How stupid can you be?

I thought I'd write a quick note on how stupid people can be. Now the fact that these examples are thoughtfully provided by nurses in no way means that I think nurses are stupid. I will perhaps provide them the excuse that they are over worked, under paid and working nights.

These are a couple of pages that have been received by myself and other doctors over the last few days:

1. (9.30pm) Pls review patient with tender lump below sturnum (breast bone for you non-medicos). Patient thinks lump may have been there yesterday also.

An innocent bystander who has never worked nights before might see this as completely reasonable. I ask though that if the lump had been there for probably two days, why does it need to be delt with at 9.30pm tonight? Is this urgent? Is it lifethreatening? NO. Then, on review of this patient, this lump turned out to be the xiphoid process. A part of the breast bone that EVERY SINGLE PERSON HAS! Something tells me then that this would have been there for maybe 60 years!!! And perhaps if it was no longer played with it wouldn't be tender?

2. Pls prescribe sleeping tablet for patient XY.

Again, this might seem a reasonable request but on seeing the patient, they were asleep!!!

A little wary

I had a phone call from the ex the other day and these always make me a bit apprehensive. For a few reasons really. These phone calls are always out of the blue and I'm never really sure why he's calling. (This one was straight forward though: advice about what to see in The Pilbara). He also calls when he's at work, never from home. And I guess there are trust issues. Don't get me wrong though, the conversations are pleasant enough and we stay away from The Past. Despite the wariness, his parents will be in town soon and I'd really like to catch up with them. With a little luck, this will happen.

Killing time...not patients (warning: serious product placement!)

Well here I am at 4.30am in Man's Best and waiting for 6am to roll around. In the meantime I thought why not update my virtual life.

Tonight has been a good night for work. Not too many admissions and the ward seems to be looking after itself. Nothing too drastic being done. Kinda surprising given it's a Friday night. ED itself is not looking too bad either. With any luck, the next four weekends will be like this as I'm working all of them. Pooh for me but someone has to do it. Monday being a public holiday at least I get good rates at a time when I'm feeling so poor.

Part of the reason for this is that I've finally joined pop culture and bought myself a new ipod (classic 80G). It's just so pretty and shiny. I went for the black option cause everyone knows black is the new black. I ended up getting it off the Apple web site and was very impressed with the ease of purchase. At a time when there were waiting lists at all the major and minor stores, I was able to have my product within 48hrs of payment with free shipping and free engraving (name and phone number on the back...perhaps I should lose it in the company of hot men). Now I'm just saving for my MacBook Pro. With salary packaging and tax deducting, why wouldn't I get one?

The other reason I'm feeling broke is that I'm a loser. Went out on Saturday night after an awful four days at work and decided that a big night was going to be had. I think the first mistake I made was not having dinner. A friend was coming to mine before hand and I just didn't get home in time to eat. And then there was the mixing of beer and wine. Needless to say I was rather unwell and left my phone in the taxi. Stupid. I tried calling it and the driver did answer and then promptly hung up. The taxi company was no help whatsoever. Even if you give the time of pick-up and drop off location (given all pick-ups are logged), they still couldn't help me. It's just so dishonest and useless to boot. I cancelled my phone straight away and had a block put on the handset so it can never be used. I guess there are some techies out there who know how to unblock them but still. Grr. So I ended up getting the Nokia E65. Would have preferred a Sony Ericsson but there aren't that many nice ones out there. And I have to say, my phone is sexy. Having a bit of trouble finding my way around it but I'll get there. I'm a smart girl after all.

On Monday I'm having a tupperware party. I think tupperware is pretty awesome as it's leak free and has a lifetime warranty but it's just so expensive. Now people generally think that the reason I'm having a tupperware party is that I want them to subsidise my own purchases. This is partly true but I'd buy the stuff anyway. I just figure it's an excuse to get people together for drinks and cheap food that someone else cooks (the tupperware woman does a cooking demonstration for us and I've opted for the chicken curry...mmm). The disappointing thing is that I've had friends say that they aren't really into tupperware or in the tupperware market and so won't be coming. THIS IS THE WRONG ATTITUDE PEOPLE!!! It's really about supporting friends and spending time. It's like when people invite me for a dvd night or what-not. I don't say sorry not coming cause I've seen the movie. That's not what it's about. For me, it's more the time spent with friends and it doesn't really matter what's being done. That's one thing in life that shits me. Believe me though, there are others!

Last sightings

I just wanted to make a note about seeing people for the last time. I don't know necessarily if it makes a difference if you know that it's the last time you're going to see them. In hindsight I always wonder though if I would have told that person something different or behaved in a different manner or not. There does come a point though where contact between the two of you becomes so difficult or apathetic that you then turn around and say to yourself...that night was the last time I will probably see that person. It just makes me wonder.

It also brings to question the value of a one-sided friendship. But that's a whole 'nother kettle of fish.