My Writings. My Thoughts.
Fit to be a patient
// June 23rd, 2009 // 3 Comments » // Family, Surgery
For those that follow my twitter feed, it will be no surprise that I have been on a fitness kick. This has extended to 6am group personal training. Do you know how cold it is at 6am in Melbourne at the moment? And how warm it is in bed curled up with one year old, three year old or handsome man?
Without becoming a crying, fat person, I wanted to explain my motivation. It is all related to my work. Operating on someone is one of the more intimate interactions you can have. You get to know what they look like on the inside, and not in some vague, philosophical way. You get to touch their fat. Ewwwhgh.
I work in an affluent western area, so our patients are mostly overweight, especially by the time they get bowel cancer in their sixties or seventies. And operating on a fat person can be really, really difficult. It is physical tiring to manipulate that extra flesh. And the fat is ubiquitous - everywhere and always in the way. The anatomy is harder to see, so the “figuring out where you are” phase of an operation lasts a lot longer.
I have been able to ignore the similarities between my physique and that of my difficult patients. I am young enough that being a surgical patient is unlikely. Then I had an emergency caesarean section, and realised I am at risk of needing surgery.
So I am trying to lose weight so I won’t be the fat anaesthetised person. I want to be the one where the surgeons are amazed at the beautiful anatomy. I know it’s a little wierd, but that is what counts for me.
Surgical manners
// June 1st, 2009 // No Comments » // Health, Surgery
One of the surgeons I work for has a typical surgeon’s manner. It’s a bit uncommon, now, especially with young fellows. I imagine there used to be a deal made between the surgeon and their society - you revere me and I will allow the hospital and my patients to use up my life. The deal has changed, so the behaviour has, too.
This boss seems to have little empathy for staff. I’m not sure if it is true, as he is really a nice guy, but he certainly gives that impression. You know how some people think that they know how things are meant to work, so get shocked when other people don’t? Like that. I don’t know how he deals with patients, as I never see him outside theatre.
I wanted to share the one thing he has taught me recently. We had a complicated case, and there were a few technical difficulties with the video equipment. Then his favoured instruments weren’t available. Then the staff started to get cranky at him, and the tension started to rise. And this was a complicated case, in a spare theatre, with fill-in staff.
So I learnt that attitude is one of the most important surgical skills. My surgeon expected the best of everyone in difficult circumstances, and got disappointed. Our plan should not be to expect the best and get disappointed. We need to expect the worst and enjoy the relief when people step up.
The other important skill is to plan for hassle-free work. Surgeons are the master of their workplace to some degree, and can manipulate what operations get performed in what situation, especially for elective cases. Especially in the times we expect everyone around us to let us down, we need to keep a margin of safety. Save your regular list, with familiar staff, for tough cases. No one has the right to get miffed if they have planned poorly. Be on time, have a familiar anaesthetist, be honest about the length of the list.
I know this sounds basic, but I have to write it down, because it just keeps bouncing around in my head. A tense workplace with standoffs between staff is unsafe. It’s a long career. Being a donkey at the beginning of a career doesn’t win points.
Running Melbourne
// May 29th, 2009 // 1 Comment » // Family
I rarely use this blog to beg for money, but I am choosing to on this one occasion. I am an unfit person, and I have been recently working on improving that. My current fitness goal is to run a 10km fun run. I have chosen Run Melbourne, which is in a few weeks time on the 28th of June. I am not a natural runner, so I assure you I will not do it fast. But my aim is just to complete it without walking.
I am working hard to make this possible. I am doing specific personal training sessions aimed at improving my running, and they are seriously awful. Last week our task was to run alternating fast and slow laps for 60 minutes. And then we did interval sprints. And yes, I am paying for this.
As an added bonus to this experience, I can dedicate my run to a particular charity and ask friends and family to support me. I have chosen Breast Cancer research. I have treated a lot of patients with breast cancer, and I know small advances in treatments will help a lot of people. If you feel like helping support this cause, please head over to my fundraising page. Donations close on the 28th of June, when the run is over.
End marketing drive.
Tweeple are Funny
// May 15th, 2009 // 2 Comments » // Uncategorized
Twitter is a microblogging service, where users can share short updates about what they have been up to. Some tweeple are pretty funny, and some are pretty interesting. I use this time to share some of my favourite over the last few weeks.
michscav‘Obese men have less chance of marriage’ appears in my news feed this morning - how is that even a story?
auntycookielistening to little people eat fruit in my ear…
middleclassgirl
oh look … stuff! (Guess who’s avoiding working on a spreadsheet?)
ASIOis looking for civilian volunteers to take part in new immunization trials. Side effects include slight monsterism.
LilylaurenI have successfully made someone cry today ! Yay me !
SylviaDiscountIt would be such a beautiful world if everyone wasn’t mental.
sentienceMicrosoft’s Windows 7 RC product key request wizard doesn’t work in Safari. Re-evaluating my decision to request one.
badbananaYour Star Wars Day greeting is insensitive to those of us who do not believe in George Lucas.
MyfWarhurstSitting at home with the cat on my knee, purring. It’s nice to know that at home no-one gives a stuff about a dress.
dreamingspiresMessage to students — don’t sit too long on the periphery in team work. Big brother is watching you on social learning maps… #edaust09
atariboyThat’s nawwwwt how yer maaake poridge
thedayhascomeIf your wife asks if sex or twitter is more important, don’t answer that question because it’s already too late.
AussiewafflerOut for dinner tonight..to a restaurant..wow. It’s the little things you take for granted pre-children, like eating an entire warm meal.
goldenskyeWaiting in a queue and reading the ingredients list on a packet of frog prince jellies. They are not as healthy or as natural as they claim.
smurphWhy does it take the sales people longer to serve bogans?
movinmeatI was so please with myself when I got the boys to nap. I had to wake them at 5:30. Now they’re bouncing on their beds and won’t sleep. sigh
stitchinsurgeontwo fussy babies. they know mama has to go back to work tomorrow and they are sad too! keep me in your thoughts tomorrow!
firstdogonmoonOh dear, Penny Woooonnngg is speeeeaaaakinng zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz clonk
crikey_newsKevin Rudd just paraphrased Eminem — isn’t that one of the signs of the apocalypse?- thedayhascomeIf you love something, set it free. Except for the hostage tied up in the basement. That would be really poor judgement on your part.
- dragonfly said: Congratulations on the health kick (and linking it...
- Cris said: @Jess: Thanks for your perspective, Jess. You hav...
- Jess said: Congratulations on your motivation! I could never ...
- Aaron said: Good on you for running for a good cause. 10km ...
- Cris said: @Bec: Yey!...
- Bec said: Hello there Dr Chris, I was enjoying reading th...
