One of the few Joys in Clinicals
One thing I've always liked about clinicals are the patients I see. Granted, I don't see like awesome patients all the time, I've patients who piss the shit out of me, especially the non-compliant ones, and the ones who see us students as useless, and would rather turn to our CEs for help instead. I especially like the inpatient patients, and especially the older patients. I know I'm weird, I like old people, happy or grumpy.
Ever since the start of my clinicals, I've seen my patients enter, and get discharged. All except for one uncle, who initially required like physiotherapy thrice daily 'cos his pulmonary status was so bad. So I've gotten used to seeing him everyday, and he got used to seeing me everyday as well. He's a ~80 year old patient, who had a massive op done and kena-ed some complications, plus he has quite a lot of co-morbidities and stuff. Up till now, he had only walked like once with me before, and now he's bedbound again 'cos of his low potassium levels.
So basically he's a very bored man lying in bed the whole time and having phlegm stuck in his throat 'cos he's not able to cough it out himself. My CE has a patient in the same cubicle as him, but he's a ortho patient, and he's pretty young, around my age. So he mainly does exercises instead of the usual chest physiotherapy. I found it damn amusing when my patient, after witnessing the exercises the other patient did, pulled out one side of his TED stocking, and started using it as a elastic band to imitate the leg exercises as well. DAMN CUTE HAHA.
& today. I was just doing some assessments on him, which required no participation from him and he just nodded off to sleep. I woke him up, "Uncle! Do physiotherapy then you sleep!" His eyes popped open. He has that habit. He doesn't open his eyes slowly, he just pops them open. And grinned toothlessly, "You not even talking!" The whole time during the treatment, he had his potassium drip on. And I had no freaking idea that the potassium drip is damn painful. He kept complaining about it and I informed the nurse to realise that it's the medication that was hurting him, not the IV plug. He kept fiddling with it, pointing at the bag of KCl and saying it's empty, and that he have to remove the IV plug. But there was still a bit more which I think, he couldn't see. And then when it ended, the machine gave a loud beep, and my patient had a damn stunned look on his face, "Eh? Not pain already." And he settled back happily.
He's the first patient I did suctioning on. I think he was a bit reluctant 'cos I obviously had never done it before but he relented eventually. I do have this weird feeling that he likes suctioning though. He actually asked for it. Then he takes hold of the tube and pushes it around his mouth like brushing teeth like that. He's the most compliant patient I've ever seen with regards to suctioning. His face was just calm. LOL. Too used to it I suppose. And so my first suctioning experience was quite good. AHHAHA.
Okay, I shall shut up now and continue with my slides or I'll never get sleep tonight. BYE!
Ever since the start of my clinicals, I've seen my patients enter, and get discharged. All except for one uncle, who initially required like physiotherapy thrice daily 'cos his pulmonary status was so bad. So I've gotten used to seeing him everyday, and he got used to seeing me everyday as well. He's a ~80 year old patient, who had a massive op done and kena-ed some complications, plus he has quite a lot of co-morbidities and stuff. Up till now, he had only walked like once with me before, and now he's bedbound again 'cos of his low potassium levels.
So basically he's a very bored man lying in bed the whole time and having phlegm stuck in his throat 'cos he's not able to cough it out himself. My CE has a patient in the same cubicle as him, but he's a ortho patient, and he's pretty young, around my age. So he mainly does exercises instead of the usual chest physiotherapy. I found it damn amusing when my patient, after witnessing the exercises the other patient did, pulled out one side of his TED stocking, and started using it as a elastic band to imitate the leg exercises as well. DAMN CUTE HAHA.
& today. I was just doing some assessments on him, which required no participation from him and he just nodded off to sleep. I woke him up, "Uncle! Do physiotherapy then you sleep!" His eyes popped open. He has that habit. He doesn't open his eyes slowly, he just pops them open. And grinned toothlessly, "You not even talking!" The whole time during the treatment, he had his potassium drip on. And I had no freaking idea that the potassium drip is damn painful. He kept complaining about it and I informed the nurse to realise that it's the medication that was hurting him, not the IV plug. He kept fiddling with it, pointing at the bag of KCl and saying it's empty, and that he have to remove the IV plug. But there was still a bit more which I think, he couldn't see. And then when it ended, the machine gave a loud beep, and my patient had a damn stunned look on his face, "Eh? Not pain already." And he settled back happily.
He's the first patient I did suctioning on. I think he was a bit reluctant 'cos I obviously had never done it before but he relented eventually. I do have this weird feeling that he likes suctioning though. He actually asked for it. Then he takes hold of the tube and pushes it around his mouth like brushing teeth like that. He's the most compliant patient I've ever seen with regards to suctioning. His face was just calm. LOL. Too used to it I suppose. And so my first suctioning experience was quite good. AHHAHA.
Okay, I shall shut up now and continue with my slides or I'll never get sleep tonight. BYE!