ذئب جريح
Posted by: Bassem on: November 25, 2009
جففي دموعك وأرخي قبضتيك رجاء
فليست لدي القدرة ولا الرغبة في القتال
لا أريد أن نستمر في حرب نحن فيها الخاسرون
ونصبح بعدها عدوين نبكي على الأطلال
كيف انتهى الأمر بنا في هذا الكابوس؟
ولم ليس باستطاعتنا الاستيقاظ منه؟
أبن ذهب الحلم الذي كنا نتشاركه سوياً؟
لم نركض في الاتجاه المعاكس بعيداً عنه؟
أحبك كما لم ولن أحب شخصاُ آخر
فلم أصر على إيذائك كأننا لم نكن يوماً أحباب؟
كذئب جريح أتراجع إلى ركن بعيد وحيداً
كأنني مسعور والويل لكل من يحاول الاقتراب
آسف لأنني أجبرتك على الدفاع عن نفسك
فأنا أرى ألمك كلما تلفظت بكلمة لي جارحة
وأدرك كم صعب هو أن تردي الهجمات
وأنت لم تنسي بعد معارك البارحة
تعبت كثيراً وأعرف أنك تعبت أكثر
أعدك بهدنة أحافظ عليها بكل ما أوتيت من قوة
واعرف أن الاعتذار لا يذهب الندبات
لكن ربما سننسى يوماً أننا سقطنا في هذا الهوة
I’m Married!
Posted by: Bassem on: October 22, 2009
- In: Personal
- 3 Comments
Well, not technically!
I had my Milkah last Thursday. It’s a well-known event/concept to Saudis and their neighbouring gulf countries but not so much to the rest of the world.
It’s when you have a party, you get your marriage certificate and you have all the rights and obligations of a husband/wife. However, you don’t get to go on a honeymoon or go to your own home. You do those things after an actual “wedding” party that usually takes place a couple of months later.
I know. Pretty complex, eh?
Anyhow, we had a big party in Intercontinental Hotel. Friends and family were in attendance and we danced the night away. Everything went perfectly alhamdillah. We got the video footage and pictures tonight and everything looked amazing. The most common comment I was and still getting is that it was a very fun night for everyone which is exactly what we hoped it would be! God knows we had our share of fun!
Too bad the weekend passed too quickly and we went back to work on Saturday.
A lot of things are taking place and my mind and time are very occupied. More updates later, hopefully.
3ogbalakom kollakom 
KAU Medical School Newsletter
Posted by: Bassem on: October 4, 2009
- In: Medical
- 2 Comments
Issue 1 is OUT NOW!
The first newsletter to be published by KAU Medical School is finally out. It was a dream that has finally come true after a year of planning and hard work. This newsletter is the result of the collaboration of many talented and exceptional individuals who didn’t spare neither time nor effort to make this thought become reality.
I can’t adequately describe the way I felt as students, house officers, residents and even consultants flipped through the pages with admiring eyes today as we distributed the newsletter throughout college and the university hospital. The feedback we have been getting is overwhelming to say the least. All the hours and sleepless nights invested in this project are paying off now.
This is only the beginning. I hope that the best is yet to come. I can’t imagine what it must feel like if a couple of years from now I came back to my medical school and saw the 20th or 30th issue being distributed.
Today, I sleep well with a proud heart!
All KAU Medical students and doctors are welcome to join us. Please send your contributions and information to our email address and we will contact you back.
Email:
or more information regarding distribution and where you can find your copy visit our Facebook Group.
The E-version should be available within a few days on the KAU Faculty of Medicine website.
Please read the newsletter and spread the word. Share it with your friends and tell others. All comments and feedback are appreciated.
PS. I’m the Editor-in-Chief
Facebook Group!
Posted by: Bassem on: September 17, 2009
I just created a group on facebook in which I’m going to post all of my writings. If you are interested in keeping up with my latest creations then join the group and stay updated. Invite your friends too 
However, I promise you that everything which is going to be posted there will be posted here and vice versa.
Join the Facebook Group
أفتقدك كثيراً
Posted by: Bassem on: September 7, 2009
أفتقدك كثيراً
في صدري جرح غائر لا يريد الاندمال
وأعرف أنه محرم علي التحدث إليك
وأعرف أن مشاعري يجب أن تبقى حبيسة الضلوع
لكني اعرف كما تعرفين أن هذا محال
أفتقدك كثيراً
وأتمنى التمرد على جميع المحاذير والقوانين
على تعنت الآباء و سخافة التقاليد
على أعراف غبية لم يأت الله بها من سلطان
ومجتمع حجري متعصب لا يلين
أفتقدك كثيراً
وتؤلمني رؤيتك كل يوم تسترقين النظر
ثم تشيحين بعينك بعيداً
حتى أتقنا أدوارنا المسرحية كغريبة وغريب
وبالأمس كنا حبيبة وحبيب ، يالسخرية القدر
أفتقدك كثيراً
كيف ساستمر في حياة خالية منك وأنا وحيد
لا أريد أن أكون مع امرأة أخرى
لا أريد أن أراك مع رجل آخر
لا أريد أن ألقاك يوماً مصادفة وألقي التحية من بعيد
أفتقدك كثيراً
لكنه ظلم أن أجرك إلى دوامة ليس لها نهاية
لأغرق أنا وربما ستطفين أنت
وليس ضعفاً مني الاستسلام
إنما في الحرب من الشجاعة أن تضع حداً للضحابا
The On-Calls!
