There's such a thing as doctor fish!

I AM: outside, settling down to study, because it's unbearably hot indoors.

I have just made an interesting discovery - there is such a thing as a 'doctor fish'! I think this is very cool. They eat dead skin if you put yourself in the water where they are, and so can help wound healing. Shame they're used more for 'pedicures', but still. Can't win 'em all. They aren't very pretty, either, so maybe I won't associate myself with them too much.

So, on to the real stuff. This week is proving busy busy, but mainly that's my choice. I've been splitting time beteen the cardiac care unit (CCU), where they look afterpeople with acute heart problems including heart attacks, and my 'home' team, Gen Med C. Technically I could abandon Gen Med for this week, but I like them, it's intersting and this is the last week I have to learn from them. Hence, leaving at 5 today felt early...(it was 6.30 Monday and 7 yesterday!) Definitely enjoying it though, as long as I don't end up tailing the intern - I don't think he likes having people follow him around, which is fair enough when he's got lots to do and I can't be helpful. I don't think my not knowing the answers to his questions helps - he's clearly a smart cookie, and is also studying for his Canadian qualifying exams, so I don't stand much chance of impressing! The cardiology team are great, too. Nice consultant who asks questions and teaches us stuff without being the slightest bit mean or patronising, and gets us to do exams in ward round, which is terrifying since there's an audience of 8, but does have a way of focusing the mind on heart sounds (which i'm definitely getting better at, but the way). Brand new reg who appreciates me doing menial stuff for her and in return spent ages the other day going through the cases we saw with me. All good. Oh, and I discovered today that I can say something useful about ECGs now, finally! Very pleasing. Now just need to work out how to commit drugs to memory when i've never heard of them and will never need to, because they're the Australian brand names. Good.

What else? Oh, was invited to go play 'touch footie', which seems to be pretty much touch rugby. Sounds like fun, and a good way to make some new friends, not to mention hget some exercise! So, I think I shall go along tomorrow. I have warned Jean, who invited me, that if I faint from running about in the heat, I will hold him responsible! I'm also waiting for an email from Robin, who somewhat mysteriously saw me in the common room at home time tonight and said 'Oh, Lesley, do you know about Sunday 5.30?' - I said no, and he said 'i'll email you...'. So, will be interesting to find out what that's all about, but hopefully more friend making opportunities! Have decided this is my new mission. I thought i'd be out doing all sorts with lots of new people by now, but it seems they're all a bit busy and feeling the strain of their first clinical placements. I have long got over such things, so want to go and play! Katie and Grant are the only non medics I've met, and to give them their due did invite me out tonight, to a little independent cinema they said was good and I wanted to try, but I've seen the movie they're showing and wasn't so impressed, so that was a bit of a non starter! One of the junior doctors did rattle off 'oh, we should do *insert fun sounding activity here* while you're in town' several times when I first met him, but has failed to mention it since. All in all, not such a social start - and i'm nearly 1/3 through my stay! Must try harder.

Not a lot else to report, I don't think. I keep seeing and hearing little things I want to tell you, but then forgetting them once I sit down to write, so that's no good. Maybe I should keep a list somewhere handy, like in my ward notebook.

I should probably get on with that studying I mentioned. After i've hung the washing out. By which time the bugs will be a menace and i'll have to go indoors.

Ho hum!

Fishly fish xxxxxx