No time to post pictures lately. Also, as many will know by now, my acer had crashed again and I am now using asus for more serious stuff and I have yet to install my printer into either of them. In addition, I am stuck in Kettering. I say stuck, Kettering is really a lovely place with lovely people and lovely patients. I must have gushed about it to everyone who reads this by now.

It has been snowing for the past 5 days even though it was only still November. Apparently it is going to get heavier over the week. That hopefully will be the end of the cold spell for the year although I doubt it.

Today was a bit of a waste of time. Spent 1.25h getting to Northampton in a bumpy taxi and only spoke to 3 patients and watched 1 renal biopsy. The 2nd one was the guy with CREST syndrome/?SLE we stalked over the course of last week and finally did our big presentation on. I think he was horrified to see us appear again even after he'd been transferred from Kettering to Northampton. 1 patient was trying to push us to talk to him instead but he gave a flat, "Oh they already did me" and gave a half-smirk :T In total we saw him 1. During the ward round 2. When we persuaded that other patient to talk to us 3. Later along a random corridor 4. Outside the building smoking. Imagine his consternation when he was wheeled in for his biopsy (which he didnt want in the 1st place) only to find us there, again.

Because no one was free to entertain us today (all the FYs change rotation today) it was somewhat a wasted trip and so we vented our dismay on a box of fries each on the taxi back to Kettering. So.. we went back to Kettering and were late for teaching. It was on topics I had felt relatively confident in before entering but which the tutor (and most of my fellow coursemates who should have been less familiar with the topics seeing as they were doing other rotations) had soon successfully managed to deflate. I felt rather shitty and worried after that session because other people know more than me. Good thing I am good at hiding my feelings.

What else this week... Yesterday was nephrology clinic. I kind of wanted to be the consultant because he is a Tan and I strongly suspected that meant he is Malaysian/Singaporean and felt it would be nice and familiar to sit in a clinic with my fellow continentman. True enough, the blunt features of a Singmala uncle poked through the door and the mixed English/Unidentifiable accent boomed through the supposedly soundproof walls. Unfortunately because of strategic positioning and having to feign nonchalance I had shrugged my shoulders in a "I'm cool" way and gone into the room nearer to me - with the registrar. I guess I got the better deal in the end coz although I saw a significantly fewer number of patients than Sania did with the consultant, I seem to have gotten a lot more teaching as well. And we only saw so few patients because consultants are paid more and should therefore do their fair share of the work. Nah, actually coz the reg was sooo careful and had to ring up and check everything before he made any decision. He was nice enough though, and showed me his i-phone with the protocol for treating vasculitis. Unfortunately, being a proud Singaporean, I seized this golden opportunity and began to explore the site for further mangement protocols to copy while he was distracted and so held on to the phone for rather longer than was appropriate, I think. I assume he will never show me useful protocols on his phone again.

Another long day ahead tomorrow. I miss my consultant so we are going to attend his endocrine clinic tomorrow. Actually coz we need to get signed off for attending it. Following that another nephrology clinic probably with the careful registrar. I think Sania is gonna get him tomorrow though. It's only fair.