Posted by: Bassem on: September 3, 2009
- In: Medical| Personal
- 6 Comments
Unfortunately, I’m too sleepy and tired at the moment to write something eloquent!
My first on-call: It was on a Sunday and I was covering the Obstetrics ward meaning I stay to monitor the in-patinets’ conditions overnight and make sure that all new admissions are clerked and evaluated. I was assigned to the Labor and Delivery Unit at that time during my morning shift and it was a slow day so I had hope I’ll be seeing some action at night! However, the on-call night was running smoothly until 10 p.m. or so when my fellow on-call mate covering the L&D Unit decided to get us dinner. He brought mashawi, grilled goods, and immediately after the first bite I knew something was wrong! I had eaten a pine nut by mistake which they have used in the filling of the kebab! I’m allergic to all kinds of nuts and I tend to get even anaphylaxis which is the severest form of allergic reactions. I started vomiting right away and it was funny when I had to go to the obstetrics ward and tell the charge nurse there that their on-call doctor is heading to the ER to get some medications for himself! It was a crappy night in which I kept throwing up all night and feeling extremely unwell. Somehow, I managed to do my work too because in general, the wards aren’t very demanding.
My 2nd on-call: I was scheduled to cover the OB GYN ER service. The resident who was covering ER with me, Dr. Ibrahim, told me straight away: I’m jinxed and every on-call of mine turns out to be a disaster! We saw nearly 30 patients that night and I didn’t even enter the on-call room to rest except for once at 4:00 a.m. and I got paged at 4:05 exactly! Needless to say I only got to sleep around noon the next day! I’ve seen most of the OB GYN book that day!
We had ordered dinner and it was delivered at 10 p.m. but we couldn’t sit down to eat until midnight! Just before dawn at 5:00 a.m. there was only one patient left in the ER and we had some hope that finally we’ll get to rest. Dr. Ibrahim said, don’t get your hopes up! Dawn is the time when all the worst cases present! Just after he said those words we entered to see a patient who’s in labor. Abdominal examination indicated that the baby was in transverse lie. In PV examination we felt the baby’s fingers coming out from the vagina! We rushed her into the OR to perform emergency cesarean section. The last case of the day was of a patient coming in with PV bleeding and turned out to be a threatened abortion. I told the nurses that out of the kindness of my heart I will cover this case although officially I was off-duty!
It was a day to remember. Jaded as I was, I was also satisfied!
The 3rd on-call: It was a Thursday which is always worrying! This has proved that there is something wrong with me during on-calls that attracts all kinds of bad things! I was covering L&D Unit and during the time from 8 a.m. till 10 a.m. the next day there were 16 deliveries! 14 of which were normal spontaneous vaginal deliveries while two were of emergency c-sections. The 2nd c-section was due to cord prolapse in which the umbilical cord falls in advance of the baby’s head following rupture of the membranes which is an obstetric emergency. I was examining the patient’s abdomen when she said, I think my water broke! The nurse was cleaning her and did a PV exam after which she yelled, I can feel the cord! That was the quickest c-section I have ever seen. There was a case of shoulder dystocia of which the new resident handled really well . It’s when the baby’s shoulder gets stuck behind the symphysis pubis following delivery of the head. The baby made it out fine although he was severely cyanosed.
That was all nothing compared to the patient who was transferred to L&D just before dawn! She had severe pre-eclampsia (gestaional hypertension, a syndrome of complex pathophysiology unique to pregnancy) that resulted in placental abruption (premature separation of the placenta from the uterus) and lead to Intrauterine Fetal Death (IUFD) that got complicated by Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (DIC). We transfused 10 units of cryoprecipitate, 6 units of Fresh Frozen Plasma and 2 units of Packed RBC’s. The patient required close monitoring and I was worried from such a responsibility. Alhamdillah the patient now is in a good condition.
There was a difficult moment around 6:oo a.m. when I had to tell the patient’s husband everything that had happened since he didn’t have a clue. IUFD is something that shouldn’t be experienced by anyone. The patient was crying and I admired how supportive the husband was although I could tell he was struggling with his own emotions too.
