Odysseys of George

So after five years of being in the silent, our Department of Surgery, Selayang Hospital decided to have our very first Departmental Family Day. This was held on the 28th April at FRIM(Forest Research Institute of Malaysia) It is a beautiful place and very vast.

They were the workhorse behind the success of this event.

Well, for a first time, I can safely say, everybody enjoyed it. I did not win any presents though but the were many to give away and make many very happy.

My congratulations to the working committee and all those who participated to make it a success.

It was 22nd April. It was a busy week. It was my friend’s birthday. Sadly, everybody forgot to wish her Happy Birthday. She was so depressed, even her two cute daughters forgot to wish her, not to say neither did her husband nor her very close friends - me being one of them. It was only almost a week later that, I realised it and decided to wish her a belated birthday. Happy Birthday Kuah.

A week prior to that, my medical officer, Dr Soma was celebrating his birthday and somehow the news got around and he was obliged to give us a treat. He took the ward doctors to the nearby Pizza Hut and this triggered a change in the ward social practise. Now, since every month is somebody’s birthday, there will be an outing. Something short and simple. With an exception to the rule which was for a house officer in the ward whose birthday was on the 24th of April. She too continued the trend and took us to Johnny Steamboat.

We had a good time and somehow it improved the work relation and gave new life and enthusiasm to the fading and tired souls. What do you think?

It was December 2005, I was on call that very day. I received a call from both the Emergency doctor and my Surgical medical officer to see a case in the Resus bay of the Emergency Department. As I approached the cubicle, I get the feel that all is not to good for the patient. There was a rush, blood spills probably the patient were forming tracks on the floor. I could hear the wailing of the patient’s loved ones from far. There lying motionless was a young girl who was involved in a motor vehicle accident. She was intubated and ventilated, she was bleeding from her ears and nose. Her upper arm was deformed and had multiple facial bone fractures. A CT scan of her brain revealed that she had some bleeding in the brain which were not for any surgical intervention. She was pale and a FAST(focused abdominal sonography in trauma) scan of the abdomen revealed blood in the abdomen. Her abdomen was distended and hard. After a quick resuscitation, we rushed her to the OR(operating theatre). Her spleen was macerated and thus it was removed. She was nursed in ICU with cerebral protection. The repeat CTscan of the brain was getting more oedematous but the neurosurgical team continued to treat conservatively. A week or two later, as all sedations and respiratory support was weaned off, we realised that the injury to her brain has caused her a diability. She was unable to move one side of her body. She was transferred to my ward and her mother dedicated herself to taking care of her daughter. She survived a couple episodes of sepsis. She was discharged with active physiotheraphy as she was still unable to move her limbs. Thereafter, she was lost to our follow-up and the months passed by without any news.

I saw her today. She walked to my room with a smile. She had scars but she has completely recovered physically and the way she spoke told me she is doing well mentally too. Her presence made my day. Above all, I admire her mothers dedication and her will to survive.

Well in keeping with Underwater Marine Life, for me these are rare. There are more than 3000 over species of this and some have’t been named as yet. Nudibranchs, also known as sea slugs, are some of the most beautiful and diverse creatures in the ocean.

Nudibranchs are essentially snails without shells, and their name literally means “naked gill”. In most species, the gills are prominently displayed on their dorsal surface.Some kinds of nudibranchs have a tuft of gills located on their backs at the posterior end, which are used only for respiration. Other kinds of nudibranchs have many finger-like structures on their backs called cerata, which function for gas exchange and often defense. Sea slugs have a pair of tentacles (called rhinophores) located on top of their heads, which biologists believe are used as sensory organs to assist in finding food and seeking a mate. The bright colouration seen in many species is believed to warn potential predators that the nudibranchs contain distasteful or even toxic compounds. Many of the dorid nudibranchs (Suborder Doridacea) are strongly scented, which is thought to be a chemical anti-predator warning.

But above all, this particular marine life is probably even more rare. Once was thought to be only found in Manado, Sulawesi, now can be found in various areas with difficulty. The problem is that it has an excellent camouflage method and is also very small, maximum length is 2cm. They are only found on gorgonians (sea fans) of the genus Muricella, in depths of 16-40m.

Can you see it?

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A close-up

The Pygmy Seahorse

Well, if you can spot it - you have great eye sight. Otherwise, tell me, I will circle it for you later!

Enjoy!

This is the first part of my blog metamorphosis. At present, it all looks alike but this time it is my domain. Yahoo

Welcome all! Welcome.

Wow after a long hiatus,I have got back into the Medscape Blogrounds. This time with a super theme of the cosmos, Liana from Canada in he Med Valley High has managed to present a fabulous summary of the medical blogs around the world. Kudos Liana and thanks for including me.