68RN

Thanks for the good info maggiernpainnurse!!! Unfortunately, my procedure was postphoned 2 weeks as I developed a big 2X8 hematoma on my right flank area, have been taking aspirin, so I am looking forward to some pain relief. My facet joints in a couple of areas are bone on bone and have bulging discs in my lumbar spine. Also need attention to cervical and thorasic areas as well.I am glad to hear there is no real pain involved. I have had no previous pain control other than Rx. They are going on my symptoms! So, my insurance may want them to start out with injections who knows, but I have done alot of reading on this and it seems to be just what I need. I have ankylosing spondylitis and Ra and have more pain than I am willing to admit, just think I got used to it!!!! Again, thanks for taking the time to reassure a fellow nurse. You are in a wonderful growing field and know you must be a very compassionate and knowledgable RN. We need lots of em!!!!!! Sincerely, 68RN

Have any of you ever had a facet rhizotomy and did it help with the pain and neurological symptoms. I am soon to have one in my lumbar spine!! Thanks in advance!!! 68RN

I am so sorry for all you are going through. You can look up my posts to see my road to disability. I was gaving alot of GI issues- gastroparesis as one of them and my internist put me on an antibiotic-clarithromycin and it has helped me alot. I remain on it forever. I also have several autoimmune diseases. I was also defined as being a nurse and in 6 years cannot find a new normal, I guess if I felt better, it would be easier. I need to loose some weight, but it is hard when you are inactive as I am. Hang in there and know lots of people here care and you know you are not alone. That alone helps alot!!!! Good luck!!!

Hi Jolie, Yes, I am on SSDI. I had to apply when I went from STD to LTD through my hospital. I have thought of calling my employer and asking about converting my life insurance but have not done that yet!! It seems there is something everyday to deal with. Despite 2 insurances-Medicare primary and My hospital policy secondary, one of my bills was sent to collections=never had that happen before, the 2 insurances can't get their act to gether and the provider is not much help. I have had to get involved and have been in contact with the provider, but still they sent one pf the bills to collection, it is ER services for the hospital I worked at-old bills that should have been filed as medicare as primary instead of secondary-one big mess that really adds to the stress!!! I finally called HR and they are going to get something going!!!! Thanks for the prayers. If I had not been a faithful person, i do not know what I would have done these past years. While still trying to get diagnosed, on my way to work at night on the freeway, i would look at the bridge supports and think how easy to do that, but my faith and love of my family kept me from doing anything foolish. Depression comes and goes with these diseases and it is not fun. I am in a funk again and need to get back on some medicene. But none seem to help much. I tell God, he can quit slamming me anytime!!!! You are a kind, loving person and i appreciate all your thoughts and information and suggestions. Thanks a bunch. 68RN

Hi Jolie, I have been out of work since 2003, developed autoimmune diseases-Ra, ankylosing spondylitis and of course fibromyalgia goes with all these disorders seems like. My doc says fibromyalgia will eventually be listed as autoimmune though there are groups of nurses on here who dispute this. but, until you have it, I also did not know much about it, but have I learned fast. You have to walk in someone else's shoes a bit and then you understand!!!! I take Remicade iv every 6 weeks, methotrexate SQ weekly to keep my immune system normal. Disability was the route I took. But the conditions of my job cetainly added to the stress of life. I can remember leaving work 2 different times with nose bleeds so bad I had to go to Er on the way to my car and also had lots of surgeries in late 90's early 2000 all with no one finding out what the heck was going on with me. My PTO was never for a fun vacation, always illness!! Some of my patients were in better condition than I was. So, I have been blessed to have what I have had, I was just upset that my life insurance was cut, where can you get life insurance if you are on disability and I have had 2 days to think about it and lucklily my health insurance and meds will still be covered at employee rates, so why am I complaining? I think I just needed to vent badly and today have had some chest tightness and I know it is from all the stress of what is happening and no way to control it. you know we are all control freaks to some degree!!! We have to be when we are at work, or we work hard to maintain some degree of control and sanity!!! I have struggled to find a new normal for me the past 5-6 years and have tried a volunteer choir 2 times and each time it is to much. My 4 children,husband and 6 grandchildren get what energy I have and a couple of friends who have stuck by me. believe me, when you have a chronic illness, not to many understand your limitations and it also scares them that it could be them someday!! thanks for your interest and your reply!!! I love this board. i can come on here and feel like a nurse for awhile again. 68RN

I have just learned that all those on LTD at our hospital who have been able to stay on benefits have only one more month and then their benefits will cease-except health insurance-which I should be thankful for. but where can disabled persons get life Insurance?? No where!!!!! this almost borders on the disabilities Act or what are your opinions??? i was going into a deep depression and now am there for sure. also, one of my medical bills got sent to collections because the insurance is not paying claims in a timely manner-first time for all this, never sent to collections before. so sad to end like this!!!!! I just want to be well and nurse my patients like I used to . thanks for letting me vent!!!!! Life can be so cruel sometimes!!!!! And I gave 1000% when I was there- BIG MISTAKE!!!!!!

