a day on the ward and in clinic

Last night I wanted to go to bed early, get some good night sleep and start the week well restest.... well I did not quite make it.... I looked myself out of the room and had to wait for security to let me back in - so I spend almost 20minutes in the hallway already dressed in my pyjamas with only my tooth brush and my tooth paste and a towel.... The doors to the rooms are really tricky, once they fall shut behind one, they can only be opened with the key, so I have to take my key with me whenever I leave the room. I was scared since day one that I will forget at some point and it happened last night.... Fortunataly the security people got a general key and I am not the first to forgett the key - I at least got to wear some real clothes and not just a towel.... ;)
This morning I then almost overslept, because for some reason I must have turned my alarm off during the night.... I am still not able to sleep all night without waking up. I don't know if it is because of the noise (wind, cars) or the cold.... (because the windows don't close properly it feels as if I am outside.... Alex the American neurosurgical fellow actually said "it is like camping outside" and he is sort of right about that.... ) So anyway I am trying to get used to it and thanks to the "survive the cold training" at Tim and Deb's house I am used to wearing sweaters at night and wrapping up in more than just one blanket.... ;)
The day started with a neurooncology meeting. We reviewed scans with the radiologist, radiothearpist and chemotherapists. That was pretty interesting. Afterwards the whole team went for coffee at a nearby restaurant. So that was a great start to a Monday..... It is nice to get to know them outside the hospital as well, because that reveals sides otherwise completely hidden....
Later during the day Michelle and I helped on the ward. We examined a patient and I learned how to make proper notes in the chart and write a consult. I am still having difficulties finding the right words to describe what I have found on examination. Fortunataly they are all really helpfull and when I describe what I found they give me the correct English medical term for that! I also tried to put a peripheral venous catheter in, but the patient just did not have any veins... Not even the intern managed to get on in....
During lunch time we went outside, because guess what: we're back in the hospital and the sun is back outside, but only long enough till our work day is over - seems like it got the same working hours as we do.... !
In the afternoon we had preadmission clinic. That's when we see patients who will have surgery during the week. That is really great, because we get to draw blood (don't have to, but can if we wish), then take the history, examen the patient and afterwards present our findings to the registrar - some real patient interaction! Knowing the history of a patient makes their surgery more exciting as well.... So I am already looking forward to tomorrows sugery... The patient had had a fracture of his first vertebra 10month ago and has been wearing a stiff colar since!!!! I just couldn't believe that noone has offered him surgery yet....
The neurological exams are still giving me a hard time... Not the exam itself, but writting down my findings using correct medical terms. It is a little bit frustrating some times, but at least having had the American training of how to organise a note in the chart and presenting patients propperly makes that part easier - now I just need to learn all the neurological terms and I am finding new ones I don't know every day..... I hadn't thought it was going to be that hard after already having had exposure to Neurosurgery in English....