Pallarenda Park!
We had a lovely time eating, walking on the beach, playing with hermit crabs, climbing on gun emplacements, and leaping 2-metre trenches. Rawr!
Gave up Groovin' the Moo for this, but I'd have to say it was well worth it. Kudos Poco.
Photo album here!
My patient looked at me with tears in her eyes and forced a smile. We had just had a difficult conversation about her Not For Resuscitation status.
'Have you ever met anyone like me?' she asked.
For a moment, I didn't know what she meant.
Then I realized she was talking about her situation, her pain, her emotions, her choices at death's door.
I closed my eyes for a moment and managed a rueful smile of my own. 'Unfortunately, I have.'
Her family echoed their agreement. They could tell I had done this before. They knew the weight carried by one of my calling.
They knew, as I knew, that it was not my first time talking to someone about how they were going to pass on from this world. They knew, as I knew, that it would be far from my last.
I rose and shook all their hands in turn. While before, they had exuded nervousness and careful distance, now they clasped my hand warmly in both their own. Their eyes were filled with tears and with gratitude.
I left them to spend some time together.
I myself was filled with a strange guilt that I was being thanked so profusely for such a painful discussion.
A strange guilt, that for all the hours I had spent studying the exalted Art, and despite the silver-framed declaration with the crimson seal that I had dedicated the better part of my life to acquiring; there was, all too often, so little I could do.
I am insanely annoyed by the fact that I can't remember how to embed a remotely hosted picture on my blog, which will pop-up in a new window when you click it.
Insanely. Annoyed.
Photo album here!
'This one is really good. Make sure you don't let him go.' - Patient, to Surg Consultant
'I just wanted to let you know that your patient thinks you are wonderful.' - Surgical Clinic Nurse
'I've got a compliment for you. You guys are so easy to talk to, so easy to approach. My student was telling me how she's done rotations in many places and didn't feel comfortable talking to doctors, but it's not like that with you.' - Hawt Dietician
'Listen, I know this job can be very demanding, but you are really doing great.' - Surg Reg
'You remember how we talked about how wonderful that surgeon was? Well, I know that you are going to become just like him someday.' - Patient
And just like that, all the 12 hour days and verbal abuse and missed meals and bad attitudes and random callouts were worth putting up with.
Of course, the fatass paycheck helped too.
WOOHOO!!!
In keeping with a sort of tradition I have of getting a new piercing at major new phases of my life, I gone' done mah tragus.
Got my first, 'normal' lobe piercing in highschool.
Did the cartilage when I was in IMU.
Did the second lobe piercing myself when I was in UQ, Brisbane.
And now, tragus in commemoration of doctoratin' in da Townsville.
More to come! Will probably go to 7.
