HELP Recyle disabled nurses

mercykitten · Jun 25, 2002

Anyone got any news? How are we getting along?

No news yet at my end. Still waiting for job interview.

Wanted to touch bases with you all.....

mattsmom81 · Jun 26, 2002

Hi everyone! Hope we all are having more good days than bad!

Got a question for those of us with chronic pain:

I mustfind a substitute for Ultram as there is a seizure risk with combinations of Ultram and SSRI's.

Anyone know some good long acting analgesics of the Ultram or better strength that I might consider??

I am trying to put off a pain clinic...may end up there soon but thought I would try asking my peers advice first. :)

Thanks all!!:kiss

mercykitten · Jun 28, 2002

Mattsmom, I don't know anything to suggest. I am sure you are probably on an NSAid of some kind along with other meds, besides the Ultram?

I deal with chronic pain too. But I do sorta have some good news. I had been thinking that my back was getting worse: the pain after working three 12 hr shifts was getting pretty bad, plus I had to go back in for another 4-8 hr. shift.

Well, now it turns out that EVERYBODY that is working regularly at the monitors is having significant back pain and troubles. So, I am hoping that this means it is not my back that is getting worse, but something in the job (way monitors, chairs set up, etc.).

But, I also wanted to let you know that I do have chronic pain. I don't have any answers for you, but I know where you are coming from.

I do have a problem taking NSAIDs.....Relafen is the only one I know that I can take. Ibupofen causes me sharp, burning pain in my stomach. Alleve upsets my asthma. I can only take Relafen and only for a week or so, before it starts bothering my asthma and/or I start retaining fluid from it.

I am hoping that someone else may have some insight for your problem.

mattsmom81 · Jun 28, 2002

Well, saw the neurosurgeon and he stopped my Celebrex too...ouch....says it can hinder the fusion process in my bone graft

He gave me some Darvocette and Soma to get me through the next few months so that's something for now.

Lately I ache and hurt in so many places, I'm wondering what that's all about. Had a spell like this that resolved somewhat lastfall...now its returned..hard to get OOB in the am due to pain and stiffness in multiple joints and muscles.

Do you have a good chair to sit in with good lumbar support at the monitors? Are the monitors at correct height and distance so you don't have to crane your neck or strain to look up or down at them? May be an ergonomics problem but my experience with my peers has been we have bad backs from lifting patients ...my monitor techs have been mostly injured CNA's or nurses who hurt themselves on the floors.

Pain on a daily basis is a b***h isn't it. Hope you find some relief. :) (((HUGS)))

mercykitten · Jun 29, 2002

Mattsmom, I started a reply earlier today, had it mostly written and got bumped. Don't know if I remember everything in the original message, but the most important thing is this: maybe you need to see a rheumotoidologist for your different joint pains and symptoms.

From what you are saying it sounds like a couple or so possiblities: arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and others including fibromylgia.

I think in my situation, the boss is going to get some new chairs. I don't think that it is just the ergonomics....I think that it is working 12 hrs shifts as a MT. And having to be back in 12 hrs....you know when you get home, there is always stuff to do. Plus sleeping during the day isn't easy. So I also figure lack of sleep is part of it....I would get more sleep if I didn't have to back in at 7 p.m.

Also Webmd just had a research show that on 6 hrs of sleep a day (not 8) causes inflammation to develope. Isn't that interesting.

All for now. Hugs to you too.

mattsmom81 · Jun 30, 2002

12 hour shifts really got to me too after my car wreck, Mercykitten, and I had to drop from 3-12's to 2-12's----I was doing charge on a tele stepdown unit as sometimes we had ICU overflows (vents, etc) and the director liked an ICU qualified nurse to be 'free' on this unit to keep flowing smoothly and troubleshoot.....it worked fairly well til I let the pain get out of control and it just pushed me to the edge.

Now I am feeling a bit stronger, rested, and better attitude to combat this chronic pain. I will probably seek a pain management clinic soon as it seems a logical direction for me. :)

Any way you could do 8 hour shifts? Any news on the employee health position? Let us know what you find out.....I'm interested in how my peers on this BB do...those with chronic pain and illnesses....and how you cope and make life adjustments to deal with things...we help each other by sharing our coping mechanisms and plans!

Hope everyone out there is having a good weekend...it is rainy here in Fort Worth and it's good...we needed it. :)

mercykitten · Jun 30, 2002

Mattsmom, if I or others want 8 hr shifts (they do, most of the rest of the people having back trouble are day shift), it would mean hiring another person. I don't think my manager will do that; I am not sure that she would be allowed to do that.

