The First Week of Work After My Long Leave...

 My mind is mentally exhausted. I tried to squeeze in a few hours of writing but I can't. Every time I reach home, my eyes just close and I bury myself in sleep. Remember what I said about numerous patients coming, yep, every morning our place is like a marketplace. I did mentioned, that no matter what MCO was implemented, patients will come to the hospital, especially when they are sick and need treatment. Not to mention the amount of daily dressings we get now on a regular basis. 

        Systems were lagging quite bad. Not sure why. I was trying to put in charges but I have to wait for ten minutes for the system to work. It's tiring, because patients are often at our throats telling us: "Why are your systems so slow?" I wish I could answer, but honest to God, don't you think I also want the system to move fast? Cashiers' side were lagging for thirty-eight minutes, so patients were unhappy. I usually try not to sweat over the small stuff, but there is a limit on how much one could handle. There was a guy shouting at the poor cashier regarding his insurance or something, I didn't go near him because I recognized him. He is a guy who is being difficult, he had went to many surgeons, did a surgery, wasn't happy with it, went to another doctor, who did a second cut, and disappeared for a while. His wound healed, but it was recurrent, so he made a third cut. He blamed us, telling the doctor how we were horrible and why does he have to go through surgery again. The doctor's answer: "I told you not to go outside but you wouldn't listen. Do not blame the nurses when it is not their fault." I get the old saying: Customers are always right. At times though, I'm not telling you to pick a fight with the customers, but if you are right, you fight in a smart way, meaning just stay calm and justify your explanation. If you start throwing tantrum and scream, the patient wins by default. This is why my friend always said, "Fight smart, not dumb. If the customer(s) screamed bloody murder at you, you answer them back level-headed. If you scream back at them, then you are dumb." Wise words spoken. This is why I try to never scream, except for the one time when a well-known fast food restaurant screwed up my order so bad, ate the food in front of me, put it back on the tray and served it back to me. That is the one thing I will not forgive. 

        Monthly meeting with social distancing and limitations in place. What else is new? The economy is not flourishing, business are suffering. This is why we are working hard to bring people back to us -- Not just us but every business. But you can't blame people for being paranoid and refusing to come. Some people outright refuse to go out, preferring to stay at home. Given the choice I would do it as well, but I can't. Essential workers are required to work, and we do it to help the people. No matter how much sometimes you hear us complaining how we couldn't stand difficult patients, we still come to work because we want to help others. Otherwise how did we manage to go through the job for 10, 20 or even 30 years? Maybe one day I will share my story on how I became a nurse if anyone's interested.

        There's a few changes that are going to happen in November and truth to be told, Miss Rona is going to be around for a while so we might as well get used to the new normal. One of the things I discovered was how online shopping is so convenient and easy. I now understood why I have seen some colleagues browsing through online catalogues, because you can get good deals on certain days, not to mention the endless offers: Buy more, save more. The only thing I dared to order online are books from trusted vendors, because with books you can never get cheated. I know some friends who dared to order gadgets online, but so far there hasn't been any issues, that's good. No one should ever go through something screwy (No matter how much they are being a pain to, hence karma).

Source: Tonberry (FFVIII) gif by Boomerman

https://imgur.com/gallery/k9vCoRL/comment/18138273?nc=1

Sometimes I wished I have kept my mouth shut. I have to deal with a couple because it was my fault for opening my mouth in the first place. I couldn't help it. I saw them walking around, looking lost, holding the bills. I felt sorry for them, so I approached them first. (In honour of Halloween, I'm throwing in the character's names from one of my favourite Halloween films )

Source: https://tenor.com/view/halloween-halloween-town-this-is-halloween-jack-skellington-the-nightmare-before-christmas-gif-15236399

Me : Can I help you?

Boy : Yes, can you direct me to the complaint department?

Me : Do you mean the customer service?

Boy : Yes.

Me : *gives directions*

Boy : Is there anyway customer service can waive my charges?

Me : I'm not very sure, sir. It depends.

Boy :  Your doctor overcharged my sister. It is outrageous. 

Me : Um...

Boy : We came to the emergency first, your staff send us for scans and blood test. They said there's something wrong with my scan so they directed us to the other building, to see Dr Ficklestein. He barely spent two minutes with us and charged us nearly *insert figures here*, and referred us to another doctor, Dr Skellington. He's a good man, he explained everything in-depth and charged us nearly the same amount, but I can still accept it because he is good. Dr Ficklestein is awful, so I wish to make a complaint.  

