luck just ran out - contaminated needle stick

[ladytraviler]

As long as I have been in health care, I have been stuck several times with needles. The source patient has always been clean. My luck just ran out. I got stuck with a suture needle cleaning up a delivery table. The source patient was clear for everything but one. The one with no real treatment. Hepatitis C. My company has been great. They reacted very quickly to the shoddy treatment from the hospital.

I am now in a blue funk. I feel like I am waiting for the other shoe to drop. My base line is clear. But the next six months is going to be a night mare. If I have a cold with a fever, is it the hep c or just a cold? I told my husband that we would be using condoms for the next six months. As you can imagin, that went over like a lead ballon. This wasn't even my fault. The provider ignored their own safty precautions. She won't be the one worring.

I know I am not making much sense right now. I just had to get it out. I can't really let my family see how scared I am. I just don't know if putting my life at risk is worth it anymore.

[Hands and Heart]

No one can really tell you "don't worry; it'll be okay." That would be minimizing the struggle you are going through. Try to keep positive thoughts during this time of waiting. Continue to use the precautions you have set in place for you and your family. And please know there are many people praying for a good outcome for you. And don't give up on nursing. If it is something you love, do your best to protect yourself from injury and disease. Just walking out of our doors in the morning puts us at risk. Blessings to you.

[wooh, BSN, RN]

Ahh, that's crappy. Try to remember that the odds ARE in your favor! And you've always got us here to vent to when you don't feel like you can vent to your family.

[PICNICRN, BSN, RN]

Sending you HUGS and my good thoughts!

[purpil29]

sorry to hear your going thru this. i wish you well and i will have my fingers crossed for you. keep your chin up and things will work out .

[ladytraviler]

thanks for all the support. I have not slept well for last several days due to nightmares. I know it will all work out the way it is supposed to but the waiting is driving me nuts.

kelly

[SusanKathleen, RN]

I'm thinking good thoughts for you, too! :icon_hug:

[scarcrimson]

:sniff:I was recently stuck by a pair of scissors that came from a suture kit. I am an er tech and part of my "responsibity" is to put the non disposable instruments in water and disinfectant and scrub them and prepare them for sterilization. Well the scissors that I was poked with (in the thumb) had been in the solution well over 8 hours probably more like 12 to 24 hours but I was scrubbing the scissors with a little scrub brush and my hand slipped causing me to poke myself in the thumb! As I was cleaning the darn things I noticed there was no blood or anything on the scissors that I could see but i was thinking to myself how bad it would suck to stick myself and them BAM out of nowhere my hand slipped and I poked myself. I had to do all the testing that is required , but the thing that sucks is that it was an unknown source so Im freaking out not knowing what to do! I just wanna cry. How long can viruses, bacteria live in water/disinfectant? I am so scared i wanna cry.

[RedcarRN]

I'm so sorry to hear that this has happened to you.

I was stuck by a needle after drawing blood from an AIDS/Hep C patient. It is very scarey, I know.

Hang in there, my tests came back negative. I truly hope that yours will too.

Sending you a big hug and a prayer

[mamalle]

my thoughts and prayers are with you. I going for my 6 week blood draw from my needle exposure from July. I was so upset when it happened. My guy came in for medical clearance after telling me he does any drug he can get his hands on. I had a cold 3 weeks to the date after and freaked out. My PMD did labwork on me and it turned out I had the parvo19 virus. I was a basketcase nevertheless.. hang in there..