I hate drunk drivers.

Nurses General Nursing

Published

This is a rant.

[rant: on]So a 20 year old girl was admitted to my ward yesterday with a fractured tibia sustained in an MVA. She was t-boned by a drunk driver. She had emergency surgery to fix it (forgot the name of the surgery). Anyway, she developed compartment syndrome. We spotted it right away and the surgeon was informed and she came back to our ward from surgery with four fasciotomies. Over the course of an hour she became very dyspneac: 25 resps/min, 92 sats. Not fifteen minutes later her sats dropped to 64%. Gave her 10L oxygen which brought her up to 92%. Chest pain was noted on inspiration, so I suspected an emboli. Sent her down for a CXR and CT on 10L oxygen, full tank. She returned to ward with no tank and no mask with cyanosis up the ying yang. Got her back onto oxygen and more concious. Results of her CXR and CT came back and were positive for a fat embolus. I reiterate, this patient is 20 years old. [rant: off]

Maybe I have thin skin (still a student, practicing as an LPN on days off) but boy was I mad. Soooo young and all this crap happening to her... all because of a drunk driver. I HATE drunk drivers. Thanks for letting me rant.:bowingpur

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Me too!

My son was nearly killed by one - CHI, busted up foot, amnesia - nothing left of the space he was sitting in - hole to the engine compartment where the foot got caught and busted - vehicle had a rating of "7" - highest rating in collision. Totalled. Thought it was a roll over. It accordianed into a tree. Driver - one of his friend's dad! Turns out he did this regularly. Drinking and was on something for broken ribs. In the ER - he stunk of booze from over 10 feet away as my son sat in another bed and didn't know what happened to him and couldn't remember 60 seconds after we told him.

Took 2 years to get him prosecuted. Lost papers, warrant not obtained right, etc, etc. MADD in my home city was USELESS. MADD in the county of the wreck got things done. They slapped him on the back of the hand and let him go to give him another chance to kill someone.

They were all supposed to be camping and the dad asked who wanted to ride with him somewhere. Well, my son didn't realize how altered he was. He was 15 at the time - no drugs or booze in him.

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Specializes in Cardiac Telemetry, ED.

My father was T boned by a drinking driver. His car flipped end over end, landing on its top. He managed to crawl out of the car onto the side of the road. He lost a kidney and his spleen. The driver was never prosecuted, and he split town.

My daughter will be twenty soon.

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A very good friend of mine was killed by a drunk driver 27 years ago.

My friend was on his way home from work (1 mile away from work) and was hit by a guy turning left in front of my friend's motorcycle . . .dragged my friend quite a ways.

6th drunk driving arrest but who knows how many other times he was drunk behind the wheel.

My friend's parents were on their way out to see him on vacation. When they got here he was on life support but essentially dead. They gave it time to say goodbye then pulled the plug.

I hate drunk drivers too.

steph

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Specializes in Operating Room Nursing.

I hate drunk drivers as well. IMHO a drunk driver who kills someone else on the road should never be allowed a liscence again.

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Specializes in ICU/Critical Care.
Me too!

My son was nearly killed by one - CHI, busted up foot, amnesia - nothing left of the space he was sitting in - hole to the engine compartment where the foot got caught and busted - vehicle had a rating of "7" - highest rating in collision. Totalled. Thought it was a roll over. It accordianed into a tree. Driver - one of his friend's dad! Turns out he did this regularly. Drinking and was on something for broken ribs. In the ER - he stunk of booze from over 10 feet away as my son sat in another bed and didn't know what happened to him and couldn't remember 60 seconds after we told him.

Took 2 years to get him prosecuted. Lost papers, warrant not obtained right, etc, etc. MADD in my home city was USELESS. MADD in the county of the wreck got things done. They slapped him on the back of the hand and let him go to give him another chance to kill someone.

They were all supposed to be camping and the dad asked who wanted to ride with him somewhere. Well, my son didn't realize how altered he was. He was 15 at the time - no drugs or booze in him.

The fact that this guy basically got away with causing a drunk driving accident and injuring your son shows how severely flawed our justice system is. He should have been sent to jail.

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I don't think anyone loves them.

I had a good friend and coworker whose life was irrevocably changed in an instant by a drunk. She was a wonderful nurse, sharp as a tack, volunteered in the community, loved by all.

