Thursday, November 13, 2003
AN earful of trouble
( HH said the title " that sticky feeling' had rather bad connotations. And taking into consideration she's studying repro, i think it was better if I changed it : ) )
Well, one day to go before my pract exam. I made my way down to the student health services to get my ears fixed. Well, it all started on Sunday when i was trying to block out the annoying giggles from the other library regulars by stufffing my ears with ear plugs ( albeit rather old and worn out ones). No thanks to my incredibly sensitive skin, my ear canal has been feeling rather dodgey ever since. In fact, everytime i pull a pressure manoveur by simply wrinkling my nose or yawning, my tymphanic membrane gave a disconcerting "pop", accompanied by an excruciating ear ache. To make matters worse, i've had to come home early from the library because the latest stabbing incident on campus has shattered any sense of secuirity i have after dark. My neighbours have been insisting on holding riotious parties into the wee hours of the morning and my ears plugs have become a neccessity. Last night was pure ridiculum. A pounding bass threatened to bring down the thin partition between our apartments at 12am in teh morning. I plugged my non aching ear and placed my pillow over my head trying to get some sleep. But I think the only way I could shut out the racket was if I smothered myself to death, and i still had 2 more exam papers to go.
" EASE OFF IT WILL YA????" I yelled.
A series of techno noises answered my irate cry. I threw off my bed clothes and stepped into the corridor, bleary eyed. one of my neighbours was standing in teh corridor, trying his darnest to talk into his handphone over the racket, which was kinda ridiculous since all he had to do was lower the blasted din. He watched me curiously as i stormed out into the lift lobby. As I reached the elevators, i paused. Maybe they did get the message. I crept back into the corridor and sure enough, the racket had ceased.
Sighing, I eased myself into my bed and fell into a deep sleep.
Then at 2am. the racket returned.
This guys just don't get it , do they? I cursed at them , stuffed back my ear plugs and tried to sleep.
" ear plugs?" the doctor peered at me as though he couldn't believe me.
I nodded, eyeing him equally quizzically.
" I think it's more of a cold, " the doc replied. " you've got a collection of mucus around your ear drum, chew some gum to get rid of it."
GUM??? As in stick it in my ear?
" No chew it,"
Oh.
" Do I need ear drops?" i asked.
The doc launched into some analogy of it raining outside his office and the window and flooding in his office.
huh??
" if it's raining outside and i opened an umbrella inside, would it make a difference?"
er.. no. His point exactly?
he continued talking about raining and flooding. Finallly, it dawned on me that the window was the tymphanic membrane and the office was my inner ear canal .
OH. Comprehendo.
It was a stupid analogy, but i didn't tell him so. Well, hope i don't get that doctor again. his tone of voice spelled out the words.. " WHAT A STUPID QUESTION." Sorry, but i've my patient beliefs, and i think it's the worst analogy i've heard in my life. good try tho'.
It's quite funny once you become a med student. You're practically scrutinizing the doctor's every move whe n you're in for a consultation. your clinical skills also do give you an outlet if you need an MC desperately. Equipped with the knowledge of what the doctor will and will not examine, you can confidently stride into the room and list an ailment like a migrane, and be almost certain that he wouldn't subject you to a cranial nerve examination. Thus, you get the MC coz Mr. Doctor can't really get the evidence that you're perfectly healthy. Hmm...
( HH said the title " that sticky feeling' had rather bad connotations. And taking into consideration she's studying repro, i think it was better if I changed it : ) )
Well, one day to go before my pract exam. I made my way down to the student health services to get my ears fixed. Well, it all started on Sunday when i was trying to block out the annoying giggles from the other library regulars by stufffing my ears with ear plugs ( albeit rather old and worn out ones). No thanks to my incredibly sensitive skin, my ear canal has been feeling rather dodgey ever since. In fact, everytime i pull a pressure manoveur by simply wrinkling my nose or yawning, my tymphanic membrane gave a disconcerting "pop", accompanied by an excruciating ear ache. To make matters worse, i've had to come home early from the library because the latest stabbing incident on campus has shattered any sense of secuirity i have after dark. My neighbours have been insisting on holding riotious parties into the wee hours of the morning and my ears plugs have become a neccessity. Last night was pure ridiculum. A pounding bass threatened to bring down the thin partition between our apartments at 12am in teh morning. I plugged my non aching ear and placed my pillow over my head trying to get some sleep. But I think the only way I could shut out the racket was if I smothered myself to death, and i still had 2 more exam papers to go.
" EASE OFF IT WILL YA????" I yelled.
A series of techno noises answered my irate cry. I threw off my bed clothes and stepped into the corridor, bleary eyed. one of my neighbours was standing in teh corridor, trying his darnest to talk into his handphone over the racket, which was kinda ridiculous since all he had to do was lower the blasted din. He watched me curiously as i stormed out into the lift lobby. As I reached the elevators, i paused. Maybe they did get the message. I crept back into the corridor and sure enough, the racket had ceased.
Sighing, I eased myself into my bed and fell into a deep sleep.
Then at 2am. the racket returned.
This guys just don't get it , do they? I cursed at them , stuffed back my ear plugs and tried to sleep.
" ear plugs?" the doctor peered at me as though he couldn't believe me.
I nodded, eyeing him equally quizzically.
" I think it's more of a cold, " the doc replied. " you've got a collection of mucus around your ear drum, chew some gum to get rid of it."
GUM??? As in stick it in my ear?
" No chew it,"
Oh.
" Do I need ear drops?" i asked.
The doc launched into some analogy of it raining outside his office and the window and flooding in his office.
huh??
" if it's raining outside and i opened an umbrella inside, would it make a difference?"
er.. no. His point exactly?
he continued talking about raining and flooding. Finallly, it dawned on me that the window was the tymphanic membrane and the office was my inner ear canal .
OH. Comprehendo.
It was a stupid analogy, but i didn't tell him so. Well, hope i don't get that doctor again. his tone of voice spelled out the words.. " WHAT A STUPID QUESTION." Sorry, but i've my patient beliefs, and i think it's the worst analogy i've heard in my life. good try tho'.
It's quite funny once you become a med student. You're practically scrutinizing the doctor's every move whe n you're in for a consultation. your clinical skills also do give you an outlet if you need an MC desperately. Equipped with the knowledge of what the doctor will and will not examine, you can confidently stride into the room and list an ailment like a migrane, and be almost certain that he wouldn't subject you to a cranial nerve examination. Thus, you get the MC coz Mr. Doctor can't really get the evidence that you're perfectly healthy. Hmm...
Comments:
Post a Comment
