I'm new!

  Thank you, Sandi for sharing this with me; you really had me laughing, I was picturing the whole scene, and I'll tell you that I probably wouldn't do any better.  Sometimes being a nurse really does not help matters, you know.  We may try to reassure our patients, but in reality we know all the things that could go wrong.  Though in many cases the risk is small, it's still there.

You can bet I will re-read your post any time I start feeling the blues; thank you!  Oh, and the snotty doc had your leg coming to his jaw!  And kudos to the nurse for putting him in his place; I've had to do that a couple of times myself.  I remember one case particularly well, when the patient really wanted to go home; the doc called and I told him about the patient's wish.  He says "well, I'm not coming there tonight... I'll see him in the morning". 

A few hours later he shows up and hides in the nurses' report room and says "Don't tell Mr---- that I'm here... What's his deal anyway? He can wait until tomorrow..."  I pointed out how easy it is for him - and us - to say something like that.  At the end of his rounds and at the end of my 12-hr shift, I get to go home, but not our patients. It's always so much easier when you're standing beside the bed and your patient is IN the bed!  This insensitivity irks me to no end, Sandi!  The doc sat there for a while, then went in and wrote the discharge orders; unfortunately it was too late and the patient couldn't call anyone to give him a ride home

Will let you know what happens.  But, I know what will NOT happen.... a CT myelogram of my back and me exposing my landing strip for all to see, LOL

Oh, Sandi

your post was great because it made me cry.  When I read the last sentence "Thank you for being the kind of nurse that I would love having...", it hit me all over again, like a ton of bricks, that I will not longer be able to do bedside nursing.

I thought I had dealt with it, made peace with the fact, but I suppose I was wrong

Don't feel bad about it, I see it as a plus, actually. Made me realize I'm still going through the grieving process... it's one tough pill to swallow, Sandi, but Thank you.

I was catching up reading and saw your posts,was on a camping trip last week so didnt have internet . Our stories almost read like a book. I too was a nurse for many years and also got hurt at work and trated prety much like you did.

Ended up fighting w/c for way too long,the ony diff is that I blew my knee and didnt realize the toll on my back all that lifting pulling and tugging had brought on till many a year later.

Needless to say they fought tooth and nail,claimed I already had the kne problems,it was caused by a birth defect? sure didnt notice it for 40 years of my life. Blamed it on my part-time Nursing home job,having had 5 kids,the weather you name it,you got it,anything to deny I did it at the hospital.

Took a Lawyer, a w/c advocate and an act of God I think to finally get them to pay me,and remember for those who dont know w/c pays 2/3s of your base pay and most nurses make their money from shift difs,weekend diffs,12 hr difs,alot of diffs here so my base pay came out to about min.wage and I lost everything and I do mean everything I had worked for all those years before they decided to settle with me.

Long story short my knee and its usefulness was worth a whopping $12,000. Thats it with no future medical paid either. That was their final offer and I had no choice but to take it. I had applied for SSD but was still battling them and continued to for another year eventually getting it along with the max back pay allowed of a little less then 2 years,that almost another accept this or get nothing deal as well.

I not only lost my knee and my home and everything I was since I had been a Nurse since shortly after high school and it was my life and who I was with the exception of being a Mom to 5 great kids. That was the biggest loss in all,the time spent with my kids,the missed parts of their life,at home in pain or at the Doc or having more tests or seeing more Docs,having more surgeries,there was no benefits paid for those kinds of losses,the loss of life in general that could never be replaced.

The mere audacity of all of them thinking that we prefer NOT to work,not to participate in life and the living? For a ridiculously small amount of money to live on? Sometimes not enough to even pay for all my meds each month.

I know just how you feel when you say you have had enough,they seem to want us to get to that place,I think it is a plan to put us through more and more in the hopes that we will back off and out and refuse their tratments,offers and tests so they can have a reason to not pay, I was told by my Atty that refusing or not cooperating with the medical treatment or Docs was grounds for them to not pay me or my medical bills as it was considered not following Docs orders.

Didnt mean to run on for so long here but even after 12 years the losses and the treatments by an employer had worked along time for and given 100% to acted like they didnt even know me in the end.

Just wanted to say Hi and keep fighting dont let them win by force and good luck to you.

I just joined a few minutes ago, and I'm delighted to find you all!

Let me see if I can introduce myself without sounding like I'm whining. First, I'll give you the short list of what's causing my pain:

• Fibromyalgia
  
• Compressed nerves (cervical & lumbar)
  
• Bulging disks (cervical & lumbar)
  
• Tendonitis (both elbows)
  
• Spinal stenosis & bridging osteophytes
  
• Osteoarthritis
  
• Facet joint issues

That's all I can think of off the top of my head. I suspect there's more, but the meds make me dopey and forgetful.

Up until three years ago, I was working full-time, and loving it. Now I'm on Social Security Disability & fighting the good fight against my long-term disability carrier, which hasn't paid me since last July (and that was retroactive to the previous September). I've had a laminectomy & fusion (C3-7), and just recently a tenotomy in my left elbow (NOT having the other one done, by the way -- the tendonitis pain is so minor compared with the rest of it that it's not worth the aggravation the surgery caused).

I've had epidurals (5 or 6 -- lost count) in both neck & lower back, live on more meds than I'd like, and just found out I have to leave my magnificent primary care physician because of an insurance change. Seeing the new PCP next week, so fingers crossed she'll be as good as the one I just left.

I try to stay positive, but -- as I'm sure you all know -- it's hard sometimes. I'm stuck at home since my husband totalled our second car (he's fine), plus I'm so dopey that the days just drift by.

I run a small nonprofit organization (unpaid), and I've had to recruit volunteers and delegate as much as I can. Plus my little bit of freelance work (way under the Social Security minimums) is tough to do.

Progress is slow... but there is progress.

What keeps me going is my husband, who has been terrific, and the fact that 20+ years ago, when I had two near-fatal accidents and was first diagnosed with fibromyalgia, it ultimately turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to me.

I'm eager to hear from other people who are going through similar situations. I've checked out many forums in the last few days, and this seems the best run and the most positive.

Looking forward to hearing from anyone who cares to write back.

--P

Thanks for the advice and the welcome. I'll go repost (as opposed to ripost)!

Screaming Eagle said...
Hello Sherlockjr!

Would you do us a favor and repost your introduction on a new post, so that all members will see that you are a new member here.

I think you find a better responce if you do that for us.

I look forward to seeing you on it and will welcome you there. If you need any help just holler at us and we will be happy to help you. Make sure you fill out the subject line as well.

Thank You so much! [img]/community/emoticons/smilewinkgrin.gif[/img]

SE [img]/community/emoticons/wink.gif[/img]