Me : Okay, sir. I understand, it is a little unfair that you are paying so much for a few minutes consultation. I'll bring you down to the customer service.

I'm not trying to pick sides here, but I understand, we want our money's worth. If I'm going to a fancy place, say...like Chili's (If I'm paying more than 20 ringgit for my meals, then it is considered fancy), with the amount I'm paying, I expect good service, good food, a good experience that makes me happy. Same goes for the doctor. I want him/her to give me at least a good explanation, not just brush everything off and charge me a bomb and leave me feeling unhappy. So I directed the brother while the sister waited. 

        I haven't realized that our phlebotomist has left even though I told him not to till we are at the last patient, because true enough, the sister had to go for a blood test. Already worried that the brother will make a further complaint, I called the lab at first since I still had some patients around. They told me they will send someone up, so I thought, okay, that's awesome. Fifteen minutes went by, and nobody came up, and because I do not have the key to get access into the venesection room, I run to the lab to inquire. The person in charge had left for the day, and I am not happy. I told them firmly: "Look, you guys were the one who told us to inform you whether there's any patients around in case we need to do a blood test, I informed him at five that I have few doctors and few patients left. I will inform when the last patient is left..." The reply I got was "It's already late, send them to Emergency." Looking at their side, it's logical, but after the complaint, I'm very worried that the brother will be difficult. 

        When I came up, the brother and sister had left. I thought: Oh good, the customer service probably has waived their charges. It was already late so I left for the day. The following day (Today, in fact, Happy Halloween) I asked the cashier what was the story. It...wasn't good. They paid only for Dr Skellington's charges as mentioned, but they refused to pay for the others, the blood tests and scan, and Dr Ficklestein's charges were not waived. The cashier told me the brother have not expected the charges to come up to a grand total of *insert figures here*. Oh God, look, you brought your sister through the Emergency. Emergency will often charge a little bit more, it's common knowledge. This is why you don't ever go through emergency unless it is urgent. Things had gotten out of hand till I can't help anymore. Customer service had to step in in this one.

        On a brighter note, I entered a short story contest on Tuesday. I originally asked my friend to enter because her English is good, better than mine, and this looks like something she would enjoy. She asked me to do it instead, saying that I should take it as a learning experience and because I write fiction in my free time, why not? Being rejected for so long, I just wrote something up and send it off, not expecting anything. How surprised I was when I got this in the email, along with this link:

6 MALAYSIAN CREEPYPASTA STORIES SHARED BY CILISOS READERS – DON’T READ AT NIGHT! by Raymond Saw, 31st October 2020

https://cilisos.my/6-of-the-scariest-malaysian-creepy-stories-as-told-by-you-in-our-halloween-contest/?fbclid=IwAR0H7acfUlyOMsF_4TenrLeMhWHr4tVLG-MbmZpx5hgGBR--DkoR1oPWSd8

I won't spoil it for you, so please read the article in the link above. Happy Halloween!

Source: Dancing Dance https://tenor.com/view/dancing-dance-halloween-grooves-moves-gif-16886734

*Today's case: 659 (Not bad, keep it up!)

Akira, Where Are You???

*Some things may sound awful or depressing, so please don't speculate or send hate. This is just me sharing my thoughts. 

Ah, one week break is over, how times flies, and we are almost to November, the year end. Well, this year is not a good year for everyone, overall, myself included, so I'll be super glad when it's all over, except the corona AKA Miss Rona is here to stay for a while, most likely for the next two years, according to the doctors. Hard to say, it's a shame that none of us could visit our friends or travel, but safety first. 

        I am always a little nervous coming back to work after a long break, because sometimes I'm worried I may not be able to catch up. I shouldn't have been worried, because even though I'm not familiar with the patients who came for dressing this round, I'm still able to hold on my own, because the dressings are still the same. Aquacel, manuka honey, you name it...

        Even though EMCO has been enforced on the 22nd, the moment I stepped into work after clocking in, I saw a lot of people waiting for the doctors. This is why I don't believe in the whole "No one will ever come out during MCO because everyone is scared of Miss Rona." I beg to differ, you may not see tons of cars up and about, but according to some of my colleagues whom I talk to, I asked them are shopping malls as empty as people upload in social media, they gave me funny looks. "You do know that as long as the shops are open, people will still go shopping..." I've seen many clothes shop closed, most of them shifted to online because not many people want to come and try clothes (Social distancing and sharing clothes, you know... Even though I know most shops sanitize the clothes after a person tries on each time...Better not to take the risk...), but essential shops such as the grocer's, pharmacy, eateries are still open. You do the math.

