not that im counting or anything

10.6 shifts down, 12.4 shifts to go.

it has actually been a lot better the second time around. as a resident, the ed consultants seem more likely to believe you when you tell them your patient doesn't look like they're on the brink of death. and the ed nurses even do ecg's and put in iv cannulas when you ask them to. even the patients appear less twitchy when you see them and actually trust you enough to go home when you tell them to bugger off because there's nothing wrong with them.

perhaps i have changed somewhat over the last 12 months... but how?

still, the ten hour shifts are pretty long and intense; and weekend night shifts still suck. and i still hate the lack of continuity of care. can't wait until i move on to oncology. oh sure it's not all doom and gloom. im learn a lot of paeds and acute medicine and general practice stuff. it's good to get back into the swing of things: actually using my brain to diagnose instead of just institute knee-jerk management; seeing interesting, baffling medical problems instead of just grappling with frustrating psychosocial issues that can never be solved. the joy of it all.

home sweet home

my first ed shift fizzed before it began. i had rocked up at ten, ready to rumble, my guts in a knot of anxiety, only to be told they had expected me to be at work earlier that day, where had i been, etc. turned out they'd changed the roster without telling me. so all i could do was trudge home, wide awake, trying to wind down, get some sleep. at least i caught the end of er. abby is so hot. even if she doesn't have an uterus any more.

madly planning my travels next year. so restless. but i know it won't be long before im consumed by work. then i'll have no energy to do or think about anything other than getting home and slumping on the couch.

back in the frozen grey landscape of ballarat. picked up a cold from someone already. how wonderful it is to be home.