I just got off work in the PICU, My patient is a 12 year old boy who came in with N/V rapidly progressed to liver failure. I have been taking care of him for 3 nights and tonight he went encephalopathic on me, confused and combative, such a waste for a sweet boy's life
There are no B positive livers to harvest, and parents, siblings, extended family aren't compatible.
I have developed an attachment and am sooo upset, I am not depressive at all, but I feel as if there is nothing I can do, and just feel crappy. I guess I had to write it b/c I have noone to cry too:crying2: have any of you felt the same?
I thought you said parent's and siblings weren't compatable? What the the team do differently with an uncompatable liver donor? Did his condition deteriorate and the team was willing to try a poor match? Curious, as well as interested on how the post transplant rejection meds were handled.
I know what it's like to go home with a heavy heart. I hope you can keep updated on his status and how YOU"re doing.
Kudos to those of you special people who can work peds. I just melted into a quivering mass in my peds clinicals when a child was hurting/suffering. I became an adult ICU nurse as its easier to handle the suffering of adults vs innocent children.
Hugs to you and please take care of yourself.
i know this will be my problem too (still a student). Anything happens to a child and i start bawling, I am tearing up writitng this (how ridiculously emotional i am today!), i can't imagine working in a nicu or picu. kudos and a major hug of thanks to those that can handle this emotionally wrenching job.
i know this will be my problem too (still a student). Anything happens to a child and i start bawling, I am tearing up writitng this (how ridiculously emotional i am today!), i can't imagine working in a nicu or picu. kudos and a major hug of thanks to those that can handle this emotionally wrenching job.
I am so happy for him and his family. I cried as a I read this. When I was 11, I was put on the list for a liver transplant for PSC ( B+); a miracle happened on my 13th birthday when I received my new liver. My thoughts and prayers are with this young boy and his family and friends.
I thought you said parent's and siblings weren't compatable? What the the team do differently with an uncompatable liver donor? Did his condition deteriorate and the team was willing to try a poor match? Curious, as well as interested on how the post transplant rejection meds were handled.
I know what it's like to go home with a heavy heart. I hope you can keep updated on his status and how YOU"re doing.
Sorry, for the confusion ~forgive me
The morning I wrote the thread the transplant team was looking for a perfect match (B Pos.) some of our nurses including me, I am O pos were willing to be donors and we were turned down. The morning I left this young boy developed Encephalopathy, then I it was like do or die~ he was going downhill very fast, so the transplant team took His brother, who donated his O+ liver and it worked.
He is now doing excellent, this liver took, it will regenerate and both boys are doing great, its amazing how much this family touched all of us nurses in the PICU. We fight over requesting to have them as our patients . I love happy ending especially to a young child's life. Soon he will get to play football again.
Thank everyone for listening, I am doing great and just pray before every shift that god will be with me in whatever I encounter.:)
I just got off work in the PICU, My patient is a 12 year old boy who came in with N/V rapidly progressed to liver failure. I have been taking care of him for 3 nights and tonight he went encephalopathic on me, confused and combative, such a waste for a sweet boy's life
There are no B positive livers to harvest, and parents, siblings, extended family aren't compatible.
I have developed an attachment and am sooo upset, I am not depressive at all, but I feel as if there is nothing I can do, and just feel crappy. I guess I had to write it b/c I have noone to cry too:crying2: have any of you felt the same?
Some patients just get to you - I don't know why, but we are only human! This is why we are nurses though; don't ever lose that compassion and understanding that sometimes we need shoulders to cry on too!
What a lucky little boy to be given a second chance. :) I hope all goes well for him and his family. I work with these sorts of patients( I am a scrubbie in OT for the transplants ) and must say if you ever loose your sense of feelings for these patients, or any type of patient for that matter, you are in the wrong profession. So don't feel bad for feeling what you feel, it is one quality that makes good nurses great
I just got off work in the PICU, My patient is a 12 year old boy who came in with N/V rapidly progressed to liver failure. I have been taking care of him for 3 nights and tonight he went encephalopathic on me, confused and combative, such a waste for a sweet boy's life
Tweety, BSN, RN
36,301 Posts
Thanks for the update and kudos to you for caring so much. :)