Impromptu Booster 💉

Didn't give much thought of a booster dose. I just thought if I get it, then it's fine, if not, then we'll see how it goes. 

    Initially didn't plan on taking it at first because I thought of trying not to take too much meds, but after getting assurance from my primary doctor, I thought of taking it, then I found out I couldn't get it because my vaccine isn't over 6 months yet. My second dose is on 17th May, so if we were to count 6 months, tomorrow would be exactly 6 months. Because the vaccine centre is just right next door, I can see the board constantly being updated. Last I saw it was on the 15th (before this it was around April...?), c'est la vie.

    After several discussions and due to the cases slowly rising again (not to mention the demands are coming back — Last few days the calls and enquiries has been crazy), today I found out that the date got changed to 20th November. Wait a minute... And a memo also came out saying that staffs are allowed to walk in during evenings at a certain time provided there's not many people and demands are still available. I got a friend who was working at the centre as well. I bumped into them on the weekend and mentioned out of passing that I am unable to take my dose as it wasn't 6 months yet, and they said, "You can walk in anytime in the evening once 6 months passed..." 

    To avoid being turned away, during lunch hour, I approached a staff member who is free at the time and showed them my digital cert (I also carry my physical vaccination card at all times just in case) They were very sweet and helped me check, and I was allowed to get my jab earlier. They told me to come back in the evening when the crowd has dispersed. 

    Because I was a complete fool, I didn't thought of bringing food. Prior to any vaccination, you need to make sure you get some food into your system. I thought of taking instant noodles since I didn't want to spend much, but everyone is telling me to get some proper food. Recently, I rekindled my love for aglio oglio, so I went to get some with grilled chicken. At least that's something. 🍝

❗ CHECKLIST FOR VACCINATION ❗   

✔️ IC (Identity Card/ Passport)

✔️ Handphone (With proof of your digital cert) 

✔️ Consent Form

✔️A small bottle of plain water (Need to stay hydrated) 

😷 Mask is mandatory at all times. No excuses please.

🔴A jacket (Vaccination centres are cold, so bring it if you need it)

    Went at 2 pm, was asked to fill up the consent form. Was immediately sent to the triage counter and since I was in uniform and I more or less knew how the process goes. Was whisked off to the consultation station to get an assessment. The perks of being a staff is everyone more or less knew each other, they just just needed to make sure that I didn't have any serious side effects from my previous double dose or ended up in the Emergency Department before this. Then I was given a sticker and I was directed to the registration counter and given a number. This would be around 2.05 pm. After waiting for a while, I was guided to the vaccination station, where my old junior administered the vaccine to me. (Good grief, I don't remember the needle being that long) Don't worry, it wasn't painful. It's just a tiny sting. Booster was administered around 2.10 pm. 

    Went to counter 5 and was asked to scan a code and fill up an online form. Once done, I was sent to the observation station and was observed for 15 minutes. It was smooth sailing (The staff were very friendly and welcoming) and I left by 2.30 pm. As I'm writing this it was near night time as I just woken up due to feeling a little fatigued, both from work and the booster, so far I haven't have any severe side effects yet, and that's good. If you have the chance to get your booster, please do so. Get another additional protection to protect yourself and the people around you. 

*Post vaccination update*

Had a splitting migraine and felt feverish. Re-checked temperature every few minutes, ranges between 36.6 to 36.8 degree Celcius, but my whole body was feeling hot. Nearly missed work but I took 2 Panadols and managed to get through the shift. Slight numbness in the arm is expected, pain is bearable. 

Follow up, felt much better. A little tired, but at least I don't have splitting migraines and my temperature is back to normal at 36 degree Celcius. Thank God. Arm still has some slight numbness, but the pain has somewhat subsided. 

Interesting Phone Calls I Received #10 (They Just Keep On Coming...)

Some of these phone calls are weird, but after getting shaken so hard, I pretty much became numb. This one is going to rapid fire.

"I demand you get me a bed now!"

Sorry, there's no such thing in getting a bed now. We can only slot your names into the waiting list and hope for the best.

"I will drive up here now!"

