I just had a positive test for Alcohol. I didn't drink.
I'm almost 3 years in to a 5 year contract in Fl's IPN.
I'm not a delicate flower. I didn't dissolve into tears, I was LIVID. Immediately upon hearing what she had to say, I asked for a pEth test. I was told 'no' and that the protocol for a positive etoh is to test specimen B of the split screen and go for an eval. I have NEVER in my entire LIFE tested positive for alcohol. Alcohol is just not my thing and never was.
I told her I would think about it and hung up on her! Immediately I got my own order for a pEth test and self urine tested, just for overkill. I have support systems in place and discussed all of this with my group, we met the same night for our regular weekly group. I kept raging and got a lot of good feedback on how to keep this in perspective and to remember that it was my actions that put me here. That helped me, because despite how angry I am, staying in a 'victim' spot is never a good choice for me.
I've been at this long enough so that although I do carry a degree of guilt and shame, I don't let it keep me from standing up for myself when I truly feel something is not right. One of the suggestions I got from my group was to go ahead and have the split screen tested. I was operating with the notion that if I hadn't drank, it must be contamination. And if they retested, would they use a second specimen to try and hang me. Then I learned about 'incidental' exposure. And I had taken Apple Cider Vinegar for joint pain and inflammation. There is no ALCOHOL listed on the label. A friend of mine in group had tested positive for etoh in treatment from red wine vinegar. I contacted my case manager who always very kind ( she's not the one I hung up on ) and deposited the additional $55 dollars in Affinity to cover the cost of the split screen. Spent $249 in less than 24 hours attempting to prove my innocence.
I was told later to do any test I wanted, no test result from this point on was going to negate a positive etoh. Which is fine. I'm not looking to negate the positive, I'm looking to establish a 'look back' through a pEth so that the time the specimen was submitted is surrounded by other days, before and after. If I didn't act then, that time would elapse and it would be easier for them to try and say I'm drinking. And, I'm in the process of setting up the eval. They will request a hair test, another pEth, fingernail and urine. That is all a ok. I am one of the fortunate that can withstand the cost of anything they throw at me. And I'm convinced that's what it takes.
I had an email war going. I asked them why it took 8 days to report a positive urine? Weren't they supposed to be protecting the public from me? I asked them what has my urine been doing for 8 days, fermenting? After that last message, I was given THAT day only to retest the rescreen. I didn't get the message till 6pm. So, I missed the window. What was my urine doing for 8 days? Why did it take them so long to notify a nurse who had a positive for etoh? I could've been on an 8 day bender! I wasn't, but that's beside the point. And, they wanted to retest the same urine. Something is weird about this.
I'm in the process of setting up the eval. I started calling THAT day, the person in my area has yet to return my phone call. So, I'll probably have to go a city away. It's impossible to do this stuff quickly. Then, once I get an appointment, I have to give IPN 72 business hours to fax the info to the person I selected. SO glad I had that pEth test done myself, mind you. Time is ticking away... Time to let them look back during the time the positive screen was collected.
Can you think of anything else I can do to be proactive? I do not mind being tested, I do not mind another evaluation. But I would be devastated if I lost my time in monitoring. I would like to say here that the person who is my full time case manager is very kind. Just the battle axe who covered for her on her day off was not and I gave as well as I got. The way I see it is, I'm required to comply. There is nothing in my contract that implies I'm a whipping boy. So, I stood up for myself and I always come out swinging.
Thanks, Spanked. This is the worst part; the waiting/silence. If I had an action to do every single day until this is resolved, it wouldn't be as difficult. Because in the silence is judgment ( by others in IPN ), fear that no matter what I have done I will get some consequence for a positive urine for alcohol. Meanwhile, missing out on a decent job opportunity.
The first week after this all happened was one of the darkest I can remember. I just want this over.
Ya'll will know anything as soon as I can post it. Thanks for the prayers.
This is wrong on many basic levels. We are talking about a test that is not supposed to be used as stand alone proof as drinking and yet they don't want a test to confirm. These programs are supposed to be about helping nurses with substance abuse issues yet if you suffer a relapse they practically throw a death penalty on you. Most of all ours is supposed to be a profession to helping and caring for folks. I don't see any evidence of that here. Its merely a meat grinder with standard responses and the machine cannot be slowed down for inconvenient matters like the simple fact that the nurse in question didn't drink. I'll say it again these things have grown into some disgusting gargoyle that subsists off the blood, souls and (of course) cash of nurses
Tomorrow is day 10 of the reported 6-10 day business processing time. The customer service of this company must think I'm pathetic. I have sent messages saying, "please, hurry! This is the life ( and possibly death ) of a career at stake." Or, "I must have these results on time." It is an awful feeling to be that dependent/vulnerable.
