K.SnowRN2b

Thank you so much for attempting to understand where I'm coming from. I also, did not have the intent of coming across as someone who wants sympathy because of my condition as I know that many other individuals (painful condition or not) have it a lot worse than me and I am grateful for that. Maybe I just took the above commenters post so personal because I feel our disease (SC) can be overlooked by so many and seen for everything it isn't. It is understandably a very touchy issue for me however I didn't mean to step on anyone's toes, as I am just starting out and am certain I cannot foresee all the frustrations you'd experience being an ER nurse, but in some ways I look forward to those frustrating days. I sit in the bed of my local ER department as I type this, and it just hurts me personally to know that so many of my caretakers see me as a seeker until they actually speak to me (if they care to at all). All in all, I agree that prescription drug abuse is by far one of the GREATEST issues we have as a nation and there should be more light shed on the reality of the issue. Thank you so much for your well wishes, it gets extremely hard (for me as it does for others), but as stated in my bio I use my pain and my ability to see the perspective of the patient to try and help mold me into a more understanding caregiver. I look up to all of you, from a nurse to be, but more importantly from a young woman whose experience a patient has showed me the impact nurses truly make on the world. I hope none of you ever forget how important you are.

Well I did not intend for my "tone" to seem condescending in any way, however I feel from the aspect of an SC patient and a nursing student who looks up to nurses like all of you, it hurts my heart to know that you have put all SC patients into a generalized category. I understand how clinically our pain can be overlooked because we don't always "look" sick. But as I stated before, you have NO idea what it's like to be in excruciating pain every single day of your life, leaving you with no choice but to be opioid tolerant. I wish there were other ways to help regulate the frequency of our crisis, but I cannot tell you how many times I have heard "your labs look fine". Just to sit there writhing in pain wondering if I should ask for something to help because I don't want to face judgement of those I know will never understand. All I'm asking is that you please do not see all of us as being the same because we aren't, and sometimes, a kind word or someone simply believing we feel how we say we do helps so much (the nurse BEING a nurse). -Krystal

I find it to be quite disheartening to hear a nurse speak of a SC patient this way (or any patient for that matter). As a nursing student with Sickle cell disease, I assure you that wouldn't be able to withstand the frequency nor the severity of the pain we withstand everyday. Not to mention numerous other complications throughout our lifetime. As a nurse it is your duty to be compassionate and without discrimination towards ALL of your patients. But then again, I suppose a lot of us are capable of obtaining a nursing degree, but far less of us are capable of being NURSES. Here's some advice, if you are tired of trying to draw IV's on us "regulars", maybe it's time for you find a new profession.