When there's no bed, you end up wasting your time. When it comes to severe cases, every second counts. You can try your luck by going to the government sector emergency departments, at the very least they are experts when it comes to severe cases, so you are in good hands.

"During vaccination, I was fine, but after the jab, you gave me the Covid!"

Every vaccine has a small amount of virus inside... That's how vaccines are made. Just like flu vaccines has a small amount of flu virus inside. This is why we said some slight fever, numbness, pain are normal. If the side effects are prolonged, that is when we have to seek treatment. Regarding the Covid part, mainly it's just unluckiness. 

"I stayed at home all the time! How can I still get Covid?"

The entire air is already contaminated. It doesn't matter where you are. The moment your immunity is low, say hello to not just Covid, but everything.

"I already have everyone in the family tested positive. Why should I wear a mask? It's so uncomfortable!"

Just because you're at home with everyone who is positive doesn't mean you should ignore wearing a mask. You don't want to spread the illness more, right? The only time you can take out the mask is when you're sleeping, I do not expect you to wear a mask while sleeping, it's a little impractical, but at the same time, you should wear one. Basically, there's no right or wrong when it comes to wearing masks while sleeping, it depends on the environment and each individual. 

"Can you explain this term for me - You will need a referral form/ letter from the cardiologists for this scan."

Gif taken from A MySejahtera problem left me unable to CucukMyAZ. Here’s how I solved it (cilisos.my), published in Cilisos.my, written by UiHua, posted on 29th July 2021 / Original source: Mood. Gif from Giphy

Self-explanatory. Despite what you think, I did not threw the phone out of the window... I just switched the words around and explained patiently.

"Why do I have to book two slots with an interval of an hour each? I'm coming with my family!"

Look, just book the appointment, then approach the staff and inform that you are with your family. No one is going to ask you to wait an hour each, I hope...

"I need to get PCR Result urgently. Can I get it on the same day?"

PCR takes 24 hours to be ready. It's impossible to get it within a day, the only thing I can advise is you come to do the test as soon as possible, and highlight to the team that you need your test urgently, but don't do it last minute, because it's impossible.

"If you don't give me <insert demand here>, I'll expose/ <insert all sort of threats here> you!"

We get that a lot, and I'm sorry. It won't work. It'll work with junior staff, but with someone who was getting constant verbal harassments/ threats/ lawsuits, we're used to it. 

Source: Let's shield (hexagonal type) - Real Time VFX, created by Mar' 19 in March 2019, published in Real-Time VFX

There's a whole lot more where that came from but I'm going to stop here.

Source: WGB (Wagakki Band) / Starlight, published by WagakkiBand on 10th May 2021

How could I have missed this song out? It's so soothing. 

*Today's case: 19,819 (Good God in Heaven)

Tears Kept Flowing

Friend: "Sis, is that you?"

Me: "Yeah. How can you not know it's me?"

Friend: "You sound different, like tired. Are you okay?"

Me: "Lack of sleep."

Friend: "Hang in there."

Woman Shares How Father Was Ignored & Died From COVID-19 At An Overwhelmed Public Hospital, published on Says, written by May Vin Ang — 29 Jul 2021, 12:34 PM

I thought my tears had dried up but a friend shared me this story via FB and now I can't stop crying, because people who kept claiming that everywhere is sunshine and daisies are WRONG. We're all desperate and tired, yet we kept going because we have to. This story is sad, and I'm not going to say one side is totally at fault here. I read through despite the tears kept flowing, I even went to to the original Mandarin post and read it. I can't say it's hundred percent that one side is at fault here, and healthcare workers really are tired and burnout. It came to the point where the demand is now higher than the supply, and everywhere is overflowing and congested. I get that both side are frustrated, believe me, I get it. I'm trying to keep it together but judging from the conversation, it seems that I'm mentally drained. Even my family commented on it. They said I looked freakishly pale and I looked as though I didn't get enough sleep. I tried, I like putting my favourite music on at night, but lately I seem to sleep for two or three hours and then ended up waking up and unable to sleep.

