highasthesky

i moved to ga the first of april to take care of my dad who has been diagnosed with lung cancer and it has metastasized to his brain. he's had 16 radiation tx's and starts chemo tomorrow. my sister and i have so many questions and feel that we're not getting straight forward answers and i thought this was the best place to try to find info. one doc says that with tx he could live up to but no longer than 2 years. another doc says that no one knows, he could live 2 months or 10 years. who is right? not only do we feel like we're watching him die right in front of our faces day by day, but we're also watching him suffer with excruciating headaches and fatigue. he had swelling around his eyes and they're oozeing today and yesterday, called the doc and he just said it was probably an eye infection and called in some eye drops. should he not have given him an antibiotic orally also? ok, maybe not, he's smarter than me of course. ok, our main questions, can anyone tell me exactly what they'll do step by step at the hospital during chemo? we keep asking but all they tell us is insert an iv. doesn't provide a whole lot of insight. they did tell us it would take 4 or 5 hours the first tx. also, although i've worked in a nursing home, i'm having to figure things out as i go as far as things to help my dad. they never told me that he would be so sensitive to light with the brain tumor. we just figured that out after him sitting, pointing and crying. does anyone know of any websites that give advice or things to look for with cancer pts? someone please be blunt with me and tell me what you think my dad's prognosis will most likely be? people tell us of survivors, we start thinking positive, then we hear negative things and it brings us back down. guess i have no faith anymore. anyway, any advice or info would be greatly appreciated.

I don't have the health problems you have but I do have a friend who has fibromyalgia and some days she won't even get out of bed she hurts so bad. I cannot imagine waking up and feeling that much pain, so I sympathize with you immensely. Have you ever thought about teaching? When I took CNA classes they were taught by an RN who had gotten burnt out.....so she said she actually went around to nursing homes asking if they needed an instructor for their CNA program and landed her job that way. One of the instructors in the program I attend now was a physical therapist, and another a RN, another a MA. One still works for a hospital as her 2nd job and one of the others took the teaching job because of her health declining. Not sure if it's for you but just a thought. Good luck to you with your health and future employment!

That's pretty much how it was when I applied last year and the year b4- they had so many applicants and only a few openings. I didn't get in two years in a row, and like someone who said they were wondering how they chose the applicants, I was wondering the same. At first I had heard that the NET scores didn't really count for much as long as you acheived the minimum score they wanted, you recieved an application. I got tired of sitting home and waiting to get into a nursing program so enrolled at Nashville college for medical assistant, will graduate in July. One of my instructors there said that they score the appicants.....for example, the NET is like 10%, the interview is 20%, any credentials.....so much % and so on. I know the essay we had to write counted as so much also. I would like to apply to Red Boiling or Livingston after I graduate this program, and I'm hoping that having the MA credential and good grades in this 9 month program will help me get in this time. They say you're more likely to get in if you're a CNA though. Oh yea, my instructor also said anything that you fill out for them counts as points and to try to be as professional as possible on your apps. I remember the first time applying I did actually write my name in the wrong place and had to draw a line through it, and had used liquid paper a bit also. (You know ya can't use liquid paper on pt records!) So I'm sure that made me look really bright also! Meb...good luck on your NET- and getting into the program- I can't wait to apply again. Everyone tells me I should just go on to work in a doc's office as Ma after I graduate but there's no money for MA's and certainly not many choices as to where you can work. Thanks for the replies. I didn't get an email from you Meb, but my spam blocker may have blocked it. If you do find out any other pointers as to how they choose their applicants please share the info! Thx! [email protected] [email protected]

I took your advice and called some more docs offices, finally got the 5th one to commit to hold it for me til tomorrow when I get by there to pick it up, yay! Also...one of my classmates just called and said they came across this site but I haven't checked it out yet to see if it's legit, but she said she looked up some codes on there. Sorry, I don't know how to do attachments, but heres the url in case anyone else would like to check it out. Thanks again for your help. http://icd9cm.chrisendres.com

[color="blue"thank you for your reply....i went to bed last night and didn't have time to check my email this morning, so just got to school early to borrow one of their books and finished up. i do need a book at home for practice, and our instructor suggested we stop by a docs office and ask for their old one because they have to get an updated one the first of each year (what she said anyway) but the two that i called acted like i was retarded for asking and said "we don't do that". ooooookkkkk, whatever. anyway, thank you for your response. i now know after one week of coding that it's not for me, i get so aggravated! but several students in our class enjoy it.

is anyone here attending any of the tennessee technology centers? i'm especially interested in the livingston/red boiling springs school. anyone go there or know anything about it? thanks for any info.

happy new years everyone! can anyone tell me of a website where i can look up some cpt codes for free? i have to turn this assignment in tomorrow and i can't find a website that doesn't charge. any suggestions? thanks for any info!

i was looking into online nursing schools at one time, and just wanted to give you the heads up and warning......while some programs do have the prereq's online and you have to actually go for the clinicals, i understand those are legit. in my search i had "telemarketers or representatives" call my house trying to get me to sign up for programs, and also recieved information in through the mail trying to get me to sign up for this year long lpn program that was supposedly 100% online. i was ignorant at the time and really thought this was possible, so asked a local nurse practitioner if her office would ever hire someone who had obtained their nursing degree online v/s a nursing school. that's when i was enlightened- she told me there was no way to get a nursing license online unless you obtained your lpn first and then could get a higher degree like rn online. but there are places out there who will tell you they can teach you everything you need to know- just wanted to tell of my experience in case there was someone out there as gullible as me. good luck.

