i had a terrible shift earlier. 4-12 with 3 other doctors on the afternoon shift. it always gets hectic after 6pm. i bummed into a fellow colleague from UK who looked visibly upset and i think i understand how she felt. i did not offer any consolation -how evil- because i thought she would not want one anyway. i would not have accepted any if i were her because i hate the feeling of being pitied or empathized.
but i ended with a 5 year old sweet little girl who sustained a small laceration over her right parietal and shed no ounce of tear. i was delighted to stitch her up. but she was primed prior to getting stitched. and i like the way her parents reasoned, to such a young little thing, who's apprehension of pain gets blown into exaggerated proportion at the sight of the perceived potential "harm-doing" (i was guilty of that- every adult was right? whatever it is, i am normal!)
i am reading VS Naipaul's autobiography and learning so much about the life of this literary genius. i highly recommend it.
i have an 8-4 ER shift later and i am not asleep because my circadian cycle is all screwed up thanks to this routine irregularity. i did, however, popped some sleeping aids earlier and have not yet felt its effect, hitherto. 0236am, 2nd april 2009.