    I took a call from a person who were increasingly becoming frustrated and was biting my head off, but I let them, because what else can I do? They have checked everywhere and everyone had said the same thing. They thought maybe we could perhaps give him some sort of miracle. They were agitated and started telling me how the family were feeling weak and they wanted to get a x-ray and blood tests done because they scared that it could be pneumonia. I have been getting a lot of these enquiries lately, especially during night times so I asked my doctors what can I do: Advise them to go to their local CAC to get checked. They went on how the CAC queue is so long that they refuse to send their families there because they are feeling weak. I don't blame them, to be honest, I would get frustrated too. I'm thankful that my family members are taking their health seriously, and we keep other in check, because trust me, you do not want to get Miss Rona. After they vented their frustrations, the person apologized for biting my head, but I told them politely, "It's okay, I understand you're frustrated. All of us are, except we are trying not to say it outloud." They understood and thanked me for my time. So, it's good I guess I managed to make someone's day...

    One person really irked me, because they send an enquiry regarding antibodies. So I sent the flier just be sure I'm getting my facts right, then they said, no, they want another test regarding the Covid antibodies, so I showed another flier. Then I explained that you will need to get your second vaccination first, and after two weeks only then you should do the test. Then the person said, "I never took the vaccination, nor did I have covid, I'm just asking whether I can do the test to see if I can get naturally acquired immunity or not." 

    Mary, Mother of God.

   Um, the only way to get naturally acquired immunity is to get it, like chicken pox, which I do not recommend. And I do not recommend getting Miss Rona, no way. I had pneumonia once and it was bad, and my doctor stressed to me several times, just because you got it once doesn't mean that you are hundred percent safe. Honest to God, if that's the case, then we don't need to be scared of diseases. Nothing is ever hundred percent in medical line. This is the one thing we have stressed over and over again. There is no miracle in medicines, we can only depend on science and research and facts, not Google, Facebook, Whatsapp, and certainly not psuedo-science. 

    I was hovering around Khairy's Twitter and usually I like to check on the people who I admired, like Uncle Steve, JK Rowling and the gang, so I hopped a little to one of the artists whom I admired, and oh gosh. I do not have Youtube, Twitter nor Tiktok accounts, so I'm going to say it from my previous posts. Stop bashing Social Repose already, God. His last video wasn't offensive, I got the context, and I understand he's strange, but for crying out loud, stop taking his narrative and twist everything out of turn. Why don't you all put himself in his shoes and see how it feels like? I mentioned it before, not everything is seen in a black and white mindset. He makes great music and art content, you don't know what you're missing out on. I was like that at one point, but the people around me told me several times, Not Everything Is Always Black and White. There will always be a grey area where no one will know. I'm glad I gave his content another chance because it is artistic and you can see the passion he poured into. Don't like someone, ignore and disengage. This is why stans scare me. JUDGE YE NOT LEST BE JUDGED. The funny thing is my doctors thought his music are great since I often put his music (and many others) on while working, and they joked maybe the mob should come down and help us out in the frontlines to make use of their productive time because we are seriously understaffed. I love my doctors, they're awesome. 

*Today's case: 17,170 (Ah, I'm going to watch some comedy. This is depressing)

Plea

 https://www.instagram.com/tv/CRYu0-FjwR8/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=adf5a218-7ece-44e3-be38-703835f40104

Dr Dhivya Dhyana (@dhivyadhyana) • Instagram photos and videos sums everything up perfectly. Please watch her videos if you have time and give her and our healthcare workers some love

The video sums up the entire point. If you have seen my previous posts, I have already said, several times, stop treating things lightly. It's almost always the same. It's always I went to point A just for a while, or I just go out with just this one friend. Enough is enough. We have already surpassed Italy and India cases. It's almost like the apocalypse is upon us yet we still see people flaunting the rules and regulations. Everytime the number goes down, everyone cheered, then the next day it goes back up. And you wonder why we can't have nice things?

    The last week of working night shifts made me cry so much. Cases are rising, people were calling me in the middle of the night begging me for help, which I can't because everywhere is full. Most cases were already so critical that we don't have critical beds and our patients are already on ventilators. It came to the point where healthcare workers are now forced to choose who to save. It's now come down to survival of the fittest. "But I have the money! I can pay you!'' I don't want your money, I don't have beds, don't you understand? How can we give patients the proper care they deserve if we can't give them critical beds and the sufficient equipment and manpower? 

