First Day at ENT

Gosh first day at ENT.... what can I say?

Hmm, pretty interesting. But still I think Critical Care has been more exciting for me. I've thought to myself, if ever I wanna do something for life as a career, I think i prefer doing something with variety, some procedure involved. But yet, I can't seem to think of any other areas of specialty in medicine besides ED or ICU...CRAP! Ok, I might not be thinking the same way, a few months from now? or till my intern days are over?

Alright, of all the ENT stuff I did today, there's just a whole bunch of Ear stuff! Heaps of otitis externa, couple of biopsies, one involving the tongue and the other involving the hard palate. Neither actually was particularly striking to me. And also, a discussion on aural toilet, putting a wick and a grommet, which was ok, slightly higher on the interesting level.....hmm. 

What was really interesting besides the canalplasty, the operation I saw today was a friendly discussion with this patient who wrote a book Meniere's Disease! How cool is that??? Wow, according to her, she's been putting in a lot of effort into writing this book with the helps of about 300 people in the project. The book was published about 20 yrs ago according to her. And it was titled Meniere's Disease....oh man I can't remember the title. She started firing away the symptoms of Meniere's, treatment options which can include conventional medical treatment, alternative medicine and this is where it gets interesting, acupuncture, spiritual healing and also reflexology. She said the meridien points for the kidney lies on the same sort of longitudinal axis as the ears, so if you put some needles at the kidney area, you ear will get better. Hmm, did I get this part right? Ok, and then there was this part about vibration? She said she's completely deaf! And she picks out auditory stimuli through vibrations? Hmm, how bizarre to say the least. Not sure how that works. But anyway, it was pretty interesting that a patient wrote a book that even ENT specialists from around the country bought from. And its quite unfortunate that she doesn't make much from it. She was saying, the first edition sold for 20 dollars and its a rarity now, mentioning that it fetches a price of up to 60 dollars in Hobart! But still doesn't make a dime out of it. But good news is there are reprints since the first edition. Hmm, got to hunt this book down. Her descripton of the book is a blue book, sort of novel size but kind of like a 1 inch sort of thick book which we can find in the library. 

Ohhh, and the other interesting bit for the day, HHT. Gosh, heard about this when I was in surgery. Overheard the ENT consultant talking about HHT, giving case scenarios to the surgeon to answer. So after much sort of guess work on the meaning of that acronym, we finally thought that it could be Hereditary Haemorrhagic Talengiectasia, and gosh I'm right about it! Sounds like a mouthful too :S WOW and he also mentioned a great site to look out for this condition. How rare is it? Don't know but I guess, pretty common in the world of inherited conditions....hmmm

Check this out: Hereditary Haemorrhagic Talengiectasia (HHT)

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Shud be flipping the pages??

Lol...Da Lazy bug has arrived. I can't remember when I actually had to pore over my books to study. Yeahhh.. Yeahhh some of you guys out there might say that it was only 8 months ago.

8 months???


8 months!!!




8 freaking months!!!

8 months does seem dreadfully long for a student. How bout a medical student?? Awfully darn long or juz very longggggg.....LONGGGG???

It should be painstakingly, excruciatingly, annoyingly long till the point your neurons start degenerating and mould should soon start replacing them.

I don't think there will be another time I would be in such a blessed situation or an awfully bad situation?? But with exams juz around the corner. It seems that I have to get a cure for it. Yeap. Probably lazistatin, or studaolol :D

Got to get back into the study mood. Oh God get me back into the mood. Really out of sync with the papers and lecture notes with all those printed fonts and diagrams staring at me. Probably screaming "Read me!!! Read Me!!!" And essays?? They dun even have essays before in IMU. Now essays, and written in prose, not point form?? When was the last time I actually do that. Yup I remember my English exams.


Now its BMedSc Exams in abt less than 2 weeks time.



Tick Tock Tick Tock......

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Slow nesss.........Anxiety........ and Everything else....

