On Syntax Errors

For the past month, I've been trying to juggle with assignments and studying, hence my scarce posts. In the meantime, Paul is successfully keeping the world updated with everything that may or may not really matter. (Thanks Paul.)

Well... Deadlines are fast approaching and essays are almost done. They were the cause of much stress and grumbling by many a third year that spilled into a Family Medicine tutorial with Dr. Philip Sciortino. His reply was one: That assignments are a necessary evil because our educators want to make us think and be proficient at expressing ourselves in writing.

Well, students argue that we have more than enough "waste-of-time" writing to cover for that (Behavioural Science anyone?). But, as a student who is trying harder to look at the silver lining in every cloud (even when not present) ... Maybe the University wants to avoid us making these stupid medical bloopers on patients' files when we finally (and painfully) become doctors:

• The lab test indicated abnormal lover function.
• The baby was delivered, the cord clamped and cut, and handed to the paediatrician, who breathed and cried immediately.
• She has no rigors or chills but her husband says she was very hot in bed last night.
• She can't get pregnant with her husband, so I will work her up.
• Whilst in Casualty she was examined, X-rated and sent home.
• Both breasts are equal and reactive to light and accommodation.
• She is numb from her toes down.
• On the second day the knee was better and on the third day it had completely disappeared.
• The patient has been depressed ever since she began seeing me in 1983.
• I will be happy to go into her GI system, she seems ready and anxious.
• Patient was released to outpatient department without dressing.
• Discharge status: Alive but without permission.
• The patient has no past history of suicides.
• The patient expired on the floor uneventfully.
• The patient's past medical history has been remarkably insignificant with only a 40 pound weight gain in the past three days.
• She slipped on the ice and apparently her legs went in separate directions in early December.
• He had a left-toe amputation one month ago. He also had a left-knee amputation last year.
• Many years ago the patient had frostbite of the right shoe.
• The bugs that grew out of her urine were cultured in the Casualty and are not available. I WILL FIND THEM!!! (Hmmm... I have the perfect person who can help you... as a microbiologist he wouldn't be able to "resist the temptation of taking a swab and looking for microorganisms")

And finally…

The patient left the hospital feeling much better except for her original complaints.

Courtesy of: The Doctor's Lounge

My suggestion to avoiding such silly mistakes? Assignments are not the answer. The answer is doctors shouldn't be working a 120 hour week... (Paul feel free to continue).

Writer's Strike!

“Medicine is my lawful wife and literature my mistress; when I get tired of one, I spend the night with the other” Anton Chekhov

After a book, a Murmur article, MMSA T-shirt slogan and a Feb/March issue of Youth Ink, it's back to spending more quality time with my "lawful wife".

The thing is, getting out of this adulterous relationship with writing is going to prove a little bit difficult for two reasons:

• Behavioural Science: I've this year's Behavioural Science Weekend coming up this week, which can only mean spending what would be left of Saturday and Sunday writing my process notes; describing how the sessions with our psychologist have geared us towards becoming 'finer' doctors with one one more dab of sunshine happiness. Next Thursday, it's off to the Alexandria at PV. The boredom ends Saturday afternoon.
• Family Medicine Assignment: This assignment is the next best thing to constipation. It has this remarkable capacity to induce writer's block even in the most talented of individulas, with hard, dry, difficult and infrequent production of sentences. Hope I'll manage to find a good laxative by 30th April!

Hence, although my assigments are very medicine related, I can't really spend time with the real love of my life... And all because of a load of bollocks.

Ending The Search Beginning the Quest

The moment I’ve been waiting for months on end happened yesterday, at 13:15…

“Marquita, its Evan. There’s a big chance that the printing press will deliver the book printed, ready to be dished out, today.”

It was simply exuberating news that made me rush to the nearest phone booth to break the good news to Tutzi…

“Tu, there’s a big possibility that the first boxes with the book will be delivered right at your door step at around 17hrs…”

Until I met Nazju (one of Evan’s employees) with the books at 16:50pm, there was a whole ecosystem of butterflies in my stomach. I was excited, but also very sick with worry. I was afraid of any possible misprints that would make me want to rewind back a few weeks. I was afraid the cover would turn out to be all pixilated and crappy…

Still, what was done was done. I muttered a prayer to God, thanking Him for everything and asked Him to bless our work. In the meantime, I wondered whether the white Fiat Uno right in front of Mireva book shop was Nazju’s car. At the sight of loads and loads of white boxes in the boot of the car, my heart went into tachycardia. Yep! It was definitely Nazju’s car! And the books were in there!

I opened one of the boxes on our way to Tutzi’s house. The result was amazing. Eventually, I got to discover a few booboos here and there. But, the joy of finally seeing the book ready after 18 months of sweat, tears and teeth-clenching effort totally outweighed any possible negative feeling precipitated by inevitable human errors.

But what is this book that I'm talking about?

For those who didn’t read my previous posts…

It was September 2006 when I went to Y4J’s Youth Team weekend in Gozo to plan the work and activities of the year ahead. It was on the 9th of September that Tutzi coined this great idea of dishing out information about Jesus in the form of printed matter whist outreaching in schools. It’s a date I recall well because I remember having to miss my friend Joelle’s graduation party because of this weekend. Anyhow, my mind instantly went on publishing a booklet like the one I was given at the MV Doulos once. And so, Tutzi honoured me with the responsibility of seeing that the project gets done.

