It has always been a fear of mine that I may one day become completely numb and not sensitive to traumatic or emotional situations that we as health professionals see everyday. I have recently been on my self directed placement in Lautoka hospital, Fiji and I was assured that I am not yet NUMB! There were some very challenging situations emotionally and more to the point physically. I have never been physically affected by any clinical situation, until this occasion. I was working with one of the local Fijian physiotherapists in the diabetic ward in the hospital. Diabetes is a huge problem in Fiji and with the medical management the way it is, infection is their worst enemy. Delayed treatment is a strong contributor to the awful state that these patients end up in. They remain in their remote villages attempting to cure their slowly deteriorating, necrotic limbs and do not present to the hospital until it is too late and amputation is the only option. I have never really been phased by blood and guts, to tell the truth i find gory injuries fascinating! However, the men's diabetic ward in Fiji is a different story. I think when a pathology is purely visual I'm OK, touch is OK too, smell however tips me over the edge. I was treating one particular patient and everything was going along well, until they began to change the dressings on the neighbouring patients infected feet. This particular patient had maggots (not medical maggots, natural ones!) in his ulcers and the pungent odour could be smelt everywhere in the ward. Take the dressings off and my treatment with the neighbouring patient ended pretty quickly. We continued the session until the patient was safely back in bed and then I excuse my self and went to the bathroom. It can be concluded that my normally very strong stomach is not yet NUMB.