I can't quite remember when I used to have so much time in my hands and got myself busy later. (Wat am I talking here???) Actually doing research is kind of like a whole new experience. When I started my research, I was like WOW!! I'm doing research and I'm going to get BmedSc. Ok NO BIG DEAL HERE!! But its great doing something different after flipping through thousands of lecture notes and pages of textbooks. (exaggerating)

And I was so convinced that I can finish my work on time, get blardy good results out of it and present my topics in seminar and conventions. This is my real dream. Somehow things changed halfway. First it was the Canticle Singers. Ok they didn't actually rob my weekdays away for research. They juz took 1 weekday and 1 weekend which I absolutely hate! I luv my weekends and if there was any better time to enjoy my weekends, it had better be now cos when next year comes, I would be busier than the most diligent bee of any bee hive. Comments and feedback from a senior don't actually paint a rosy picture.

8 weeks of a single rotation, and every day begins at about 8am till 5 pm. Everything is self-directed learning. As in literally self-directed. Back in those good ol' medical days when they say it was self-directed, Queensland seriously redefine it according to him and if you happen to take the kind of lepakking attitude like those dudes in Seremban where u can actually skip rounds in the morning, you'll be DEAD! Ok this din come out from my mouth but from this senior. Its challenging, tiring and he lost weight...3kgs Breaks in between is 1 week. Probably I'll get use to it.

Already digressing....

Back to the weekends. Seriously weekends have always been a time where I'll take some rest but that doesn't mean I absolutely not do anything. Going out with friends, lepakking was seriously gone for the past two months. Ok I guess in life sacrifices are meant to be made to achieve some good results. Singing with The Canticle Singers isn't a bad experience. It juz wasn't as enjoyable as in the previous group. LOL AJ, Aariye could be laughin at this. It did teach me quite a number of things on singing, technique, diction, pronunciation and connecting words all for the sake of singing in an ensemble which brings me to the point of singing.

Singing isn't as easy as I thought, Singing in a different environment does involve using different techiniques/methods to achieve a desired result. So if you were in an ensemble, its different in an a capella group except the solos of course. Style of singing differs for different genres. Ok this is quite obvious here!!

There's also something about breathing techniques, support, upper voice, mid voice and lower voice. Chest breathing and abdominal breathing are two separate entities. (U don't need to learn this in medical school. ) Abdominal breathing is used more frequently in singing. Chest Voice is more common among rockers. Chest voice ain't good for singing cos it thins the voice, strains your vocal cords and less power.

The one great guru, who has thought me quite a lot on singing techinques is Doreen Tang. Huh???? You might know who she is....

Doreen Tang was roped in for another one of my wrongly occupied schedule for the year, SPEX. But really now, I don't regret it. I can do a recording and I have a solo...WOOHOO!!! Its an abbreviation for Spiritual Exercise of Saint Ignatius of Loyola. SPEX again met to practice for another performance similar to the one they did last year. But this year, the committee decide they should make an album. Doreen Tang has performed for Broadway Parodieslah, M The Opera! and will perform in the upcoming, Tunku: The Musical. Having her in SPEX was really like a breath of fresh air for everyone. She told us everything about singing, voice colour, tone, projection, head voice, abdominal breathing, chest breathing, breathing exercises all through the 6 weeks with us. Probably the most unusual of all is the breathing exercises which is to basically open up your abdominal cavity to sing. She corrected all our breathing technique including mine which was WRONG. In fact everyone was wrong except for maybe Francesca Peters who's already a seasoned performer and singer

Now that this experience has kind of passed except for SPEX, I'm sick worried of my research.

With barely 3 months to go, I have to complete everything before my presentation. I have no idea what happened to my dream. Seems like it all disappeared in another bad dream. I actually expected something groundbreaking, earth-shattering, thunder-clapping results from my research. But somehow, MCF7 cells are resistant to the anticancer actions of [6]-Gingerol and Zingerone. Right now, I think I should be playing Linkin Park's "What I've done".... Probably at the bridge where the song really climaxes.

Linkin Park's "What I've done"

....
..

"For what I’ve done
I start again
........"

...