         So I came into work, first thing I noticed was...Why is the whole room resembling the skylights of Manhattan? Then I saw that half of the ceiling looked as though it has been punched in, with one part of the wall full of exposed pipes. Oh geez. Good thing I have been running on the treadmill and doing yoga, so I was able to manoeuvre (or as I often said when the room looks packed, gymnastics) my way around. Maybe one day I shall do a funny post on how do you qualify to be a healthcare professional, but I don't want people to start coming after me. Turns out some places are getting renovated, so they needed to do some repairs. 

        Being back into work, there's bound to be drama. Healthcare is never drama-free, unless you count those two months of literal ghost town, but even then, ridiculous complaints kept coming in. One of the complaints was the most...weirdest thing I have ever heard. I am not sure if I have shared this story, but I'll just put it up here. Someone came to the ER without an appointment card and Identity Card, supposedly for a consultation but not on that particular date. When the staff downstairs asked for IC, this is what the person answered: (I wish I could say it's a joke, but it's real.)

I was only told to bring my appointment card, no one told me to bring my Identity Card.

        

Source: https://legendsoflocalization.com/final-fantasy-vi/opera/

Um, isn't it common knowledge to at least carry a minimum amount of cash, your IC, driver's license, and your mobile? When you go to the hospital, don't you at least carry the above mentioned, with the addition of your medical card, previous blood test and scan results, a referral letter from a GP? If the police catches you driving without a license, I don't think you are going to answer: "Oh I have no idea I have to bring my driver's license out when I'm driving." If I was the police on duty, I'll probably slap a fine instead of taking that excuse.

        Today is rather tame, taking vital signs, dressing, taking off stitches, normal stuff, but one nonchalant comment rubs me the wrong way. I'm not going to specify who said it, but the conversation went something like this:

Person : My God, have you seen the cases lately? They been going up.

Me : Yeah, it's really scary. What a waste of our two (nearly three months) lockdown.

Person : Why are you so worried? You're so young, you're not going to get the virus. I'm twice your age, I should be more worried.

Me : (Not liking where this is going) You do realized that recently young people are getting the virus right?

Person : Yeah, but you are so young. Your antibodies should be strong. I don't even dare to go out to buy a loaf of bread...

Me: Um, as long as you wear your mask. social distance, do your hand washing, follow the SOP and don't loiter around, I think you'll be fine. 

I'm going to have to put this out here. Miss Rona is not exactly prejudiced, nor picky with whoever she infects. The moment your immunity is low and you get into contact with someone who is unwell, or if you're unlucky and you happened to breathe in contaminated air, boom, you are down for the count. It doesn't matter how old you are. The person then went on on how we are expendable. In a way, yes, you are right. In most jobs, you are expendable, but you know which job where you are unexpendable? Writing. If there's no George R.R. Martin, no more Game of Thrones. If there's no J.K. Rowling, no more Harry Potter. Sure, you can get other authors to fill in the blank, but what the other author envisioned will be different from how the original author planned. Look what happened to Ian Fleming's ( James Bond) and Agatha Christie's (Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple) works. Some turned out fantastic, some not so, because we could never get what the original author had intended for the story to turn out. (I don't think the person is being mean or rude, just scared. When you are scared, your mind sometimes tends to go all over the place, so I didn't take it to heart)

        Funny things had been happening when I was not around, things disappearing when we actually saw it just days ago, "Where's your Doctor Akira Sakurada (He's the protagonist of Seeing Red)? We need him to help solve some mysteries." Um, Akira is a doctor, first and foremost. Second, he never asked to be a detective, he was dragged into it. I don't think he will appreciate getting dragged into mysteries or murders. 

         I was supposed to attend a training today, but there was an emergency in the department. I won't go into detail so much, but basically someone had seizures. I'm surprised that we are all running frantically but the doctor was cool as a cucumber. "Okay girls, make sure you put him in the recovery position. One of you get the trolley and send him down, somebody stay with him, and I'll need someone whom I can pass the notes to." He's already a pioneer so I'm sure he's used to it.

