Faking having cancer, can you imagine?

Love-A-Nurse · Oct 30, 2003

originally posted by vossy
yes michael, i do think she is sick, but lets not jail people for that reason!
last year my best friend (for 4 years!) told me she had cancer in her breast. i was of course shocked. this after so much bad luck, divorce, abuse pneumonia and diabetes in 5 years time. she was my friend, i believed her. i knew that she had a big imagination, told some lies, but they where usally harmless. they where also a kind of charming. she was a girl who always made you laugh and feel good about yourself. but when i realised in february that there was no cancer, i checked out the hospitals myself, i knew something had to be done. i confronted her with the facts, it was horrible, she even hit me. but she wanted help. i told her i would stand by her, support her on 2 conditions
1; she had to go in to therapy
2; i could check up on her
well...this didn't go well. the lies continued and she didn't keep her promises. i lost a lot of sleep about that, i didn't know what to do. the professionals didn't help me to find a solution. so my friend and i decided to end our friendship. two weeks ago i heard she was stil faking cancer, even her mother doesn't know the truth. but these things are complicated. her youth was bad, als a disapearing father. and the mother? well, she lives in the same state, works in the same hospital. how can she not know? how can a mother not see what is goig on? you know what i mean? with a mother like that, who needs ennemies, she messed her girl up pretty bad. i miss my girlfriend and i feel terrible about not being able to help her. so when i read a story about someone who lies about cancer, i think of the story behind her.

vossy, i am sorry to hear this about your friend and also sorry to hear about the relationship that has ended between you two, too. you tried to help and that sure says a lot.

Love-A-Nurse · Oct 30, 2003

originally posted by indie
i'd like to read what the psyche rns have to say about this.

in recent years, as an instructor, i was sucked into this sort of story by a student and was instrumental in getting her a lot of general support and concessions. (she was severely anorexic, so the story was not hard to believe). my story is long; the short version is that eventually i challenged her, kindly. she sort of admitted the issue and i said i would help her to get real help.

she then publicly accused me of accessing her medical records without permission and this escalated into a full scale investigation of me during which i wondered if i was going to lose my license. (i had not done anything even close to unprofessional and any 'help' i had given her was sanctioned by other faculty members and the directors of the school.)

fortunately when the students learned what was happening, several of them voiced their concerns to authority that the girl was lying. the situation ended with a court order against her to leave me and others alone.

strangely though, although i'm no psyche nurse, and was put through a minor hell by her, i still feel very, very concerned for her. i think she was/is very sick and i would like to know that she got really expert diagnosis and help.

i post this as a sort of 'rn beware' story. no good deed shall go unpunished.

i guess this is why sometimes one is often reluctant to help because of the possible harm that may come to the concerned.

hogan4736, BSN, RN · Oct 30, 2003

Originally posted by Rustyhammer
You can't help but feel sorry for her.
She isn't really right is she?
-Russell

aahhhh, no remorse here (though we should have remorse for the victims of her pathetic actions)...

and, again, no...

Originally posted by Mshheaddoc
such a shame. I hope she gets help!

and, please, how about worrying about repaying her thefts, THEN get her help (time behind bars for a start)

fr33shot · Oct 30, 2003

Understood, vossy dear .. I wouldn't have just any liar thrown in jail .. their rep will bounce back on them and haunt them. But this lady pretty was just straight decietful .. she lied to get others to feel sorry for her and get their money. I think that's sickening (in a literal sense) But that's the only reason I say let him sit in jail for a little bit, heh. :) I might have come a little harsh there, heh .. so this is my explanation.

*Michael.

PS. I agree, hogan .. nothing more to say than what you simply stated in this post. :) I dont' feel sorry for her at all.

hogan4736, BSN, RN · Oct 30, 2003

thanks fr33,

there comes a time in one's life when responsibility for one's actions has to take precedent over one's own (albeit sad) history...

she needs to get over it, and quit screwing the public!