Misconceptions of the ‘Flanno Man’

(yes, this man is being slapped by a cup of coffee)

Today was our first day back at uni, after an inadequate week or so of holidays.  I need want more time away!

After an interesting lecture at 8am (you bastards!), we had yet another basic life-saving workshop to hone our CPR skills.  We got an ambo (that’s an ambulanceman, to you non-aussies) and sat down in front of our resuscitation mannequin.  He starting asking questions: “why would you do this?  Why would you do that?” and we answered.  Well, my former roommate answered most things, and of course she rabbited on and got the answers wrong anyhow.

Whatever.

Then the ambo asked why it’s important to check for danger in the environment surrounding an unconscious person.

Student #1:  “Because there could be electrical wiring around.”

Student #2:  “Because you could get hurt.”

Me (mumbling):  “Because if whatever dropped him drops you, you can’t call for help.”

The ambo pointed to me and had me repeat what I’d said.  He turns to the rest of the group and says: “Excellent response.  Never underestimate the man in the flanny*.  This bloke looks like a trucker who’d hit me, and he probably will if I keep talking like this, but never underestimate the people around you.”

I sat there laughing inwardly, even as he referred to me as the ‘flanno man’ for the rest of the session.  Those who know me know that I’m not the ’strong-and-silent’ type.  Let alone the type to hit someone or drive a truck (though I wouldn’t be against it – the truck driving, I mean).  It was just funny to hear him say “never underestimate those around you,” but I’m guessing he only said that because he did underestimate me and must have been surprised.  Still, it’s not a misconception I’m unhappy with!

 

It’s nice to be back in class, even if only because it’s moving toward the day where I don’t need to go to a class.

 

*A flanny is a flannelette shirt.

The Guy

 

So I was just sitting here reading a blog about a gay medical student (they all seem to be gay, but only in America? Why not here?)  There was a really cute storyline involving him and another student exchanging glances in the locker-room for months.  I was simultaneously smiling at the thought and lamenting the complete absence of anything similar to that in my own life.

And then the phone rings.

Three years ago, I saw this really cute guy in the computer lab.  It was night, and we were studying.  I had no idea who he was, or what he was a student of, but I knew he was pretty to look at.  And so I stared.  I’m sure he caught me looking at him as I walked past to go to the print station, and eventually I indulged in locking eyes with him in the reflection of the glass his computer was in front of.  At that stage I was very much in the closet, and it was nothing more than me looking at a cute guy who was more than likely straight (as per my rule of attraction).

About a year later, and we finally strike up a conversation, somehow.  I don’t remember what we talked about, but I do rember that I told him my plans about becoming a medical student.  I found out that he was studying law.  He also had an accent.

Last week I was back at the old campus with some friends to study for an upcoming exam.  The guy was there, and we started to chat straight away.  We reintroduced ourselves, and he asked me how medicine was going.  I asked him how much longer he had to go, and he explained that he was doing his masters and this was his last year, except he’d started thinking about going into medicine recently.  We spoke for almost an hour.
A few hours later, we start talking again, mostly about medicine, when I ask if he’s ever been to the medical school to check it out.  He says he hasn’t, and I tell him that he should give me a ring whenever he wants to see it, because I have access to areas he wouldn’t be able to get to on his own.  He asks me for my number.

Tonight, at about 10pm, the phone rings but I’m late getting to it and I miss the call.  I take a look at who it is, and am completely shocked to see his name on the screen.  I call him back, and he asks if I want to meet him out for a drink.  I tell him I can’t tonight, and am busy over the weekend.  He asks if I’d like to go with him for a drink next week.

Yes, yes I would.

Okay.  So we chat for a few minutes and I hang the phone up, telling myself it doesn’t mean anything but of course I’m beaming inside. 

I close my eyes and think to myself: “Stay calm.  Deep breath.  Take it slow, and DO. NOT. FUCK. THIS. UP!”

One Version of Things

 

I’ve dropped the ‘life & medicine’ sub header.  I feel as though it’s fairly obvious what this blog is about if you read it – nothing much.

I made this screensaver to use for my header but it lost something in the translation, so I had to make a separate header.  I liked this original so much I decided to put a link to it here so you can get a better look.