I've become pretty desensitized to abuse in this journey. If someone doesn't stand up and just smack me, I feel pretty fortunate. I've had since Friday to process some of the things said to me by the evaluator.
Him: Did you drink?
Me: No
Him: Do you suffer from lapses of memory?
* meaning since I say I didn't drink, am I so blasted out of my mind that I can't remember the time surrounding the drug screen?
Him: I want to see that PEth. With a UDS of 800:100 you had to have been drinking for days.
Me: just looks at him
Him: I heard you think it's the vinegar. It's not the vinegar. In fact, people drink vinegar to try and beat urine drug screens.
Me: Okay. Then, I don't know.
Him: We still have this gaping hole.
* meaning the positive drug screen
Me: I can't help you. I didn't drink
I want to clarify, I still think he was a nice guy. He was doing his job. But the comment about me 'forgetting' was hurtful. My gosh, what must he think of me (Us)? Because make no mistake, I am you. This can happen to anyone.
I am standing strong. I have God. I have friends and supports. I am sober.
Did the split screen ever come back? I know you said it was positive but then you went back a couple hours later and it said retesting. Did it ever come up with a final result?
Did the split screen ever come back? I know you said it was positive but then you went back a couple hours later and it said retesting. Did it ever come up with a final result?
It still says " sent out for retest." Or something along those lines... I think they are holding off putting it up. I don't know why and I don't know for sure if I'm even right about that. I spent an additional $55 dollars on a test that I can't know the outcome of and the results of which may never be posted on Affinity. I don't know the ground rules of what is feeling more and more like a game.
I'm not typically a paranoid person. I only know that when this happened no one said, "we have to see you as 'positive' until we find out otherwise. If you know you didn't drink, here are some things you can do that may help." The only things they provided as options for me were tests that would've ultimately harmed my defense.
I have been following your post and am just sick to my stomach. Something similar happened to me a few months back. I had pneumonia and was on meds (no narcotics) and tested positive. It was two weeks of pure ever loving hell. They accused me of taking something 'I didn't have a prescription for' but wouldn't tell me what it was. They called for an MRO.. which was delayed because of a a holiday.. I begged of answers and just cried and cried.
My case manager (who has never even spoken to me) didn't look at the paperwork from my doctors office.. never even bothered to confirm that the scripts I was on were what would have been positive... No apology or explanation was ever given. I did ask for one and was told "nothing further is needed"
They didnt even have the decency to say that I was ok and in good standing or apologize for ruining my life for weeks. I hate this so much. Six months into and I have no nursing job and have thrown hundreds of dollars away. No one is hiring rns in dayton.. no one
I feel for you. Guilty until proven innocent. What a feeling
I have been following your post and am just sick to my stomach. Something similar happened to me a few months back. I had pneumonia and was on meds (no narcotics) and tested positive. It was two weeks of pure ever loving hell. They accused me of taking something 'I didn't have a prescription for' but wouldn't tell me what it was. They called for an MRO.. which was delayed because of a a holiday.. I begged of answers and just cried and cried.
My case manager (who has never even spoken to me) didn't look at the paperwork from my doctors office.. never even bothered to confirm that the scripts I was on were what would have been positive... No apology or explanation was ever given. I did ask for one and was told "nothing further is needed"
They didnt even have the decency to say that I was ok and in good standing or apologize for ruining my life for weeks. I hate this so much. Six months into and I have no nursing job and have thrown hundreds of dollars away. No one is hiring rns in dayton.. no one
I feel for you. Guilty until proven innocent. What a feeling
Thank you.
I just want to reach through the screen of the requestatest website and shake someone. Hurry up, already. Yes, pure hell is an excellent description. The first week was horrible; no answers. I still have no answers, but it gets to the point where I've just worn myself out from worry.
I appreciate your input and am sorry you've had to deal with this too.
there will be no results from requestatest anytime soon. They just wrote a letter on my behalf to the evaluator stating Labcorp informed them after I had submitted and paid that they were behind 2-3 weeks. That won't stop the lab results the evaluator ran from coming in though. So, I'll still keep everyone posted as changes happen.
I don't get how ANY lab test, blood, pee, whatever other bodily fluid can take weeks to test. What exactly is happening to that specimen while it's sitting there?
SpankedInPittsburgh, DNP, RN
1,847 Posts
Yeah Perse we are all with you. I am praying for the best for you