I can't get that smell out of my mind...........

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No disrespect to my resident, but I'm currently doing clinicals and I can't get the smell of my resident's bowel movement out of my mind. I'm not disgusted by it because it's normal but for some reason I just can't get it out of my mind. I smell it every 10 minutes and it's all mental!! RIGHT NOW I SMELL IT.

Specializes in assisted living & memory care.

i totally agree, you know when a certain person has gone when going down the hall!. me personly, i cant stand the smell of hemroids... that smell was stuck with me for a while...lol but you just do your business and get it done!

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Two things I can't hack -

(1) C-diff - we ALL know what that smells like. Why they need to test that is beyond me - just ask an RN or a CNA - "yes, Doc, he has the Diff - I could smell it as soon as I walked in the room" - BINGO, instant diagnosis and the pt saves cash on a lab test. :nurse:

(2) GI bleeds - I had a patient last night that as soon as I walked in, I could smell that metallicky, distinctive SMELL. . .:scrying:

I had wondered about Vicks. I will be investing soon!!

Oh, and while we're on the hideous subject - many, MANY cancer patients I've worked with have a smell just before they're about to die. With all those rapidly dividing and dying cells, I'm not surprised. (And since some dogs can smell cancer - makes sense to me.) There really is a smell of death. It's not like c-diff, or GI bleeds - I really can't explain it - but you know what it is when you smell it - and it IS there.

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You know what I can't stand the smell of? When someone takes iron supplements. It makes their poop smell soooo disgusting to me.

Yeah - my GI bleeder last night was also on iron supps.

Throw those two in together and. . .LOVELY.

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Two things I can't hack -

(1) C-diff - we ALL know what that smells like. Why they need to test that is beyond me - just ask an RN or a CNA - "yes, Doc, he has the Diff - I could smell it as soon as I walked in the room" - BINGO, instant diagnosis and the pt saves cash on a lab test. :nurse:

(2) GI bleeds - I had a patient last night that as soon as I walked in, I could smell that metallicky, distinctive SMELL. . .:scrying:

I had wondered about Vicks. I will be investing soon!!

Oh, and while we're on the hideous subject - many, MANY cancer patients I've worked with have a smell just before they're about to die. With all those rapidly dividing and dying cells, I'm not surprised. (And since some dogs can smell cancer - makes sense to me.) There really is a smell of death. It's not like c-diff, or GI bleeds - I really can't explain it - but you know what it is when you smell it - and it IS there.

To me, when someones dying their room smells rotten.

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Reading this thread, I'm actually glad my sense of smell is pretty poor. Always has been that way, I mouth breathe more often than not and unless somethign is REALLY bad, I don't get revolted. I honestly can't smell C diff, which I'm not at all complaining about, but other aides wonder what's wrong with me that I don't notice.

Years ago I had a horse with an abcess on his side that we had to drain manually every day. Now THAT was a smell I won't ever forget, rotten dying tissue that stayed on you for the day. The whole barn just reeked until that healed up. One of my friends is now a nurse too and we still compare things to the 'bob pus smell' :lol

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first chance I had, I bought the vicks vapor inhaler, and I am looking for a balm, going to take that advice, too, why make a memory, love it!

also I blow my nose a lot in the car after work...

it is getting better, but I have been off a couple days, and once in a while, I think i smell it...

i am at a LTC, already figured out not to eat at the cafeteria, if I don't want that same smell at home,

no thanks!

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yeah, the money we could save them, oh man you I just read that and I could smell it....

hey, I guess we should all take that old advice:

STOP AND SMELL THE ROSES!

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just wondering if anyone has taken care of their own parent. taking care of my mother is what made me decide to go into healthcare. at first,she was embarrassed when i had to help her onto the bedpan and clean her. after a while, she became comfortable with it, and we actually laughed sometimes. i try to remember (and as i kept telling my mom, when she would apologize) that one day, i will be old too, and someone might be helping and cleaning me.

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I have found that dapping some scented oil just under your nose

I never tried that - but will. I have done multiple showers, airfreshner in my apartment, put perfume on and still haven't gotten rid of the smell a few times.

Thanks for the tip :up:

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Specializes in geriatrics( ltc snf and sub acute((.

OMG You are SO lucky!!! C- Diff is a smell that permeates your clothes, hair

and pores.We had a C-Diff outbreak last year. Even after 3 showers I could still

smell it. Once you have smelled C-Diff you never forget it.:barf01:

BTW has anyone else noticed that C-Diff usually looks like cooked chorizo.

I still can't eag chorizo con juevos!!!!!!:barf02::bugeyes:

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Specializes in geriatrics( ltc snf and sub acute((.

OMG You are SO lucky!!! C- Diff is a smell that permeates your clothes, hair

and pores.We had a C-Diff outbreak last year. Even after 3 showers I could still

smell it. Once you have smelled C-Diff you never forget it.:barf01:

BTW has anyone else noticed that C-Diff usually looks like cooked chorizo.

I still can't eag chorizo con juevos!!!!!!:barf02::bugeyes:

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I have to ask...what is C-diff??? And ewwwwwww i dont think i will be able to eat chorizo now either...ick.....

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