So what’s the point of this entry? I guess I just wanted to document those first on-calls. I know I’ll look back on them one day with a sense of nostalgia and I’ll have a smile on my face.
Hell, I’m even considering OB GYN as a future speciality now! I’m supposed to be on-call this upcoming Saturday covering L&D !
حاجز من زجاج
Posted by: Bassem on: August 20, 2009
تنظر إلي بعين خاوية
بل هي تنظر عبري إلى ما ورائي
أنا اللاشيء في مرمى النظر
حاجز من زجاج لا يبالي به الرائي
“”فيم تفكرين؟” أسألها
“لا شيء” تكذب بابتسامة
ولم أكن يوماً شاغلاً لتفكيرها
لكني أكون ظالماً لو قلت أنها الملامة
“أظن الطفلة تبكي”
عذرها المفضل للهروب
تبتعد عني وعن نظراتي المتسائلة
تذهب بعد أن تقبل جبيني كأخ لا كمحبوب
نتشارك سريراً في الليل
تفصل جسدينا أقل المسافات
وبيننا جبال ومحيطات من غربة
والصمت يعلو على جميع الأصوات
أغمض عيني ولا أنام
أحاول أن لا أحلم بأخرى
الذنب ينتهشني حياُ ولا يبقي
أصارع هذه الأفكار التي لا تروى
على عويل الطفلة نستيقظ
وكل يريد أن يحملها أولاً هذه المرة
في بكائها أنس في ظلام الليل
في بكائها نسيان لحظي للحقيقة المرة
لا نتحدث إلا عنها
القاسم المشترك الوحيد
“لقد بدأت الحبو اليوم…”
“وفي تلك الثانية أنا أب فخور وزوج سعيد
“أحبك…” “وأنا أبضاُ”
نقولها كواجب زوجي ممل
أتخيل حياة مختفلة مع امرأة مختلفة
وآسفاً أعرف بل أوقن أنها تفعل المثل
نأوي للنوم تحت غطاء واحد
ونبني بيننا ألف سياج وسياج
ونستيقظ ليوم آخر كسابقيه
تنظر عبري وأنا عبرها كحاجزين من زجاج
اللقاء الأخير
Posted by: Bassem on: August 14, 2009
في صمت نرتشف القهوة
في لساني طعم حلو مشوب بالمرارة
أظنه طعم اللقاء الأخير
طعم الفراق لا تخففه إلا الذكريات السارة
“أتذكرين أول لقاء؟”
أسألها فتبتسم من دون جواب
ليس هناك ما يقال الآن
المستقبل واقع بينما الماضي مجرد سراب
أحبها كما لم ولن أحب غيرها
هي أول وآخر وأكمل النساء
تحبني بكل براءة وجرأة وتضحية
ونحن خطان متوازيان ليس لنا في يوم التقاء
“لو أن الأمنيات تمسي حقيقة …
لتمنيت حبك منذ زمن بعيد”
تقولها وفي عينها دمعة تشرق
لكن الحياة غريبة لا تبالي بما نريد
ربما الوداع أفضل
ربما هذا هو المقدر
ألف ربما قد لا نعرفها يوماً
ربما حياتنا معاً لن تكون بالسعادة التي نتصور
“أحبك أنت من بعد ليلى …
فأنت وطفلتي حبكما يزيد ولا يقل”
يدق الهاتف فتستأذن للرحيل
“معذرة إنه بالخارج هذا زوجي هو المتصل”
Saudi Arabia and Swine Flu: Current Status
Posted by: Bassem on: August 8, 2009
- In: Medical
- 2 Comments
This article will not be discussing Swine Flu/H1N1 virus in details but rather will address the current status of Swine Flu in Saudi Arabia in addition to some educational tips. For more information visit the Wikipedia 2009 Flu Pandemic Page or Center of Disease Control H1N1 Flu Page
First of all, let’s address the nomenclature. There have been a lot of debate that Swine Flu is not an accurate name to describe the condition caused by the H1N1 virus which is a mutation of four strains of influenza virus, two of which are endemic in pigs. However, for easier reference, Swine Flu in this article will be addressed as such.
There have been over 300 reported cases of Swine Flu in Saudi Arabia to this date with 4 unfortunate fatalities. There could be even more than 300 cases documented but the Ministry of Health have decided that it will not publish daily counts of the disease unless there are specific causes to do so because most of those cases are considered mild. However, the Ministry is keeping track of those numbers to monitor the progress of the disease.
The 4 deaths occurring in 3 different regions of the kingdom are sparking alarm. The first fatality was of a 30-year old Saudi man who passed away in Dammam, Eastern Province, despite hospitalization and treatment with antiviral medications. The second fatality also occurred in the Eastern Province and it was of an Indonesian expatriate who was 28 years old. The 3rd case was of Saudi male nurse in Al-Qasseem who was 32 years old. The last one to reported was in the Northern region of a 25-year old Saudi man.
