For the past 10 months now, my life has been living on a series of events which I can vividly enumerate:
1. Wake up before 6AM, even before the alarm hits.
2. Reset the alarm and sleep for another 5 minutes.
3. Wake up feeling so frustrated, begging for another round of sleep.
4. Prepare for half an hour (breakfast included), then head off to the hospital.
5. Drive for 20-25 minutes through the bustling traffic.
6. Make it to the hospital, work my bum off for 10-34 hours, depending on the schedule.
7. Go home, driving another 20-25 minutes feeling all groggy and sleepy.
8. Make it home, use whatever time is left for myself (surf the net, watch a movie, read notes, etc.)
9. Sleep for 5-6 hours, depending on what time I doze off.
10. Repeat.
Yes, repeat.
That is how my life as a Junior Intern/Clinical Clerk has been going. It has been like this for such a long time, I sometimes forget what day of the week it is.
It makes me reminisce how much I miss the life of the classroom: its ambiance, listening or sleeping through lectures, going home and study, and even going out.
Back then, I was in command of my time. I almost had every minute for fun.
When the calendar struck April 1, that life became a thing of the past.
Everyday has been a struggle. The sight of patients and staff, and the sound of endorsements greeted me every morning as I arrived at the hospital. My day would run monitoring patients, referring left and right to different departments, doing chart rounds, attending conferences, and sometimes get my bum kicked for some incursions. That would end as the sun begins to set, sometimes leaving the hospital at night because of unfinished tasks.
I then sometimes become envious of other people, who get to enjoy their lives, having control of their own time. I couldn't help but wonder how I can use up the remaining hours of the day to make my own day worth it.
It's a sad thought, to be honest. But it is a reality that I chose to live. For me, it's a blessing to be in the hospital, despite the hardship. It's a moment for me to realize and appreciate the importance of life and health.
What makes a day in the hospital worth the hard work is when a patient says "Thank you" with a smile on his/her face. Those 2 words and that nice expression never fails to erase a day's worth of stress.
It's almost 50 days to go before this present life of mine draws to a temporary close. I can't wait for vacation to come, to have time for myself, my family, and loved ones (friends included).
Most especially, I cannot wait to graduate.
"Almost there." That is what is on my mind right now.
