hard time time for reinstatement

Nurses Recovery

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I know I am not alone here. I went through a very very hard time a few years ago. I did not have a substance abuse problem unfortunately. I say that because I could have taken control of that and fixed it. However, what happened to me was one day out of the blue with nothing wrong I had a massive grand mal seizure that fractured my skull, left me with a brain injury and a several month staty in the ICU. Initially my facility was nice buy my time ran out, but to make matters worse my baby was diagnosed with a debilitating gastro disease that required 12 surgeries to fix. I tried to continue working but on all that seizure med, the financial stress, and then it happened I seized again at work. I got an attorney I did everything to help myself but we were losing everything out house out vehicles, we had two other kids and I chose to work with out a drs release which got me in bad trouble with the board. I got an attorney fought it for years. Anyway, the best option for me was to surrender my license for a year and then apply for reinstatement. This seemed like the best option. My son is thriving, I finished my MBA and financially things are tight but I want to go back to nursing. Does anyone know anyone that has gone through this process of reinstatement and what will or wont help me? In hind sight it looked like I was on drugs I was so out of it on mu sz meds I didn't have the time to take off because we needed the benefits for me and my son. I am in Texas. Any suggestions. I am due up in August. After years of anger I do see the boards point. (I hate to admit that lol.)

Thank you

Courtney

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My heart goes out to you....and wow you just made my problems feel highly manageable. I honestly don't had advice on how to face the board on this. My best guess would be that you will need a doctors clearance first off, and do you have documentation that you've been stable without seizures?

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Yes of course, have thankfully been two years seizure free and take my medicine religiously. It was devastating. The main problem that I had and I did have a hard time admitting as I was always as ER nurse was that I was NOT myself. My words were definitely slurred and I was a fraction of the care free person that I was before. However, looking back I had to fly all over the county to get it under control. I really was between a rock and a hard spot. I made more money than my husband Jack my son definitely needed benefits and I was sure I could do it. The best was I can describe it you know how you get those little old lady patient who just know they can drive but they can even see the big E! I was that patient. Everyone, the doctors, my family, they just couldn't reason with me and it did eventually get me in trouble. I really wish had a healthy life and a healthy baby because I could have taken control of a drug problem. I am sure I would have lied and all of that but I could have fixed it and never gone there again. I even went to 2 forensic psychologists who said this was not a drug problem and they still wouldn't help me. I had to many missed wastes. Of course they were mu fault. I can laugh about it now. I mean I had a sick screaming baby all night, working a swing shift, all the stress of money was on me, I was the benefit provider, and then I was trying to work full time on keppra, vimpat, and Topamax all at the same time. Oh and get this, because my seize was so bad I was also trying neuro rehab and got NO loading time. Do you know how crazy that is. Most people load for 2 years. It honestly took me a good 18moths to 2 years to be able to function again. Oh the very best past is it is federal law when you have a seizure the government revokes your drivers license for 180 days so for all of that I had to find rides to every appointment for me jack, Hal, and Keely.!! How bout that for some apples. I keep thinking that they have got to gve me a break if I will do anything they ask, not it is just about finding an emp;oyer. Thanks so much fo listening. Most people jut can't understand what I went through. We lost everything. Everything we ever worked for. Sometimes I wonder if my husband is sorry he married me because of this.

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You will find support here, our problem is substance use/abuse/addiction. I don't know if there are other sites on all nurse that deal with medical issues and board orders, maybe you could find someone who will know more if there is such a one that exists. Either way, you are welcome here in my eyes because boy do we know about board orders! Excellent job taking your life back, one step at a time!

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I just hope they are willing to giveme a chance. I have waited so long and will do anything they ask.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

It looks like they assumed you were possibly diverting for all the missed wastes. Get a lawyer familiar with licensing issues. Go to the BON and ask to get your license back.

You ahve been through hell and back ((HUGS)) You got this!

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You have earned a MBA. That degree will open so many doors for you. I think most people who have earned that degree did so to run the other way from nursing.

Do you feel you have something to prove? To the Board, to nursing, to yourself?

Please rethink going back to nursing. Unlcear on how long you've been out, but it's gotten worse.

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