    One call in particular made me cry so hard after our conversation ended. They were begging me for help because patient was suspected having hypoxia. They have called everywhere and everywhere is already full. When I asked them to call 999, they told me they did, and this is what they told me.

"Unless the patient is having difficulty in breathing or dying, they will not send an ambulance over..."

Yes, it was that dire. We do not have enough ambulances anymore, everywhere is congested, it's like a friend told me, "Air mata tidak boleh meliuh dah." (Roughly translated to (Our) Tears can't flow anymore) They're right. What's the point of us crying anymore? I cried so hard the last few days because I do not know what else to advise. And I'm trying my best not to say too much because times like these are depressing. Everyone is already mentally stressed out and depressed, I do not need to add more fuel to the fire. This is why I shared briefly regarding my job, because everyone knows working in healthcare is not easy. I don't need to do a deep dive on how scary it is. Not to mention there's huge clusters of breakout happening everywhere.

    Please, I implore you, get vaccinated, stop vaccine shopping, take care of your health, go out for your essential shopping if needed, but most importantly, WEAR A MASK, WASH YOUR HANDS, MAINTAIN A SAFE DISTANCE AND PRACTICE YOUR SOP. And remember, just because you have been fully vaccinated, this does not mean that you are 100% safe. 

    As of few days ago, we just struck past 1 million. Jackpot (That's sarcasm right there)

Source: Hurdles for 'Devil May Cry 5' and What Should Be Fixed | Goomba Stomp Magazine, written by Jason Rocha, published on August 27, 2018

*Today's case: 17,405 (Everyone is putting out bets on when we're going to hit 20,000...I sincerely hope not)

**Just a fun fact, I don't really play Devil May Cry. Not my taste, but I like watching the walkthroughs and they have a good storyline. 

Source: Contract Negotiations With Morons, Published by Jason Leong, premiered Jul 26, 2021

Code Black! Code Black!

And Dr Jason, congratulations for hitting 100,000 subscribers.

Interesting Phone Calls I Received #9 (More Than A Year Later...)

We are already a year plus into the pandemic, and the phone calls that comes in can be baffling... I didn't even plan to post this because my arm and ear hurt from the constant phone calls (and because I needed a break from the constant posts), but I need to get this off my shoulders.

Vaccine Shopping

Pfizer, Sinovac, Astra Zeneca... 

Lots of decisions to ponder,

Either way it doesn't matter,

As long as you get your jab...

You can see I didn't take any creative writing courses....

Cancelling Your Vaccination Appointment Unnecessarily 

I said it once, I said it again, I'll say it till you get tired of me. Unless it is necessary, don't cancel your vaccination appointment unnecessarily! You got it at your finger tips, and you cancel it because "I do not want <insert brand>, I want <insert brand>" People are already dying because of covid, it's important to get vaccinated, because that way, you have at least a layer of protection. Stop choosing and get vaccinated! Please, I'm begging you, unless it is due to unfortunate circumstances, then yes, you can change the appointment.  

Fully Vaccinated Means I Can Ditch The Mask And I'm Safe

No, you may not ditch the mask. It is still compulsory, practice your SOP and stay safe. Vaccine is a layer of protection, it's not a 100% cure. And no, don't travel unnecessarily as everywhere covid is on the rise again. 

