Pre-call Depression

Everyone who has gone through HOship will probably be able to identify with this phenomenon.

On-call tomorrow... mood gets low... feels that life sux... don't understand why i hafta do this to myself... blahblah...

well, i'm on-call tomorrow. :( :( :(

what is wrong with calls really? calls are when u work like a slave!! a slave to complaining patients, worried and uptight nurses, and of course our dear superiors who order stuff for patients at night. (not to say all these are not warranted and redundant...)

somehow patients have the whole day to complain abt abdo pain, headache, chest pain, leg pain, backache, hand swollen, etc... when the workforce in the hospital is at its 100% but they must choose to complain at the unearthy hours when there's only this poor HO working her guts out! i'm serious!! i'm in the ward all day long and i hardly get any complaints abt pain or SOB... but at night, i get like at least 20... what's up man.. what's up....

personally, i think the worst thing abt a call is i can't rest after a whole night's(plus the whole day before the call actually) work. i still hafta get a quick shower and/or quick bite (sometimes there's time for one, both or none even!)and get ready for another half day's work... (if i get to go post-call) then my bio clock gets totally confused, cos i'll reach home in the afternoon and desperately need my sleep. it's really difficult to replenish the sleep subsequently cos i find that no matter how much i sleep, i still feel tired the next day.

ah yesh... not to mention the pre-call depression. i get really anhedonic and low mood one day before my call. don't feel like hanging out late with friends, don't feel like doing anything, don't feel like working on my powerpoint presentation (which is due pretty soon)... just feel like getting some prophylactic REST and SLACKING.

sounds totally disruptive to anyone's life right? no wonder we all HATE calls!