this should be interesting..

Nurses Recovery

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Second random testing selection in my contract thus far.. on a saturday. Option seven.

I finally found a place to go. Googled the test number while I was waiting and it appears to be for alcohol. I don't know if that one includes other substances in that test or if i am even right.

So for 61$ I will test positive because I drank at my husbands holiday party last night.

Heres the thing. Per my contract I am allowed alcohol or am not required to abstain in other words. This surprises everyone, even my lawyer was shocked to see this.

I wonder if this is a random holiday time-day-after run of the mill test they are probably giving a lot of folks who may make a poor decision in the spur of the moment. If so.. theres 61$ flushed for no reason at all.

I worried about this happening when i saw my luck at not having to avoid alcohol. Maybe I'm blowing it all out of proportion. Maybe they will acknowledge my contract without this turning into a thing. Maybe ill test positive for meth because I took my prescription decongestant a week ago after getting pneumonia. Maybe thc because i took ibuprofen.

This monitoring has me anxious as @#$%, looking over my shoulder constantly, and completely miserable.

Specializes in Med/Surg, Women's Health, LTC.

Well, how did this turn out for you? Hopefully with zero penalties!

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I am still waiting! I was selected for option 8 82$ on Wednesday four days after the test after the weekend one.

Frustrating.

The contract actually has a line about how i do NOT have to abstain. I was shocked when I saw it.

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What state are you in?

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I am in Ohio

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Well it was positive, I was tested on a Saturday and that one is now showing positive. I had drank the night before but according to my agreement I am not restricted from alcohol. So it is either a positive for that or the cold medication I had a rx for. I faxed the required paperwork to my monitoring person about the cold medication.

Does the lab report to her and she then take a look at the cold medication that would explain? I called the lab and sent her copies of the visit summary.

God I hate this, hate nursing, and hate myself right now for getting into the this mess. I am gaining weight, pulling away from friends and family, I just had a full panic attack at the kitchen table from all of this. I can't get away from it none of it, its all over me.

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Ok it sounds like you tested positive for maybe two things or perhaps drew some false positives from the cold meds. Lets start with the booze. You had a drink but your contract doesn't prohibit drinking. If they try to punish you for that you should consult your legal counsel. Second is the cold meds. You had a prescription for this so whatever permutations of positive or related false positives that arise out of this are explainable by that allowed med. Lets be honest. These monitoring people are not on your side and may try to mess with. Consider getting a lawyer versed in this to do your talking for you please. My prayers and support are with you. Don't let this drive you to depression and hopelessness because from there (in my experience) all bad decisions are born. Good Luck & God Bless!!!

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I did call the lawyer. I emailed my case manager stating I saw the positive and had sent the lab my doctor appt paperwork.

Why didn't they reach out to her first to ask for this paperwork or at least see why i had a reason for having cold meds in my system? I don't know if this is standard or what. I was never told to forward information to the lab, although that would make sense.

I am getting a gym membership, I need to run this rage off....

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good!!!! workout and talk through your lawyer

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My case manager emailed my lawyer and I saying the substance was not a medication that is prescribed to me. So either she didn't realize I can drink (doubtful), didn't get my paperwork from being sick, or I somehow tested positive for an illicit substance I did not take. I did not do anything I wasn't supposed to. NOTHING.

Now I am waiting for the labs doc to call me and interview me/tell me what it is. He writes a report and my fate is decided. I can't believe this. I am sick to my stomach, haven't eaten all day (good for the big ass I'm growing), and am just about fed up.

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Alright, stay calm. Let your lawyer earn the money you are paying him or her. Remember that some meds cause false positive for other banned substances. See if the prescribed med can cause a false positive for whatever you are accused of and think about building a defense around that.

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I am so sorry to hear this. A false positive is everyone's biggest nightmare! I'm sure your lawyer will clear this up. They prob deal with this all the time. A second test, or a hair test maybe? As far as the alcohol, maybe that's all it is. Your case manager probably has hundreds of nurses she's responsible for, at least that is the way it is in Texas. It wouldn't surprise me if she didn't remember you were allowed alcohol, if she's got that many cases that she handles.

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God I hope thats it.. I have made mistakes in the past and waited three years for the bon to catch up to me. I didn't work as a nurse that whole time.

The doctor from the lab did not call me today, hopefully he will early tomorrow. Just so I can know what it is.

The only thing she said was that it was something not on my list of prescriptions. Who knows if she recalls that I was sick and on a cocktail of meds (no narcotic/mood altering) and that I did send it all to her, maybe she didn't get it.

Maybe it is alcohol.. who the hell knows. I hate this so much.

The lawyer advised me to resubmit the information from the doc appt and remind her I am allowed to drink.

She is requiring me to submit a statement by 1/3 explaining myself.

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