Dr said no hope for lpn for me :(

[NoWomanNoCry]

Sorry if this post doesn't belong here I was unsure if I should post on student nursing or actual lpn board. So ill remove it if I'm in wrong place.

I'll try and make this short. I'm 30 and I been wanting to go to school for lpn (who knows maybe bridge to rn) so bad...it's all I'm focused on. I'm trying to find a good school in my area but that's hard and a whole other topic lol..:.so every now and then I have issues with my back (lower back pain and pain in right leg) so I have to watch how I do things a lot. Well back went out few days ago and I'm in bed and can't move...the pain is really bad so my husband helped me up and took me to ER. The doctor came in didn't even physically exam me but said he would do pee test and X-rays. Ok no problem. They get results back he comes in tells me it's Sciatica (sp?) and ask me what I do for a living (this was the most he even spoke to me while I was there) I said I'm trying to get into nursing school..he said RN? I said for now LPN he rolls his eyes and tells me my best bet is to just stay in bed and give up my pipe dream since my back goes out sometimes. So needless to say I came home crying in pain still because they did NOTHING....told me to take Aleve (which I have been and it didn't help). So I'm still in bed and I keep having a pitty party thinking ill never be a lpn. I guess the way the dr said it just upset me but if I wasn't it so much pain I wouldn't have let it bother me I don't think. I guess I'm just coming here to ask is this just a pip dream for me? Do you think I can still do this with my back being this way sometimes? Any advice would be great...thanks :)

[anotherone, BSN, RN]

A typical bedside nurse position is extremily rough on your back, neck etc.... I can't thing of one single coworker who has been a nurse longer than a few years who doesn't have some muscular skeletal or spinal issue. It can be debillitating and make it gery difficult to work as a bedside nurse and even outside of work. Ugh. i am suprised when i see nurses who have worked at the bedside more than 20years because of the physical labor aspects of the job.

[GENJEN]

. Nurses who have worked for any length of time will tell you that you will have to learn how to take care of yourself. I have Sciatica problems but going to chiropractor and having deep therapy help me and he also told me how to help myself. Go to school if that is your dream. You hurt whether you move or not.....move! Good luck

[NoWomanNoCry]

7555739"Nurses who have worked for any length of time will tell you that you will have to learn how to take care of yourself. I have Sciatica problems but going to chiropractor and having deep therapy help me and he also told me how to help myself. Go to school if that is your dream. You hurt whether you move or not.....move! Good luck

Because I don't have health insurance at the moment otherwise I would have went to a chiropractor.

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

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[NoWomanNoCry]

I wasn't asking for medical advice anywhere in this thread I was asking for advice on if having back issues (Sciatica to be specific) would prevent me from getting into the nursing field.

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

Really people? You may think you're being encouraging, but you could be encouraging OP right into a wheelchair.

First, yes, get an opinion from an actual back specialist.

BUT.

If you're already having back problems, nursing WILL exacerbate them.

All the "rah rah go for your dreams, you can even get away from bedside!" is great. Unless before you get the requisite experience to get away from bedside you REALLY injure your already sensitive back.

I have three colleagues that are COMPLETELY DISABLED because of back issues exacerbated by nursing. And nursing is not doing anything good for my back. We won't get into my MANY colleagues that were forced to leave bedside nursing but are at least able to work. My one colleague is in pain 24 hours/day. Can barely get out of bed some days. Her life (not work life, LIFE in general) is severely limited by relentless pain.

You need to seriously consider what you are putting at risk. Back problems are DISABLING. Not just a "My back is sore when I get up in the morning" or "My back hurts after a 12 hour shift." Disabling.

If you are already having back issues, nursing will NOT help them.

OP has not been diagnosed with any back problems. She has not even been evaluated properly.

Any one can have a bout of sciatica , and it is not a chronic back issue.

[tokmom, BSN, RN]

OH phooey. I think a lot of older nurses have occasional bad backs. I had a tug of war with ivy this summer. Guess who won? I was down for 2 days. I tend to be nice to my back and not use bad mechanics and safe patient handling.

[Carol Condit]

I too have sciatica after falling off a Load - N - Go truck.. could not walk...I do NOT take meds...I go to a Chiropractor for alignment once a month. I am 64 and strong as a horse...ox...a hefty female! I had to go almost daily for the first couple weeks but able to lift free wts, and work on my total gym again! That is my suggestion dear...Keep going for the LPN!