a flash back.

“OK put on the gloves..”

“both hands?”

“nahh..just one side.ok now put your fingers like this”

“oh no..” (monologue)

This is considered as one of my cool memories, in the oh-so-awesomeness OPERATION THEATRE with Dr Quah, the O&G surgeon. Yea most of you all know I spend a lotta time in the OT during my previous summer break. Thanks to my daddy! Heee~

After being asked to put on the latex gloves, blurring in the sight of watching an old lady lying unconscious in the middle of the OT (unconscious = in deep sleep after being given general anesthesia by the oh-so-handsome daddy), we were actually in for a surprise (we = lucky you Fikri that you’re my friend eyh). Ok I don’t consider it as a surprise, but lucky-friend on the other hand was definitely damn excited about it! When I saw my dad pulling out a toothpaste-like-thingy out of the cabinet, asking us to stick out our index and middle fingers and putting a gel-like substance on ‘em, I knew that something OMG-don’t-make-me-do-this is gonna happen!

“put your fingers in there”

“what?????”

There? Where else!!!! Yes in there and don’t make me say it here! Ok as a future-professional doctor, I should be positive about this. Even though I don’t prefer doing THAT for the rest of my life. Look on the bright side! I have experience and at least I know what I’m gonna be facing soon. And thank goodness she’s unconscious!!

She had cervical cancer and so as a medical student, we were asked to examine her cervix. Watching my eagered friend doing it, it’s something like this… “OMG I can’t believe I’m seeing this!! Please don’t make me do that too, dad!! please!!” It was just jaw-dropping! I was speechless and I was totally and definitely terrified! Listening to what Dr Quah said, like “can you feel it? It’s like a ring and rough (because of the cancer)”, I felt like running away from there! And I was more concentrating on the old lady and hoping that she won’t wake up yet!

“OK kaklong, your turn..”

“haa??? Crap.”

The sight of watching him doing it, made me gulp and hesitate a couple o’times. But just a simple sentence made me wanna do this “you don’t get to experience this in Egypt, Miriam!” Plus she’s anesthetized and I’m doing this to learn! With a lotta courage and the hunger for wisdom, I did it. At the same time I felt sorry and kinda guilty to the patient. Isk. But its ok. Niat baik takpe.. and yes I felt the ring-shaped roughness.

The thought of having cervical cancer and losing your reproductive system, is just horrible. Hope that the cancer was not malignant. But Thank God the old lady is 62 years old. Meaning she has grandchildren already la!

That was my first encounter with cancerous cells, with just a thin latex glove separating us in between.

Undeniably cool.