Living with Chronic Pain

[nerdy student]

Hello Everyone!

I wanted to pick your brains for a moment...so I hope to get some good feed back!

I am 27 and I am a 15 year pediatric cancer survivor, and I am living with some health issues, complications and chronic pain as the after effects of the chemo and radiation. I'm missing 40% of my right hip (ilium and tuber ischiadicum)

Nursing is the only thing that I have ever wanted to do. People have been telling me that I need to rethink my career path, and that I will never be able to make it as a nurse with the standing and constant on the feet action you all get. I think that I can do it, in fact I know I can. I have beat cancer and I have survived longer then anyone else in my clinical trial.

I am curious, is it so physically grueling that I need to reconsider?

PS No pity. I want to know. And no this will not change my mind, i am just curious.

[NurseGirl525, ASN, RN]

It depends. I live with chronic pain, but I have it under control. I won't lie though and say it's easy. There are certain days when I am in horrible pain. I take care of myself though. I stretch daily, eat right, I work out when I'm not at work. But I do a lot of lifting, tons of running around. I constantly move on my shift.

It it is a very physically demanding job and you need to understand that going in. Patients get turned every two hours, many are very overweight. I do a lot of transfers right now.

The main thing is to understand to physically take care of your body.

[nerdy student]

It depends. I live with chronic pain, but I have it under control. I won't lie though and say it's easy. There are certain days when I am in horrible pain. I take care of myself though. I stretch daily, eat right, I work out when I'm not at work. But I do a lot of lifting, tons of running around. I constantly move on my shift.

It it is a very physically demanding job and you need to understand that going in. Patients get turned every two hours, many are very overweight. I do a lot of transfers right now.

The main thing is to understand to physically take care of your body.

Thank you for your response!