April, come she will?

Eighteen days of my life have passed in a blur of 24 hour calls, surgery emergency duties and sleeping though the entire of my post duty offs. April, come she will?

I want to tell you about the time when a drunk came to the Em and I had to suture his mile long chest wound. I struggled through it, partly because the instruments were blunt (Actually, ‘blunt instrument’ will forever have a pleasant association for me), partly because it was 3 a.m., partly because of a shaky wrist action.
Anyway, halfway through the laceration, with me bent over it, struggling, sweating, my coat drenched in blood, …… and the man just passes out, snoring into my face.

I want to tell you about my first ward duty – when this 16 year old boy looks into my face and tells me he is going to die. I don’t know which of the two of us was more terrified. ……… He’s ok now, drinks are on me everybody!

Though every 24 hours, it’s the same prayer- ‘Please God, not on my shift.’

I want to tell you about these stray dogs that wander into our wards and sleep on the beds, what with the bad lighting, I nearly mistook one of them for a patient. (If you’re from the Sanitation Deptt, I made that bit up)

Oh and don’t get me started on my experiences with urinary catheters.

It’s not all bad.

It’s great when your patients get better. When they come gasping and blue and you put in a chest tube and they can breathe again. (I remember watching my resident do that the first time, I just felt such gratitude for his skill …… no, I do not have a crush on him)

It’s fun laughing with friends over Mango Slice and Butter Bread at 1 a.m. in the canteen where old Hindi songs play in the background and there’s a cool breeze blowing.
Or when you sit with your whole unit for a tea break in the café.
Or when your “needlework” is good and you just feel quietly happy and you sit in the hospital compound and stare at the moon.

But that’s enough talk about work. Time to lead the rest of my life.
Or maybe just ………sleep!