testing testing - does this still work?

So, its been a while. I've not had the blog get to the top of my list for a while probably because it feels like not much of interest has happened, but when it has, I probably haven't made time for blogging it. This will change - for at least today. I might even make this into two posts, since it got longer than most will want to read!

Most recently (tonight), I've been at the IMPACT AGM. IMPACT is the overseas medical aid society that I'm involved with. This year gone, I've been the 'publications officer' and in charge of making some mighty fine posters. I can't believe I got publisher about a month ago and used it for my last two posters - after all this time!! Still, I made do with powerpoint and word and everything else... but I am no longer publications officer so thats not my main concern. Instead, I'm the GHN representative. GHN stands for Global Health Network and basically means I'll be a link between the UTAS IMPACT and the other national equivalents. It probably all sounds boring - but I'm excited to hear whats going on in other places and to see how we can improve the way IMPACT does stuff. What we do, by the way, is a mix of raising awareness (doco screenings etc), Foods of the World events (food, fundraising and a speaker on relevant things), and some other bits and pieces - electives night, bbqs and lunches. All good fun. Anyway - enough promo, but I think its a great cause and after deciding to run for the committee again, I'm excited about what the new committee will do. Also, there has just been a change to the constitution that means we'll only be in office till October, then we'll have another AGM annually from then - so its only a short stint I'm locked into.

The faithful old committee! Bharat, me, Kunal, Amit, Mel and Rhea.

The combined force of IMPACT - Ingrid, Amit, Kunal, Bharat, Anoop, Rhea, Meng Ying, Lahiru, Mel and I.

Other than that.. there's uni. I'm enjoying being in the hospital a little - although more so my last rotation compared to my current one. But we are around the clinical school nearly every day, doing clinical subjects as well as some remnant bits of anatomy and so on (which all relate to insanely complicated neurology/brain stuff!). I'm supposed to be preparing a talk on treatment of depression right now actually - but that is nearly done! I'm enjoying hearing about the psychiatry, as well as the paediatric and obstetric stuff, although that can be a bit slow.

I recently finished up the sailing season with the end of season dinner. I didn't get to sail much as it happened, but I enjoyed teaching the kidlings and watching them progress from knowing nothing about boats to being able to sail out and around something and back all on their own. Its great to see them grow in confidence even when they start out very unsure about the whole thing.

All the colourful little boats!

With my youthgroup hat on, we had a recent 'special event' which was a mystery bus trip. This did NOT involve any sort of a piss up, but was quite good fun. There were various parts - a visit to McDonalds, the Botanical Gardens, Marieville Esplanade, a walk through Battery Point to Salamanca, a drive up Mt Wellington... Pizza, icecream, lemonade... and all the way they had to collect photographs of the team and the 'mascots' doing various tasks.

My Timmy with all the 'Mascots'! (thanks to their owners for letting me borrow them!)

The mob up Mt Wellington. I'd like to add that it was COLD (in case you can't tell)

There's no doubt more happening, and maybe looking through my photos will jog my memory, but for now... that'll do.

Sutures!

I made it to the end of my first week in Glenden. I've seen quite a variety of thing s- injuries, kids, medicals, given injections taken blood and so on. My favourite was that I got to stitch up a guy after we cleaned up his leg where he'd been kicked by a horse. There is a whole sequence of photos on my Flickr page if you're game to look... no pressure! There's blood!

More (kinda gorey) pictures!

Brad the.... film star?

As some of you know, my stepfather Hamish calls everyone (or close to) X the Y. So... Pete the Gardener, James the logician etc. Well here's a video clip on you tube of a good friend of his, Brad who is clearly now Brad the film star. He's a fellow historian and has an entertaining and informative clip. There's another one too. Make a comment there if you fee like it!

Fwd: Google Earth Image

 This is where I live atm (for my 2 weeks in Glenden).

I didn't figure out how to make the link from google earth work, so I hopefully the picture will be big enough to see.

So my little trip to Glenden is going well. I'm about 2 hours inland from Mackay and its been nice and warm... or hot outside and perfectly airconditioned inside. I've almost felt cool at times but not complaining! The doctor here (Rachel) is great fun - and a good teacher. I've seen heaps of stuff, and got to do quite a lot. There are masses of kids, babies, mums, pregnant mums plus miners having medicals and health and well being checks. I've been looking in ears, listening to hearts and lungs, palapting tummies - all good medical stuff. I'd been practicing my suturing on a pig trotter and today I stitched up a wound. Admittedly it was a cut we created to drain a massively swollen leg where a guy had been kicked by a horse - but it lookd so much better after. I gave a few injections - IM maxalon, morphine and local aneasthetic. I helped cut off a plaster cast the other day with a (modified) angle grinder, and did a pap smear today. I've also done some neonatal 6 week checks and a couple of check ups on pregnant women.

I've also spent some time hanging out with Rachel and her family - 3 boys, aged 6, 8, and 10. They're good fun and never a boring moment with them around. Hopefully I'll get to go sailing in Mackay on the weekend - otherwise, who knows what else will come my way!

Time's Up

Well, thats it folks - my time for traveling in the US this time around has run out! I've packed my bags, bought my final gadgets, and I'm ready to go. I just have to work out how to fit my PJs and toothbrush in the morning, and if I can lift my bag, I'll be off! Fortunately Jac and Jo will be taking me to the airport. Its been lovely staying with them, and I've had a good mix of chilling out, playing PS2, watching DVDs, socialising with their mob - for multiple occasions of Christmas, a birthday and a necessary trip to Sushi Zushi (and another trip for lunch yesterday). We've eaten well, shopped well, and even did the touristy River Walk today - which meant braving unpleasant traffic conditions but well worth it for the pretty fairy lights! We drank prickly pear margheritas and Mexican Eggnog, Australian wine, pumpkin beer, English cider and Jac's favourite soda water... and ate all sorts of brilliant things. There are more posts stored up, but in the mean time, I'll be passing time in airports and on planes till I get back to sunny Sydney!

Although I do have a new toy to keep me happy! (But mine's packed safe in its sleeve, not locked in at the shop!)