Schutzenfest

Where do I even begin to describe my first two weeks in psychiatry?

Is it with the woman who has drug runners on her roof? Or the guy who is writing the soon-to-be-released hit song that is going to bring about world peace?

Sorry, I’m getting ahead of myself. Some details: in my psychiatry rotation, I’ll spend the final two weeks over at FMC, but the first four weeks I get to spend on Ward 17 of the Repatriation General Hospital. The Repat is the Aussie version of the Veterans Administration Hospital, with a focus on treating vets. However, it is also authorized to take war widows and civilians; as you can imagine, it makes for a very interesting mix.

Anyway, I show up on the first day, making sure my med student ID is very visible (no sense in getting confused with a patient on my first day) and I notice this guy out in front of the building having a smoke with a parakeet sitting backwards on one shoulder. I figure he’s there for comic relief or animal therapy – you know, some places bring in pooches to make the patients feel better. Nope. Turns out, he’s a patient.

The guy, not the bird.

After seeing him wander the wards with the bird on his shoulder (Or maybe the bird was flying around the ward with a guy in his claws. Didn’t think of it that way. But I digress.), I finally asked someone about it. With the medical issues this guy has, both mental and physical, Max is pretty-much his best and only friend and goes everywhere with him: out for a smoke, around the grounds for a walk, even into counseling sessions with senior psychiatrists.

But Max has created a minor disturbance on the ward.

There is another patient staying with us on Ward 17, courtesy of the courts. He’s big into health and fitness and is constantly lecturing everyone on the evils of sugar and caffeine (which is enough to put him on the bad side of the staff – not to mention the medical students – considering it’s all that keeps us going) and managing to stir up all the patients. Bird Man almost took a swing when he was lectured on smoking; seems Health Guy was rather concerned Max may develop emphysema from second-hand smoke…

Never a dull moment. And I haven’t even mentioned the patient who was discharged and went home with another patients’ mum he met during visiting hours…

I don’t know if I have ever mentioned this, but Adelaide has a very strong German heritage. You can get great bratwurst and potato salad just about everywhere. Well, every year they have this thing called Schutzenfest. It’s some kinda festival celebrating German culture: the beer will be flowing freely as competitors vie for prizes in archery and shooting contests.

Does anybody *else* see the problem inherent in this?

And with that, it’s the weekend. I’ll do some cleaning and maybe open a psych textbook, in addition to hanging out with some classmates. Not to mention heading to Schutzenfest – provided I can get my flak jacket back from the cleaners. Don’t want to go underdressed…

As always, Love to All and keep working on your 101 List!
Bryan