Covid Enquiries

It can range from many things, but the most common one I get is "Difficulty in breathing" / "Shortness of breath" / "Saturation level is less than 90%" CALL 999 OR HEAD TO THE NEAREST GOVERNMENT HOSPITAL IMMEDIATELY! But - but - I don't want the government. For God's sake, the patient is in severe condition and you still don't want to call 999? Which also brings us to -

I Don't Like The Government Sector

"Service is awful" / "No one cares about me" / "Food is terrible" I wish to transfer out immediately. You have to help me. Do you realize...that you are lucky to even get a bed? I have patients who really requires bed, and they can't get any due to the congested cases. I have patients who lost their lives because of covid because they couldn't get treatment on time, and you want to transfer out because the service is bad? Everyone is fighting for the pandemic right now, and there's a huge shortage of staffs that everyone is burnout, and yet you are making a fuss just because the service is bad? It's not even that people were neglecting them, when I query further, it's mainly about hospitality... The food is terrible part irked us to the point where my Medical Officer went into a launch telling that everyone is trying their best to survive and they wanted to transfer out because of the food. You can't even transfer out because everywhere is FULL. Oh, and the government choose you. You can't just waltz into the government hospital and demand for a bed, they choose you. 

    Since we're here, is private better than government? The answer is they are equally the same. For certain things, I go for the government, because not everyone can afford private healthcare. When I went to the government sector for scaling, it cost me around three ringgit. If I go to private sector, it cost around hundred plus. The only thing is...in government you have to wait for a long time, and most of the time you are not allowed to negotiate. That's the only one thing about government, otherwise, I can say their treatment is on par with private.  

Fake News Circulating 

We kept getting news that the vaccines are fake, that it is just water, and that empty syringes are being jabbed. Need I remind you again that spreading fake news is damaging everyone's reputation and business. Everyone is already mentally drained, stop making things worse for us and yourself... Get away from social media, and if you see a news that looks suspicious, verify with the source first instead of spreading it all around. I'm glad a local family owned business is filing a police report due to defamation and slander, because it seems that people who spread fake news think it's funny or that they can get away with it.

Using the Emergency Line as Your Own Personal Hotline  

I don't know how many times the emergency phone rang that I drop everything and run to attend to it, because it is what it is stated. It is an emergency line, it's a matter of life or death, but every time when we answer it, people called us for the most mundane of things. It got to a point where I got annoyed and I told one person firmly, "We'll call you through our landline, kindly do not call this line because it is meant for emergency only." Till this day, no one seems to get it. 

We Should Know Everything

Yes, every nook and cranny, like what's going on in the operating theatre, the wards, other hospitals etc etc. Sorry, we do not. This is why you need to call the respective departments or hospitals. You are not going to call a McDonald's to order pizza right? When I was in the wards, or as a patient who is hospitalized, there is something call ward orientation, meaning we explain everything from A to Z, regarding the bed controls, the TV, the storage vault, the washroom, the call bells, do and don'ts, fall prevention, everything. Once we explain everything, you need to sign the paper as acknowledgement that you understood. If something is going on in the ward, you use the call bell to call for help. Why would you call us??? It's the same for surgeries. You can call the landline and ask for the operating theatre reception counter to ask. We don't have access to the operating theatre system.

 Can You Give Me The Doctor's Personal Mobile? It's Very Important

The answer that we will give till the end of time is a big NO. No one sane is going to give you the doctor's personal mobile. You need to call through the general clinic extension and ask for them. From experience, once you give your personal mobile to a patient, they are going to hound you even when you're not on duty. If the doctor is the one who personally gave their mobile, then there's nothing we can do about it, but we'll never give it out.

Appointment(s)

Please call the clinic directly to make an appointment. I find it so weird to go through six, seven different channels just to get an appointment. You want to make a reservation at Chili's? Call or email them. You want to see Dr Moustache? You call their clinic directly or email, if you are able to. You want to find out if Popular Bookstore have your favourite books in stock? You call or email them directly. Sorry, I went a little off track. The point is.. if you want to make an appointment (or something), go directly to the source. If you can't wait, the emergency is open 24 hours. 

Overseas/ Outstation to Get Covid Treatment

Most of the time patients are already between life and death, yet they still ask to seek help far away. When it comes to life and death, seconds counts. Head to the nearest healthcare facility or call 999. You're not going to travel down for 6 hours to get help. It's not logic, and you risk spreading covid everywhere. Most places have basic healthcare facilities and decent hospitals, don't tell me that there's none, even our rural areas have at least one or two.  

I'm so tired... Most of the things are repetitive, but it seems that people are unable to comprehend what we're trying to say. Stop calling us heartless monsters, or asking us to burn in Hell, we're trying our best to help everyone, and sometimes we're too late to save people. Just because we don't say it doesn't mean we are okay. 