Really hoping and praying for good results from my research. Hopefully changing cell lines will get me some positive results. Or else, my research would be another research article for the "Journal of Negative Findings." Negative Findings aren't accepted widely even amongst the scientific community. But really how will you get positive results if you don't know what gives you negative results????

Actually, I really need to pick up the pace. It seems now everything's so slowwwww.....K need to think of fast and quality results from now on.

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Myths and the Old Wives' Tales

1. Muscle Turns to Fat if You Don’t Use It: FALSE!


Muscle and
fat are two distinct tissues that don’t convert into each other. When
you stop exercising, muscles shrink and allow for fats to slide into
their place. People who stop exercising also tend to consume the same number of
calories they did when they were working out, which means fewer
calories out and probable weight gain. And since muscle mass increases
the metabolic rate, less muscle means you’re more likely to put on fat
weight if you’re eating more and exercising less. All three factors
give the illusion of muscle turning to fat. The good news is moderate
physical activity can prevent this from happening.



My comments: Gosh can u believe it, even after 2 n a half yrs of theory in medicine, I'm still telling ppl this with much conviction! Malunya..


2. Women Get Drunk Faster Than Men: TRUE!


Women’s bodies have
a lower percentage of water than men’s and, therefore, reach a higher
blood alcohol concentration faster. And that’s not all. Women have half
the amount of gastric alcohol dehydrogenase, a compound that breaks
down alcohol. The amount of alcohol metabolized by a woman’s liver and
stomach is only about 20% of the amount men metabolize. Because women
aren’t as efficient in digesting alcohol, a greater amount of alcohol
hits the bloodstream and goes straight to the brain.


My comments: Yeap agreed. Pls raise ur hands for those who learn this in A Level Biology class!


3. Alcohol Kills Brain Cells: FALSE!



People who drink on a
regular basis, even if they drink heavily, aren’t slaughtering gray
matter. Studies show that damage to human cells occurs only when
alcohol is consumed in extremely high concentrations, and the blood
alcohol concentrations that make people drunk are far lower than the
concentrations lethal to cells.

But remember that, though it doesn’t actually kill cells, heavy alcohol
consumption can cause long-term damage by disrupting the
message-carrying nerve connections (dendrites) attached to neurons in
the cerebellum



My comments: Alright..this. I didn't know. If u ask me I would most certainly say TRUE. but again the facts are an eye-opener.


4. A Cup of Green Tea Can Help You Lose Weight Faster: FALSE!


Green tea is chock full of catechins, compounds with antioxidant
properties that supposedly speed up the metabolism and help you burn
off fat. Unfortunately, the levels of energy expenditure they generate
are too small to promote any significant weight loss. On the plus side,
one study showed that men who took a special green tea extract
containing 690 milligrams of catechins – 20 times the amount in a
typical cup of green tea – lost two pounds more than those who didn’t
take the extract. So massive amounts of green tea extract might serve
as a weight loss aid, but a cup or two a day isn’t going to make any
significant difference.

My comments: HUh??? Never heard before claims. But who's crazy enough to drink so much green tea. I rather go jogging/gym.


5. People Gain an Extra Five Pounds During the Holidays: FALSE!

Although it may feel like you’ve gained five pounds by the time New Year’s rolls around, most likely you haven’t. The average person gains just one to two pounds during the six-week year-end holiday period. In a recent study of 200 adults, participants gained an average of 1.05 pounds between early October and late February. Only 10% of the subjects gained more than five pounds. The biggest problem is that any weight you gain tends to stick around for good, despite those New Year’s resolutions you make. So make sure you watch the number of holiday goodies you consume.


Now for the Myth Quiz

Try to answer them then c whether ur grandparent/frens/parents have been telling u tales or truths.


1. Cutting your hair:

Makes it grow back thicker.

Gives the illusion that it has grown back thicker.

Stumps the re-growth of new hairs.

What i've to say: Gosh I've always thought dat it grows back thicker. Come to think of it, if it does, by the time u hit 50, you'll be the world's hairiest human. Yeap never thought of this one.

2. During the holidays most people gain about:


1 pound.

