Another week over

Yesterday, we all woke up to the news that Russian troops were taking over Ukraine and the war which had been brewing for weeks had begun. As the horrible news spread around the globe, social media flooded with prayers and well wishes for Ukraine. World leaders issued statements or made speeches condemning Russia’s attack and introducing economic sanctions on Russia. It seems most of the world agrees on one thing, they are on Ukraine’s side, but no one wants to go to war. Many people gathered in city centres and squares across Europe to stand in solidarity with Ukraine. My heart goes out to Ukraine and all its people. I pray for their safety and freedom. 

Shocked by the news, I never got around to posting anything yesterday. I am keeping up with the ongoing invasion and even though I am still worried, especially with my return to Hungary scheduled for next weekend, I wanted to share a recap of today.

I booked a Movement Disorders Outpatient Clinic to attend in the morning.

After lunch, I had bedside teaching on the Maida Vale Ward. The other student and I met the doctor leading the session there. The doctor knew of a patient on the ward with a few abnormal reflexes and cranial nerve signs, so we asked the patient if it would be okay for us to practice performing a physical examination on them. 

The patient agreed and we left the room to put on aprons and gloves. We re-entered the room and I began with the cranial nerve examination. Then, the other student examined the upper limbs, and finally, I performed the lower limb examination. When we concluded the exam, we thanked the patient and went to the hall to remove our apron and gloves. 

Outside the room, the doctor asked us to describe our findings. Our physical examination found that the patient had tongue fasciculations, hyperreflexia, weakness and increased tone in the left upper limb. There were signs of both upper and lower motor neuron lesions leading us to conclude the patient suffers from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Even without a complete patient history, bloods or imaging, we were able to reach a potential diagnosis. The doctor was pleased and ended our teaching here.

Outside the Maida Vale Ward today.

You may think I am dressed a bit funny in the picture above. Let me explain. First of all, we do not wear white coats on the ward because they are considered an infection risk. Smart casual attire is expected. You may also be wondering, why are my sleeves rolled up to my elbows? Well, we are expected to be bare from the elbows down. This means removing all watches or jewellery. But, I am always cold so I like to wear a cardigan over my tops, which means that when I go to see patients I have to roll up my sleeves as well.

Next week will be my last week in the UK, and while I’m excited that I will have completed another rotation, these past weeks really have gone by in the blink of an eye. Let's see what my final week has in store!