Summertime

This weekend has really felt like a little summer holiday.

On Friday I had drinks with some of my lovely friends and a bit of a boogie. Saturday I trundled up to London, popped into the shops to get a textbook I needed and otherwise spend the rest of the day and the evening with some very good company. On Sunday I met Madsadgirl for lunch and a bit of a catch up since I haven't seen her for a few weeks. I then spent the rest of the afternoon eating ice cream on the beach when I got home and strolling around in the sunshine. Bliss. To top it all off, PapaSunshine is taking me out for a curry once he gets home from the football in about an hour. Nom nom nom...

The best thing is that I'm actually looking forward to getting up and going to work tomorrow. Everyone keeps telling me it won't last, but it feels pretty fantastic to be finally getting up to go and do the job that I've worked so hard to get.

The hard work doesn't stop now.

As well as the obvious hard work involved in actually being a doctor, I really want to make the most of this year. This means 3 things; exams, ePortfolio and audits.

Apparently the ePortfolio is looked at when applying for specialist training posts. I didn't realise that at all. To be quite honest I'd expected to just do the bare minimum on it and scrape through, but that's not the case anymore. I'm actually going to take the advice of the outgoing FY1s and get on top of it from the first week. Lots of reflecting and making sure that while in paeds I get lots of DOPs. Not only will this generally look good, it should show that I have an active interest in paediatrics and help my application later. It also seems sensible to make the most of a rotation where there is always senior supervision about.

Audits and exams are a bit extra. We all have to do an audit, but now I've heard there is an audit prize, I want to do the BEST audit. I can't help but be encouraged by a bit of friendly competition, it's why I'm such a nightmare at pub quizzes. This year I think I will also try and do my MRCPCH part 1 (the paeds membership exam part 1). Talking to the SHOs and SpRs over lunch they said that now is the best time, while it's all still fresh in my mind from finals and doing this placement. It would be silly to not take their advice and have a go. I got my hands on the revision book this weekend. It's 1000 pages. I want to take the exam in June. Eek.

Off to ready myself for tomorrow and then go and eat my bodyweight in curry.

Diet starts tomorrow. I promise.

Dr Sunshine xXx

Shadowing Week

I can't quite believe that I've survived the whole first week of being a doctor. I guess I shouldn't get too excited as this week has only been induction and shadowing, so next week will probably be much more taxing.

I'm looking forward to the next 4 months so much. Paediatrics seems amazing. All the senior doctors are very supportive and lovely. Everyone seems keen to get me involves and hopefully I'll learn lots and lots of skills. Already this week I've been talked through and shown how to take bloods off babies. It's my turn next!

The registrars and SHOs have been giving me advice on the best way to make my CV look good for an application to paeds and I'm definitely going to follow their advice, so it looks like I'll be sitting more exams in April. I also get to do a paediatric immeadiate life support course as part of the rotation, which has to be a good thing.

On the subject of exams I had a prescribing exam on Friday. I think it went OK, but we'll see. If we fail it we have extra prescribing tutorials which I guess is useful, even if I wasn't very impressed when I was told I was sitting ANOTHER exam. Blergh.

Excitingly I have been voted Mess President. This means organsing lots of socialising. On the less fun side it means making sure the actual mess runs properly (has tea, coffee and food as well as Sky Sports) and helping to organise the summer ball. I also get to represent the junior doctors at various committees, which is nice because I like a rant when I feel that things are injust.

Anyway I have a ton and a half of stuff to sort out this weekend, so I better go and get myself organised in time for starting work again on Monday.

Dr Sunshine xXx

Checking In

This is just going to be a quick post as I am writing it on my phone. I'll be writing something much more substantial over the weekend when I have a laptop, but I will try my best now.

I survived my first day!!

I've also survived my second and third. Well truthfully it is all induction and shadowing so I'm not sure it counts as real survival just yet.

All the other junior doctors, without exception, are lovely. I could not have hoped for a better bunch of people to work with. The exceedingly friendly outgoing fy1s have organised a great social induction to help us to get to know each other. So far we've had an evening of food & nibbles in the common room of the flats, as well as a trip to a pub quiz. Impressively we came 2nd even though we missed the 1st round. It was all down to our knowledge of Kate & Wills trivia.

