The Weekly Dose...

... the latest from Dr Karan

  Here is your weekly dose...  

Hi all!Here is your weekly dose of the Sunday Six! A list of what has piqued my interest and things I've been pondering.If you're enjoying these newsletters please forward them to your friends, family and even enemies! Help me to help as many people as possible.**You'll find more in depth analysis of some of these subjects on my social platforms in the links just below, including Dr Karan Investigates! for deep dives into interesting topics on my YouTube channel.**

A few points for you this week

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- Perception is a Strange Thing

If you follow me on Facebook I mentioned how a couple of medical students watched me remove a patients gallbladder, and that they were stunned with how familiar I was with human anatomy. This is a wonderful example of perception. I've been a surgeon for a few years now - not as many as some of you assumed - so a lot of what I do is second nature. 

However, watching somebody do something for the first time can be mind-blowing. Whether its watching somebody removing an appendix in surgery, fixing the engine of a car, or even seeing your beloved Arsenal winning the Premier League. Unless you see it all the time and are aware of how it happens it's always going to surprise you.

This brings me to my first time performing surgery solo. It was a keyhole appendix removal, a laparoscopic appendicectomy if you will. Now, laparoscopic surgery is strange because there's something called parallax view which you need to get used to. This means if I move the instruments left, they will move right, if I move up, they will move down, and so on. This is of course all occurring during the actual procedure. You then have to take into account the numerous people watching you, your boss critiquing your every move, a bleeding patient, and so many other things running through your mind. It's a pretty tough ask for a 26 year old doing their first emergency surgery!

Thankfully the senior was - like most seniors in this profession - very understanding and guided me through the process. I look back now after performing several hundred surgeries and think 'why was I nervous?' ... perception is the answer! After six years of patience, time, consistency, and some luck, something that once seemed daunting is now routine. 

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- What I'm Listening to

Floating Through Space - Spotify 

I've been listening to this playlist on Spotify almost nonstop this past week. I was in LA last October and spent some time in a sensory deprivation tank, it was a surreal, psychedelic experience. Although this playlist doesn't quite replicate this, it is as close to the the real thing I've come across. It makes me feel strange, but in a really cool way. Take my advice and lie down on the floor, or in bed, in complete darkness with no distractions and embrace the freedom.

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- Live a Life that Maintains Quality and Quantity

You shouldn't have to sacrifice quality for quantity, if we look at our health-span instead of our lifespan.

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- What I'm Watching

Mariana Trench | In Pursuit of the Abyss 

If you're not familiar with the Mariana Trench, it is the deepest part of the ocean, as well as being the deepest location on earth. As humans it is in our nature to want to explore and pursue the unknown, and this documentary delves into the abyss. We will likely never know the full extent of the worlds oceans, but that's the fascination! New species are still being discovered in this area, it is terrifying and exciting all at the same time when we realise how little we know about our planet.

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- Polio: We Need to Talk About it

Now. when we talk about Polio we are usually referring to a bygone era, every parent feared for their child when this viral disease was rife. Following the discovery of a form of the poliovirus in UK sewage recently (specifically North and East London), the situation needs to be addressed again. Children between the ages of one and nine are being offered the vaccine. This isn't on the same level as the original Polio epidemic, nor is it going to be as difficult to deal with as Covid 19, but it is still important to protect ourselves from.

Thankfully most people are vaccinated from this, so the overall risk of the virus is low.  But please seek the advise of a health care professional if you are unsure what to do. Also, check my TikTok account for a video on this 

Polio - TikTok.

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- What I'm Doing

So, this week I've really went to town on my Social Media accounts. I want to offer you all as much advice and information as possible. There's nothing better for me, as a doctor, than to help people. You'll find videos almost daily on my TikTok and Instagram accounts, and enough to keep you busy on YouTube and Facebook. 

On some platforms you'll find different playlists where I give you an insight into my personal difficulties and experiences in medicine, as well as funny moments. Links to all my socials are above, as well as my TikTok here - 

Dr Karan | TikTok

. I'm here to help so if there's anything you want to see more of, just let me know!

❄️

-Fun Fact this Week

We all have a unique set of fingerprints. Although you may know this, have you ever considered why you have distinctive patterns on your fingertips individual to you? Your prints are actually formed before you're born. As a foetus moving around inside of a womb your fingers rub against the side, these minute forces push the skin whilst it grows, therefore moulding the direction of the growing ridges. This is why every persons has their own individual print!

As always, please give me feedback on Twitter. Which of this weeks Sunday six is your favourite? Is there something you want more, or less of? I'm open to any suggestions so please let me know! Just send a  tweet to @drkaranrajan and use the hashtag #theweeklydose at the end so I can find it!

Have a wonderful week, all.

Much love,

Karan