Do you have everything you're learning about?

Nursing Students General Students

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Hi all -

I'm in my second semester of nursing school, and I can't tell you how many panic attacks I have had reading all of this material. Either I or my husband or my 3 girls have something - I mean, we are all basically very healthy, but so far this year I have gone onto a thyroid med for subclinical hypothyroid, I've had moles removed because I thought they might be skin cancer, and my latest is that I think I have a prolactinoma. Oh - I didn't mention the small bump behind my right ear that must be a brain tumor. My poor hubs and kids have had to suffer through numerous assessments also; they've had a number of maladies too.

On the one hand, it's funny, but on the other hand, it's getting detrimental. It's getting to be all I think about; knowing that there is only one way out of here has me obsessing about it: do I have cancer right now? What if I get alzheimers?

I am really looking forward to this summer, I will not be taking any classes and we are putting a pool in, so I plan to do a whole lot of nothing.

But how do you deal with it?

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is it your enhanced awareness of these things, generally?

deal with it - by keeping yourself healthy and informed.

and enjoy your days and life too

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Specializes in PCU/Hospice/Oncology.

That sounds like psych class when you learn about all the mental disorders and you can just Go down the check list and check everything off and self diagnose yourself as a nut job. :lol2:

Being more aware of things is just part of the process I suppose! Just do your best :D

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Seriously, when I was in LPN school, I took my oldest daughter in to the ped because I was SURE, 100% SURE she had coarctation of the aorta. She had headaches, leg cramps, and a couple other symptoms.

She was a little dehydrated and worn out from playing hard all day, every day in the hot summer sun.

When I mentioned "coarctation of the aorta" her ped said "Are you in nursing school or med school?" She then went on to tell me that EVERYONE does this. I think she called it Residentitis--you think you or a loved one has whatever you are studying or you see in clinical rotations.

you are totally normal!!!

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Not me so much but my mother (A nurse of 25 years) drives me batty. "Come look at my foot and tell me what you think", "Come listen to my heart", "I'm coughing up green stuff". She knows when to see the doctor but I think she's been a psych nurse so long she needs someone else to tell her it's not in all in her head. Sadly, that seems to fall to me. :uhoh3:

I can't assess my teenage son. I've tried. Drives him insane :idea:

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Specializes in Dialysis, Home Care, Med-Surg in 4/07.

You are not alone. I also was positive that either me or someone in my family had a horrid disease every time I studied something new. It does get better.....I promise.

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Specializes in ED, ICU, MS/MT, PCU, CM, House Sup, Frontline mgr.

My instructor told us on day one not to "self diagnose" so that has kept me from doing so .......... for now.

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Specializes in Critical Care: Cardiac, VAD, Transplant.

When I mentioned "coarctation of the aorta" her ped said "Are you in nursing school or med school?" She then went on to tell me that EVERYONE does this. I think she called it Residentitis--you think you or a loved one has whatever you are studying or you see in clinical rotations.

you are totally normal!!!

While speaking to my nursing advisor, she stated that she requires ALL of her nursing students to inform their doctor that they are nursing students...for this exact reason:chuckle . Hasn't helped much, our family has still gotten to know the doctor very well!

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Specializes in Med/Surg <1; Epic Certified <1.

Oh ....I've had edema in my left foot for over 18 months now...all I've been told after a number of tests is bad veinous return (that was before NS)....now I KNOW I have all kinds of cardiac, peripheral veinous, and I forget what else kinds of diseases....and being older (51), I now also know what I've got to look forward to...

It's not pretty....lol....

At least my dentist said today that my teeth look great....isn't that how they tell the health of a horse -- or a cow?!?!?

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Specializes in L&D all the way baby!.

There are a few things that I have "had" (esp. during the mental health rotation, I was about to just put on a hospital gown and stay at the facility)... but my family is way worse. They are always calling me wanting me to tell tham what they HAVE! My husband will often say things like "now pretend I'm a patient and not your husband". Truly though he did have an appendicitis in October, has developed HTN (but that probably all the crappy takeout we eat now that I never cook!) and then a few weeks ago he cut his finger to the bone (work injury), got the cut infected (dirty tool, no prophlylatic abx) and was SURE he had necrosis! (finger fine now ;o)

(AND I work in OB so I get all the pregnant people calling me for advice too and I can't even plead ingorance!)

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