Like the good person I am, I went back to my place for prayers later

Today after a duodenoduodenostomy, I went in search for something delicious. It was close to 6pm, dinner time. But I had lunch at 2pm and wasn't really up for anything heavy.

What should we have tonight? Sotong goreng tepung was always a good choice, but I will end up with gout soon. Juice was a healthier choice, but the closest was at 1B and the ten minutes ride would be close to an hour in the traffic. I'd rather not.

I decided on banana fritters. I went to the stall just to find half of them already packed up and no banana fritters in sight. I bought myself putu piring instead and went back to my car.

I noticed the sky a pretty shade of pink with clear white clouds and the hilly peaks in the distance. It was a beautiful sight. The beach was nearby but when I remember the traffic.. I went back inside my car and had the radio on. Today's favourite song was Puth's We Don't Talk Anymore.

By the time I finished two putu pirings, it was already dark outside. I had a sudden urge for keropok keping. Lucky me I had no in stock, nor do I feel like entering a shared kitchen. Where do they sell keropoks?

I exited my car and went to Orange. None. I walked to Giant. None.

Ah. They sell them at the hospital's kiosk.

And that was how I ended up at the hospital after work.

Keropok in hand, I looked up the sky and noticed two pretty things.

1) The moon was a bright yellowish orange hue in full power above the hilly peaks. Not as pretty as my last full moon in the middle of Wadi Rum, but impressive nevertheless.

2) We had a clear sky over the sea then and stars were in view.

Subhanallah. Marvelous. I took out my GoPro and tried to capture the stars from the carpark, but ended with nothingness. The light pollution was strong like any other night in Kota Kinabalu. I deleted the picture as soon as I saw it.

I got back into my car, half deciding to sleep in the carpark tonight. Screw new year resolution. My sleeping bag was in the boot anyway.

Best karipap in Hosp Likas

Today I assisted my surgeons in a partial nephrectomy. We removed this troublesome upper moiety and the ureter of a one year old boy. He was noted antenatally to have hydronephrosis and turned out it was a duplex right kidney. He later developed ureterocele and reflux. His right kidney is still functioning good per MAG3, and usually if the moiety is functioning, we just deroof the ureterocele. But he had episode of pyonephrosis requiring nephrostomy in Feb this year, that's why the upper moiety has to go. Noted the dilated and tortuous ureter, almost bowel like.

After the OT, I went to the pantry to get my surgeons approval of my OT notes and eyed my breakfast still on the table (it was 12pm and I only had a cup of coffee all day). Lunch wasn't ready yet and my two karipaps were the only food on the table. My favourite surgeon Mr. Ashok smiled at me and said he's hungry...

I didn't have time to eat anyway since the next case was already induced and I still have to write the pathology forms, not to mention I'm a sucker for tall dark and handsome guys... My first meal of the day was at 6pm hahahaha woi.

On nights I should be sleeping

When you're invested in an idea, something bigger, you move on from the everyday people.

I should do that too. It's the adult thing to do, haha. Despite that, I do think doctoring is a good thing to do, just that I should expand it beyond the hospital.

There are some things I'm eying, but mostly I need to focus on studying. I forgot how to do that. And my tax filing. Still need to write a lot of things down. Oh damn. 

Closing

Anaes and Surgery have a unique relationship. We're the primary team and they're the supporting team we cannot do without. We always need good communication with each other and I believe the weight of a good doctor is how s/he communicates.

Which is most of the time the root of all our problems.

Yesterday we had our elective OT. Usually Anaes plan to induce the last case of the day by 2.30pm so we would not extend our OT time and everyone go home on time.

I was second assistant for our splenectomy and cholecystectomy that started at 11 plus due to the first case taking quite some time. It was already past 2pm when we were done with our second procedure and we still want to do our urethroplasty which was the last case, and that to a degree annoyed the Anaes specialist.

My surgeon finished closing the muscle and passed me the needle holder for the subcutaneous layer and skin closure. He was having stuffy nose and I could see his agony throughout the operation.

Mr. Ashok: I'm sorry Atiqah, I need you to close for me.
Me: It's okay. I like closing.
Mr. Ashok: And I need to go-
Me: Blow your nose, yes. Thanks Mr. Ashok.

The Anaes specialist saw my surgeon scrubbing out and her pitch got higher. "Eh?? You're not going to close??"

I didn't comment. My surgeon didn't say anything. Knowing him, I know he was ignoring her.

"Whatever. You have to finish by 3pm. Consider la Anaes time."

I turned around and saw it was 2.30pm. I didn't say anything. I know I can finish on time, but no one needs your promises, people just need to see the result. So I started closing and just communicated with my scrub nurse.

The Anaes specialist got a phone call and she was chatting amiably. She outright said in front of me that the case was still closing with another next case awaiting. "Surgeon degil" was her words, haha.

I do think my surgeon should have communicated with the Anaes specialist the progress of our operation and the Anaes could have used a better tone, but I guess both have their ego talking.

I finished at 2.57pm. I scrubbed out, thanked my OT nurses and thanked the Anaes team by name.

Happy 62 pops

Today is pop's birthday. His staffs in KK (Kuala Krai) bought him a birthday cake so his daughter in KK (Kota Kinabalu) didn't want to miss out either. He's 62 and still enjoy working, so I don't have the choice of retiring at 28 haha...

I really really pray he's always in good health, happiness and safety, Allahumma ameen.

After lunch with Paiten and her husband and baby Syafiq, I watched A Quiet Place and almost cried in sadness at the end of the story. Felt homesick and was actually holding in tears when I ate my cake.

The sacrifices parents make for their children... I really understand why people want to work close to where their parents are because what greater good can you do if not serving your parents? But we still need doctors around...

The next thing we need is daily direct flight.