Saturday 3pm. The morning shift sucked! Big time! Seems everyone in the eastern part of Singapore made a unanimous decision to swamp our ER today, and I somehow got all the complicated cases -- either pretty sick, or requiring some sort of procedure -- a bizarre wrist fracture in a kid for which we need a manipulation and reduction, a lady with severe suppurative otitis media needing suction and wick insertion, foreign bodies in the eye, a few lacerations that needed stitching. I ran around so much I was starving an hour before my lunch break.
Right now, the pace has slackened, and I'm just crossing my fingers that it won't increase anymore -- at least until I've left the building! :) It was pretty exciting though. Gotta love the variety.

Guess what? There are lots of Clay Aiken fans in this hospital. Wards, clinics, the ER, they're everywhere! I've already gotten a number of group photos, and can't wait to see how they turn out. Sadly, some of my colleagues weren't aware of the Rolling Stone magazine with Clay on the cover. That was a really glamourous shot, so I've got them posing with the mag in the picture. At least 3 different sisters ( ie. senior nursing officers ) sound just like me -- "Oh, I love Clay! He's so talented! And when he sang Bridge Over Troubled Water, I melted!" or something to that effect. Hey, I know exactly what you mean! :D

Interesting conversation to relate from the other day. I saw this young man with a history of schizophrenia and recurrent arrests for glue sniffing ( apparently, I saw him the last time he got nabbed as well -- the police have a policy of sending these guys to the hospital for blood-taking for inhalant abuse ). Here's what went on during the 5 agonizing minutes he was in my consultation room. ( translated from Mandarin )

Him: Hey, it's you again!
Me: ( looking up ) ???
Him: You saw me the last time I was here, remember?
Me: Is it?
Him: I'm 100% sure of it! ( seems to be high on something )
Me: ( checking the computer records ) Oh yes, you're right.
Him: ( jumping up and down in his seat ) See? I told you! ( laughs gleefully )
Me: ( ignoring him ) Okay then, I understand you were arrested again for glue sniffing.
Him: Eh, it wasn't me, okay? It was my friend. I got framed.
Me: We need to take some blood again. Like the last time.
Him: ( looks mortified ) Hah? But you took so much blood the last time I almost fainted! Are you going to take that much again? ( the tube's capacity is a measly 4 mls )
Me: It isn't much what. Give me your arm.
Him: Please be gentle hor.
Me: ( silence )
Him: Ouch. ( watched syringe fill up with blood ) You're actually quite pretty, eh. Can you remove your mask so I can see your face?
Me: No.
Him: C'mon, don't be shy. Just for a short while?
Me: We're not supposed to remove our masks. Hospital policy.
Him: Don't worry. I won't tell anyone! ( all the while, we're surrounded by 3 police officers, who don't do a thing to shut this guy up )
Me: ( stony silence )
Him: ( watching me as I write on some forms ) Your hands are really small.
Me: Mm-hmm.

From this point on, I can't recall much of what transpired. I just got him out of my room as soon as I could. No thanks to the police! Never imagined this N95 mask would come in useful in non-SARS-related encounters.

The Jake Simpson CD and Dave Barry book reviews have to wait. Having another wave of patients. Till next time, wish me luck. ( 2 days left till my 1-week break, YES!)

Note: This isn't meant to scare you off, but I notice that the reader with the email domain of mindspring.com has dropped by yet again. May I make a small request again for you to email me? Would greatly appreciate it! ( ojj75@yahoo.com )