Wednesday, March 12, 2008

woohoo! i got the ballot to go to the A P lands to provide podiatry treatment for
aboriginal people. i have never been lucky in any lucky draws, but yes, i won this. it has been balloted for because there are limited places, tutors can only bring two at a time, and there are only 3trips per year. Apparently you need a permit to enter this 'sacred' land specially still preserved from aboriginal people that are still living semi-traditional lifestyles. its a 2day 2night trip up north to this remote areas, crossing some desert land. These 3 podiatry visits by the university are the only podiatry service the aboriginal community is having for the entire year. my prof asked us to be prepared for snakes, mice, spiders, centipedes and other creepy crawlies. i thought nothing of it initially and just registered myself for the ballot because i thought i will not win it anyway, but now that i am actually going, i am having some second thoughts about it. The fact that Australia is home to the 10 most poisionous snakes in the world is no joke. but i am determined to make my last year a colourful one, and so, bring it on!

real clinics are starting, and specialised clinics such as surgery, paediatrics, high risk management and biomechanics are also full on. I had a morton's neuroma patient that was a very good study specimen and I was really excited for him to come back for his review after I made him some device that hopefully worked. I even studied the whole chapter on neuromas including surgical options and full biomechanics and was very very chirpy the whole morning because I was expecting him in the afternoon. in the end he did not turn up. I was really disappointed, and at the same time, very doubtful of my technical skills that is supposedly going to reduce pain the textbook style. He should have just came back, even if the pain was not relieved to give me feedback right? Damn.

lab work is fun, but challenging. we are doing casting, plaster work, grinding, bandsawing to make customised orthotics for the patient. i am a lab technician now! my orthotic tutor Steve looks like a builder or some plumber. he wears combat boots and sleeveless tank top and cargo pants. sports like waist long hair and has a goatee. he has name tags that says Steve the lab monkey. orthotics making is all about practical things so its all hands on and not boring at all
now i know why a pair of orthotics can cost up to $400. they involves alot of skills and 'art' from the podiatrists which we are all training to be more competent in. I have been wanting to take some photographs of our labwork and the stuff we do, but everytime i get so absorbed in my plastering/shell making that i forgot the cam. some day, one day.

frocksnfrills are in the midst of preparing another collection, and i promise it will not be as occasional. quite excited about it.

adelaide is gg thru a heat wave. i am getting a crash course in summer temperature even tho i have been away all summer. 39-40ish degree celsius with zilch clouds in the sky. i wonder if any wild kangaroos die from the heat.