Checking In

Is it Day 7 of my URTI already? Okay, that doesn't make sense. No URTI lasts a week, especially since I'm STILL nowhere near my normal state. The EES is kicking in though, and my voice is improving, though at a painfully slow pace, interspersed with the occasional bout of debilitating coughing / hacking episodes. Was contemplating a CXR at some point, but why bother really? I'd feel guilty taking medical leave anyhow. Won't subject myself to more stress by entertaining the possiblity of a raging pneumonia, thank you very much.

Work continues at spinal-reflex level. Fever? Antipyretics, sponging, fluids, fever advice blah blah blah. Abdominal pain? First-line: fleet enema, THEN we'll talk further. :) I kinda enjoy trauma cases -- lacerations, fractures, etc. Less explaining, more doing, sedation if the kid decides to kick up a fuss ( almost ruptured my tympanic membrane last night when I tried to stitch a 2-year-old after applying the usually dependable LET gel to the wound, but the child is quite the fusspot, and fought 3 grown adults for 5 whole minutes, causing my suture knots to loosen before I could secure them properly, after which I said, "That's IT! Knock her out!" -- in front of the parents, 'cos I couldn't care less anymore. It was midnight, she was the last case I saw before I could go home on time for once, and I wasn't in the mood for any nonsense, hmph. )

Still haven't seen any resus cases, but I'll get my chance soon enough I suppose. A friend attended to a toddler who perished in a road traffic accident, but details are pending and I'm not sure how this event has affected him. Believe it or not, for some reason, I've never witnessed a paediatric death firsthand before, even though I did paeds as an intern ( with a full month in paeds oncology ), and have done quite a number of A&E rotations. Well, it's certainly something I can do without.


Quick Rundown

What do you do when you're sick and incapable of anything productive? Why, you vegetate big-time, of course. In my case, by renting truckloads of VCDs / DVDs.

Mona Lisa Smile -- shallow and uninspiring.
Secondhand Lions -- a little too childish and winsome for me, Haley Joel Osment's a fine actor, but he's also growing up, and needs to look... happier. For once!
Phone Booth -- Joel Shumacher and Colin Farrell couldn't even save this stinker.
Love Actually -- unexpectedly boring, despite a stellar cast and a screenwriter with a (previously) untainted track record. How could this happen!?
Seabiscuit -- not too bad, but I've seen better.
The Italian Job -- finally, something good! Really enjoyed this one, but can't compare to its blockbuster counterparts ( e.g. Ocean's Eleven ). Thank goodness for Edward Norton, Mark Wahlberg and Charlize Theron. Plus a thumping soundtrack from John Powell ( The Bourne Identity ).

I've got The Last Samurai left to view. Don't expect much, but hey, it only cost me 3 bucks. :)


Target Launch Date

Teaser countdown for that "joint venture" I mentioned in earlier posts. :D
Aiming for July 1st. Keep your eyes peeled.


Movie Quote for the Day

Here's one from a film I DON'T like. But hey, it earns points for campiness. :)

Velkan ( Anna's brother -- the dude who turns into a werewolf ): I'd rather die than help you!
Count Vladislaus Dracula: Oh, don't be boring. Everyone who says that dies.