Although much of the last 3 days has been death by induction form filling, I have spent some time on the watergate I will be working. Again everyone is lovely and it seems like they'll let me get very involved as I'm keen to pursue paeds as a career. Shame I'll be fighting the uber keen student to clerk patients.

Anyway writing this on my phone is getting tiring so I'm off to eat spaghetti.

Dr Sunshine xXx

Tomorrow

As per usual, when you want time to drag it flies past. The last 5 weeks have sped along and just as the clouds recede and the sun comes out, it's time to start work.

I'll be living at the hospital for the next week, so I'm not sure how much of a chance I'll get to blog. Needless to say I'll be giving a big run down of the whole week over the weekend. I'm at the point now where although I'm scared, I'm also really excited. I've wanted to be a doctor for so long and now I finally am one.

I'm hoping this week will be a gentle start. All tomorrow is rubbishy paperwork and hospital induction. This is soul destroying but at least means I won't have the opportunity to scare myself by seeing patients. From Tuesday we shadow the current FY1s all morning and then we have afternoon sessions on other induction things and prescribing. We even have a prescribing test (boo... hiss...!). Most excitingly they have stuff planned for us in the evening. We all know I like a good drink, but I also hope we get to do other stuff. I know there's a bowling alley near the hospital so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

This afternoon I'm packing a bag for the week. I was trying on my smart clothes and it is very clear that I have yet to lose my revision weight. Lets just say certain clothing items are more than a little snug. Fingers crossed the FY1 diet will have sorted me out after a month or so. Once it's payday I'm also joining the gym.

Anyway enough of the procrastinating. I have a bag to pack and a hospital room to arrive in.

Dr Sunshine xXx

Nightmare

Last night I had a horrible work-nightmare.

In this nightmare I was in a ward and all of a sudden a patient (who just happened to be on a cardiac monitor) went into VT and then VF. I couldn't do anything about it. All my limbs felt like lead and I lost my voice. I couldn't call the help, couldn't bleep the crash team and I couldn't move close to the patient to help. It was awful. I woke up with my heart racing.

It's so strange because I've been at a crash call before and was fine. It was a bit scary, but I didn't freeze like in my nightmare.

Here's to hoping that I don't freeze up in real life.

Dr Sunshine xXx

101 things in 1001 days

For those of you who haven't noticed the tab at the top of the page, go and have a look...

I tried this when I was writing my last blog and I failed spectacularly. I decided the secret to being able to complete my list of things is to have things which are definitely achievable. It took ages to make the list. "Why do it?" some of you are probably asking. Well 2 reasons; 1. I like making lists, 2. I have an awful habit of saying I want to do stuff and never actually doing it. This might make me try out more stuff.

I think in the last 3 weeks since I made the list I've done pretty well... I've managed to complete 9 things on the list. Hopefully this weekend should see me do another 1 or 2. Getting a headstart before I'm insanely busy with work is probably a good idea.

I've also been doing some research into how I can manage some of the more random bits on the list, for example, stroking a llama. In my mind I had visions of stealthily breaking into a llama farm in the dead of night to give one a cuddle. No need. There is a place just a couple of hours drive away that you can take the llamas for a walk (via a pub!!) and stroke them as much as you want. Awesome!

Hopefully once I get my first pay packet I'll be able to tackle more of the list. Fruit picking, going to the zoo and trying out rock climbing are all really high on my list. Until then I might get the gang together for a starry picnic and pinch someone's Harry Potter DVD collection.

Dr Sunshine xXx

Nerves

The work nightmares have started. Only 5 sleeps until the first morning of induction, 4 sleeps until I meet all my colleagues at the hospital accommodation.

The hospital I'm working for is being really lovely. We all get free accommodation for shadowing/induction week and they've organised a whole program of nights out as well as our induction and shadowing during the days. This organisation definitely seems like a sign of good things to come.