        An hour we were supposed to clock off for the day, the other building went on a sudden blackout. Again, everyone was asking me, "Where's Akira? Sudden blackout = Suspicious mystery." Oh, let's leave Akira alone, I don't think he wants to get involved in these kind of things.  (It's a joke) Then there was a guy who came up to me and ask me how can he stop being so anxious. I won't go into much details here, but I did went through something like that once, I can only advice him: "Stop overthinking, occupy yourself by doing something that you love, take little steps each day." Writing has been a great therapy for me, baking is another. This is why I had often stressed I don't really mind if my books can't sell, but I always just wanted to hear how my stories make someone's day feel better, even though they aren't that great. 

        That sums up for today, sorry if there's any typos, my eyes are like half-closing right now.

        Oh yeah, final point to add. Our MCO is extending till 9th November. What, you didn't see that coming?

*Today's case: 1240 (Seriously, STAY AT HOME!) 

Enforced Movement Control Order - Sweet Treats, Bug Invasion and Social Media

* Today's post is something different. Since I'm on leave until next week, let's talk about what I am doing and my thoughts.

22nd October, the first day of the EMCO, nearly back to square one. With the constant rising cases, there's no other choice but to enforce the MCO once more. Since I'm still on break, might as well spend the time wisely.

        I didn't go out, mainly because I did not want to flaunt the Movement Control Order and risk getting a fine, and because I have no reason to. I'm not someone who likes going out, I prefer books (Currently reading Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre, recommended by a friend). Usually on a long break, my routine is usually the same. Tidy up my place, baking cookies, making ice cream, and writing. Out of the four I mentioned, I only done tidying up and writing. Uncle Steve*, please do not jump at me (Joke), I've been trying to hit the 2,000 words per day mark on my days off. Since I've recently purchased my baking supplies (Two days ago), I thought what better time to bake and make my sweet treats.

        Since the EMCO started, I didn't want to go out unnecessarily, and since I still have some leftover baking goods which I intend to finish, I might as well finish everything off so that I can clear out the refrigerator space. Let's just say whenever I start baking, funny things tend to happen. I still had half a supply of some leftover goods from last month which I never finished, so I only needed to measure the flour. I did everything correct, except I made a mistake. The first batter I intended to make I measured the ingredients three times the amount. I foolishly forgot to measure my sugar the triple amount, but funnily the batter was sweet (to me anyway). From the start of this year, I've been trying to cut my sugar intake, so my taste buds aren't the same as before (Thanks to all the doctors and patients that I've encountered, but it's a good thing), so for my sweet treats, I usually tend to use minimal sugar. If there is just a hint of sweetness, then it's good for me. The best part, I didn't realized the mistake until I made my second batter and already started baking the first batter, when my family tasted the first batch of cookies and asked, "It's not sweet at all." I tasted it, it's soft, buttery and melts in your mouth, but they are right. I tasted the sweetness of the chocolate chip, the aroma of the walnuts, but I don't taste the sugar at all. Then I realized, I forgot to measure my sugar to the right amount. Somebody, please punch me now... :( (It wasn't disgusting, it's edible, and as mentioned, it melts in your mouth, but as my friend has often stressed, "If you are going to make something sweet, you better make sure you can taste the sugar. Go all out. Otherwise what's the point?") For those of you who are trying to go sugar free, the first batch of cookies which I made would suit you.

        The second batch of cookies turned out much better, but here's the thing. Over here, whenever it's going to rain, we tend to get invaded by what the locals usually call rain ants (Semut hujan? I can't remember. I'm going to need to check back with my friends.). They're not dangerous, but they are an absolute pest. When they come in, they come in large amounts, around double digits (?), there's too many of them. They came when I was just starting my second batch of cookies, so I was basically smashing them left, right, centre (I really cannot bugs, if I see one, sorry pal, SPLAT). They kept disturbing my batter, but I made sure none of them got into the batter. One way to get rid of them is to off the lights in the room you're in and turn on the lights in another room, and shut all your windows. If I wasn't baking, I would've gone for the bug spray, but since I couldn't risk my batter getting contaminated, I resorted to smacking them with the newspaper. (Always a classic method) The ice cream is not a big issue because I have already mix it up and popped it into the freezer. 