5 pounds.

10 pounds.


What i've to say: as explained on the 5th myth

3. Heart attacks are most common on what day of the week?


Sunday.

Monday.

Friday.

What i've to say: They din teach this in med school. Maybe this applies to the kwai los onli. What about the Asians???

4. Pregnant women should avoid cat litter boxes because:


Cat scratch fever is a danger.

A cat is more likely to attack an expectant mother.

The risk of toxoplasmosis is a danger.

What i've to say: Come on med students. Heard of Toxoplasma Gondii???

5. The best way to remove a tick is to:


Burn it.

Pour gasoline over it.

Pull it straight up out of the skin with tweezers.

What i've to say: LOL who wants to burn scalp or pour gasoline juz to get rid of some bug!! Then again tweezers..how bout fingernails??

6. How long after a meal should you wait before swimming?


It doesn't matter.

30 minutes.

45 minutes.

What i've to say: Wow, I thought there was a time frame. Apparently not. Yes!! next time I go swim after having a mighty large buffet!!

7. To prevent the spread of disease, you should replace your toothbrush:


Every 3 weeks.

Every 3-4 months.

Every year.

What i've to say: Ok, da answer's quite obvious unless if u r rich then probably ur answer is D: Everyday!!!


8. The Spanish fly has a reputation for enhancing sex drive. For most people it:


Makes them crave sex all of the time.

Can be toxic and damage both the kidneys and the genitals if taken in large amounts.

Makes them drowsy.

What i've to say: What da.. I din know flies have such a reputation. I wander which grandmother pass it down. And why Spanish?? Is Spanish n Sex synonymous?? I wander....


9. Women can improve their chances of achieving multiple orgasms by:

Refraining from sex for a long period of time.

Having sex with more than one partner.

Strengthening the pelvic muscles with pelvic exercises.

What i've to say: Ok, dis was a guess n I got it right!! If u dun know, refer to DA ANSWERS BELOW!!!


10. Sitting too close to the television:

Has no effect on your eyesight.

Can make you go blind and deaf.

Allows high levels of radiation to affect the eyes.

What i've to say: Crap, everyone says this "Dun go so near the TV. It will spoil your eyes." or somewhere along those lines. Apparently we have all been FOOLED! LET'S FIND THE CULPRIT WHO STARTED IT ALL!



For the Answers:

1. Cutting your hair creates the illusion that it has grown back thicker. Removing the tips give the appearance of coarser hair.
2. During the holidays most people gain 1.05 pounds.
   
3. Heart attacks are most common on
   Mondays. The risk of heart attacks is about 20% greater for men on
   Mondays and 15% greater for women.
4. Pregnant women should avoid cat
   litter boxes to limit the risk of toxoplasmosis, which cats can
   contract by eating small prey that harbor parasites. Infection can also
   occur by ingesting contaminated raw meat. When a cat is infected, the
   organisms come off in its droppings. Infants born to mothers who become
   infected for the first time during or just before getting pregnant are
   more vulnerable to severe toxoplasmosis.
5. The best way to remove a tick is by grasping it as close to the skin as possible with tweezers and pulling it straight up.
   
6. It doesn't matter how long you wait
   after a meal you go swimming. Although swimming strenuously after
   eating could lead to cramps, it's not as likely for recreational
   swimmers.
7. To prevent the spread of disease, you
   should replace your toothbrush every three to four months, although
   bacteria can spread even before then. Prop your toothbrush up
   vertically and keep it by an open window.
8. There is no research to support that
   the dried, crushed body of the Spanish fly enhances sex drive. In
   anything larger than small doses, it can actually be toxic and cause
   damage to the kidneys and genitals.
9. Women can improve their chances of
   achieving multiple orgasms by strengthening the pelvic muscles with
   pelvic exercises, known as Kegels.
10. Sitting too close to the television has no effect on your eyesight.
    

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Are the XY species going less??

"If you are thinking of having children and want to have a boy, you might want to book that romantic weekend getaway soon. Boys are getting harder to make, according to a new analysis.