Tomorrow I have even more paperworky bits to do. I have to scan in lots of important documents and fill out another form about something to do with ID cards, that I'm sure I've already filled. I'll get there on Monday and they'll have about 17 ID cards for me at this rate.

The whole nervousness about starting work has been made so much more real now that I not only have my rota, but I also have my ePortfolio log in details. I don't know why I was so scared when I first opened the file that contained my rota for the next 4 months. It's an unbanded job, I knew I wouldn't have to do weekends, nights, lates or long days... it was such a relief to have that in writing. Don't think my bank manager will be as pleased about it as I am though.

Do any doctors have any advice for my first week? Any must-have useful things I should take with me, or things I shouldn't forget?!

Dr Sunshine xXx

Moving Home

It's finally done. I've moved all my stuff home so I guess that makes me one of those awful 20-somethings who moves back in with their parents.

It is such a mission fitting a whole flats worth of stuff into one bedroom. I'm going to be unpacking for weeks.

I ended up moving a week sooner than I planned to. Everything was such a rush. On Thursday a junior doc looked around the flat. Thursday night he said he wanted to move in on Sunday!! I have never packed so quickly. I also didn't think it was possible to get so much into such a little car.

Hopefully I'll still be up in London during the week, just overstaying my welcome with various friends.

On the drive back home from London, in the very packed car, I ended up being the first on the scene at a motorway accident. We were driving and noticed debris all over the road and saw a car stopped across the inside and middle lanes missing the entire front left hand side. No one else had stopped. I had a massive feeling of dread. Technically I'm now a doctor, even though I have no experience, that means I have to help. We pulled onto the hard shoulder and (after I checked I wasn't about to be run over), I ran to the car. I have never been so relieved when the driver got himself out of the car unharmed and said there were no passengers.

Amusingly 2 off duty policemen, an off duty nurse and and off duty fireman all stopped soon after that, much nicer than the 3 cars in front of us who just drove straight past the accident. Although it was an adrenaline rush I hope it never happens again. The man in the car was so lucky to get out unharmed. I've spent the time since wondering seriously what I would have done if this guy was hurt?! I guess I could have held his neck in line, or tried to minimize some bleeding. Really, out of a hospital, with no kit and no help, being a doctor is a scary idea.

To be honest, at the moment, even being a doctor in a hospital with all the equipment and help I can get seems like a scary idea.

Dr Sunshine xXx

Only Human

Yesterday guidelines were published for doctors and medical students using social media sites such as Facebook and twitter.

Obviously this matters to me as a blogger and a Twitter addict.

At first I thought it was common sense. Don't "friend" patients on Facebook and don't breech patient confidentiality. This is just an extension of normal day to day life. I wouldn't go down to the pub with a patient for a glass of wine and I certainly wouldn't start talking about Mrs Blogg's incontinence while having a coffee with my friends.

While blogging I've always managed to maintain confidentiality. This is because I mostly talk about myself. This is after all MY blog. I've never been one for writing patient life stories out. Even when I do talk about patients I never discuss a specific patient, but make up a patient to illustrate points I want to discuss about a variety of different people. Because of this I've always been pretty confident that I'm an ethical medical blogger... in fact I wouldn't even class myself as a medical blogger really. Just a blogger who happens to be a doctor.

The new guidance has me both worried and annoyed. 

Those of you who follow me on Twitter will know how I have previously felt about "the Twitter police", people who try to reign in everything that's said. I think it stifles creativity and freedom of speech.

The guidance suggests that doctors and med students should not be bringing the profession into disrepute on social media sites. This includes evidence of inebriation as an example. Last time I checked it was legal to have a few drinks and get tipsy. Does this mean when I blog or tweet about having one too many cosmopolitans, or having a stonking hangover I'm a bad doctor? 

Guess what everyone. Doctors are human.

Some drink, some smoke. Deal with it. In fact we even burp, fart and poop. Yes it's true. (In fact if truth be known I can't really burp properly, but I wish I could.)

I think it would do a lot for people writing the guidance to think about the fact that doctors are not some God-like beings. I'm pretty sure most members of the general public would be fine with knowing I have a drink or 4 on weekends when it won't affect my work. Very few would be bothered by the fact I swear when talking to my friends. Nearly all people would understand that I too get frustrated at work and with my colleagues.

