Anonymous2013

So i posted that I am going to be a new nursing student in the spring. And I have decided that no matter where nursing school might take me I KNOW I want to end up in the NICU. I think about how nice it will be to know I am giving the best care possible to sick little babies and their families, and how wonderful it will be to know I made a difference in that family when they finally take their baby home from the hospital. I know though, in the back of my mind that the NICU is a very serious and critical place, and some babies will not make it. I am wondering how you as a NICU nurse handle that? How did you handle it when you lost your first patient? Also, As that babies nurse, what kind of care are you able to give the baby and family after a death? I know it's sort of a loaded morbid question, but I really want to know. What takes place in the NICU after a baby dies?

So I have decided to do it. Im starting school in the spring. I want to be a nurse. Im going for my associates Degree. I am especially interested in Neonatal Nursing. I would really love to know what made you decide to become a nurse. What do you love about it? What do you hate about it? What are some things you wish someone would have told you about becoming a nurse. My life has been on hold for the last 8 years. Im ready to be me again and be more than a wife and mother. I can't wait to get started. Im super excited, and so nervous! Thanks in advance for any input, or advice you may have, it is greatly appreciated.

I am 31 weeks pregnant and My OB has told me that he wants to induce my labor at 38 weeks. He said he would want to use cytotec the day before and pitocin the next day if necessary. I need to know everything I can PLEASE! This is my second baby and I really want to do the right thing. The only reason OB gave me was because my son was a big baby (9pounds 3ounces) and I had a very long labor with a 4 hour pushing stage. Im not sure I am completley confortable with induction unless it is safe. I figured this would be the best place to ask. Please share your knowledge, or experiance with me! I am feeling very panicky over all this. TIA

I saw my OB today. I am 13weeks 4days pregnant. I have a yeast infection! A bad one. (Sorry for the TMI) He prescribed Diflucan, because I tried monistat and it made it worse. I asked him if this was safe and he said yes, but, all the info I can find on the net says it is not recommended. I just thought maybe I could get some input? Thanks for any advice or suggestions. I am miserable.

Prenantal Vitamins tend to make me very sick, I have horrible nausea and I am just taking a One A Day Vitamin right now. It has everything in it, and the Folic Acid dosage is 400mcg. I am about 5 weeks along. Should I be taking more folic acid than this?

So I went to my OB today and, He did a pelvic exam. Even though there is some spotting he said my cervix is closed. I assume that is a good thing? The nurse said I am probably about 4-5 weeks pregnant! I had my hcg levels drawn on Saturday afternoon and it was 435. Is that normal? does anyone know what the levels should be at this stage? I had another test today, and will have 2 more wednsday and friday. I never had this done before but my doc said that he wants to watch and see, because of the spotting I am having. Which by the way is much lighter today than yesterday! YAY. I am still worried though, I don't know weather to be happy, or not. I am trying not to let myself get my hopes up, I don't want to be let down if this doesn't work out. I have wanted another baby for so long. Please keep me in your thought. I am trying so hard to relax, but I just can't and I am afraid to tell my family yet. What if I tell them and something happens? I guess I should stop rambling, I just wanted to update.

well a little update. I ended up going to the ER. I just couldn't stand not knowing, and the dics office suggested I have it checked out. The ER doc did some blood work and an ultrasound. I do have a corpus luteal cyst on my left ovary that is very small. But, the doc thinks I am experiancing implantation bleeding. He said that there is a 99% chance that the pregnancy will implant normally, and a 1% chance that it won't. So, I am not really sure what to think. I guess I'll just have to wait and see. Thanks for all the advice. I really appreciate it! Thanks!

Well, since it's saturday and my doctor is not in, I figure who better to ask than a bunch of nurses right? LOL. This morning I got out of bed and took a pregnancy test. I just went off the pill a couple months ago after it did not help the ovarian cysts that I had,. The OB/GyN said it didn't really matter weather I stayed on them or not, so I went off them because I didn't like the way they made me feel. Anyhow, The pregnancy test was POSITIVE!!!! Wow, I am so floored. my problem? I was spotting very light pink yesterday and this morning. And I feel a little bloated and crampy. My breasts are really sore too. Not believing what I was seeing I ran to Walmart at 6am and bought two mor tests. I took one just an hour ago and it is positive too! I am concerned about this spotting though. I have heard of implantation bleeding, but I didn't have that my 1st pregnancy. I am also considerably overweight. Can anyone ease my mind? I am so happy, but terrified. Help?

I went to the Emergency room 3 times in one day. I have a history of Ovaria Cysts, and the last one I had was pretty big. I was warned by my PCP that if I felt pain in my lower left side, to go to ER immediatley. The were worried about it twisting my fallopian tube. Anyhow, I woke up on a Sunday morning with severe pain and couldn't sit up, so my DH took me to the ER, they did a pelvic, and gave me some pain meds and sent me on my way. Then four hours later, I started having lady partsl bleeding, it was pretty heavy and I was on a birth control pill, and it wasn't anywhere near time for my period. When I started to have pain so bad that I couldn't stand up, I went back to the ER and of course saw a completley different doctor. He did ANOTHER pelvic, took some blood, gave me some pain meds and sent me home again! 2 hours later I was in the kitchen getting a glass of water when I guess I just fell over and passed out. I don't remeber it, DH apparently put me in the car and took me back to the hospital. The 3rd doc I saw finally did a CT of my belly and found out that the cyst has infact burst and that is why I was in so much pain. I also had Diverticulosis. I ended up staying for a few days. It just goes to show, that sometimes the patient is made to feel like they are stupid for going to the ER, but really sometimes, you just have that feeling that something is wrong with you and no one takes you seriously. Granted, a hangnail or stubbed toe is a stupif this to go to ER for, but as a patient, I hate to think that the nurses who are taking care of me are outsidein the hall laughing and rolling their eyes. :stone

Very interesting MistyDawn, thank you. Reading the coroners report further says, "victim allegedly injested drugs." I think my feeling that she did this to herself might be right. The more info I get the more I feel that way. My sister died at home, so, I am assuming that by the time the fire department got there she was already dead. And there was an exact time of death listed, she lived with her fiance, so it very well could have been intentional. hhhhmmmmm.

just thought I'd bump this up for the saturday crowd.

I just want to say thank you. This is the first place I have gone, where someone cared enough to reply. Thanks for the info, Now I have a little better idea, and a direction to go in. I'll drop back in now and then to see if there are any more replies. Thank you so much all of you.

Hi, I was just looking for a place to write this and maybe get some answers. My sister, whom I hadn't spoken to in 3 years died in November of a methadone overdose. I have no details. I was not involved in her personal life. I sent for the coroners report which listed her death as an accident. It also stated that the immediate cause of her death was accute ingestion of methadone. The toxicology report lists methadone (0.60 ug/ml) and diazepam (0.11 ug/ml) in her blood. What I need to know is how much methadone is this? Please, I know that this is not a pleasant subject, but I am begging anyone that knows to please tell me. I need to know how my sister died. I need to know if this was intentional or accidental. I feel that it was intentional but having no experiance with a drug like this I don't know what is normal and not. Thank you so much to anyone that is willing to answer my question or even point me in the right direction. I am so lost.