[texas_lvn]

I have worked med-surg for 6 months now, and absolutely love it. I have seen several people come in with one diagnosis to leave with another.

Had a pt that came in with a dislocated shoulder, to leave knowing she had lung CA. Only because of the CT scan of the shoulder that was accidently a whole body scan, did they find the mass. Good oops.

Then I had a 19 year old that she thought she had a horrible cold, only to find out she had non-Hodgkins Lymphma. Poor girl is handling everything good.

So, have you had any similar experiences?

Edit for spelling

[Daytonite]

Oh, yes. Can you say, LUCKY PATIENTS?

[Altra]

Most definitely. My ER patients have included:

Pt. w/cough - renal failure.

Pt. w/R knee pain - lymphoma.

Pt. w/nausea - lung mass, probable CA.

Sometimes it goes the other way and isn't nearly as bad as it first seems ...

Pt. w/syncope & period of unresponsiveness - anxiety.

[MB37]

My husband made me go sit in the ER with him all day a couple years ago, b/c he thought he had appendicitis. Diagnosis? Gas. Rx: Maalox.

[Emmanuel Goldstein]

Originally Posted by texas_lvn

I have worked med-surg for 6 months now, and absolutely love it. I have seen several people come in with one diagnosis to leave with another.

Had a pt that came in with a dislocated shoulder, to leave knowing she had lung CA. Only because of the CT scan of the shoulder that was accidently a whole body scan, did they find the mass. Good oops.

Then I had a 19 year old that she thought she had a horrible cold, only to find out she had non-Hodgkins Lymphma. Poor girl is handling everything good.

So, have you had any similar experiences?

Edit for spelling

Yeah; I see it all the time. Sad.

Had an athletic young man in his mid-30's, healthy as a horse, with a beautiful family and a terrific professional career went in for xrays d/t hip pain after jogging. Turned out to be a pathological fracture secondary to bone mets from lung CA. He never smoked a day in his life, nor had he been exposed to any significant second-hand smoke.

We treated him, but it only bought him a few months. The cancer had spread far and wide by the time he was diagnosed.

[earle58]

my mom went to the doctor's, for a persistent dry cough only.
she was dx'd with aml and died 1 month later (complications from chemo).

leslie

[BigMack]

"Had an athletic young man in his mid-30's, healthy as a horse, with a beautiful family and a terrific professional career went in for xrays d/t hip pain after jogging. Turned out to be a pathological fracture secondary to bone mets from lung CA. He never smoked a day in his life, nor had he been exposed to any significant second-hand smoke."

Very sad =\.

Taking this off topic; Im a nursing student and havn't seen or been in a situation like the ones stated above. What is the best way to deal with situation like these as a nurse? Not only towards the family but yourself?

[earle58]

Originally Posted by BigMack

"Had an athletic young man in his mid-30's, healthy as a horse, with a beautiful family and a terrific professional career went in for xrays d/t hip pain after jogging. Turned out to be a pathological fracture secondary to bone mets from lung CA. He never smoked a day in his life, nor had he been exposed to any significant second-hand smoke."

Very sad =\.

Taking this off topic; Im a nursing student and havn't seen or been in a situation like the ones stated above. What is the best way to deal with situation like these as a nurse? Not only towards the family but yourself?

as a nurse, you would handle these situations the same as you would handle any other type of patient:

sensitivity, to respond to their needs and hopes;
and competence, to manage their disease process and its' implications.

leslie