Worldwide, a handful of extra boys have historically been born for every 100 girls. Boys are also more likely to die young, so it all works out by the time they start dating."

Not too sure of the facts here. Since the article referred to only 2 studies. See below >>>>

"Devra Lee Davis of the University of Pittsburgh and her colleagues gathered data on U.S birth ratios from the National Center for Health Statistics. From 1970 to 2001, they found, the number of boys born for every 100 girls dropped steadily from 105.5 to 104.6. Male births among U.S. whites dropped even more steeply, from 105.9 per 100 girls to 104.7."

"The researchers found similar declines in Japan, another industrialized country with excellent birth records. They also found that the proportion of deaths among fetuses after the 20th week of pregnancy (before that, gender can be difficult to determine) has steadily risen in both countries. The data suggest that some, but not all, of the decline in male births is because of fetal loss. The remainder appears to be because of fewer males being conceived."

Does this mean that the world would soon run out of men and is this a good thing? Should we be all concern about this information?


Well if you ask me, I wouldn't but it is worth exploring since those claims came from two countries whose health care system is one of the best in the world but I would not be able to tell if the study carried out is of good quality. How was the study carried out? Were they any difficulties in obtaining accurate data? Though it has does not provide reasons for these claims still I wouldn't believe it yet until more studies are carried out.

But it seems strangely convenient for data to appear in two first world countries to make a claim that "Worldwide a handful of extra boys have historically been born for every 100 girls....." when the 100 girls actually came from US. The lower male births could be attributed to the rapid pace of development for Japan and US, which could have been due to chemicals in the food, water or lifestyle.

If you ask me, these claims are simply atrocious because there don't represent the world as a whole. And if the male species is going extinct, I don't think that two countries can decide the fate of the male species in general.

OK, let's clear this out. The reason why I post this is not in any way, a form of male sexism or chauvinism. As a medical student, more so for a medical research student, we have learned not to accept every darn information from research studies or papers.

Read this on Y chromosome not going extinct. >>>> Link

Because strong claims and even weak claims could have so much impact towards society, that suddenly you see many people start to believe in something so medically significant to the point that they are willing to make dramatic changes in their lives like the antioxidant scam.

You see most people, believe that taking antioxidant pills or tablets will give you a better quality of life. Antioxidants actually prevent damage to cells thus allowing its repair and growth amongst its many functions. Some oxidants can set a precedence towards cancer for example gastric cancer and colon cancer. Unfortunately according to a study, antioxidants administered in pill form is no more effective than taking a placebo.

A meta-analysis study carried out produced some shocking results which is quite a bitter pill to swallow for some...
>>>>>In fact some studies have actually proved that antioxidants cause a SLIGHT INCREASE in cancer.

So for those who wants to still take antioxidants take it from fruits and vegetables.

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Come ppl, let's study dis shall we???

Now, we all know dis very well, don't we. The art of shitting/pooping. I'm sure we dun need to go to med school to learn what muscle to contract or relax or how to use the Valsalva manoeuvre?? The Val...what?

How to poop??

