I WANT AMALA
The fact that I’ve not said anything about my need for amala since I’ve been writing is even odd. I want amala so bad
OMG
Hot amala, ewedu, gbegiri, and plenty inu eran (assorted meat)
Deep sigh.
I ESCAPED PRESENTING
I was supposed to present at the mortality review and we prepared (+my chiefs). When the first presenter started and I saw the gbasgbos. First thing that came to mind was, am I about to be the focus of this? Good old days of being a medical student and all I had to worry about was whether or not it was appropriate to go to surgery grand round with popcorn 🤣🤣🤣🤣
I eventually did not present sha. They said they did not want to chase me away from specialising in surgery💀 so my chief presented instead
Got another house officer in my unit and I did not realise how much work it had been working alone. And she’s so much better than me, I love it for me.
The hierarchy in this profession will not be the end of me.
I'll leave that statement at that.
Lemme keep finding the balance between chummy and professional
Had one of those days where I just needed to take off my shoes and put my feet up. I was so so tired. After going up the stairs for something that should have been sorted since and was glad I was done, this patient relative saw me and started asking questions then told me to come upstairs to be sure. Sure about what?
Se fe pa mi ni??
Learning to say no to patients 👍
I was just so so tired. It might be PMS, but I was really tired
NLC STRIKE
Nurses joined the NLC strike and I had another 'se fe pa mi' moment. We have to do a lot of monitoring and make sure the patients get all they need and all. Omo. Wo
Other units discharged patient and my unit did not discharge even one🥲🥲
Wahala for house officer oh.
I had to go back to the ward to check a patient and it did not feel safe at all (lol, I even removed my glasses and tied a scarf, please please please. I was hiding, that way no one will know it's me but my patients). Thankfully, I went with my friend and then we saw one chief HO that accompanied us. My safety first abeg
There was now no light again. No oh
This strike is so sad. Patients were just left by themselves on the ward. No one to monitor them. Surgeries cancelled.
Nigeria ehn
And this is to say it's a team for a reason. Everyone plays an important part and their absence will be missed.
And the money it takes to be a patient in a federal hospital is so shocking. It makes me wonder how it is in private hospitals. Dear God!
It is no wonder people don't present here, can't blame them at all
I pray God continues to supply needs and keep us all in perfect health.
Stay vulnerable
I spoke to my friends earlier in the week and I’m so grateful to God for giving me good friends. It’s good to have people you can be vulnerable with. We talk regularly but we took time out for a call, hence this.
I miss my friends so much. All of you.
I’m making new friends tho.
Your devotion
This is to people who their devotional life might be taking a hit now. Might be because of work or just life lifing.
Your relationship with God is more important than anything, no matter how great it is. Don't let anything take you away from God. God is constant, whenever you are ready, He's there.
Those 5 minutes pockets of your day, make use of it. When walking from one point to another, use it. Be conscious of the fact that you carry God in you. Go about your day with that consciousness.
You can't do life without Jesus. You don't want to do life without Jesus.
If you are reading this, and you are not sure about how to go about this. Here are a few things:
- make your walks from one place to another prayer walks
- listen to gospel music. Yes, do this. All those other songs are not doing anything for you. Be conscious of what you take in
- plan a sermon for the week (I said week, not day. I know that it can choke sometimes
- don't miss church if you don't have to. Check your excuses before you decide to not go to church. Check well. You need that gathering more than you know.
Now, if you are wondering 'Why Jesus?'
Here is a simple screenshot to help with that:
Look, that emptiness you feel, cannot be filled by all the things you are doing. Jesus is the answer.
It is mind blowing that God has always had salvation in mind. Goshh
Thank You, Daddy!
Gaining weight ko, gaining weight ni
Meanwhile, my chief saw me and said I was adding weight. Nibo????
Which weight? Me that my trousers are already falling. Abeg oh
I look well-rested because we've not been on call. But that weight ehn, it's not there at all. God abeg
Serious doctor.
