Sun rises early
Spring makes sleeping in tricky–
It is just as well.
Not much going on here lately. I have been trying to study and have been hanging out at home a lot. I can’t believe that this year is almost over, it has felt like a flash.
Some crazy weather here today. Don’t know why it’s happening but it looks like the outback has decided to leap into the air.
On the way to the grocery store, I often take the back path, which leads through a bit of scrub. Just after leaving the fenced back yard, there is a bunch of bushes. When I pass, there is usually a scurry sound in them. It sounds like it is made by something bigger than the ubiquitous geckos. I figured it was probably a snake, and despite always looking, I’ve never seen anything. Well today I almost stepped on this guy, maybe he is the noisemaker.
PS. Even though it kinda looks like the suspected snake, it’s actually an Eastern Blue-tongued Lizard
This is a Jacaranda tree near the graveyard by my house. The locals say that when the trees flower it is time to start to panic about final exams. Seems about right to me…
I know I haven’t updated this in a while, but I have been spending less and less time with my computer on. I have recently bought a few text books that I am really getting into and have printed out my student notes. This means that I have not been updating as much, since it hasn’t been in front of me. But life is pretty good, I am currently preparing for my final exams which are coming up in a few weeks. In the last little bit I had a party for my birthday which was lots of fun, we had a holiday for a bit, and now I have been back at class for a few weeks. My life has settled into a zone where I know what is going on. I know how to be a second-year med student. That has made day to day life feel like it isn’t as report-worthy as before. The adventure is becoming more commonplace, but I am still loving it. I miss everyone at home so much, and am sad for the good times together that have been forfeited. I am living. Here.
All the year 2 med students have a list of examinations that they need to perform for a clinical tutor this year. I finished my list today with a cardiorespiratory examination. I know it’s a small victory but finishing the list was a huge relief, and a little bit of a marker in the sand. I have been previously going through the clinical examinations wondering if that’s really what is done in practice, as it all seemed like a little bit of an abstract song and dance to me. But today I felt like I knew what I was looking for, and why. I felt as though I was, despite being a bit nervous, able to balance talking to the patient as a human being, being aware of what they needed while still doing what I needed to do. And it felt great. The tutor I was with was very encouraging and more than willing to teach while examining. Also, in the actual examination I was able to discern what was happening to the patient, which is one of the first times I have done that without really asking the patient what is going on, or knowing the background from the history. I know that it’s a pretty minor thing, but as I said, it’s a little victory. And with years and years of training ahead of me, I need to take the little victories.
My reward after all this? Three written words:
It’s a small step I know, but I find it pretty encouraging.
Every now and then there are really great days. It wasn’t particularly special today, but I had a great day. I am currently on holidays, and today was perfect. It is Monday, and everything went my way today. I woke up at my leisure, took it easy with a coffee in the morning, found out that I am going to the Sunshine coast next year (more on that later), had lunch with a friend, relaxed all afternoon, then went out for a steak dinner at a cook-your-own restaurant with some friends of John’s. We had a bunch of laughs, a great steak I cooked myself, and then went to Southbank for a swim in the somewhat cold and deserted pool. Tossed the ball around a bit in the water too. Then I threw on the shorts and hopped over to the theatre to meet another friend for a movie. He’s also going to the Sunshine coast, so we were able to share a bit of joy about that and enjoy our time watching “The Inglourious Basterds”. It added to the poetry that I went with a guy that, I am certain, gets told he looks like Quentin Tarantino by every person he meets (It was a Tarantino film). Anyways, it wasn’t till the end of the day that I realized, this was basically a perfect day.
It has really been a long time since updating this, but I have been fairly busy with school, and it just slipped. I am on a bit of a break now, for the next week. We decided to take a trip to the coast and see if we could cook some sausages by the sea. It worked out well.
Gave blood again. This time I didn’t stock up on fluids before hand as much. It seemed like I couldn’t even feel it last time, so I thought it was no big deal. Within ten seconds of sticking the needle in the nurse growled at me “How much have you had to drink today?”. Umm… some? She said she could tell my blood was slow. You would think that they would want to get as much blood as they can from me, I mean, they can get salt water elsewhere. But it did seem to take longer to get out as well, so maybe that’s what she was annoyed about on a busy day.
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