        While baking in between, I thought long and hard about social media. I'm not a big fan of them. I keep Facebook to stay in touch with friends, local and abroad. Blogging is something that I love because it helps me improve my writing and it's one of the best way for me to de-stress (Before I started writing books, I used to blog a lot, in a way, it was my stepping stone so I'll forever be grateful to it.) Instagram is the only other one which I keep, because whenever I want to enter some competitions the organizers usually ask for Instagram or Twitter. I'm sorry to say this, please do not take it as a bashing post, but I abhor Twitter, with Youtube running a close second, because I often see influencers doing silly things. What happened to the good old days of just going to Youtube to listen to music, drawing tutorials or whenever I want to purchase a game, I go through some of the game walkthrough to see the game's overall performance before I decide on purchasing it (I'm looking at you, Final Fantasy VII Remake, but no regrets. I always have a soft spot for Final Fantasy, and that will never change. They are one of my huge inspiration in writing) Whenever I go onto Youtube, what do I often find trending? Huge social media influencers (Not all, but some) flaunting the movement control order in their countries - Not wearing a mask, going out for large gathering, going overseas... Like why? Why do you have to do that? Is your health not important at all? At the end of the day, whatever I say probably won't make a difference, because I can't force you to stay at home to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus. As my teacher often told me, you can bring the horse to the pond, but you can't force it to drink the water. Twitter is the same for me, which is why I never bothered to make an account. I'm sorry, but thinking about me gives me anxiety, but I just need to get it off my chest. 

*If you have a Twitter or Youtube account, it's okay. I'm not condemning you, you're free to support the app and platform however you like.

 

        I'm really thankful that Blogspot is one of the few places that it's safe, with a supportive community so that I (and many other fellow bloggers) could share our thoughts, opinions. But you know, at the end of the day, come to think of it, social media is not evil or toxic at all. It's the people behind them that tend to misuse. That's why wise people often said social media is a double-edged sword. Maybe you can describe it better than me, but that's just how I think. 

        That pretty much sums up my day for today. God, I really hate those ants. I don't want to put up a picture because it's disgusting, instead I'll draw for you. 

This is pretty much how I feel whenever I see bugs. Pardon my drawing, I'm an amateur. 

*Uncle Steve = Steven King

If you are feeling down, try watching this. It's funny (to me anyway)

Source: Stephen King Cameo | It Chapter Two 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybWAcHZpTEk

If Uncle Steve have not been a writer, he would've made a great actor/ comedian.

        Sorry if this post is a little weird, as I have to stressed repeatedly, I am not condemning social media, it's one of the many tools I use to keep in touch with friends besides good old email. I still use Youtube for music and gaming reviews, with the occasional commentary (some people's voice are just so soothing) in the background while I'm doing something else, but Twitter...is something that I rather stay away from.

*Today's case: 847 (Oh God)

Rewind, Recharge and A Rant

 A lot of stuff happened in the past few weeks. I'll admit, things were just crazy <and insert several of your thoughts here>. I'm just so tired, so mentally drained. At times I felt like screaming. The last post I did after that, several people still come to the hospital. If you compared to the first MCO and this RMCO, more people are actually coming in. During the first MCO, it was a literal ghost town. 

Source: FFVI iOS Ghost Sprites

https://finalfantasy.fandom.com/wiki/Ghost_(Final_Fantasy_VI_character)?file=FF6_iOS_Ghost_Sprites.png

This RMCO...I'm going to be honest here. People acted as though the MCO is over. Did you know that our cases are skyrocketing every single day? I am so scared to even check the news because it was so depressing. Don't believe me? Here's October's COVID case: (I can't seem to adjust the chart size, not to worry, I have listed the numbers out for you)

1st: 260

2nd: 287

3rd : 317

4th : 293

5th : 432

6th : 691

7th: 489

8th: 375

9th: 354

10th: 374

11th: 561

12th: 563

13th: 660

14th: 660

15th: 589

16th: 629

17th: 869

18th: 871

Source: Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia http://covid-19.moh.gov.my/archive:oct_2020

This is not funny, and it's not a joke. I'm not going to lie, I'm scared. Working in the healthcare line, if one person gets it, then everyone gets affected. Shopping malls, other healthcare centers...Some are forced to close for a few days due to the rising cases, and I've seen many local independent shops falling because they are unable to sustain the cost. I have friends selling knickknacks, snacks, food, products just to earn some side income, and who could blame them? We have to do what we can to earn some side income. What irks me was people criticize us, saying we shouldn't be doing two jobs. I am going to be straight up honest here. I have been writing books for years now, as early in my school days. What started off as a hobby for fun became something I could utilize as a side income (but at the end of the day, it's still a hobby, something that I am passionate about. If I could earn some income, great. If not, that's okay, I'll still keep writing as long as I have the time), because that's how most people got started. If you love doing handcrafts and cooking, and people love it and are willing to pay for it, then why not? I could go on and on about how I got started on writing but I'm not going to do it right here because it will probably take forever. 