*Today's case: 10,972 (We can get through this...) 

Source: A Delusional Review of My Proton Wira, published by Jason Leong on 17th February 2020

Oh doctor... 

Lockdown 3.0 Diaries #47

Oh Lord, the morning shift is plain crazy. My ear hurts, and I have to put Acustop on my shoulder, and my heart is pounding hard. If you could check my saturation level, I think you can see that I'm close to hyperventilating. Please, make it stop...

    From 7am onwards, people are demanding for rooms again. As much as I would like to say okay, let's get you in, I can't. We don't have rooms anymore. Everywhere is full, everywhere is seriously full. Cases are already getting serious, I was practically begging people to get help but they outright refused and insist on waiting for private beds. Please, please, please, stop gambling with your life already. If you can even get a bed in government sector, it's considered good. There are some people who are already in government sector wards and they demand to be transferred. Why? "The food taste awful." Oh my LORD, you're getting admitted for covid, not for the food. My goodness, I told some of the people to stay put at the government sector and they demand why. Well, first of all, you aren't fit for transfer. No one is going to risk transferring you inter-hospital, what's going to happen if something happen to you? And the second point that we have always stressed, government sector is the best place to get admitted because they have sufficient backup and they are expert in handling severe cases. Most of the cases I had to give them health advice because most of them were at a lost.

    I pretty much ignored the enquiry due to the constant phone ringing. Everytime we drop a phone, it rings second later. It's an endless cycle, and once a covid case comes in, we spend a long time with them. It's unavoidable. And no matter what people say, phone calls are the main priority. If you can Whatsapp, it means you are willing to wait. Phone calls are mainly urgent cases. This is why I always stressed, if it's urgent, please call. Do not whatsapp. 

    I know people are desperate, but please stop making outright ridiculous demands. Someone called to tell me to tell the doctors to wait for them ten minutes to closing time. I'm sorry, it's not that we refuse to help, the problem is weekend is the day where everyone works half day and people want to go home early to spend time with their family. "But I live nearby, please help me!" Sorry, the one who has the final say are the doctors. The person refused to take no for an answer and forced my hand, and as predicted, everyone had went home by twelve thirty, and the clinic nurses were closing for the day, and all of them said the same thing: "Go to emergency and page for the doctor on call." True enough when I called them back, they were calm and accepted to go to the emergency. Could you please...just stop pressuring people? The reason why they don't want to go to emergency: "It's full of covid." Um, the whole entire air is contaminated. *Covid is everywhere, I have patients who stayed home and followed the SOPs, and yet they still get covid. It mainly depends on your body immunity, and healthcare facilities takes so much precaution to make sure the place is thoroughly sanitized and safe. 

EMCO has been lifted in Selangor, here’s what you can do, written by FMT Reporters, published in Free Malaysia Today on 16th July 2021

Wait just a minute, no more lockdown? FREEDOM!

    Well, not exactly. Rona is still around, and all of us still got to practice on our SOP guidelines, wear masks and wash your hands (And get your vaccines). Since the lockdown is over, this will be the last entry of the lockdown diaries. I never intended to do this challenge, it was constantly in my head, but it was my friend who gave me the shove. "It's probably a good way to challenge yourself to write throughout the lockdown..." Except for missing one small post by six minutes, I managed to post throughout the lockdown days. It was originally intended to be two weeks, then it got extended, and extended to the point where I was basically just writing as long as the government said keep going. 

    It was tiring to be honest, in between juggling shifts, editing and working on writings. The main goal of the challenge was to write everyday without missing a beat. In fact, I even doubt myself when the lockdown extended, not to mention I don't know what I could write during my off days. How do I post something during my off days? My topics mainly focused on books, music, arts, people that has inspired me.... Let's be honest, I'm not going to talk much about my work life during my off days, but this blog is meant to share about my nursing life, so I still have to sprinkle in a little of it, and since I'm no longer dealing with dressings, injections, procedures and such, things has probably gone stale... I actually left blogging for a few years with little intention of reviving it. You can thank my friends who were asking me to share how life is during the first MCO.... Besides, I did started out blogging first before writing novels.

