Something bad happened to me in the ward.
If you're poor, live in a third world country, are ill and are a child, chances are your personal hygiene is non existent. So I'm examining a Typhoid patient palpating for liver ans spleen enlargement. I get too close I guess and inhale a whiff of I don't know what. It's not crap and it's not urine... Filth. Yuck. Obviously I can't make a scene because it'll make the patient feel bad but I think I did but no one knew why I was choking and coughing. So I think I'm safe. And we gave him cookies after. :) No hard feelings, right?
But I am dead serious when I say that I could taste the filth in my throat until I finally got some water in there. Yucky. yucky. I need to clean out my throat.
And there was this baby who is 7 months old but severely malnourished. I am not exaggerating when I say that she looked like she was 3 months or less. That, too, a malnourished 3 month old. It's depressing. She had protein energy malnutrition as well as vitamin D deficiency. To top it off she has heart problems {ventricular septal defect and cyanotic heart disease}. My oh my. This is why I can't be a pediatrician. Reason number 1 I am not kid friendly. Number 2 is because it makes me sad to see kids suffering so much.
I'm not sure if me talking about med school and patients is annoying but I'll continue.
I'm really starting to like med school. Well I always did but now I'm like yay!! Patients!! lol. I am so weird, but it's fun. :)
5 comments:
Oh, sad about the filth and the baby -all sad. I'd be the same. I have trouble with sick kids , I suppose becuase I was one (only for 11 days, lol) but it makes me feel so sick to the stomach remembering it. I had a meccles diverticulum (is that the right word?) wehn I was 6, and apparently since Im female and I was so old it's not that common. Dd you learn about that yet? Have you seen others? Doctors who see my scar and ask what I had done say "Ah, a meccles."
?? I'm like, "Yeah, one of those."
I'm so glad you're starting to like it! It makes me happy.
but that is gross about stuff getting in your throat. blech.
that is so exciting. u need to reflect more like this and inspire me :). i'm workin with kids who have cerebral palsy and it can be saddening but that feeling is trumped by my desire to try and uplift.. so much perspective.
i love learning about your medical school experiences...
It's not annoying.
Please continue.
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