Siri, play "More Life" by Drake.

Woow. I’ve really gone this long without a blogpost. Please don’t allow me to be this tardy with posts again…I know Sudanese time is a real phenomenon, but it does not need to infiltrate blogs too!

Since my last post, I finished my last rotation of the year—obstetrics and gynaecology. It was truly the best of both the medical and surgical worlds due to the different array of procedures and opportunities to get involved. From rotating around the birthing suite, to the antenatal and gynaecological clinic, and participating in caesarean sections as a first assistant, O&G lived up to the hype that so many students relayed beforehand. In the operating theatre, it was the first time I actively participated, whilst also feeling like I was contributing to the obstetrician’s surgery, but also to the mother’s experience. There were times I pushed on a mother’s upper abdomen, applying pressure to ease the path into the outside world for the newborn. Other times I was grabbing the newborn from their cosy home during the last nine months. Sorry little ones, but you haven’t paid rent for nine months and it’s time you’re evicted!

One of the most interesting things I enjoyed about caesarean sections was the anatomy and pathway to get to the baby. Starting the surgery, everything is calm and serene. The mother cannot feel the pain, solely the pressure of two doctors inside her abdomen! The obstetrician slowly makes their way to the foetus, passing through the skin, the abdominal muscles and then all of a sudden, mayhem ensues. The amniotic sac is pierced and the amniotic fluid projects everywhere. I can see why babies would be distressed at this time. Amniotic fluid is surprisingly warm. It feels like a welcoming, warm, and comfortable bath with cloud-like bubbles everywhere. As soon as this is pierced, it’s time to get the baby out as soon as possible, with their natural white moisturiser on their skin, which makes them look like entities from outer space. It was a fulfilling experience, and the opportunity to do so as a first assistant, made it more enjoyable. Seeing the emotions that a birth begets to everyone in the room, especially the parents, is pure joy. To witness such a natural process in which every single person has encountered to come into this world and the shared experiences at the moment, was definitely one of the highlights of my rotations throughout this year.

During this rotation, I also did a night shift, as I wanted to see a live vaginal birth. For some reason numerous natural births happen in the wee hours of the morning. Luckily on that particular night, I was invited to observe one. This labour went on for numerous hours, it wasn’t until 2am that it was decided that an assisted instrumental delivery would be the course of action due to the increasing time of the labour. So, out came the forceps and out came a force I didn’t know was used with instrumental deliveries. As I stood back and watched as the obstetrician stood shoulder-width apart and inserted the forceps that clasped the baby’s head and pulled forcibly, I thought about the unanimity of the midwives, doctors, and nurses in the midst of chaos. Everyone knew their role, and what to do. Obstetrics and gynaecology consistently reiterated that to prevent unwanted consequences, it is important to foresee problems before they arise and be actively prepared to deal with them. Everything turned out well in the end. It was revealed the reason the labour was so prolonged was due to the malpresentation of the baby’s head, which made it difficult to contort appropriately through the pelvis.

In other news, Christmas came early for me, in fact it came on October 20th when it was announced that double vaccinated interstate travellers can- finally- come to Victoria. My girlfriend Prisca came and after not seeing her for five months, it was truly a blessing to see her in the flesh—just as beautiful as I remembered! We spent the next six weeks immersed in our daily lives; I was still going on placement and preparing for my summative exams. Beyond those two commitments, most of my time was spent with Prisca and making up for lost time during the previous five months of long-distance. She met my family, we laughed, we looked for the best burger place in Melbourne and we created memories that I will forever remember!

So, this will be my last post of the year, and my last time going this long between posts. Anyhow, keeping eating your pancakes, especially with a new year fast approaching. Happy Holidays to you all and your families. I also made it to my final year of medicine after passing my exams, so the blogs will continue next year!