Third day of work.

Third day of work today and I just want to stick my head in the sand. 

I didn't admit this before but secretly I had been desperate to get back to work. I was ready to meet my new team, excited to start my role as an OT, and prepared for the onslaught of endless patients. I was so ready that I called the team the week before and asked to come in for an informal orientation session. I know, what a kiss ass. 

Third day of work today and I just want to stick my head in the sand. Oh shit did I already say that?  

I have worked as a locum for most of my career life so I am used to being thrown into the deep end. I can almost immediately carry a case load and clear waiting lists with hardly any induction. So really, this should be a piece of cake. 

Third day of work today and I just want to stick my head in the sand. Yep I am pretty sure that I have already told you that.

During my informal orientation the week before, I had been given a chocolate freddo from the IT team as I handed in paperwork for processing. Next was a brief introduction to the ward staff and again, I was offered a chocolate donut or a chocolate muffin. I can't wait to start! I had thought to myself. 

Third day of work today and I just want to stick my head in the sand. I think you get the picture. Ok I'll stop. 

It was not until my first formal day when I had a proper look at Central Middlesex hospital. This hospital welcomes you with a false sense of calmness as you walk through the sliding doors and enter into its modern and new looking foyer. Everyone is lovely and so helpful. Everyone is so smiley.

I had been promised a two day induction which I quickly realised was not going to happen. Instead, I was given a list of patients before I could even scratch my head, sorry I mean quiff (yes, the quiff is back). Ok cool I thought to myself, I can handle this as I was ushered into a handover meeting. The sister, a registered nurse, began reading out names on the ward list. 

Say who? I quickly looked at my list; it was something something Sarsani or did she say Wapadopoulos? or was it Tsa Tsa?

The doctor chimed in to give a detailed medical report on Sarsani or no I think it may have been Tsa Tsa. 

Say what? I had to ask the doctor as politely as I could to please slow down because I was having a hard time following his english accent. Thankfully, he found this amusing and laughed. 

I then spent the rest of the day looking for things.

I walked into day 2 with a spring in my step, determined to be more productive than yesterday but more importantly, determined to stay positive. 

Finally, I saw my first patient; I completed an assessment and put together a plan for her. I would say that it took me about an hour. One down! I was starting to feel good about myself until I realised that I had actually seen the wrong patient. Shit. So I had basically spent 45 minutes with the wrong lady while the right one was in the bed that was directly next to us; it was a room with 4 beds. But as luck would have it, both ladies were elderly and fairly deaf; so despite me yelling/calling the wrong lady by the wrong name, neither picked up on it. 

That's ok. I at least managed to be more productive and had even booked in a home visit for the next day.

I cautiously approached day 3; I had come up with a plan to effectively tackle the day and prayed a little as the hospital sliding doors closed behind me. 

The NHS now provide a 7 day OT service so that means weekend working. My senior had worked the weekend hence having the Monday and Tuesday off. So she rocked up today. I was glad because it finally meant a proper induction and some direction. 

I didn't get either. She was flat out.

So I carried on and went to assess a patients home. Next thing I knew, the neighbour (who had let me in) had contacted the patients son. I don't know what she had said to him, but he was mad. By the time I was handed the phone, he was screaming. Something about how I was heartless and pure evil for pushing his 90 year old father out of hospital just to free up a bed. 

Oh hello public service, so nice to meet you again.

With that, I returned back to hospital and handed in my dates for annual leave.

Third day of work and I just want to stick my head in the sand.

Strike one against the housemates

My weekend was brilliant, a total relaxing one with Joyjit which ended perfectly with the 'Back to the future' trilogy on Sunday night. I was in bed by 10pm ready for a good night rest in preparation for my first day of work. For some reason, at 1am, my house mates decided to have a very loud conversation in middle eastern/english language in the kitchen; the kitchen is next to my room. I thought that they were having an argument and from the sounds of it, it was getting out of control. I mean what other reason could be urgent enough for housemates to have a conversation at 1 AM!? I thought that I might have to intervene but shoot I didn't know what the number was for emergency in the UK. So I googled it incase shit got real (It is 999 btw if you readers wanted to know). Anyway, I listened more carefully and finally started to piece together what was being said. It turns out that the ass holes were discussing the best way to diet.

I didn't know what to do. My internal dialogue was going mental.
Do I go out and ask them to shut the hell up and risk being the dickhead housemate? I don't even know them that well! or do I just lie here and hopefully they will stop?
Passiveness kicked in. So I waited another 10 minutes but the conversation did not sound like it was going to end.
Ok should I just go out and ask if they were alright pretending that I thought they were having an argument? or should I make a lot of noise in the room? Maybe I should pretend I am going to the toilet in hopes that they will get the picture? 
Passiveness really kicked in. I decided to use a white noise app on my phone and tried to go back to sleep. No go. I could not drown out their voices with the white noise. I was becoming increasingly frustrated and started to curse and call them every bad name under the sun. Quietly, of course; I didn't want to wake anyone else up. I must have tossed and turned for awhile because when I next looked at the clock it was 2 AM!

Finally I had had enough. I was so angry that I jumped out of bed and stomped towards the door. Just as I was about to open my door, I realised that it was silent. Well kind of. I swear I could almost hear the housemates holding their breath. Next thing I heard was the scuttling of my housemates each returning to their rooms.

Awesome. I sure showed them (not)!

Harrow London!

I am sat on my bed in my new room; finally, I have a moment to breathe. Relaxation mode has set in: my weekly facial done; delicious dinner consumed; I am tucked into my newly washed bed linen; and I have a cup of hot steaming tea beside me. #winning.

The Perth goodbyes were very emotional so I welcomed the craziness that came with the last 7 days as a distraction. It turns out that the hospital accommodation I was promised fell through; this meant a mad rush to find the right place to live in. It also meant a lot of walking. I didn't realise how unfit I had become until Joyjit pointed out that I was panting and leaning heavily on him after a 15 -20 minute walk. I had forgotten that no one in London uses their car to drive 5 minutes down the road to the shops; otherwise, I would have trained for this.

I viewed about 5 different properties that were no good for a variety of reasons: weird people; weird smells; too dark; too small; too far to walk; and one place requested vegan only (even my vegetarian-ness was not enough!). The well located places in my price range were fast running out and I found myself having to search for rooms further and further away from work. I was becoming stressed, I was becoming moody and I wanted to stop walking so much. First world problems, as Joyjit would gently remind me, which pretty much shut me up.

Suddenly, we were down to the last place that was in the same suburb as the hospital. The next potential place would be several suburbs away. Well someone must be watching out for me because this room ticked every little thing that was on my list: close to work; within walking distance to a massive sainsburys; bright room; great price; clean; and very spacious. I cancelled the next rental viewing on the spot and snapped up the room before the agent could say desperate.

The place.

Poor Joyjit being dragged around with me

I became one of those people who bring small suitcases to ridiculously cheap stores like Primark and Argos

View from the window

Nothing beats a 2 in 1 dressing table/clothing drawers

The royal headquarters

Big grin!

Next week, I will begin my new job as a rotational Occupational Therapist at Central Middlesex hospital. I will let you know how it goes. X