In fact who would even believe that doctors weren't all grumpy, alcoholic, miserable gits who do nothing but swear. That's how they're mostly portrayed on TV.

What matters more to people is knowing that I'm well trained, I have a decent support network of more senior doctors to help with my decisions and that I genuinely care for my patients and have their best interests at heart.

BMA stop wasting time with trying to nanny us and make us all "perfect", instead spend your time making sure doctors are given the best tools to do the best for their patients. 

Dr Sunshine xXx   

Packing Panic!

All hands to the deck. Unfortunately that's only 2 hands.

I hadn't found an tenant for my flat yet so was planning to just pack up over the next week and leave the place empty while I start work until they found someone. Then today a guy who is starting as an FY1 at the local hospital came and looked at the place and decided he wanted to move in. On Saturday. Yes, this Saturday.

The estate agent has talked him down until Sunday, but the flat still needs to be empty by tomorrow so it can be cleaned etc. I've sorted out for a gas guy to come and do the gas safety certificate, but I'm not entirely sure about the EPC. I originally thought the estate agents were doing it, but on second thoughts maybe they told me to do it?! Oops. Hopefully I'll be able to find out tomorrow and sort something out.

Anyway I shall be pulling an all nighter to try and pack up all my crap... I haven't even finished the bedroom and I've got 5 bags of rubbish to throw out. What a hoarder!

Dr Sunshine xXx

Grouchy Day

Due to all the annoying things I've had to do, I've been really grouchy today.

I spend the first half hour of my day chatting to council tax people and the rest of the morning in the council offices trying to sort out parking permits. When I'd finally done that, I got on a bus to meet a friend, and a car drove into the bus. Luckily no one was hurt, but it made me 20 minutes late!

For the next few hours I forgot my grouchiness and saw Wicked for the 4th time. It was awesome, as always. It made me wonder if for the next fancy dress I go to, I could possibly find a flying monkey costume? That would be awesome.

During the show I got a call from the estate agent. Don't panic... my phone was on silent and I wasn't insane enough to answer it, I just had a missed called when I came out of the theatre. Tomorrow they want to show around a "new junior doctor who will be working at the local hospital". I've told them to call me first, I want to firstly tell them how excited I am, because I too am a new junior doctor, and I want to tell them to drop the rental price of the flat. 

My flat is in an ex-council flat. It's in a grotty block. It's in the crap part of town. It has 2 redeeming features; firstly it's a stones throw from a big hospital, secondly the kitchen is HUGE. It certainly isn't worth what they want for it. I'd be happy with £100pcm less than they are charging. I'm starting to panic. I move out in 9 days and there's no one to move in. 

9 days. I'm not even close to packed. I also need to do lots of little DIY things in the flat. Putting up smoke alarms properly (blu-tac isn't really good enough), fixing the toilet seat and screwing the bath panel back on. I also need to sort out the stuff like getting the boiler checked and getting the place professionally cleaned. Tonight, however, my panic is more immeadiate. I need to hide all the stuff I've been packing tidily away and make sure the flat is sparkling clean tomorrow. Unfortunately with my sore back and inherent laziness I'm finding it hard to get started. I tried to clean a window but fell off the window-ledge. I think this was a sign.

Maybe I need to make a to do list? Yes, that sounds like a great use of time...

Dr Sunshine xXx

Paperwork Mountain

The bane of my life is currently paperwork and emails.

You would not believe how much stuff you have to fill out to start work as a doctor. Before even graduating I had to fill out General Medical Council and Medical Defense Union paperwork, as well as about 25 sheets of forms from my new job. Since last week I've been bombarded with more paperwork and emails to send to the new job. Frustratingly it seems like I'm filling out the same stuff over and over and over. Between occupational health, human resources, parking permits, security clearance, computer log ons and a whole load of other stuff I'm slowly losing the will to live.