These numbers are particularly alarming when we consider the fact that Hajj season is just around the corner. Pilgrimage usually takes place one time a year during Dhu al-Hijjah which the month of Hajj according to the Hijri Islamic calender. It is only 3 months away and plenty of those hoping to perform Hajj will be start visiting the holy cities starting from the month of Ramadan and afterwards.
The ministry of health has again confirmed that it has a clear strategy regarding this year’s Hajj season of which the cases of Swine Flu are expected to escalate. One of the first steps of control is that the Arab Health Ministries in their meeting in July in agreement with the Saudi Ministry of Health has decided to prevent certain vulnerable groups from performing Hajj this year including but not limited to: Men over 65 years of age, children under 12, patients with chronic debilitating diseases and pregnant women.
World Health Organization also has issued its recommendations for the Swine Flu vaccine that is expected to be available at the end of 2009, which prioritize the following groups to receive it: Household contacts of children younger than 6 months, Children and young people between the ages of 6 months and 24 years, Health-care workers and emergency medical service personnel and those with conditions that increase the risk of complications from influenza. It is also recommended to take the seasonal flu vaccine in addition.
There have been reports that hospitals in Makkah are not well equipped to deal with the large number of pilgrims expected this year, nearly 2 millions, with insufficient amounts of antiviral medications and seemingly absence of required vaccines. The Ministry of Health is currently working on this.
One of the main issues in Saudi Arabia is the lack of health education. There have not been much reports or public messages to increase the public;s knowledge of this condition, how to prevent it, when to seek medical attention and to rectify many of the misconceptions regarding this disease, one of which I have heard of myself; we can’t have swine flu here in Saudi Arabia because we don’t have pigs! More effort should be put in this area to educate the public especially now when Hajj season is near.
Now is Swine Flu a well staged play that is not actually worrisome? Some of you are well aware that the “regular” Influenza virus kills over thousands if not tens of thousands of people every winter each year. So why the worry from Swine Flu which its international death toll is not over a thousand yet? Well, the facts that its spread is more rapid than the usual strains in addition to the fatalities that happened to young men and women that were considered healthy otherwise. However, you do not need to panic.
Just take a quick look at the two links I have posted above and follow the required precautions and inshallah you’ll be just fine. May God keep you safe and healthy!
PS. You are free to eat pigs since its consumption does not lead to Swine Flu. However, it is Haram you know!
First Day as an Intern
Posted by: Bassem on: August 2, 2009
- In: Personal
- 3 Comments
Well to those of you who don’t know, Medicine takes 6 years to study in KSA followed by a 7th year called Internship Year which is a grey cross-over year I guess between being a student and an actual doctor. You’re still called Doctor during internship and you get the famous Dr. before your name but you’re always supervised with many restrictions when it comes to patients’ management since we are not considered “real” doctors yet!
Anyhow, I arrived to the hospital just a little before 8:00 a.m. with my better half. We had a meeting with the Obstetrics & Gynecology interns’ supervisor since I’ll be starting OB GYN at King Abdulaziz University Hospital. I was assigned to the Labor and Delivery Room for the first two weeks. We also got our on-call schedule. I got three Sundays and a Thursday for the month of August which is fine. We received our new ID’s and got the famous pager that everyone will use to hunt us whenever we think we have a moment of spare time!
Right after that, around 10 a.m. we were assigning the cases in the L&D room as it’s called here among us the team scheduled to cover L&D for the first two weeks. Who wants C-Section? Said the OB GYN Specialist and I volunteered to take it. Scrubbed in and got to assist for the first time in a C-Section. I had only observed a couple of them before.
Back in L&D I arrived to find a vaginal delivery waiting for me to clerk and work up. It was the first time I get to assist in a vaginal delivery! I did some paperwork then I stepped into another room to observe episiotomy repair which looked too difficult for me to attempt! Another vaginal delivery and paperwork and it’s 4:30 in the afternoon and everyone is getting ready to go home. I was walking outside the ward making some phone calls when the specialist that I assisted in the morning called out to me: “Bassem are you up for another C-Section?” I instantly replied yes!
I left the hospital just after 7:oo p.m. happy that I got to do my first sub-cuticular stitch on the lady and that I was more involved in the procedure this time around.
I got back home, slept and woke up to do some paper work and send a couple of emails. Organizing my schedule and planning the Scientific Committee to-do-list for the GCC Conference I mentioned in a previous post.
I fell asleep. Went to the hospital. Got back this time just after 6 p.m.
My back is KILLING me and so are my feet. Internship is going to be one long and hard year! I can’t deny though that I think it’ll be a rewarding one at the same time inshallah!
Best of luck to all new interns out there!
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