then it was oral surgery consult. well i prefer clinic personally. u know, doing injections and extractions and seeing the tutors performing the bloody fleshy flap raise and apicectomy are far more exciting than doing medical and dental history taking. so so repetitive. u just need to go on asking the patients, you have any allergies? taking any medications? heart problems at all? diabetes? rheumatic fever? u smoke? u drink? and the list of questions go on and on. and the nurse will keep dumping files to you, and you will have to carry out the same things all over again the minute u are relieved that u finish the patient in hand.
it was worse today since one of the tutors was on leave. and the clinic was so busy with just one tutor supervising all of us. right, so the nurse dumped me a case again. and hello, on the file it wrote SCLERODERMA. heyy, i mean SCLERODERMA. SCLERODERMA!!!!!! i didn't have any idea what was that. the referral letter described a lot of conditions related to it. facial bone deficiencies, mobile teeth, joint complications; ok all i mean is, i think i should have someone telling me what was that before i actually had to deal with the patient so that i knew at least something about the patient. well, all i could see was Dr Oliver running around the clinic handling patients, and the nurse kept telling me she would inform me when Dr Oliver was available, but he never was. so i did the history taking without a clue what was scleroderma. the moment i called in the patient, i was thinking "god i need help". i mean, she didnt not look physically fit to me. and i was thinking maybe the tutor should really take care of the case.
she was on the wheelchair when i did the procedure. the medical history part. judging by vision i kinda told myself i should have a lot to write on my notes. and since she was just sent to the oral surgery, no previous notes was there for me to refer to. but to my surprise she seemed to be describing herself such healthier than i thought. well i thought i should just write down what she said. i was waiting for Dr Oliver to come when the patient was complaining she couldnt wait any longer, that she would pass out any moment. -_-" then this another tutor came in and took over the case. and the essence of the story is here, when the tutor double-checked with the patient, she suddenly remembered she had diabetes and psoriasis and osteoporosis and few additions on the medication list as well. well, the tutor was giving me a "what?!" face. and the dental hygienist student who had been there observing was giving me the "how could she suddenly remember all these?!" face. and i was just having the "i am going to die" face.
so, the amount of additions made the tutor make another record. well he actually did the whole thing again. at the end of the session i was so so tired. and the tutor asked me what went wrong. i was speechless. and the dental hygienist student was giving me this "tell him!" face.
well. i am here to learn. so my mistakes. anyway, a hard week gone. and i am having a 3-day weekend and my sis is coming to Manchester tomorrow and we are going to have dimsum and a movie and do some shopping in the town. it will be a good weekend.
oh another good news! ida is giving birth to her twins soon! end of this month. i am really looking forward to it!