As well as that I have to sort out my council tax dilemma. Trying to convince the local council to only charge me from August (when I move out... tee hee hee). I think this is only fair as my letter says I'm a student until July, and my student card specifies July 31st. Somehow I don't think they'll see things the same way. I also need to sort out all the utilities and find someone to rent the flat. So much to do in 2 weeks.

I better dash off now, I told myself I was going to pack the whole living room tonight. I've so far done nothing. Oops. I blame the champagne picnic this afternoon followed by Japanese food in SoHo.

Dr Sunshine xXx

Paris

I'm back!

I'm glad to tell you that I had a fabulous time while in Paris with PapaSunshine.

We set off on Thursday morning and hopped on the Eurostar, which put us in Paris just in time for some lunch. Our hotel was on the Grandes Boulevards, which seems to be where I always stay. PapaSunshine likes to joke that I must think that Paris is just one street. We spent Thursday afternoon chilling out and making the most of being able to have a good old chat. In the evening we met up with my Uncle, Aunt and Cousin for dinner. We went to what is quite a famous restaurant, but unfortunately the food was a little pants. On the plus side the wine and company were excellent enough to make up for it. Highlight of the evening had to be PapaSunshine secretly ordering me macarons (my favourite!!) for dessert while I'd vanished off to the loo. Pretty scrummy.

Friday was our "do everything" day. I'm lucky enough to have been to Paris many times, so this time I wanted to see things I hadn't seen before. We got up early. Trekked to Versailles. Neither PapaSunshine nor I had ever been before. It was lovely, but by lunchtime was really busy so we hopped back on the train. A DOUBLE DECKER train! This excited me far too much to be a normal reaction. In the afternoon we visited the tomb of Napoleon, which was pretty tourist-free surprisingly. Definitely worth going to see, and it surprised me that it was so quiet there.

In the evening we went to the ballet at the Palais Garnier. The Palais Garnier is the old opera house, and is where Phantom of the Opera was based. I've toured the inside before and it is breathtaking. One of those buildings you have to see to believe. We went to see a ballet based on the old film Les Enfants du Paradis. I almost died when PapaSunshine led me to our seats which were in the middle of the front row! The ballet was  beautiful, and one of the female lead dancers was an exceptionally fantastic dancer. I was mesmorised the entire time. A perfect evening was topped off with a steak and chips and a quiet drink before bed.

Saturday was spent handbag shopping and grabbing a last leisurely meal before hopping back on the Eurostar. I needed the whole of Sunday to recover from the trip, we certainly made the most of our time.

Just to gross people out one thing that was bad about Paris was the bug-bite I got. In the space of 24 hours it became huge, turned my leg red, sore and swollen and was oozing gunk. This was it 3 days later...

I just hope that like Spiderman I will now have superpowers.

Dr Sunshine xXx

À Bientôt

I'm off to Paris for a couple of nights from tomorrow morning. Very exciting.

Papa-Sunshine is taking me as a graduation present. The trip manages to kill 2 birds with 1 stone, as we can catch up with some family in Paris, but also enjoy ourselves. I'm bursting with excitement as my Dad has booked ticket to see the Ballet at the Palais Garnier... which is the opera house that the Phantom of the Opera story was based on. It's also one of the most beautiful buildings that I have ever seen. I was lucky enough to go on a tour while I was still at school, but I've never seen anything there before.

Being in Paris we'll also be able to get some good food, which is one of my favourite things about going to France. I guess it's because I've been brought up on French food, but there isn't much in my mind that beats it.

Today is being spent not only packing for Paris, but also packing another few bags of stuff to move home permanently. I'm really going to have to step up this moving stuff plan as even though I've had 3 trips home, it doesn't look like I've really moved anything at all. Clearly 6 years at uni has allowed me to accumulate far too much stuff.

I also need to pop to the post-office to send more eBayed bits and bobs. I'm really getting into eBaying my life away. I realise I'm not making much money from what I sell, but it's so much better than having it clogging up my room at home. I think when I get back from Paris I'll have another week of frantically eBaying stuff before I finally give up and either give the stuff to charity shops or take it home with me.

Dr Sunshine xXx

It's Cooking Time

Finally, after 2 weeks of mucking about, my cooker has been fitted!