        Economy was so bad that prices are going up, but salary are staying stagnant. People are losing jobs, cutting costs, trying to save what they can...  Yet I still hear people are complaining on how life is tough. Life is tough, that is why I always tell myself to be grateful with what I have, even the tiniest thing...be grateful. I still thank my lucky stars I still have a job, a salary that is not lucrative but enough to put food on the table and support my family, enough to buy books (I can't spend overboard, so I now only aim on books that I really, really love)... So yes, I am grateful. Life is full of negatives, but as a kind doctor once told me: "Focus on the little good things in life, be grateful and say thank you." It's hard, but I am trying. 

        As mentioned before, the last few weeks, especially the recent days has been so depressing. So I won't put it up here too much, because Lord knows we need some happy news. Since I'm going to be on a long break, I'll be reading, organizing my bookshelves, baking some cookies, making ice cream (Cookies and Cream are my favorite, tied with Belgian Chocolate (Not too sweet, just the right amount of bitterness)) and of course, writing. So I won't be posting for a while. People often said to me: "I don't know what to do on my days off." I'm not going to preach, but do what you love. Tidy up the house, play with your doggies, listen to your favorite music, read, draw, call up a friend or family to hear their voice...Find something that makes you happy, because it's your day off. You deserve a break, take care of yourself. As the wise WHO always said:

On a parting note: Take care, stay at home, and if you really do need to go out -

Source: Schwartz, Peter, MD, PhD, Your Behavior, Your Health, Our Pandemic (17th July 2020) https://medicine.iu.edu/blogs/bioethics/your-behavior-your-health-our-pandemic. Retrieved on 19th October 2020

PS: By the way, I gotten emails on how come I don't allow comments on my blog. It has nothing to with you, my dear readers, but after seeing how people behave in social media, I am downright scared. This is the reason why I don't update my status much, but for this blog, this is a place where I just want to share with you the journey of being a nurse: The good, the bad, the ugly, all of it but in a way that it doesn't disrespect everyone. So please understand why I have been turning off the comments lately. 

PSS: Speaking of old friend, I just found him. He's a fellow blogger and talented photographer. Not going to lie, I pop in on and off to look at his photos. God, those pictures are breathtaking. Here's the link to his blog: https://kurczakauron.blogspot.com/

*Update: Today's total case: 865

(Partial) Lockdown Once More

Oh come on, you haven't seen that coming?

        Ever since our digits had been going double digits, people had been predicting non-stop on how we are going to be on lockdown again. Australia is on lockdown with curfew, America's cases are still skyrocketing and our current case has went from double digit to triple digit. I can tell you that my friends has been advising me since from last month to start stocking up on essentials. Because, let's be honest here, during the first MCO, many people were panic buying. Seriously, people buying tons of instant noodles/ rice/ porridge, packaged food, toilet rolls, mineral water, bread, vegetables, meat... Shelves were often empty at times. You would think we would've learnt by now...

        Look, we are not going to bash people here, but we're tired. Frontliners are working tirelessly to keep the virus at bay, yet when the RMCO was announced, do you know what I saw? I saw people walking around as though nothing had happened, some not wearing masks, some not observing the social distancing of a metre. People had arranged tables and chairs as per guidelines and some people just have the cheek to shift the chair nearer. Signage had been put to tell you not to seat on this seat, yet I still see people ignoring the protocol. Two months of MCO, frontliners had been burnt out, unable to take break, unable to see their friends and loved ones... After several months, I finally managed to see my friend, only one or two at a time because I do not want us violating the protocol set, and we made sure to sit at the designated seat (WITH MASKS ON). Come to current time, I couldn't even see my friends right now because life was hectic and because I didn't want us to get in trouble. Not to mention I have people coming up to me telling me how they were bored for two months. Let me tell you right now, give me two months, I'll be happy to write, draw and read, plus making sweet treats (A recent new hobby).

        When RMCO was announced, what was the first thing that came? Panic buying. Please, Lord, no. I went to the grocer to get a little pick me up and I saw tons of people pushing trollies filled to the brim. When the cashier waved me over, she was shocked to see that I only bought an item. She asked me, "You're not panic buying?" I answered her nicely, "I been topping up my stuff every two weeks since last month." She then went on to tell me how yesterday when the announcement was made, the queue was long, with people panic buying, grabbing things off the shelves. Some were fortunate, but there are some who left empty-handed, whom she felt sorry for. I feel for them too. It reminded me off the first round of lockdown where most stores are closed, and everytime when you walk into shops, you see empty shelves, especially for essential goods. Even doctors walked out of shops empty handed, it's very sad. I never understood the panic buying, the government had said that we are not having a shortage of food supply, yet we are acting like we have. 

