from my college, medical students have name plates with black background and interns have those with white background) and more than everything,the feeling of hanging my steth over my neck for the first time!!It just felt WOW!! It was the transition day from a student to intern and the experience was nice. We just started so naive and tryin to find out as many things as possible. The only thing that I didn't like was that there was no proper duty doctors' room where I could relax and I was so very deprived of sleep..

The later days of my internship were actually better than the first day. A senior intern was posted and she was so much fun to work with. We had our share of ups and downs at work, but had fun too. The fact that she was around made problems so much easier to deal with. Really, I couldn't have asked for a better co-intern to start my internship with.She's finished casualty postings today and I'm gonna miss her for sure from tomorrow. Will miss you Nishika :-( and will miss your 'maja mari' and our 'musk melon juice' breaks :-) Wish I get such people to work with again!! At the end of the day, It feels great. The good feeling outweighs the problems :) and ya, Im still hoping things go well :)

p.s.: 22.3.09 - my first sunday at work :)

Chandana C. Shekar