Settling down

I know it’s been a while… but they say that “no news is good news”

It’s a full month now that I’m in KL, trying to adjust to my new life as a full-time student and full-time psychiatric medical officer in one of the busiest hospital in the capital of the country. FULL TIME to everything I wonder where do I actually find the time to do everything. No wonder 24 hours a day and 7 days a week don’t seem quite enough. One day my plate will overflow and break to pieces. Heh.

Work has been interesting and challenging. The patient population here are very different from that of JB – more aware and educated on mental illness, psychiatry drugs, alternative treatments and their rights. The working staff here are also different – more academic oriented, strict and serious. All in all, I’m pressed to learn more and do better. My first day in the department gave me the jitteries that I never even had when I first reported as a house officer back in JB. It’s so “no nonsense” here in UMMC.

My first call was scary. I only had 2 hours of sleep and that was also somewhat disturbed because half the time I was dreaming about the patients that I saw in the emergency department, trying to formulate their symptoms and diagnosis and treatment all at the same time. Come morning, I was plagued with cramping gastric pains I had to ask for some Gelusils from the staff nurse in the male ward. Although the morning chart round with the lecturers and specialists and consultants wasn’t catastrophic, I still had to oversee all subsequent management plan of my newly admitted patients. By the time I finished everything, it was 1pm and I was ready to collapse. The good thing about UMMC psychiatry call is that you get PM off and I really need that to nurse my body and mind back to its original state after 30 hours of non-stop work. Truly, one psychiatry call here is equivalent to 2 of that in MOH based hospitals.

Despite the stress at work, I’m surviving well thanks to my dear friends in KL who, well, have always been there for me whether I need them or not It’s fun to have close friends enjoying meals with you, going to Sunday mass with you, going shopping with you, playing card games with you, welcoming you to their homes during the weekends, teaching you about the driving routes around the city and many many more. They are all just a call or an SMS or Whatsapp message away!! They just make my stint here in KL so much brighter…

As much as I miss home and Ethan, I think this is good exposure and experience. A unique change to my otherwise mundane lifestyle. Most important of all, it gives me a sense of purpose – to pursue my studies and advance my career. I was proud of myself when I didn’t shed a single tear missing home and Ethan for the past few weeks – it seemed that I was holding up pretty well. Then came the day when Ethan MMS-ed me a picture of him smiling broadly in our living room and I just burst into tears all of a sudden. I had a tough day at work and perhaps come night I was kinda overwhelmed and the sudden sweet surprise from my hubby just switch on the waterworks! Haha… but then again, did I mention a good cry was therapeutic too in times of stress? :p

With all its ups and downs and everything in the middle, life is beautiful isn’t it?

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