i would like to know if anyone has any info/opinions on this program also. i've been checking into the tsu program that has been extended to vol state community college. anyone know anything about this program or if it's difficult to get into?

i agree about there being a huge demand for rn's here in tn. i am currently taking a ma program because i got tired of sitting around waiting to get into an lpn program, but in searching for job listings on the internet and in the papers, haven't found much out there for ma's but have seen ads needing rn's in every town i can think of. (needless to say i've decided to try to go for rn after i graduate this program.) i check the job listings weekly and i have every confidence that rn's would have no trouble with employment.

i'm not a nurse, just a student...but if it's something that concerns you i would definitely make an appt at my ob or local health dept or something.....at least they could tell you if it was something to worry about. when i spotted they told me it was because of my monthlys being so abnormal, when my sister spotted she had more serious problems. you should just get it checked out because no one will know for sure what to tell you but a doc whose examined you- good luck.

i really wasnt sure where to post this, it's not really related to anything medically, but thought others of teenagers may find it a little humorous as i did when i came across it: the kiss of death i wipe my brow as i prepare to enter into battle. my heart pounds as i take my first step toward my destination. i'm not sure if i can, not sure if i have the guts to stand up to the enemy. i say a silent prayer for the lord's protection for i know not what the outcome may be. am i strong enough? do i have enough courage? i take a few more steps hesitantly toward my dreaded mission. heart pounding so hard i can barely breathe. i think of all that i'm proud of in my life, then recall things that i'd like to have done differently, but theres no taking back the past. i just hope if i do not return that i'm remembered lovingly by all. i can't get any closer.....i'm there! i wipe my brow one last time........i can't breathe.........this is it!....................... i slowly turn the doorknob to my teenage daughters bedroom door..........and ask if i can have a turn on the phone. _________________________________________________________________ i know, kind of corny, but anyone who has a teenage girl that loves her phone as much my daugher will find the humor in it!

[color=dimgray]wow.....he can't put the two words together and figure out what they really mean? nurse..assist....means assist the nurse with whatever dingbat! we had a fellow cna who wore a scrub jacket that said nurse and i heard some of the nurses complaining about that, and i dont' blame them. when i earn the title rn or lpn, then i'll get one of those too, but until then i know to stay in put in my place in any way i can not to confuse the patients, family members, or step on any toes of my coworkers!

[color=darkslategray]i had a choice of "ma" or medical office specialist". i chose ma because i wanted to do more directly with people. in my ma program the outline is as follows: keyboarding 1 & 2- medical terminology 1 & 2- medical office procedures-intro to medical coding & ins-microsoft word1 & 2- immunology-urinalysis-phlebotomy-capillary puncture-pharmacology-vital signs-emergency proc-electrocardiology- if i had've taken the office specialist route the training outline would've been: keyboarding 1, 2, 3, and 4-medical transcriptionist 1, 2, 3, &4 - medical terminology 1 & 2 - medical office procedures - intro to medical coding and ins- microsoft word 1 & 2 - medisoft 1 & 2 - this program also has job placement and externship and they told us that alot of places they had agreements with for externship of students wanted versatile ma's who would be able to run the front office in case needed.... hope this helped some....

i love this thread....got chills on some of them! although i've always been a huge fan of the paranormal, never believed in ghosts or apparitions until my husband and daddy of my 14 month old passed away.......she'd start crying at night the week he died, b4 i could get out of bed and get to her she was quietened by her mobile and up at the edge of her bed reaching and saying "da-da". scared me to death so i started putting her in the bed with me at bedtime. she would wake me up talking to her "da-da", and responding the way she only did to him. i put it in the back of my mind as coincidence and because she missed him. one night she woke me up sitting up in bed and playing saying "da-da" and she was playing patty cake with "an imaginary friend" in front of her and giggling like she never had before. scared the daylights out of me, moved in with my dad after that. my dad saw things i told him about, we were both turned into believers of the paranormal. i was afraid but my dad wasn't. he said i should be thankful he was still watching over her. she's 15 now, and i wonder at times if he's still watching her. she's never said anything out the way, so i don't suppose she's seen anything out of the ordinary. now this could not be coincidence i dont' care what my aunt tries to tell me! my cousin and i used to play at my grandmothers old antique dresser with her very old brassed brush and mirror and her powder. my grandmother never got angry or raised her voice but did get alittle agitated with us at times. when she passed away the family was dividing her belongings and i told them all i wanted was her brush and mirror and the last powder puff she had used, that it would be on her dresser beside her mirror. my dad brought me the brush and mirror but said there was no thing of powder or a puff. guess someone else wanted it worse. anyway, i had bought one of those round containers with the big puff just like my grandmother used to use, and just sat it on my dresser beside the mirror like she used to for sentimental purposes. now when my cousin and i would play with her powder she would always have to remind us to leave the puff out of the container with the fuzzy side up, she said "it kept the puff fluffy longer" teehee. i never used this puff, just took the plastic off of it and sat it on the dresser. i had been fussing at my girls because the puff would be out of the container so many times with the fluffy side up, but they would swear they never touched it. they know touching grandma's things are a major no-no. finally i got smart and started locking my bedroom door where they could not get in there unless i was in there to watch them. after being the last one to leave the room and the only one to enter it, the explanation i can come to is my grandma. i dont even bother putting the puff back in the container, i just leave it out like she wants me to. for some reason the thought of her being here doesn't scare me like it did years ago with my husband.