Franz Marie Cruz’s Diary

I did my second solo pterygium yesterday. It’s not as nice as kathy’s demo but it’s a big, big improvement compared to my first. Nakakapressure to do a good job because the patient ahd undergone a pterygium excision on the other eye years ago at PGH and ang linis, no recurrence, you won’t think he had one. But my patient didn’t go for follow-up today! I wanted to see my work on a slit-lamp with a stronger magnification. Still couldn’t do a good keratectomy or complete scrapping of the mass from the cornea. Suturing the conjunctivae close still takes half the OR time but yesterday, I didn’t have to open a second nylon 10-0. I’ve two petrygium excisions next week. I hope the conference finishes early so I have time to do both.
I also did my first YAG-capsulotomy last saturday (thanks to my second year Trina for the procedure and Joran as well.) Super nakakatuwa. As a kid, I enjoyed playing the game in the family computer where I shot down flying saucers and ducks with the toy gun. It’s similar to that. Aim for the PCO and tear it to create an opening at the center. Ang cool! Plus there’s improvement in the visual acuity after. happy and satisfied ang patients when they followed-up kanina. haaaayy… two affirming reasons why I am in ophtha.

It has finally happened to me. Familiar with the particular scene at Bridget Jones Diary where Bridget was invited to dinner with her married friends and she was the only one single female around the table, or an episode in Sex and the City where Carrie was the only single female amongst her “happily-married” friends. I found myself in Bridget’s and Carrie’s shoes when I went on duty last night. I went out to buy my dinner after almost 8 hours of Glaucoma clinic without lunch or a break. Of course, I asked my senior and second year if they want to have food delivered. They already have food waiting for them in the callroom so I went out to buy food for myself. When I got back, there were 3 happy couples around the dining table (made to seat 6 people comfortably) eating their dinner. They actually painted such a pretty picture, I hated to crash their party. For one nanosecond, I thought of eating my dinner all by myself downstairs. But of course, that would be really silly, not to mention pathetic and useless. I had a good laugh about it. They made room for me of course – the 7th man – and I had my dinner.