My Writings. My Thoughts.
Tweeple are funny
// November 9th, 2009 // No Comments » // Uncategorized
I have been MIA for a while, but I still find tweeple funny. Here are some of the ticklers for the last few weeks.
DHughesy
Apparently giving a running commentary of what’s happening on tv while your wife cleans up isn’t considered helping. Who makes these rules?
Kimmehkins
ZOMG! President Obama wants to provide healthcare for ALL citizens he’s destroying America! *rolls eyes*
CherylAnneNY
I shouldn’t be allowed to shop for Lego after 10pm. My amazon cart is ridiculous right now
middleclassgirl
Playing pretend shit with the girl. I’m nit sure but I think I just ordered hot pineapple ice cream.
Lilylauren
Just worked out I can change apple tv music from the bath- this is quite a breakthrough in bathing experience
- middleclassgirl
Just discoveredpics on husband’s phone of me laying naked in sun yesterday!!!!! DELETE DELETE DELETE EWWWWWWWWWE
seancarmody
4 yr old: “why do you have this on the TV if you are looking at your iPhone”. #insiders
sharre
Thinking it’s not plagiarists that are responsible for global warming but PhD Students & Academics. I have just filed half the Amazon.
- CherylAnneNY
“Where the Wild Things Are” w/ a bunch of 6 year olds. Saturday nights sure aren’t what they used to be
purple_velvet
Dear people next door, shut up. I’m trying to tweet. Although some more snooze time would be better.
- CherylAnneNY
“Yes, he was the token gay alcoholic non-native valet” #bookclubquotes
Moving on, finding new challenges
// August 31st, 2009 // 11 Comments » // Family
I had my last day at the Department of Surgery last week. I had always been adamant that I would not leave my PhD hanging, and I would hand it in on time, but I failed. There is a bit of a trend here to use medical research to boost a job or training application, so a lot of research doesn’t get published, or written up into a thesis. I hate that, and was mainly motivated to finish on time in order to avoid being that sort of student.
However, I have applied for an extension and am now a part-time student with a further 12 months to submit my thesis. I can’t blame this on anyone else, as I was still collecting results for one chapter last week. However, I have only had the first revision of the rest of my draft in the last fortnight. As customary, after a first draft, there are massive revisions required, and I now even have another new chapter to write, combining and comparing some of my existing data.
So I will use the next few months to finish it off, while taking over the role of “At home Mummy” again (at least partially). I am still determined to finish it within the next few months. I am truly tired of examining and writing about pancreatitis, and I feel like putting it behind me.
I have another, more meaningful, motivation as well. In March 2010, we will have a new baby Cuthbertson join our family. This will make us a family of five. Yes, there is definitely only one baby in there. So, I really really need to finish this thesis soon. Before the hormones melt my brain.
Fit to be a patient
// June 23rd, 2009 // 3 Comments » // Family, Surgery
For those that follow my twitter feed, it will be no surprise that I have been on a fitness kick. This has extended to 6am group personal training. Do you know how cold it is at 6am in Melbourne at the moment? And how warm it is in bed curled up with one year old, three year old or handsome man?
Without becoming a crying, fat person, I wanted to explain my motivation. It is all related to my work. Operating on someone is one of the more intimate interactions you can have. You get to know what they look like on the inside, and not in some vague, philosophical way. You get to touch their fat. Ewwwhgh.
I work in an affluent western area, so our patients are mostly overweight, especially by the time they get bowel cancer in their sixties or seventies. And operating on a fat person can be really, really difficult. It is physical tiring to manipulate that extra flesh. And the fat is ubiquitous - everywhere and always in the way. The anatomy is harder to see, so the “figuring out where you are” phase of an operation lasts a lot longer.
I have been able to ignore the similarities between my physique and that of my difficult patients. I am young enough that being a surgical patient is unlikely. Then I had an emergency caesarean section, and realised I am at risk of needing surgery.
So I am trying to lose weight so I won’t be the fat anaesthetised person. I want to be the one where the surgeons are amazed at the beautiful anatomy. I know it’s a little wierd, but that is what counts for me.
Surgical manners
// June 1st, 2009 // 1 Comment » // Health, Surgery
One of the surgeons I work for has a typical surgeon’s manner. It’s a bit uncommon, now, especially with young fellows. I imagine there used to be a deal made between the surgeon and their society - you revere me and I will allow the hospital and my patients to use up my life. The deal has changed, so the behaviour has, too.
This boss seems to have little empathy for staff. I’m not sure if it is true, as he is really a nice guy, but he certainly gives that impression. You know how some people think that they know how things are meant to work, so get shocked when other people don’t? Like that. I don’t know how he deals with patients, as I never see him outside theatre.
I wanted to share the one thing he has taught me recently. We had a complicated case, and there were a few technical difficulties with the video equipment. Then his favoured instruments weren’t available. Then the staff started to get cranky at him, and the tension started to rise. And this was a complicated case, in a spare theatre, with fill-in staff.
So I learnt that attitude is one of the most important surgical skills. My surgeon expected the best of everyone in difficult circumstances, and got disappointed. Our plan should not be to expect the best and get disappointed. We need to expect the worst and enjoy the relief when people step up.
The other important skill is to plan for hassle-free work. Surgeons are the master of their workplace to some degree, and can manipulate what operations get performed in what situation, especially for elective cases. Especially in the times we expect everyone around us to let us down, we need to keep a margin of safety. Save your regular list, with familiar staff, for tough cases. No one has the right to get miffed if they have planned poorly. Be on time, have a familiar anaesthetist, be honest about the length of the list.
I know this sounds basic, but I have to write it down, because it just keeps bouncing around in my head. A tense workplace with standoffs between staff is unsafe. It’s a long career. Being a donkey at the beginning of a career doesn’t win points.
- inoriz said: Oh my goodness!!!!!!! CONGRATS!!!!!!!!!...
- precordialthump said: William Osler has said it all before: "One of the...
- brocasarea said: good luck and tc:)...
- Cris said: Thanks to all. We are pretty pleased, obviously....
- jeff said: thats great news! congratulations! im sure MrJ and...
- Tara said: OMG Cris, how aewsome! Congrats to you guys!...
