DAY 673 - 675

Jul 6 - 8

1) These past couple of days have been quite similar actually. If you've noticed in the previous blogs, my adventures tend to peak in the weekdays, and fizzle out in the weekends. That is probably due to the lack of travelling that we get done during the weekends. And this weekend was no exception. I was in the labs on Saturday as usual, learning stuff and jotting down notes as I often do (I really can't remember things well so...) Anyway, it did dawn on me that my time here in Suzhou is coming to an end soon, and that I really should make the most of it other than just burying myself in the labs...

2) So in the afternoon, I took a sabbatical and decided to just walk around the huge campus, and to explore its many buildings. Indeed, I never entered any of them, but it was nice to just walk around and discover. As luck would have it, the weather has been absolutely perfect, especially on Saturday. The mild weather made it perfect for walking, as it meant one didn't get tired easily due to the heat.

3) As for what I did on Sunday, that's a bit lacklustre. I literally spent the whole day in the apartment, idling about and only leaving to get lunch and dinner from the convenience store. One of the main incentives for going to the labs (other than to meet with everyone and learn new things of course ^^) is to get access to good ol' (did I mention free? XD) WiFi. As it happens, they do provide WiFi in the dorm room, in the form of a cable that connects to the laptop. But because I use an Apple laptop, the cable is too large to fit properly! Just my luck then...

4) Anyway, I'll end on that note and let you enjoy some pictures of the beautiful campus. It's a huge university (by my standards anyway haha) so there's always something just around the corner, waiting to be photographed. Hopefully you can appreciate the natural, eco-friendly environment of the campus as much as I've enjoyed walking around exploring it. That's it for today, and thanks for visiting my blog. Have a great day, cheers! :)

Individual practice rooms for the music students

A little souvenir from our Hospital Visit :))

"香锅" - stir-fry hotpot - served with as much rice as you want, and soup :)

That's a lot of fire extinguishers if you ask me! 

Are they preparing for a huge fire? XD

"老干妈炒饭" - "Old Godmother" (a famous brand that makes chilli sauces) 

Fried Rice

10/10 would have again! ^^

Got to get those fruit/ dessert cravings satisfied

The Molecular Cancer Research Lab (3F) is where I currently lead a double life, alternating between this and the Medicinal Chemical Biology Lab (5F)

(Probably) my last taste of "烤鸭泡饭" - roast duck with rice soup (cut me some slack I couldn't do a better translation XD)

College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science

The ever so majestic and lotus-shaped Binglin Library binglint

I honestly can't remember the name of this building haha but I am pretty sure it's about animal lab research

Every time I walk along the streets of Suzhou I am reminded of the care taken towards the environment, and in particular, the multitude of trees stretching as far as the eye can see

National University of Singapore Suzhou Research Institute (NUSRI)

A very appetising "onigiri" (おにぎり) - Japanese rice balls

DAY 346/347/348/349

Aug 13, 14, 15 & 16

1) I've been really busy at the start of the new week, and today (Aug 16th) only served to exemplify it even more. I had made an appointment to do an observership under Professor Arnold Hill, Professor and Chair of Surgery in RCSI. An observership is where you shadow a doctor Lesson learnt - Dundrum (where I live) to Beaumont (where he is based) is NOT close by any means. I'm very fortunate to have allocated 1.5 hours to arrive, as I began my journey from Dundrum and reached Beaumont Hospital with barely any time to spare.

2) I met up with Dr. Gozie Offiah (herself a Senior Clinical Lecturer at RCSI) at the RCSI Education and Research Centre, Beaumont Hospital. She introduced me to Bob, who brought me down to the Men's Changing Room so I could change into my scrubs (the outfit that hospital personnel wear). Then I was led into the operating theatre. My first experience ever of being in an operating theatre, and the experience was surreal.

3) 8-10 men/women crowded over one patient, whose head was covered and torso bare. Behind a plastic screen, an anaesthetist was sitting in front of a monitor, looking at the patient's vitals. At the corner of the room were two physician associates, who coincidentally had come in to observe the operation as well. Turns out the patient was having a mastectomy, which is removal of the entire breast (usually as a surgical method against breast cancer).

4) But that wasn't the whole story. There were actually two teams here - one was working on removing the breast, while the other was working on breast reconstruction. The method used for reconstruction is called a DIEP flap, a type of breast reconstruction in which blood vessels called deep inferior epigastric perforators (DIEP), as well as the skin and fat connected to them, are removed from the lower abdomen and transferred to the chest to reconstruct a breast after mastectomy without the sacrifice of any of the abdominal muscles. The procedure would ultimately take around 10 hours, which reflects its extreme complexity.

5) After around 1.5 hours, the first team had successfully removed the entire breast (along with the tumour). That left the plastic surgeon, Mr O'Sullivan, and his team to continue with his microsurgery to reconstruct the breast. My newfound friends and I watched as he deftly made the incisions, and at different stages of the operation he even found the time to explain what he was doing to us. Needless to say, it was a lot to take in.

6) We stayed on until around lunchtime. Went up to have lunch at the staff cafeteria, and then my friends had to leave for their clinic session. I returned to meet Dr. Offiah, explained to her that I'd like to return the following week if possible, and then grabbed my belongings before heading back to the library. It has indeed been a long day for me, but I've managed to see and experience a lot. I'll be back to work at Beaux Lane House from tomorrow onwards, so it's non-stop for me haha. Anyway, that's been my past couple of days, and I hope you enjoyed reading about it. Have a nice day, cheers!

Illustration of the DIEP flap breast reconstruction procedure

Scrubs, with cap and shoes

An illustration of the orientation/ layout in the operating theatre

RCSI Education and Research Centre

The motto is a quotation from the Latin poet, Virgil: "Miseris Succurrere Disco," which can be translated as "I learn (or endeavour) to succour the distressed" 

or more simply, "I learn to help those in need."

Pizza et frites, in the hospital cafeteria XD

Model of Beaumont Hospital

All the scrubs/outfits in the changing room

One of the many wings of the hospital