Buttoning up my ward coat during consultant ward rounds because why is my consultant buttoned up and I dey fly coat. But it’s not comfortable (I do usually unbotton but E for effort)
Actively PMSing
This might be PMS, but I'm feeling so bad for patients and relatives these days. I feel bad normally but e dey too choke me these days
Person: Where did you train?
Me: UNILAG
Person: proceeds to list names of my lecturers.
Me: (in my mind) thank God I paid attention to the names
Why do siting lines (yes, I've joined them) have to be so difficult
Life is not that hard nau. I'm so upset
Actually, I think it's PMS because I just feel so tired and want to cry
This pretty matron saw and asked how I manage to stay cheerful all the time at a time I was not feeling cheerful at all (I was infact very upset, my emotions were all over the place). That made my day. Almost. Until someone else started complaining about something and I got upset all over again
Omo, a perfect case of
Me to my feelings: no be you go tell me wetin I go do
Didn’t even realise that people think I’m a cheerful doctor. PMS wants to steal my joy. Iro!
I remember telling a friend that the way I stay calm is listening to music- that did not help in anyway this time. I just want to lie on my bed and sulk but I won't. I will still smile and do my best because, why not??? I don't have the energy to cry at all as I am like this
Actively fighting for my joy and I will win
Phew
I'm either too serious or work dey always follow me. WTH
Ahnahn
At least I'm not moody anymore
This call is cray-cray🤣🤣🤣🤣
People will see me smiling upandan now and be wondering why I'm not stressed.
Being stressed is more work tbh
Also killed a dragon fly while at it🤣🤣 (a dragon fly came into the blood bank, from where? No one knows, I sha kill am with my patients folder)
This call is calling.
I'm tired of booking emergencies. Exploratory laparotomy lotun losi
Omooo
The things I hear in this doctor work ehn🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
This patient has a chest tube and his complaints is that he can't take hard drugs
Whattt🤣🤣🤣🤣
Missing church for the first time since I started this job because I'm on call. I'll put it down to poor planning sha. I'll do better next time
The coolest thing about calls here (in surgery) has to be that I don’t have to be in the hospital throughout. I can be in my quarters and move once my phone rings. That makes it so much better
If I have to be in the hospital throughout, I'll be 10x stressed
I hate to hear my phone ring or vibrate. I hate it hate it. Yes, I said hate.
I thought I had call anxiety before, but this housejob might make it worse. Gosh.
When my phone rings like this, I just pray it’s from someone I know not one matron or my chiefs. My chiefs are cool, but no😭
Somebody's name is Expensive London. Am die🤣🤣🤣🤣
'God heals, doctors treat'
A patient relative said this to me and I fully agree. I never want to forget that I serve a God that performs miracles while I balance it with medicine.
I have no hope for that patient tbh. But it was nice to be reminded of my position in all of this.
(She died.)
This call was really stressful man. Idk.
It just dawned that I'll soon be done with my first month in HJ and this unit. Na so e dey go oh
Glory to God
Till next time✌️
Post Scripts because all these random things must enter
I’m losing weight and I still never chop amala. Oh God of amala😭😭😭😭
I’ll soon start saying bits of Igbo like ‘Akuko’, ‘Kordi’, ‘Mafogi’, ati bebelo because of my roommate 🤣🤣
Had many ‘se fe pa mi ni’ moments in the past week. But I escaped
PMS kicked my butt, but emi idan, I kicked it back. You wan try me?
After the battle with PMS, I was in an owambe mood. I thank God for Emma OMG’s songs. I wanted to have a Yoruba party experience so bad. They should be singing and hailing me. Of course, if this happens in real life, I might just sit in one place.
But that was the head space I was in all weekend, and tbh, it made things a lot easier for me.
The Nigerian health system ehn, Jesu saanu. Things are so inefficient here. So so inefficient.
Just remembered having to go back to the blood bank at 3am for a patient in surgery and these guys were telling me that patient relative has to pay for a new blood bag. Somebody is actively bleeding and you are telling me story instead of collecting and rebagging the blood. I don’t blame them, I blame Nigeria.
I’ve been a month in Port Harcourt. Jesu ma seun oh.
PPS
Iro! = lie!
Se fe pa mi ni? = Do you want to kill me?