Our community is mourning the loss of a 16 yo female who was on one of our 3 high school volleyball teams. I do know it was an appendectomy and she died of internal bleeding. such a tragedy and my grandson told me she was taken back into surgery and died on the operating table. so, there is no such thing as minor surgery, all have risks and you never know when something can go tragically wrong. The girl is my niece's best friend's sister. So, even though we call hernia repair and appys minor, this makes me rethink things. And if you go in the middle of the night, you are at the mercy of the surgeon who is on call. Not much choice unless you are lucky and know of a good surgeon and maybe have some connections!!! This is just to sad to even think about!!!! You just need to approach every shift with your guard up and ready for anything because it will happen eventually,right?? Restin Peace Sweet Child!!!

I am medically retired now, but I can remember many nights that it was after 2:30 when I finished 1st rounds(10 patients or more) because of problems, picking up what 3-11 couldn't get finished, complications, midnight meds, IVPBs, you name it. thank god I had nurse techs who could keep an eye out and at least verify that everyone was still breathing!!! so frustrating, expecting more and more out of already spent nurses. When and where is it all going to end?/ Only time will tell and it will not be good!!!! So for you nurses out in the trenches, I am sorry for you having towork so hard and under so much pressure. Even today, after being home for 5 years, it takes the least little thing to get my "fight or flight" system going. It is such an overwhelming feeling and:cry: I lived it for so many years, my nervous system is shot!!!! But I loved it so much, yes I would do it over again, but would make alot of changes and take care of me-toilet and feed and hydrate me!!!!!

I heard on the news about an elderly female Alzheimer's patient who wandered away from her area and fell down a staircase to her death!!! Can you only imagine the horror and grief at that place!! No one and I mean no one goes in to work to do a patient harm. And those nursing homes, assisted living are notoriously understaffed. I understand it was an upscale home. but why oh why have stairs any where near these type of patients?? i worked long term care for 9 years during my career and it was a problem just keeping up with them at a one level facility. I don't know all the details on this and of course, my heart goes out to the family and staff that had her under their care that day, and the poor lady as she was falling down the stairs. Hope she wasn't aware of what was going on. Can you imagine if you were the RN in charge of this patient. but if it was:bluecry1: an assisted living, there might have just been a CMA on. I do not know the regs here on staffing. Maybe some out here knows more about this. I just can't get this out of my mind!!!!

In my many years of practice and orientating many different ages of nurses, it was always the ones who didn't ask questions who really scared me. And this was seasoned as well as young nurses. Every floor and specialty does things a little differently, and for one to never ask a question or take notes, truely astonished me!!! I had questions every day of my career and learned something every day. I actually wondered if something was wrong with me??? Not really!! I worked with an older nurse who became a nurse late in life and really lacked confidence. She would always criticize the "orientation" I gave her to anyone who would listen and when she had a question or needed input, do you think she would take some one's advice, no she did it just the way she was going to do it all along!!! It made me realize I was the better nurse, because as a nurse you can never know everything and I would rather ask questions and do the best for my patients I could possibly do, and along the way learning all the time. Our hospital closed its psych ward years ago and a seasoned psych nurse came to work with us and so appreciated everything I taught her and she always let me know how grateful she was for letting her stay in nursing and learning a new specialty. And that is about the only nursing she did all her life. So, you meet all kinds in nursing and although I am not an ER nurse, the same thing applies, right!!!! Good luck to all of you!! you do a hard job and I know because I was a frequent:yeah: flyer for 3-4 years till finally diagnosed with autoimmune problems and ankylosing spondylitis and fibromyalgia, but that is another whole story I want to write a book about some day!!! And I realize if families on the floors are demanding, then ER families are many times that!!!! Thanks for doing all you do for those of us who are ill and needing care. It is no fun being on the other end!!!!c God Bless all of you!!! 68RN

I worked a total of 19 years on night shift before I had to retire due to medical reasons. but, I learned alot and you have to be able to problem solve as their is limited resources on night shift. Anything and everything can happen on night shift. Usually you are staffed as "the patients are asleep"! Well, that is simply not true. At least 1/3 of your assignment will be awake with one problem or another and you will be thankful for the few that do sleep. If someone is going to fall, it is usually night shift,as it is notoriously short staffed and the patients think they can make it on their own to the BR. You learn when a problem is really an emergency and if you decide to bother a physician. You really have autonomy and I feel like a much better nurse having done a stint on night shift. And yes, their are families present on night shift, good ones and demanding ones. So, enjoy your time on night shift. I had a wonderful team and did not hesitate to help the aides as many nights there was just one aide. They in turn knew what to lok for and alert the nurses as they knew their patients. I had no problem with the day nurses as they knew I got as much done as possible and usually everything so they could start their morning meds and insulins. Once in awhile a lab would come in and I would get an order for blood at the last minute, but their was nothing more I could do, so even the other shifts were pretty good about working together. I think if a unit canlearn team work, then the rest falls into place and of course you are not always going to have a nurse pull her weight, but that is just the nature of nursing. Enjoy your career, and it will be an unforgetable experience. Good Luck 68RN

