Friday, January 15, 2010

On the Veiny Hands

The first clinical skills that we learnt after we were back from Klang in the university hospital was to learn to take blood. Of course all the basic examinations such as physical examinations and blood pressure taking were taught when we were still in Klang.

So the first day that I went to the blood taking centre, I was very nervous indeed. I finally go for my first attempt, failed. Second attempt, failed. Third attempt, failed. It was very demotivating indeed. It was only during the second day that I managed to draw some blood successfully. Rest assured, that was after many discouraged and demotivating moments, especially when some of the patients started to curse and shout when we failed to poke into the veins for the first time. More often than not, I would've slapped them and asked them to shuddup, but where ethics and proffesionalism are concerned, I just smiled and said sorry, and pass them over to the nurses.

During the posting in the Trauma and Emergency Centre, we started to set branula and draw blood using the syringes instead. New challanges of course. And it was still a 50-50 success rate. I mean well, we also need to learn before we get used to it right? So sometimes I really hoped that the patients could understand. It's not like it's very painful or anything. You're such a big human, and you can't even stand a small needle prick?!

But of course, it was after all these postings where we were exposed to blood taking that now, I'm looking at the forearms of many people that I meet. And my eyes started to lit up. "That's a very good hand to practice on!" LMAO!

It was only later today that I found out I wasn't the only one who had such obsession. Apparently, one of my Malay colleague said veiny hands are sexy because she just felt like poking it! LMAO.

19 Jujus:

Anonymous said...

ohhh....i must do this... *slaps the doc-to-b*
esikewwwsi mi... why cant the patient curse the doc-to-b? who said its not painful?
i tell u i didnt even dare to look at the doc, when they tried to withdraw blood from me, i would just pray that they r good and it will b smooth success at first attempt! so many ppl (including me) got big big patch of bruise from inexperienced blood withdrawals ok! and can b really painful de. *continues to dramasss*
anyway we do understand u all need to polish ur skills before u bcome an expert kekeee... so i shall wish u and ur patient to hv smooth attempts all the time kekeee...

[SK] said...

i used to have veiny hands, but not after i have gained weight, muaahahahaha :p

said...

y ur blood so susah to get? let me employ a vampire to do it~ hehehe

Reanaclaire said...

my gosh.. i heard about internship, yes, i guess u all need real humans to do yr practical and GH is the only place where u can have all these practical.. i remember one incident my fren had.. he told me that he went to GH for some problem on his penis.. and this doc in charge was slowly explaining to a group of young interns, all the time he was lying down quietly, wishing there were not so many eyes on his private part.... lol.. after that, he dare not go hospital again.. at least not about his private part anymore...hahahhaaa...

manglish said...

so kasian....but better than having your teeth cabuted by your fellow students hahahahaha XD

Anonymous said...

*faints* When i was a little girl, i wanted to be a doctor when i grow up. But when i grow up, I failed add maths and not so good at chemistry, and therefore, I opt for journalism instead. And Now, after seeing what horrow you're going thru as a med guy...I thank heaven and earth that i failed add math! LOL...

@Claire... you made me LOl so hard la, Mama Claire... ahaha I am golek-goleking now! LOL...

Gratitude said...

Claire@ wuz yr fren having a hardon? lolz

Medie@ poke more. The skill improves with practise. ;)
+Ant+

Medie007 said...

Happy go lucky, wah! Drama giler! hahahhahaha. if the patients can curse, then we're also allowed to curse lah! u want ur blood investigated or not? Then sit down quietly and let me poke lah. hahahahaha. but yalor yalor. i also wish all my attemts are successful. :P

SK, work harder on the hands lor. :P my hands are not so veiny anyways. :P

L2, my blood should be so easy to get one, i think. hahahhaa no one ever poked me before. :P

Medie007 said...

Reanaclaire, ahahhahaha. i shall not comment about that! :P why is that consultant like, didn't respect the privacy of the patient one? last time we just stand there watching lumps and bumps ony mar, but when we were discussing, the breasts were covered or we'll leave lor. hahahaha. but then, penis ah? We've never discussed about penis before. hehehehehe.

manglish, THAT one ah.... mmmm.... eeeee... errrrr.... can i pick an old old olddddd dentist instead? :P

Medie007 said...

Cleffairy, what's the horror? where what what is it? being scolded and cursed by the patients aren't as horror as finding out u failed in ur exams lor. that's more horrifying. :P

Gratitude, willing to let me poke urs? :P

Travis.Z said...

That must be hurt, being unlucky to be poked so many times by interns...i'm so sorry to the patients...but practice make perfect, hor?

Medie007 said...

it's what we do. like whatever u're doing too. :)

Unknown said...

I have a daughter who is NEPHROTIC SYNDROME and honestly, I do not like doctors practicing on her.

As for me, since I am a regular blood donor, I do not appreciate someone practicing on me too.It is PAINFUL lah.lol

Much as I do understand I do not appreciate the practice on me.If it is YOU, maybe!

hugs,
shakira

Danny said...

my hands are full of 'urats'.. next time i show u... ;p

Medie007 said...

Shakira, Much as we try not to put it as a practice per se, we're also drawing blood for the doctors, in the doctors' behalf. they're ordering the tests to be done to see how the patient is doing, so, if you look at it in a way that we're just solely practicing on the patients, poking them anyhow we like, then we might as well poke ourselves just for fun right? besides, we're indirectly helping the doctors out. you can't expect them to do all these petty jobs do you? they've got other patients just like your loved ones in the wards to consult too. imagine if they're busy taking bloods, and u're waiting for so long for them, what would you feel? no offence, i know you love your daughter, but it's these kinds of overprotectiveness which leads to the laziness of the housemans nowadays, and we're seeing more and more complaints instead, from the housemen as well as the patients. the public expect the doctors to be so good in whatever they do, but for a doctor to reach that level, they've to practice as well. you definitely cannot let us wait until we're a proper doctor only allow us to draw your blood right? if we're already a doctor, yet our skills were not even polished, what would u reckon the standard of the doctors in the future would be like? so, i understand that you love your daughter very much, and i know she's got nephrotic syndrome, but drawing blood is a routine, and it shouldn't even pose as a threat to you or your loved ones. what matters most would be to treat what she's got rather than to protect her from just some needle prick pain isn't it?

danny, would be looking forward to that! hehehehehe >.<

Bravebear said...

OMG! I have veiny hands! I better not bump into you then... hahahaha! hmm... Being poked isn't fun... but poking is fun! LOL! Understandable that practice makes perfect. Happy poking! hahahaha...

Medie007 said...

lai lai bear bear... lai... :P

CH Voon said...

Aiyo…. Patients oledi very sick.. but still like white mouse and let you tried.
You are lucky and not hit by them after try so many times - fail.
But, it is not 100% your problem… for those people less exercise, it is quite tough to find the ….
Enjoy n practice make prefect! Maybe, one day I am the lucky guy….

Medie007 said...

CH Voon, as how i've replied to Shakira's comment, it's not like we want to make them as our experimental subject. but if it's so difficult to accept the fact that the patients' blood are taken by medical students, then so be it. i won't say anything anymmore... it's disheartening, honestly.