        I'm sorry if I sounded off in this post but I'm tired (and having a splitting migraine as I am writing this). Please, don't waste the people's effort in trying to curb the virus. Schools are closed again, shopping malls are also closing down... We are literally back at square one. Just stay home, find a hobby, work from home if you are required, and please practice the guidelines and protocol set by the government. Don't be one of those selfish people that goes flaunting around as though we are not in the middle of a pandemic.

"Nothing Is Wrong With Me!"

 As human beings, we often like to hear that everything is fine. Who relish in bad things? Given the choice, all of us want to be healthy and still kicking in our old age. With the current condition and modern lifestyle, unlikely, because everyone wants things to be fast, fast, fast. Instantly right at your fingertips, but with our current ongoing pandemic and people out of jobs, everyone is doing what they can to survive.

        When MCO started, doctors wanted us to do temperature and BP checking (I'll come to that later) for all their patients, which I get really tired of. It's not that I hate the job, I hated the patient's reactions that follows. The same goes for the temperature checking, a normal person's temperature ranges from 36 degree Celcius to 37.3 degree Celcius. 37.4 is border line, 37.5 means low grade fever. 37 degree Celcius, this is the typical reaction I get from (some) patients:

"37?! Can you please re-check? I was scanned downstairs and I'm 35.9 / 36....etc etc. 37 is much too high!"

"Ew! I hate 37, can you make sure my temperature is 36.7? It's a much nicer number."

"Oh my God, nurse. My temperature is 37! I'm having a fever. Can you please send me down to the ER?"

If you think this is bad, let me tell you the ridiculous comments we get. Originally, we used the ear probe version, the type that you usually see in paediatricians. For a while it was okay, then the whole mayhem started:

"Oh my God, do you know unhygienic your ear probes thermometer are???"

I never understood the mentality. Are we that untrustworthy? No matter how busy we were, I made sure to grab alcohol wipes to wipe the probe, not to mention using a new ear probe cover sleeve after each patient...because, you know, hygiene purpose. It's common sense. It has gotten so bad to the point where patients went as far as to stand with us at our counter just to see what we were doing. Fed up, I went straight to my manager and explained the situation. Few days later, we got this. 

Source: https://www.amazon.in/Infrared-Forehead-Thermometer-Temperature-White/dp/B01CICL5BK

Problems solved right? 

"I heard this one is not accurate. Don't you all have the ear probe version?"

"Please don't point it at my head. I heard the laser burns off your brain cells." (Sounds like a joke right? It's real, this came out of my patient's mouth, literally)

"How come downstairs scanned me 34/ 22/ 30 etc but here it is 36, is your equipment faulty?"

Do I need to go through this all over again? In the end, people finally accepted the Infrared thermometer. That's how humans are. We complain, we grumble, but in the end, life has to go on. Then onto the BP checking. Where to even begin? I know the new norm is wear masks, social distance, hand washing, rinse and repeat. I don't recall bringing your own sphygmomanometer (BP machine) as part of the new norm. Last time, we used to have an older model machine, but recently we got a newer model. You know, going to a hospital is stressful. No matter how much you try to stay calm, people are often scared, anxious, sad...It's okay, it's normal. Some people's vitals tends to go all over the place, mine included. Mine is usually on the low or borderline side, coming to a hospital my BP tends to skyrocket (Not that high, but not my usual reading). Some people just have high blood pressure, but you're under treatment. Okay, don't worry, I'll just update the assistant to let the doctor know. Nobody wants to be sick, same goes for me. I recently got diagnosed with a left knee injury, which I was shocked. The doctors advised me to exercise, lose weight and take care of my diet, which I did, and sure I'm not as chubby as before, and I'm not model thin, but at least I felt healthier. What ticks me off was patients insisting that our machine is faulty, that our readings are wrong. 