I gave up with Curry's in the end. Their fitter came out yesterday, looked at the box the original fitter had said just needed screws, and said it needed a whole new terminal box so he couldn't fit it. I had a little temper tantrum and then decided to call a real electrician.

The real electrician was hot. I realise this has little impact on whether or not he can do his job properly, but it certainly made my day a little better. Lucky for me he wasn't just a pretty face (...and really nice arms), but he could also wire in an oven. He took one look at the terminal box and agreed that it just needed screws, then 20 mins later he'd fitted the entire oven. Hurrah! I was so happy I could have hugged him, but I held back and just handed over my credit card, which I'm sure he appreciated more than a cuddle.

The rest of the afternoon was spent cooking dinner and baking cookies in anticipation for the man coming over for dinner. He turned up with a bottle of Champagne, adding to my feeling of being spoiled rotten since graduation. We had a chill out in front of the TV and I even managed to get a relatively early night. In fact paired with my lie-in and the nap I had later on today I've probably had a weeks worth of sleep. Bliss.

Really need to get my act together and tidy the flat and pack for my couple of days in Paris with Papa-Sunshine. I really hope the weather is nice as I only have summer dresses.

Dr Sunshine xXx

Spoiled Rotten

Since finishing my exams I really have been spoiled. I'd feel guilty about it, but it really sweetens the fact that I worked so hard for the last 6 years and will now probably be working even harder for at least the next 40.

Yesterday was a particularly decadent day.

I woke up late, just in time to meet madsadgirl for lunch in our usual haunt. Not only did she surprise me with a lovely card and a cute little Boofle teddy, she also treated me to a bottle of bubbly over lunch. Now after the champagne overkill of results day I thought I'd never be able to look at another glass, but I'm glad I'd got over that by yesterday as it was a lovely treat. I managed a tipsy stumble home and a lovely afternoon nap before I started part 2 of my Sunday.

I was meeting the man once he finished work. He always teases me for being really indecisive, so (for once) I made a decision and suggested we go to the cinema. Unfortunately for him that was as far as my decision making went. We started by a little cocktail pre-cinema to get the evening started and then we toddled off to Leicester Square. After a stand-off in the queue we (ok... he), finally decided we were going to see the new X-Men film. I have a secret superhero obsession so this suited me to the ground. Thankfully I managed to only jump off my seat and gasp out loud about 6 times during the film so I wasn't too much of an embarrassment.

The film finished at around 11, so as you can imagine (even though we'd been nibbling on popcorn), the hunger pangs started to set in. One of the things I am going to miss most about London is the fact that you can go out for  a meal that late on a Sunday. We wandered into ChinaTown and I stuffed myself silly with all kinds of yummy.

We started the wander home, and then the man dragged me into what looked like a bizarre underground public toilet. Don't worry, this isn't going to get explicit... it was actually a really cool little bar I never knew exsisted, even though I've walked past it a million times. CellarDoor was a small but perfectly formed trendy little underground drinking hole. It was made even more exciting by the fact the loo doors are magic glass. Basically you walk in and think the loo doors are totally see-through, until you turn the lock and they become opaque. AMAZING. They also gave little bowls of warm popcorn out and the waitress wore fairy wings. Strange, but good! I'm gutted I didn't know about this place before and will most definitely be dragging people there whenever I'm visiting London.

What was even more amazing than the wonderful day I had was the fact that in the evening I managed to moderate my drinking and therefore slept like a baby and woke up without a hangover. Bliss.

Now I just need to make sure that the rest of my summer holidays are as lovely as Sunday was.

Dr Sunshine xXx

The Oven Saga

Those of you who follow me on Twitter (@LilDrSunshine) will probably know bits and bobs about the drama surrounding having my new oven fitted. You will also know that today my head almost exploded with fury.

I've always found a good ranty blog post makes me feel better, so here I go explaining the whole debacle.

Last year my oven broke. It was irrepairable. The hob still worked though so like any good student I just made do. Now I'm planning to rent out my flat. That means I need a working oven. Off to Curry's I went, picked a nice electric oven & hob and paid for it to be delivered and installed. I also paid for the old one to be taken away. Simples right? NOT right!