I unrelated news – my car is being a bastard.  Even though the lights are switched off, the tail-lights have decided to stay on and drain my battery, effectively trapping me at my parents place.  Lucky for me my parents have a spa and sauna  

I’ve also just realised that while I like the Empire of the Sun’s music, they are some odd looking people.

Anyway, this blog has been going for 2 years now, and I’d like to know if there’s anything anyone out there wants me to talk about?  You must be getting bored of me by now!

 

Cheers,
Adrian.

We Three Kings

 

So, exams are over.

I’m sitting here on the couch at my parents house – stress free for the first time in what feels like ages but is in actual fact a mere week – wondering where the fuck time goes.

It’s insane how quickly time and life can move by you when you’re relatively contented.  It feels like yesterday we were starting as second year students, now we’ve finished our first block of exams.  They say the hardest part of the whole degree is what’s coming up – the two big blocks – neuro and musculoskeletal systems.  I’m sure they’re going to fly by, too.

Not that it’s an entirely comforting thought…

In any case, exam time is always an excuse for me to get a bit arty.  In the few weeks leading up to exams, I started drawing more of my learning issues than I did writing about them, I’ve been more interested in reading comic books than textbooks, and I started writing more music.  It’s probably the bane of my roommates’ lives – the music – but it’s my thing.  Everyone’s got their thing.
The music I write is always dark, even if my mind’s not in that place.  I don’t know why.  This new piece I’ve written is really fun to play, even though the first bar is the same as the first in We Three Kings – and several people have noticed!

So the goals for the holiday are pretty simple – stop eating shit food and start running again.  The few kilos I’d lost are most likely back on again, with some extra friends.  But that’s after the seafood binge on Good Friday!

Stay cool, have a great Easter if I don’t talk to you before then.

Procrastudy

Procrastination is wasting time you don’t have, doing the things you do not need to do.  Trust me.  I know procrastination.

This semester, I’ve decided to take a different tack - and it’s probably just to appease my mind – and so I’ve turned to procrastudy (pro-CRASS-tah-dee).

Since the (rapidly) upcoming exam focusses on gastrointestinal, endocrine and reproductive systems, I have drawn the following ‘anatomy’ pictures.

This first one is called “The Lymph and the Gall”, and shows the lymph nodes and vessels in green, and also the gall bladder peeking out from behind the liver.  The pancreas can also be seen with the duodenum and proximal jejunum.  The spleen (it might be enlarged…not on purpose) can be seen on the right, fed by the splenic artery (which I’m sure is usually more linear but spiralled at the same time) coming off the coeliac trunk.  The abdominal aorta and inferior vena cava can also be seen.  Have fun picking out the many errors here, such as the para-aortic lymph chain that travels along the inferior vena cava in this imaginary body.

This second drawing covers both endocrinology and reproduction, and it is called “The Corpus and the Egg”.  This is showing a small section of ovary, right in the middle of an ovulation.  The egg – or ovum – can be seen in blue (robin’s egg blue?).  The small cells surrounding this expelled ovum are granulosa and thecal cells that arrange themselves into a conformation known as the corona radiata, which means ‘Crown of Sunbeams” (my interpretation – radiata means ‘to radiate, like beams of light from the sun’).  Normally, there are beam-like extensions of cells surrounding the ovum, which gives the appearance of sunbeams.  Stop saying beams.
Another egg, still within its follicle can be seen, and this is a Graafian follicle.  Two small primitive or primordial follicles can also be seen.  The large yellow structure at the top of the picture is something called the corpus luteum, which in Latin means  “Yellow Body” – for very good reason.  This corpus luteum is actually what the area of ovary surrounding the egg turns into after ovulation, and it is actually a temporary endocrine gland, meaning that it secretes hormones.  The main hormone coming from the corpus luteum is progesterone, which serves to create an environment within the uterus that is excellent for implantation.  If the egg is not fertilized and implanted into the endometrium of the uterus, then the corpus luteum dies, and the whole process starts again.

Anyway, hopefully you’ve enjoyed looking at and reading about my procrastudy as much as I did drawing it!  Now…off to do some actual work.  Damn!

 

Black ink on paper, colour added in Photoshop.