    Does this mean you can do the NanWoWriMo? I can't, because it is more suited for people who are free for a month. Lockdown diaries is something that I could attempt because I'm not writing full length novels. If you are attempting to write a novel, you need to at least hit a minimum of 50,000 words, and from experience, that is roughly around 200 pages. Now if you recall Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy (1,137 pages), Stephen King's IT (1,138 pages) and JK Rowling's Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (766 pages).... Those are a lot of words...

    Will you ever write more about your nursing life? Well, you made it this far haven't you? I know I pretty much float around, but yeah, 47 entries of diaries should made a fun read, don't you think? Thanks for making it through my ups and down. So, once again, wear your mask (double mask if you can), wash your hands, get vaccinated and stay hydrated.

*How COVID-19 Spreads, Last Updated July 14, 2021

Content source: National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD), Division of Viral Diseases

**Today's case: 12,528 (Well, back to the drawing board, I guess. Anyone got their lucky number yet?)

Lockdown 3.0 Diaries #46

Source: Ivermectin Does Not Mean No Need To Vaccinate, published by Jason Leong on 15th July 2021

You're right, Doctor, prevention is better than cure... But as the old saying goes: I can bring the horse to the pond, but I can't force the horse to drink it

Noon shift, which means I get to sleep in a little. 

    It's nice to see many people are getting their vaccines, but you still see some people demanding to change their appointments. Please... don't change your appointments unnecessarily, we can't stress this enough, and please stop asking to slot your names into the backup list. It is handled mainly by the government.  

    Today seemed to be one of those days where I feel like a punching bag. People calling us to get admitted, but when we have no beds, there goes all the name callings that you can think of. It doesn't hurt like it used to. I got called all sorts of things growing up, this is nothing, although the worse thing I ever experienced was a patient telling me to kill myself with my doctor when I was a newly joined nurse. 

    This is the one time where I really dislike the internet, because I got a call from someone who claimed that there are fake vaccines going about, that inside the syringes are water. You do realize that what you're saying is damaging to everyone's reputation right? If any healthcare facilities get caught giving out fake vaccines, the Ministry of Health will shut us down without a second thought. "You're a nurse, what would you know?!" It has nothing do with me being a nurse or not. If people want to cheat me, they could. This is why we have to be alert and vigilant... As mentioned in a previous post, if you go around spreading false news, you affect not only the person involved, but you also damage the company's business and reputation. You can see why I have pretty much a love/hate relationship with the internet. Leaning more on the hate due to people spreading false news.

    Time went by so fast for today. I didn't attend much enquiries, I was busy running after covid cases, and some of the same people call me several times for a bed. I'm not a magician, calling me after few hours, there's no way I can conjure a bed. Not to mention that the waiting list is long, probably the size of a novella when I held the file. I have to advise everyone on the waiting list that if their condition deteriorates, call 999 or head to the nearest government hospitals immediately. Same song and dance. 

    When things calmed down a little, I could slowly go through the enquiry list, and some of the enquiries I got were really weird. One that stood out in particular was there are two people in the same house tested positive, will they worsen because they are together? Have you seen the quarantine centers? Everyone were jammed packed together, and nothing happened to them. It's more of a The Strong Survives scenario. There's no way I can say your covid will worsen or not, it depends on whether your body can tolerate it or not. I recalled a case where I took that the whole family were tested positive, and they asked us to take the ones who really needed proper care while the rest of them stayed home. All of them recovered.  

    I don't know why people like to ask the age old question: "Recommend me the best doctors you have." There's no best doctors per se. All our doctors are experienced, otherwise how would they become doctors? The one thing I always emphasise on is the chemistry. If you don't have chemistry with the doctor, you'll never listen to them, nor take their advice. It's called building a rapport, a relationship, and I can tell you, it takes two to work in a relationship. If it's one-sided, it's going to fail miserably. 

    Going to crash early because I'm working in the morning.

    

*Today's case: 12,451 (Can I go now?)