Day off . Bleeding session
I couldn't remember when was the last time I saw the sun? The non-stop heavy rain finally caused flood in Kuching (includes the shortcut to my working place).
I decided to take the main road, which is quite congested during daytime, to my lab. However, my senior lab assistant (he is the only who has the lab keys) called when I was stuck in the heavy traffic...
"hey, just want to let you know that I can't go to lab today because of the flood. So.... take a day off. bye bye!"
"......."
I was a bit mad as he only made the call when I stuck in the traffic jam. Never mind, I can bring my car for service. Something wrong with the hand brake since yesterday. The warning light is blinking even though I released the brake.
"Oh, xiao bai, you're only 1 year old, don't scared me."After staying an hour at the service center, I finally get my car's hand brake fixed and also claim the rear alarm back. I never know the rear alarm was not installed in my car until Daniel bought his Viva.
Hmm... tomorrow is Tuesday, the farm might send in chicks for tests again. I am still not good in taking blood. Out of ten, there will be two or three killed in bleeding session. The chick struggles hard and causes the needle penetrate through its heart and then its liver or lung.
I remembered the first day I do blood collection, it was a mess. I learn the way the senior assistant holding the chicks and slowly I penetrate the needle into the pity little chick's heart to get the blood.
Hmm... tomorrow is Tuesday, the farm might send in chicks for tests again. I am still not good in taking blood. Out of ten, there will be two or three killed in bleeding session. The chick struggles hard and causes the needle penetrate through its heart and then its liver or lung.
I remembered the first day I do blood collection, it was a mess. I learn the way the senior assistant holding the chicks and slowly I penetrate the needle into the pity little chick's heart to get the blood.
The chick was 'screaming' in pain but after a while it stopped...
"What happen to the chick?"
"Oh, it's dead!"
"DEAD?!!" (For the first time in my life, I killed a Chick! I was holding a dead chick!) "Anyway, is the blood enough for ELISA?"
chicks, your sacrifice is to save your family, the other thousand of siblings!"Let's see...Alamak! Your syringe should be parallel with the chick's neck not holding it at 90 degrees!! I think you have caused damage on the other organ. hmm...1ml..can la..." (Well, he is right. He showed me the large bruise on the liver after dissecting.)
Soon after the bleeding session, I have to kill and dissect the chosen chicks in order to take their organs for bacterial examination.
"Nah, sulin, break the chick's neck using the scissors. You've to do it fast and break the neck completely or the chicks will suffer. . ."
I did not do it well. After seeing me spending an hour to kill and dissect the first chick, he spoke to me again...
"Okay la, this time I help you to do. If not, you will still be standing here until tomorrow morning."
Soon after the bleeding session, I have to kill and dissect the chosen chicks in order to take their organs for bacterial examination.
"Nah, sulin, break the chick's neck using the scissors. You've to do it fast and break the neck completely or the chicks will suffer. . ."
I did not do it well. After seeing me spending an hour to kill and dissect the first chick, he spoke to me again...
"Okay la, this time I help you to do. If not, you will still be standing here until tomorrow morning."
Dissecting is not difficult for me, but killing an innocent chick is tough.
Two weeks ago, I was asked to take the goat blood. Sigh...I still cannot handle the little chick well, how can I take the blood from a huge goat?
"Before we start, do you know what is the brick-like thing?"
"Ha!! Are you serious? (Of course I'm not.) It's SALT (sodium chloride) which is essential in goat's diet."
We had a hard time taking blood from the male goat. Since the female is quiet, we only took the female's blood. (haha...) Next time, we have to take the blood from the male by hook or by crook, or the female will die due to anemia.