Technically, all she wanted was a simple, easy to produce pamphlet. But I’m famous for my gross misunderstandings. So, instead of making a pamphlet, I wrote a book entitled: Ending the Search Beginning the Quest (Mit-Tfittxija għall-Għarfien). I wrote the text in English which we planned to translate into Maltese, in order to make one bilingual publication that could reach a wider readership. And I made all the arrangements with the owners of Mireva bookshop, who were great people to work with from the first till the very last day.

When Tutzi realised this, she was having second thoughts about this big project, whilst remaining flabbergasted at how I managed to blow things out of proportion. But I showed her that I was willing to put my heart and soul into this; that I had people helping me and that God was by my side. On Chris’s wedding (25th November 2006), we discussed all these issues and Tutzi gave me the official go ahead.

From that point on, there was no turning back. Tempting as it was at times to just give up on the whole thing, we just persisted on till we got to a very gratifying end result yesterday.

All glory to God for helping us all complete this book.

And thanks to all those people who helped out in some way or another.

Re: Naxxar Accident

There has been a lot going on recently. Elections alone gave me plenty of opportunities to keep the blog up and running. But, in all honesty, I've been too busy trying to get my first book printed. Now that the politicians got their 1s and 2s, Veritas Printing Press found a much awaited printing slot for my humble work of art (it's still currently a major source of headache but we're approaching the end slowly).

So, I'm not really going to talk about elections. After all, time waits for no one and news is always plentiful. I wish it weren't the case as what made the headlines yesterday was a real tragedy. I'm not going to dissect the incident and give my opinion on the matter. All I know is that innocent people have been negatively affected by this: Two people missing, feared dead; other bystanders injured and three houses reduced to rubble. Families who once had a roof over their head, a place to call home, suddenly lost it all.

To some people, this news happened a lot more closer to home. A friend of mine (an MCAST student, also from Naxxar), happens to know one of the victims of this accident. Mr. Edward Bugeja (602860 M) is an MCAST employee in great need of any helping hand available. A solidarity letter has been sent to me which, I believe, deserves a place in my little slice of Internet. Here's a the letter I got. For all those who can help, I encourage you to really make a difference to this person and his whole family.

Re: Naxxar Accident (Bugeja Family)


Following the violent accident in Naxxar on Wednesday 12th March 2008, MCAST was shocked to learn that one of the families affected by the disaster was that of Family Bugeja. Mr. Edward Bugeja (602860 M), who is an MCAST employee, has, as a result of the accident, lost his house and all the family’s belongings.

Should any one like to make a monitory contribution, please deposit funds at any BOV branch in account number: 40017049454, Bugeja Family (Naxxar Accident Fund).

We are confident that through your generosity and support we will be able to show our solidarity with a colleague at this very difficult moment.

Sincerely,

Stephen Vella
Deputy Director
Institute of Art and Design
Malta College for Arts, Science and Technology

ID: 322667(m)

How Could I Have Forgotten?!

I just realised now that my blog turned one year old on 28th February i.e. 4 days ago. So...

Happy Belated Birthday Oh Bloggie of Mine!!

I must admit...shame on me to have neglected this blog in this way. But, without sounding too presumptuous, I guess it happens when you would have 'bigger fish to fry'. Lately I've been really busy with things. Ten days before the Y4J Lenten sermons, I had to sort out what computer freaks would call "an interrupt". I was working on editing my first booklet Ending the Search Beginning the Quest, which took the best of seven days to do. The producers and I really went out of our way to try get it printed by Wednesday 27th of last month; all so that Y4J would get down to distributing it (for free) at one of their most hallmark activities. We managed to have everything ready on Monday 25th, specifically at 11:40 AM. Thing is, we didn’t manage to get it printed on time, reason being…

No big heads? No big bucks? Then, no big priority!

That is, because of work related to the elections, our work had to be shunned to the side for a while (even though we were promised otherwise). I guess printing presses also have their own bigger catch of fish to fry :( Oh well, a bit more waiting won’t hurt anyone I suppose. Should be ready by approx. 14th March.

In the meantime, here's a little teaser which I'm currently using as a desktop wallpaper. It was designed by Romina Tolu, who deserves a very special thank you for giving her 200% in effort to get things done on time (even if it meant spending less time with her twin sister who came back home from Italy for just two days. In case you're reading this Mina, thanks loads and I'm very, very sorry things turned out the way they did). More on how the book came to be in future posts...

Missing Blogger...

This will most probably be the shortest post ever. I'm too busy to write at lenght for now. In the meantime, look out for the following...

WHERE? ST. JULIAN'S PARISH

WHEN? 25th FEB till 1st MARCH

TALKS by FR. RAY TOLEDO

For more info check out the new and improved Y4J website.

http://www.y4jmalta.org

Pass the Vodka

Talking about Morena's success two weeks after the MSFE 2008 is pretty pointless. So I won't go into petty discussions over something that the whole nation was never really hyped about in the first place. However, other successes have happend recently that need recognition and deserve the above title:

• I did pass my theory driving test. Now all I have to do is try sit for the practical, pass the test and get my license.
• Youth Ink January issue is out, and there are quite a humble amount of subscribers.
• The website team has experienced a lot more fuitfulness right now and this is how it is spelt...

www.maranathamalta.com

• And there was the community Lenten Weekend. Absolutely fabulous. Also, last but not least...
• I'm officially on my way to publishing my first booklet (which I was meant to finish last year). It's all part of this big project "In the House" hitting St. Julian's Parish very very soon.

In the meantime, I'm trying to figure out a way how I can study all my medicine (and surgery, and pathology, and pharmacology), get my hands on a few patients to practise my clinical skills and juggle with a never ending list of tutorials.

Simple: I'll just have to cut corners...and my blog will just have to suffer...