Now she has no control over her bowels or bladder and will never walk again. Never. She was 50 years old and cannot hold her grandchildren. She has had 3 strokes, has a shunt in her brain that gets infected, blind in one eye, deaf in another. And I just learned from her husband that she has broken her leg again - for the fourth time. She has had broken hips, ankles, ribs, you name it she broke it.

Oh, and the idiot who hit her? He's out on bond still waiting trial after 3 years. The family sees him in Wal Mart and he threatens them. He's also had several other accidents with alcohol and drugs involved where injury resulted. She's at home now with her husband and another nurse from the hospital coming in to check on her. Making sure she's getting turned and preventing foot drop. Sweetest woman you'll ever meet. The perp walked away with a broken arm. Jerk. I know the prosecuting attorney well (my mom works for him) and the husband asked me to speak to him on her behalf, but I felt that it would be a violation of HIPAA laws. Otherwise I would rip the DA a new one for waiting 3 years. But, I am grateful that family and friends take excellent care of her.

This nurse and I live on the same road. I passed the accident - it could have very well been me.

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The fact that this guy basically got away with causing a drunk driving accident and injuring your son shows how severely flawed our justice system is. He should have been sent to jail.

Come to find out that while I was fighting to get this to court for two years, he was serving alcohol to underage drinkers. My son stopped hanging around with his son. He thought I was crazy because I pursued it. What mentality.

And of course, he had basic plpd. $20,000. That's when I learned a hard lesson. I had my insurance at 500,000 because as the sole provider I wanted to make sure if anything happened to me I was covered. Turns out that you need this rider called: "UNDERINSURED" along with the "uninsured rider." Insurance companies won't tell you about it. Some don't even offer it. But, as long as the other party has insurance, you can't touch yours. Medical is covered for life but no payout. The kid got $13,000. He slept on the couch for 2 weeks after the CHI. He still does not remember the accident to this day. He developed a temper after the accident - he was always kinda sweet. His memory is different. He lost weight. All in all, we were very lucky. You would never know by looking at him that he was in such a bad wreck. We know the little changes in him but the neuro/psych doc blew it all off. I would have had to pay for another consult (about $3000) to fight it. What are you going to do?

Then after 2 years of fighting to get it to court he gets slapped on the hand. The insurance company offered $19,000 to settle out of court. So much for drinking and driving laws. I thought laws were pretty drastic until my experience with that. I did most of the legal work myself. I was dating a cop that was a traffic investigator at the time. He hooked me up with 2 attornies to help me put it all together. One of them was a defense attorney for auto insurance. He couldn't take my case. I had it all done and together and had to get an attorney to close the deal because the insurance was playing games. Instead of 1/3, the guy took 25%. He really didn't have to work. It was all done. I just needed an attorney to talk to them to see I wasn't backing down.

Check your auto insurance. Remember whatever your amount is will be what you get if mamed. Check for the UNDERINSURED rider. It doesn't cost that much to have it on your insurance. It was like $30 for 2 full coverage trucks. Also, raising your policy doesn't cost that much after the basic coverage.

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Specializes in ICU, SDU, OR, RR, Ortho, Hospice RN.

Yes Bethin I agree no one likes drunk drivers and the carnage that they cause. :( Let alone the heartache and life chaging incidents.:(

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Yea, we all hate them. I have no respect for MADD. Shortly after this organization was started the founder was pulled over for DUI. It only applies to other people who drive drunk I guess.

If I have had ANY I do not drive period. It is that simple.

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My brother IS a drunk driver. In his 40's, lives with Mommy who enables him and babies him. Have no sympathy for him or anyone else who drives drunk. My mother is convinced it is a disease, can you believe that? I tell her cancer is a disease, you have no choice, no one ever wakes up and says "I'm going to have cancer today", but my drunken Ahole willingly puts that drink to his mouth. It is just a matter of time before he actually goes from destroying property and cars to destroying lives. Dealt with it my whole life home. Police, wrecked cars, holes in the wall (very violent drunk) Another shining reason why I don't deal with my family anymore.

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If it is a disease get it treated. If it is a disease it is a curable one. There are recovered alcoholics all over the place.

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