I am hoping someone can help me with a problem I am having with my husband's eye physician.He developed a clot behind his eye while on the road and unlaoading a 53 foot trailor. It became a workman's comp issue after the insurance decided it was. The physician we were referred to has a sign "No workman's Comp Cases, which did not pertain to us, as insurance was paying. It is now 2008, the injury happened June of 2005 and he had a vitrectomy in Jan 2008 with vision 20/80 in right eye. He was off work and the doc released him to go back to work the 5 of Feb, which we did not know, We had just received 2 checks from disability company when he (doc) sent in forms releasing him to go back to work. His sight is still not 20/40 needed to drive and he has been very unwilling to keep him off work, says it is a DOT thing. The disability company says it needs medical update from his attending physicians, not a doc at the DOT physical place. He will flunk his vision test anyway. So because he won't commit himself to taking him off work, we are loosing 60% of his pay, his Short term disability. Is it legal for a doc to do this, it certainly is not putting his patient first, and it is no money out of his pocket. My husband is 61 almost 62 and has worked all his life and this is his first injury claimed by workman;s comp. I am going to send a letter to the doc and we are going to get a second opinion because he is not doing right by my husband. i do not understand his reasoning that he can go back and drive a big rig with 20/80 vision. He just does not want to get involved, but he already is. and isn't that what docs do??? Any help or suggestions would be appreciated. I told him to go take his DOT physical and flunk the vision part and then take form back and the doc would have to sign it, I would think?? I am also going to call the medical board Thanks so much 68RN

Dear Massage RN, Thank you so much for responding to my question and validating what I felt all along. you were very kind to suggest some treatments and I will call around and find a massage therapist who specializes in fibromyalgia. It seems like all kinds of info on fibro is just coming out of the walls of late and we will all be validated some day. Luckily, I have an internist who firmly believes and is knowledgable about fibromyalgia and the latest research. I had to retire 4 years ago on disability and it was after nearly 9 years I was finally diagnosed with AS and am on methotrexate and Remicade. The pain I endured and the looks I got at the er at my own hospital really made me begin to doubt myself, but I swallowed my pride and kept on changing docs and doing whatever needed to be done to get a diagnosis. I knew something was not right with my body and all along had a heavy charge nurse position in inpatient rehab. I do believe God gave me this challenge to learn to stick up for myself, I could my family and patients, but for myself it was so hard. Guess that is the way it is for alot of caretakers!! Thanks again for caring and responding. I wish you lived closer, I bet you are a great nurse and massage therapist. Sincerely, 68RN

Wow!!! I really started some deep thoughts!! I do realize that these athletes do provide entertaiment and they are professionals and they let people get their minds off their troubles for a few hours. And yes, their careeres sometimes do end early, I, being a moderate, was just looking for comments and it seems like some of you took it I was bashing athletes. I was not. My Oklahoma Sooners and Cowboys are my guys and it seems the older I get, the more I enjoy football. And it probably is comparing apples to oranges, and hospitals do not generate money like sports does but just the sheer number of RNs who could be hired floored me!!! I do not know what it will take to have nursing services a separate billing item on hospital bills, but that alone would be a start to keeping up with Pts,RTs etc. oh well, lots of problems we have both as a profession and as a country. Stay well and I really enjoyed all the responses!! 68RN

I have ankylosing spondylitis and fibromyalgia. I was sent to a PT for right shoulder and right buttocks pain. I do not think my Rheumy's office sent much info over or even that I had fibro, and the private clinic took no history or medication list. Usually before when I go to PT, I fill out a lengthy form. Things started out ok, alot of hard pressure to all areas of back and shoulder area. And I mean hard. I am sure it was trigger point release. After a few times I mentioned I had fibromyalgia, and asked if my doc had sent over any info on me? Her reply was "a little" What is that supposed to mean. After the rough massage, she would do some ultrasound and then out to the mats to to more exercises and sometimes I would ride the bicycle for 5 minutes. I would go home and go to bed. This continued from March till May when I could take it no more. I would almost scream on the table where she was pressing so hard. She was irritating musscles I had not used in ages and I began developing SOB and pains and fatigue. I was literally in a flare most of the summer. I kept doing it thinking i would get better. she got in my face one day on the mat and chastized me for not doing the daily exercises, if I wanted to get my strength up. I think I scared her when I reported I was having SOB and she let me go one day after my massage. I was laid up till middle of August. When I told the NP at my rheumatologists office about the massage, her only comment was "some do not respond". and she was the one who highly recommended this gal. I also mentioned to my internist if a small clot could have broken loose when she did that excruciating massage to my upper back muscles and he really had no comment. It is like do not shovel snow if you are not conditioned and it was still exercise just painful passive. I never returned and think I will go and talk to the owner of the clinic who is also a PT, My internist did write out on a PX pad that I had fibromyalgia and wrote down his recommendations for therapy for next time. I am scare to go anywhere else. Where do you find a PT that is knowledgeble in fibro, or I would be happy to just go and have a gentle massage somewhere. What action would you all take?? Thanks for reading this. 68RN