Apparently, there is a lot of concern about the extra pay incentives for the nurses.....that the hospital is cutting corners in every other department. What is amazing is that the nurses at my hospital are the lowest paid nurses in our state.

I haven't really said anything to my manager about my back acting up.....I have had to be off work with it. I just figured that I am stuck with 12 hrs shifts if I want to work. And I have to work, financially. Of course, that is the course I was taking until I found out that everyone else is having back trouble.

Mattsmom, having you tried the new thermacare wraps.....they are disposable and give you heat for 8 hrs or more (mine lasted about 12 hrs.) It did seem to help my muscles.

Also has anyone else been reading the posting about "no lift risk management". Such a change in policy could lessen the chances of other nurses ending up in our shoes.

pfleige · Jul 1, 2002

Mercy, It may seem like your facility is having some trouble aiding you in your quest for accomodation, there is other facilities you can try, perhaps you get lucky, also everyone has given you a lot of options, write them down and research on everyone of them. Somethimes if people cannot see your disability it's is harder to get some compassion and help that when they see you on a "wheelchair" in that case you get to be outlined on the magazines and newspapers as being "admirable and noteworthy and it really is! but look at the other side of the coin you are way ahead of being on a wheelchair, "can you imagine the limitations and dependenncy even if you are able to work? I am prety sure with all the sugestions here you can accomodate your problem, there is also other professions that you may transfer with or without retraining in or out of the health care field, look at the occupationall outlook book , you can find it on the search engines. It's hard for some nurses to move away from bed side care, There are other options and well paid ....I hear of a lot of not disabled nurses that are unhappy and want to get out, right here go to the nurse entrepeneur discussion and youl see and also you'll see more options. just take a day at a time. another sugesstion is is you are applying for a job that you know does not require ligting you do not have to "BROADCAST" about your injury, beleieve me it may help you survive for a lot longer in the market being an employee versus being self employed. Good luck!

pfleige · Jul 1, 2002

Mercy, It may seem like your facility is having some trouble aiding you in your quest for accomodation, there is other facilities you can try, perhaps you get lucky, also everyone has given you a lot of options, write them down and research on everyone of them. Somethimes if people cannot see your disability it's is harder to get some compassion and help that when they see you on a "wheelchair" in that case you get to be outlined on the magazines and newspapers as being "admirable and noteworthy and it really is! but look at the other side of the coin you are way ahead of being on a wheelchair, "can you imagine the limitations and dependenncy even if you are able to work? I am prety sure with all the sugestions here you can accomodate your problem, there is also other professions that you may transfer with or without retraining in or out of the health care field, look at the occupationall outlook book , you can find it on the search engines. It's hard for some nurses to move away from bed side care, There are other options and well paid ....I hear of a lot of not disabled nurses that are unhappy and want to get out, right here go to the nurse entrepeneur discussion and youl see and also you'll see more options. just take a day at a time. another sugesstion is is you are applying for a job that you know does not require ligting you do not have to "BROADCAST" about your injury, beleieve me it may help you survive for a lot longer in the market being an employee versus being self employed. Good luck!

pfleige · Jul 1, 2002

.Apply for SSD, you have nothing to loose! Look on the internet on the SSD section and read all the info....from "A to Z". So you know where you stand for your particular situation.

Good luck to all with the power organization for disabled nurses and the media coverage, Great idea ....Could be part of the NUrses fantasy section... hope the idea becomes reality though:)

mercykitten · Jul 1, 2002

The various people who have discussed their problems on this thread have been open to sharing their own methods of coping with a very difficult situation. I hope that none of the healthy, able people reading this will ever go through what we have.

I am pursuing several of the suggestions from this board. But the biggest help for all of us has been that we are not alone in this type of mess.

Please continue to post here. We can help each other. Thank you to all who have written here.

P_RN, ADN, RN · Jul 1, 2002

Someone earlier mentioned a Pain Clinic. Be VERY careful going this route. I had a series of epidural steroid injections by a "pain doctor." I later discovered he used Depo-Medrol which has been linked with adhesive arachnoiditis. It is NOT used by most.

For the priviledge of letting him do these my insurance/pocketbook paid nearly $16000.00 to him. The strongest med he gave me was 1 week of fentanyl patches while he was on vacation so I wouldn't have to call another doctor if I was in trouble. He then cancelled that and told me I could take Tylenol or Motrin....DUH what had I been doing on my own?

Anyway after nearly a year of NO help I fired him. Talking with others I found that MANY of these pain clinics are called "block shops with block docs" and are a pure waste of time.

Now I'm dealing with chronic pain, severe neuropathy, DJD, depression and no income. In addition I have the tentative arachnoiditis to add to the mix.

Be VERY careful.