As the old oven was electric but with a gas hob I phoned up to make sure that they'd still be able to remove it. "Yes" she said, "Of course". I felt silly for even doubting them.

Delivery day came. The man arrived. "Oh" he said, "I don't do gas".

Right.

I thought it was an honest mistake and let him call up and rebook a new date for the oven to be fitted. 2 days later. Well they never turned up. Yes, I got stood up by Curry's. In a mild rage I phoned up and rebooked... yes that's a 3rd day wasted. The same man who came the first time turned up. He still didn't do gas.

I phoned them again. Explained the situation in a surprisingly calm manner and was thankful for the grovelling and offer to come and set up the oven on a Saturday.

Today was that Saturday.

I got up early. I waited. They turned up just after lunch which was nice timing. This time the man did do gas... hurrah!

He pulled out the oven and then said "Bollocks!".

This was not a good sign.

He needed something called terminal screws (which apparently are just long screws), but they don't have any. He disconnected the old gas oven and took it away. This left me with an oven sitting in the middle of my kitchen and a huge grotty gap where the old oven was. He also bored me for 15 minutes ranting about how he hated his job, how disorganised they were. I didn't think that was too professional. Nor was the boasting about his £25 an hour wages.

I had to phone back Curry's. This time my rage was more than noticeable. I ranted for about 5 minutes until the lady on the other end of the phone burst out laughing. She laughed in my face!!! Well, not actually in my face, but down the phone. I was unimpressed, but it did make me giggle too. So now they're coming on Monday.

This wasn't the end of the catalog of disasters. I needed a shower. All of a sudden the hot water wouldn't work. The boiler wouldn't light! It took a panicked phone call to Papa Sunshine, and his common sense to fix the problem. The gas fitter had forgotten to turn my gas back on.

After that I went to a hardwear store to get some "terminal screws". According to them there is no such thing. I had to graphically describe what the oven-fitter was doing and how he described the screws before they sold me some long screws. I hope they're the right ones.

Then I got wedged in the gap between the fridge and oven. I seriously thought I might be stuck there until I lost some weight, but thankfully had a friend who helped me wriggle out.

If anything else goes wrong today I'm sure I'll lose my temper, so I better sit on the sofa with a good book and wait until bedtime. My problem of not being able to have a hot dinner is thankfully being solved by a lovely sofa-picnic. I'm having mango juice, tomato salad and parma ham.... mmmmm!

Fingers crossed nowt else will go wrong!

Dr Sunshine xXx

Graduate

continued from The Student Doctor Diaries.


As I stepped off the stage (without falling over), I realised that I've finally done it. The last 6 years at medical school are over and I'm actually a Doctor. I've spent the last decade aiming towards this very moment. I have to tell you all, that it is a pretty fabulous feeling to achieve something you have been working so long and hard for.

Even being bustled out of the cathedral and shouted at by a man with a megaphone couldn't wipe the smile off my face. Man-with-a-megaphone managed to organise the whole year group onto a big stand to have our year photo taken. This was no easy job. It was so overwhelming to look out at all the hundreds of proud parents, relatives, friends and other students crowding the area. The excitement almost bubbled over when we were introduced to the film crew for next years junior doctors TV program who are following a student from my uni. This rapidly turned into horror when we realised it meant another 10 minutes of standing in our killer heels on a giant stand while the free wine was warming up at the reception.

After enjoying a glass of (not so chilled) rose with my classmates I spent the rest of the afternoon with the most important person there. The person who taught me that I can do anything I want to. The person who was there for me when I doubted myself. The person who put up with my exam-induced mini break downs. The person who dropped everything to be there for me whenever I needed a shoulder to cry on. The person who gave me the nickname Sunshine and the more recent name Dr Sunshine. The person who has single-handedly brought me up for the last 10 years. My Dad. He always tells me how proud my Mum would be of me, but I think she'd be equally as proud of him for doing such a fantastic job as a parent. I like to think that she was there with us today, smiling at the two of us.

Thanks Papa!!

Dr Sunshine xXx