Hot Mess!! Epilepsy, Sciatica, and Depression is hospital a realistic area?

[PatiencePlease]

So, I've always dreamed of being an ED nurse. From the time I was doing pre-requisites, to clinicals, to shadowing nurses for interviews, etc. However as the title suggests... I'm kind of a hot mess. :-) The sciatica waxes and wanes in severity. Hot yoga helps, so I do that when I can, but I have to be careful not to overtax my body in the heat so I don't have a seizure. Last seizure was 04/17/2008 (Tonic clonic). But the only known trigger is lack of sleep. On top of all this physical stuff, I also have depression. It can make getting out of bed a REAL challenge. I'm maxed out on Depakote and Effexor. My theraputic levels are close to the toxic levels. Yay me!!! Then I walk with a limp sometimes because of my sciatica. I've tried epidurals (L5-S1) they don't last anymore. It's nerve pain, an example of what they tried was Amitriptyline it gave me a BAD drug hang over (pain was interrupting sleep). Anti-inflammatories don't do anything nor do NSAIDS. I won't take narcs, there's no evidence they work better than anything else (and they make me violently ill) and because of my epilepsy, messing with anti-convulsants is a tricky road. SO.... this all being said, is working in the hospital arena a plausible option? Any suggestions for my numerous issues? I love this site and I've been following it since before I was a nurse. Topics recycle, opinions change and it's great!!!

[VivaLasViejas, ASN, RN]

We cannot offer you any medical advice per our Terms of Service; however, I would suggest that you work closely with your provider(s) to get your conditions under control before you apply for any sort of hospital position. Acute care is a VERY physical job, and you really do need to be in decent health to manage it.

I was older than you when I was working in a hospital as a float nurse, but my only real physical challenge was osteoarthritis, and there were a good many nights when I went home feeling like I was going to die from pain and fatigue. Eventually one knee gave out and I had to have surgery, which effectively ended my floor-nursing career (although I tried to resurrect it earlier this year).

I don't want to rain on your parade, but honestly, I don't think acute care---let alone the ER---is the best area for you to pursue right now. Once you're in better shape both physically and mentally, you can do anything you've a mind to. Take care!

[TerpGal02, ASN]

I agree with Viva. Hospital nursing can be very destabilizing for all 3 of your conditions. Being on my feet all day with sciatica, I think would suck. I don't have it, but have watched MIL suffer with it for quite awhile and I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy. So yes, more pain=less sleep which is would be destabilizing for your other conditions, not to mention how destabilizing shift work is for sleep. Work with your doc to get yourself squared away and THEN consider nursing.