"I checked my blood pressure at home. It's always normal (ranging from 120 to 140). How come when I come here my blood pressure is always high? Nothing is wrong with me!" (with slight variance, but it always ends with nothing is wrong with me)

If you have high blood pressure, it's alright. We are just going to give the blood pressure reading to the doctor so that they know what treatment and meds to give. If you can't be honest, then what is the point? I always, always stress that you don't have to be scared with the doctors. Just be honest, I never understood why (some) patients tend to spin their stories. What do you gain out of it? The more you're not honest with us, the more difficult it'll be for us. If you are honest with your history, doctors will be able to give you the appropriate treatment much faster. Sorry, I'm running off topic here. Anyway, I have gotten patients who are being difficult. During MCO, I would always encounter at least a few patients who after getting their blood pressure reading, will push their machine at me and demand me to use it, or they will give me a nasty look and use their machine, telling me that my machine is faulty / spoiled. Most recently, I encountered few patients who... I wouldn't exactly say threw a fit, but they made things difficult. 

        A middle aged lady approached me at 8.30 in the morning asking me (in a very stand-offish tone) on who is going to check her blood pressure. I answered her nicely. She repeated the question again in the same tone and I raised my voice slightly (I think she didn't hear me the first time) and repeated, "Me." 

Lady: Oh, you're checking my blood pressure? I thought the doctor does it.

Me: Ma'am, ever since the MCO started, our doctor told us to take every patient's blood pressure before entering the clinic.

Lady: Why haven't you call me yet? I'm supposed to see the doctor.

Me: Ma'am, the clinic hasn't started yet. The assistant will give us the stickers and then we'll call you. Don't worry. 

Lady: Oh, I also brought my own machine. Can I give it to you later to make a comparison between yours and mine?

Me: (Why would she ask that?) I don't think there's an issue. 

So when her sticker finally came, I was attending another patient's dressing so my colleague took over. I didn't know what happened, but apparently her blood pressure was high. Okay, then my colleague took her machine and compared the reading. It's still high, with only a slight difference. So my colleague was telling her nicely that her blood pressure is high. All of a sudden I head her shrieking, "Of course it's high! I'm anxious!" Wait, I don't get it...I saw my colleague trying to explain to her nicely but I kept hearing, "No! You are going to re-check till my blood pressure is normal! I'm anxious!" At that time I really needed to use the machine so I went in to quickly take it from my friend and they were still going at it. Finally, she left but I saw that she looks furious. i don't really know what happened to her after that because my colleague refused to talk about it, but there were no other hiccups.

        Then there's a person with title (Dato/ Datin/ Tan Sri etc etc) who insisted on getting checked first. I didn't want to piss him off, so I checked his BP. It's high. He wasn't happy (naturally) and asked me to re-check. After two times with my own machine, he brought his own machine, asking me to check it. I did twice. Same, also high, with only one or two digits difference. Not happy, he kept asking me to check back. I had to put my foot down, saying in polite tones, "Look, even if I checked ten times, it'll still be the same because there's not much difference. I can only advise you to rest for fifteen minutes, try to relax, and we'll check back. Please excuse me, I have many patients to attend to..."

        I'm going to put this out here. Not all equipment/ machines are the same. There will always be a slight difference. I once had my height checked at this place. Second time I went to another place and I got a few centimetres difference. Third time I went I somehow shrunk??? You can't expect equipment/ machines to be the same. I noticed patients also love to use the excuse, "I checked at home and my blood pressure is always normal. Nothing is wrong with me." I'll say it again, at home, you are relaxed, stress free, it's your comfort zone. Coming to the hospital, you feel anxious, depressed, worried, angry. You walk from one place to another, maybe the phlebotomist took your blood wrongly, maybe your blood results came back bad... You come for a consultation but at the same time, you are visiting a sick relative...Another thing I want to point out is I noticed non-professionals (aka Laymen) tend to sometime put the cuff wrongly. I know this because my family did it (the few times I caught them), and while training, I had no idea that something as simple as wrapping a BP cuff around your arm has a certain technique for it, with the proper indicator and everything. Of course you can just wrap the cuff around your arm and still get a reading, but sometimes it might not be accurate. These are the factors that cause your blood pressure to fluctuate, so please stop with the "Nothing is wrong with me!" One thing I learnt when you come to a hospital, you come for a reason, whether it is for a normal wellness check up or a consultation, you come for a reason.  No one goes to a hospital to get pricked, jabbed, get your history spilled to the doctor(s) or nurse(s) (A stranger to you at this point) for the fun of it.

Here's a little something I wrote for a competition regarding my thoughts ( in 50 words) about the Corona which didn't make it:

Stop being over paranoid, it won't do you good

Hoarders, be considerate, stop panic buying

Utilize whatever you have, and I do mean whatever

To eat or not to eat? That's the question

Unless it's a matter of urgency, stay at home!

Pray that we will get through this pandemic

        (50 words)