• For newbies pls refer.
• For amateurs, relearn. Maybe take da screen to da toilet n practice, cos practice makes perfect.
• For poop pros, try improvising.
  

~~~~~THE END~~~~~

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Besides Research??

Since starting BMedSc in IMU, time has been never more flexible. Besides doing lab work, feeding rats, killing rats and collecting shit from crows (not yet, going to...not me though!!), there really isn't anything much to do for research except maybe seat in front of the computer trying to pass the time. Well, that's for some of us.

But one of the best things about doing research in IMU, is not often the research itself but food. You see, from the day we started this course, there is definitely something special we would all eat every week thanks to our chocoholic babe, Debbie, who also brings cookies. Mei Siang who makes cakes for all of us, some of which are really worthy of kicking Secret Recipe's butt. Some of us also bring some great tidbits to munch the time away, which also includes me.

Of course, we don't have a feast everyday. We're not chefs in training, for that matter...But even without the constant supply of food daily from our batch, I admit that I am already putting on a bit of weight, which I hate. Here I am trying to buff myself up with muscles, and my white flag is already half-raised, perpetually leading me to surrender to all the gastronomic delight.

I can't believe that even as I write this I'm not even whining or complaining. I guess the white flag would be fully raised anytime soon. Sigh.....

What was already on the menu:

• Chocolates from Debbie's store
• Ferrero Rocher, Debbie
  
• Swiss Chocolates, also debbie, me, yewin
  
• Shortbread,
  
• Pineapple tarts, yewin
  
• Pringles, me
  
• Cookies courtesy of Debbie
• batik cake, Mei Siang
  
• Marble cheese cake, Mei Siang
  
• Chocolate cheese cake, Mei Siang
  
• Coconut pudding, Mei Siang

Not that I'm particular who made the food. Juz as long as the food keeps coming in, its fine.. HAHA

White flag at full mast!!!

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OH...NO I'm down with the flu bug!!!

Ahh... the wondrous flu bug
that flies all day and night
What a nuisance
What a pain
What an agony
Why should I bear with this misery!!!

In times like this when there's
Much to do
Much to handle
Much to deal with
OH what a tragedy....

With less than 2 weeks to the show, I wish the bug could have found someone else, but unfortunately this tiny little flu bug made a one way trip to me from my siblings who happen to catch it from someone else, and there you go.... the really annoying Adenovirus wrecking havoc to my upper respiratory tract at a time when I needed it to be in tip-top condition. I hate those tiny little mutations which caused us to have this collective symptoms of cold, cough and sore throat. Urrghhh, one day I'm going to find a cure to this little pest.

Not much time for the doctor, I think it's time for Strepsils and Fishermen's friends!!!

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Everything's Fine....

Oooh... Thank God the tumour is benign though it was Stage 3. Medic students/doctors should know what I mean. My aunty is now recuperating and recovering well. Hmmm, i really want to see the 6" by 5" by 4" growth. It will be really interesting!!

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Just doing my part...

Recently a member of my family has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer. I just feel that I have to do my part to spread the word on ovarian cancer. Since there are non-medical readers visiting this blog, I should spare them the intricate details and medical jargon relevant to this subject. So Ladies, please read on...Guys, get educated!!!

Ovarian Tumours

There are basically two common origins

1. epithelial, the outer layer of an ovary
2. germ cells, the part of the ovary where your ovum(egg) is made.

Epidemiological studies

• Ovarian Tumours affect predominantly postmenopausal women, ie around 50-60 yrs
  
• Ovarian cancer is a disease that principally affects middle and upper-class women in industrialized nations.
• One of the most common cancers affecting women especially those who are unmarried

Ovarian Tumour Info
Ovarian tumours have a high mortality rate, mainly because symptoms don't show up, usually presents as a buldge on your tummy. Therefore mortality rate can be high as 70% because at the time when it is diagnosed, it's already spread to your other organs around your abdominal and pelvic area.

Symptoms

• Sense of pelvic heaviness
• Vague lower abdominal discomfort
• Vaginal bleeding
• Weight gain or loss
• Abnormal menstrual cycles
• Unexplained back pain that worsens over time
• Increased abdominal girth
• Non-specific gastrointestinal symptom
• Increased gas
• Indigestion

There are marked differences in survival among patients with ovarian cancer, depending on factors such as age, cancer stage, and tissue type. Younger patients tend to fare better in all stages than do older patients, whereas race does not play a factor.

Ovarian tumours which are complicated by forming deposits on your peritoneum(peritoneal implants); basically your inner abdominal wall will have a poor prognosis.

Treatment

Treatment for Ovarian Tumour varies and depends on the stage of cancer, type of tumour, age of patient. Treatment varies from

Excision/Removal of ovaries

Chemotherapy

Radiotherapy

SO LADIES Get full body health checkups at least once a year, if not twice. Please do PAP Smears especially those who are married and above 30 years old. Though PAP smear is not diagnostic for ovarian tumour but it does reveal abnormalities that are tell-tale signs of Cervical Cancer, another major cancer affecting Ladies.

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