Waiting room

[Marci4]

This morning my husband and I went to the hospital where he was getting an eye laser correction surgery which lasted 30 seconds. But, before that, we waited in the waiting room for almost 2 hours and I got to experience two different situations that grossed me out. One was the lady sitting next to me who was sitting quietly until she answer her phone and open her mouth..... a terrible smell came out!!!! OMG I couldn't breathe.

The second situation was when another lady sat in front of me with two Jackson Pratt devices hanging from her shirt. You can see the tubes coming out of the bottom part of her shirt and the device attached to the upper part. Both the tubes and the devices filled with reddish fluid. Isn't suppose to be hiding?????!!!!!!!! I understand if you are in a hospital bed, but in a eye center waiting room? in the elevator? in the parking lot?

I just wanted to share with you my experience and ask you what do thing is the best treatment for bad breath and which other gross experiences you have out of context.

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

Thank you for all the members that understand that a person could be wrong or have different opinions, likes, and dislikes. We are humans and different. I will appreciate if the repplies are a little more friendly and nice. We can teach each other and explain why somebody is wrong but without attacking or being ironic.

Nursing is my second career, my first is teaching (preschool and elementary for almost 30 years) and when my students are wrong I don't hurt them, I teach them and show them the right way to solve problems.

Once again, I apologize if my comments were hurtful., it was not my intention.

I am looking forward to writing about more topics and wish they are very welcome.

Marci4

30 years of nursing here..

30 years of teaching there...

Let's hope the twain shall meet.

[tokebi]

The problem with halitosis is that we generally have no idea when we have it. Years ago, I once had a patient who was vomiting up fecal matter. I cleaned him up and as I leaned close to fix his leads, he said, "Ew. Your breath is very... strong." Once I realized what he meant, I blushed terribly and stuttered, "I'm sorry!" and ran out the room. I was mortified!

Now I chuckle at the memory. No one expects to be criticized for bad breath from a patient who just vomited up fecal matter! Thanks to him though, I pay extra attention to my oral hygiene ever since!

[gamerchick209]

WOW!!! Marci is unsympathetic to other peoples circumstances. Just be thankful you dont have to wear tubes filled with unknown red fluid, or suffer from bad breath. SMH.

[lmccrn62, MSN, RN]

Marci, part if being a nurse is to be compassionate to those who are ill. When someone such as your husband is offended your role is to educate him. How does he feel when he sees a amputee, or someone who is disfigured? Should they hide in their home? Everyone has a story and maybe it's not a good one. Walk a mile in someone else's shoes because some day it could be you.

[Aurora77]

As for my comments, not deliberately intending to hurt the OP, but having appeared in public with JPs after my breast cancer surgery, that original post made me LIVID. My comments were hoping to educate her.

Same here. I was 27 when I had serious abdominal surgery that required me to go home with a JP drain. Not only was I miserable from the surgery, I was dealing with all of the body image issues that come with the disfiguring effects of that surgery. My surgeon was a specialist 4 hours from me so we had to make frequent stops while traveling to and from his office. I also went out a few times at home while I still had my drain in. The idea that anyone, especially a nurse, would take offense at possibly seeing the tubing to my drain makes me very angry.

I didn't have the option to tuck my drain in a pocket. I was wearing my husband's boxer shorts because it was too painful to wear anything that wasn't loose. I did pin the drain up in my shirt, but I know there were a few times the tubing hung down past the hem of my shirt. You know what? When I realized that I was embarrassed, mortified even. This was my first experience with the medical system outside of routine office visits. I wasn't a nurse at the time. I was afraid that people would judge me and look down upon me for having the extra "equipment." To find out that other people might have been (especially a nurse I would have trusted) brings back all those feelings almost 10 years later.

So, OP, while you think I was rude to you, try looking at it from my perspective. I do appreciate your apology. I hope that you will see things differently.

[LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN]

Same here. I was 27 when I had serious abdominal surgery that required me to go home with a JP drain. Not only was I miserable from the surgery, I was dealing with all of the body image issues that come with the disfiguring effects of that surgery. My surgeon was a specialist 4 hours from me so we had to make frequent stops while traveling to and from his office. I also went out a few times at home while I still had my drain in. The idea that anyone, especially a nurse, would take offense at possibly seeing the tubing to my drain makes me very angry.

I didn't have the option to tuck my drain in a pocket. I was wearing my husband's boxer shorts because it was too painful to wear anything that wasn't loose. I did pin the drain up in my shirt, but I know there were a few times the tubing hung down past the hem of my shirt. You know what? When I realized that I was embarrassed, mortified even. This was my first experience with the medical system outside of routine office visits. I wasn't a nurse at the time. I was afraid that people would judge me and look down upon me for having the extra "equipment." To find out that other people might have been (especially a nurse I would have trusted) brings back all those feelings almost 10 years later.

So, OP, while you think I was rude to you, try looking at it from my perspective. I do appreciate your apology. I hope that you will see things differently.

THIS...

I don't discuss this on AN, but it did bring up for me when I had a portable wound vac to heal an abdominal wound by secondary intention; it had to be debrided, so it was open longer. I had rationalized and realized that I had a body image disturbance; and I had a chip on my shoulder about it too; it was a major medical that was out of my control; and I felt out of control; the OPs post made me think about that moment, and how I thought people felt that way when they saw my wound vac...there was no way of hiding it even with a "fashionable" bag, you could still see the tubing...I remembered that feeling, like it was that EXACT moment.

I'm in no way trying to pile it on or anything; it's just you never know what response you are going to get when your release thoughts into the universe, or blogiverse, in this case; some of the responses you received was because of how it was perceived from your post. No hard feelings.

[jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B]

There are gross things everywhere. Gross is subjective. Part of being an adult in society is in part tolerance and coping skills.

Suggest you learn to employ both, especially before you begin practice as a nurse.

[jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B]

That's my point: the JP should be tuck in a pocket.

When someone is in the position that they need not one but two of them, quite frankly, they can put their JP's wherever they would like to.

[systoly]

i'll tell ya why i don't wanna see JPs

i've worn the contents of one (one of the few times i felt helpless) now i just about it

Marci4

while you may have been a little short on grace in the waiting room

you certainly have more than some of the other posters (you know how you are)