Always you have been told that work is a curse and labour a misfortune.
But I say to you that when you work you fulfil a part of earth's furthest dream, assigned to you when the dream was born,
And in keeping yourself through labour you are in truth loving life,
And to love life is to be intimate with life's inmost secret.
- The Prophet, Kahlil Gibran
Today I was in emergency duty. I have to work at the Emergency wards from 8am to 2pm. Which contained all the unstable, newly admitted patients, grumpy, irritable, sad patients. Well, not all of em are like that. Just a hyperbole. But the job is hectic nonetheless. When a patient got admitted, you have to write the case sheet (and ask history in their language i.e. Kannada language, the local tongue of Karnataka with my limited vocab), send routine blood and urine and x-ray and sputum investigations, wherever relevant, putting on Ryle's tubes (food tube which goes from the nose straight to the stomach) and catheter (urine tube which connects ur opening to the bladder), wherever needed. Not all patients need it tho, but some might, those who cannot walk to the bathroom or have severe diseases where they are confined to bed rest. And so, usually there will be around 10-15 cases arriving around the 6 hours.
Sometimes I feel really tired cz I couldn't like, sit at all, drink water cz I was so busy running here and there. Sometimes I regret choosing this path, while I haven't even tasted the worst of it yet. Those in Paediatrics got night duty on the OPD (out patients dept) day, where they'll receive new admissions from 9-5am and afterwards they gotta do the night shift. Nearly 24 hours of working through and through in the hospital. In Obstetrics and Gynae, they got labour room duty for 15 days where they'll either work from 8am-8pm or 8pm to 8am, depending on the shift. Pure hell. My friend just told that last night there was 17 deliveries at night, managed by her and only one other post grad student. Awesome. She returned to the hostel all super exhausted and had a terrible headache. Only to come back for the next shift the next night.
Listening to these kinda makes my work look so simple and unquestionably easy. But for a first posting, it's still hectic. I wonder if I've got stronger will after starting my internship. Or only weaker. Tomorrow I got OPD day, so prolly will work from 9am-8pm roughly. A full day of Kannada speaking. I often got nightmares at night, that some old lady came and push me in the face with her OPD card. Heck. I am so lifeless right now. To dream about my silly crushes also got no time lol.
Anyway, to feel better, I had to love what I do. One thing that assured me is that I learned something new everyday. And I gain something everyday, if I ever work sincerely. Treating sickness is an honourable job anyway...and I'm kind of happy whenever my sick patients got discharged later, all better.
All this is only with the help from Him. Or else I'm nothing but a working robot, same routine every week, working myself off till I drop dead.
What is life's worth anyway, if you don't serve a purpose?
Till then,
Assalamualaykum wbt. :)
