Posted 3/24/2023 4:19 AM (GMT 0)
You all know that I was very optimistic and scheduled something for every day of this week with my doctor's, a scope and today was my Remicade infusion.... tomorrow is yet another doctor.....
1st off they kept me on Remicade! 🥳 Yea!!!! I don't know how they did it but my infusion nurse said my GI was having an absolute fit, and then he got the allergy doctor involved and my CRS, PCP, Rheumatologist and .. and they ended up leaving it alone.
My last infusion I got the new nurse. She's funny and kind and I really really like her. But with the pros you know there have to be cons. 🥴
Last infusion My port was wonky so we had a hard time getting the blood draws, she forgot the TB and the Remicade trough level, and she didn't set the pump correctly and my 4 hour infusion took 1 and a half hours total time--which made me have the headache from hell and puke on the way home..... It was rough going... In her defense the pumps are older and you do have to manually input the information to get the same amount to go thru without an increase in amount or speeding up the injection rate... And I was her 1st patient using those pumps.
But hey, I knew we were in a learning curve. Did I mention that I really really like her.... So gentle and kind.....
This infusion My port was still wonky but she was able to get the blood after my infusion.(thru my port since my elbow vein is still healing from the scope extravaganza.) My port would not cooperate before the infusion. (It might be time for a new port😡😡) But the directions for the infusion pump timer that the other nurse provided to her turned my 4 hour infusion into an almost 5 hour infusion -- plus all the time we spent trying to get my port to work and then to get blood. I was there from 9 to 355. Sigh... But my nurse was wonderful!!! I did have to remind her to get the starting vitals because she was so flustered about my port not working... And the crazy positions I went into to get it to work. She didn't know what to do... Laugh or cry. Imagine the Pillsbury Dough boy flipping around and hanging upside down in the infusion chair....saying "ok...hit it now... I know it's gonna work now....this is my desperate measures move and it hasn't failed me yet"..with my evil grin and laughter... But hey.... It worked... Lol... Just thinking of it and her expression still makes me laugh. I don't think she's had a patient try to help so enthusiastically. I apologized several times on if I had scared or alarmed her with my unconventional behavior and told her I really hoped she could stay on Thursdays so I have the opportunity to see her on my infusion days.(OMG... I hope she doesn't go AWOL because she thought I was threatening her!)
The other nurses are letting her do ALL of her own work. They don't jump in to help her alot. They aren't mean they are just letting her learn. And I'm the one with the most health issues and the wonky port and veins so she is having a challenging time. I've kept track of all my "cheats" and when she came in I had her close my door and I gave her the list of cheats the other nurses use and told her she could use them or not.... It didn't matter to me... I just wanted her to be comfortable and successful. She almost cried... And she took the list.
They run saline with my Remicade... And the premeds shrink my bladder to the size of a walnut. She helped me with my 2 poles on the way to the bathroom. .. she made sure my pumps and monitors were plugged in and turned towards me so I could see everything. She came in and checked my tubing to make sure I wasn't tangled up... After the bathroom jaunts .. the other nurses do no do those things..... I'm so excited..... I have found a "keeper".
Did I tell you that I really really like this new nurse? LOL. God must be giving me extra blessings because of the nasty ones I had to deal with. Amazingly I'm not angry anymore. Discount surgery has seen the back end of me walking away in more than one way... LOL. But best of all... This nurse gave me back my hope and belief in nurses... Such a powerful gift... And she did it by just being herself and doing a fantastic job.
And that almost 5 hour infusion.... Tonight I don't have a headache at all... Or the shakes... Or anything. I feel normal. Usually I'm taking benedryl and excedrine and Zofran and icing my head...... I wonder if I can get her to do it again??? This is nice....
So what do you think? Do we train our infusion nurses, do they train us or is it an exchange of compromises?
Clo