Recovering from stabbing now what for LPN

[friendofinjuredlpn]

Good Day All!

Long story short. My very good friend (whom was a recent LPN GRAD 1 yr ago) was stabbed during a robbery attempt almost 1 yr ago by a young man on drugs in broad daylite (The attacker is now serving a 5 year stint in a state prison thanks to my friend thwarting the attack of a four page re-offendor and many good samaritans that witnessed the attack) . My friend had just passed his LPN lic exam days before the attack and had just sent out his first batch of 50 resumes when the assault took place.

Well he suffered a serious injury from the attack requiring surgery but has fully recovered from the physical injury but suffers from PTSD. He does NOT want to go on SSI (he is better than that) He is looking for a job (career) path that he might do from home that can use his newly aquired LPN lic. and skills as he is not up to getting into the physical day to day work load. (flash backs and anxiety are still issues he is dealling with and FTR he will never see a dime in compensation for the attack as of course the attacker was a never employed coke head!)

I am looking for suggestions on what types of jobs he might do at home where he is most safe, comfortable and at ease from his computer/phone (as he might need to take breaks as his PTSD symptoms pops up). Does anyone have any ideas? We pray for his full recovery and he does see himself in the field someday but today just is not that day. He does have intentions of going for his RN but mentally he wants to make sure he is up to his challenges as an LPN first. Again suggestions or ideas would be great!

I look forward to all of your great and heart felt responses

[friendofinjuredlpn]

Thank You all...

Little update, Last night I attended another male survivors of PTSD meeting with my dear friend (I have not been able to go for about 2 months due to changes at work and this group is in addition to his other individual therapy sessions) The recovery and remission stats are astounding. I have been attending these group therapy sessions for about 10 months with him and let me tell you seeing what alot of these men have gone through (War, workplace injuries, assaults and etc). out of approx 14 men I would say 8 in about a year are on the highway to recovery and there PTSD is remission.

That said the war and physically assaulted victims seem to be most difficult to respond to PTSD recovery techniques. Also those with comorbid ADHD (AHH my friend every symptom except drug alc. or smoking use as being a workaholic kept him from those vices) The stories I heard and to see grown mature men cry, sob and shake as they told there stories was to say the least eye opening. There are 3 men (including my friend) that are getting close to recovery but again with there types of trauma involving personal injuries requiring surgery it seem to be taking a little longer as I think there having physical scars are constant reminders they need deal with and manage every day.

The other 3 (young men 19-21) wow war with now drug addictions I am saddened and heart broken over. If they put these young men on TV we would pull all our troops out of these foreign countries and figure out another way. IMHO I am not sure what kind of managed lives these kids will ever have and the military all though putting on a good show are really not doing the right thing and it really hurts my friend seeing what they are going through and makes him feel lucky that all he has suffered is major surgery requiring a year long physical recovery and major career evaluation again. (not sure if I could have handled it to be honest)

My friend is anxious to get back to work and I have a feeling upon his return to full managed health he will be off to some inner city hospital or VA trauma center to give back in a most unsellfish way. If not as a nurse he will definately be giving back to others in need somehow. To be honest I like the idea of working at my nice suburban green hospital after my graduation in 2 years (beng really honest).

Well I would like to thank you all for your continued help and thoughts. He is going to reach out to the quacks at the duck insurance company and others as that is where many have suggested. I just feel so sorry for this man and blessed to know him as I have seen him overcome so many adversities it is a shame that this assualt happened to him at a time in his life it did in his 40's.

Well we just got off the phone at 4:10 am EST and he wanted me to thank you all here as he himself is chatting with others on the male threads of this site from time to time.That said I am guessing it has been Gods will for this to happen as not only has he grown but many around him have become educated and more tolerant in ways that we never would have if not for seeing what PTSD is really all about.

Thank You all again, Bless all of you and again any more thoughts or ideas anything is appreciated. I will be monitorng this sight often to seek your continued kind and unselfish assistance and keep you abreast of his recovery as a survivor of our societies drug epidemic and lack of real mental health assistance (his attacker).

[madwife2002, BSN, RN]

Wow that is so interesting that you for sharing. I would love to hear more about it. We do not know what many people have been through in their lives or how they react.

All I know is I love the pts I used to look after and never judged even when they did turn to alcohol and drugs as a crutch.

Many people look down their noses but I always believed people wouldnt do the things they do to themselves without a past reason!

[friendofinjuredlpn]

Oh I needed to turn the light on again!

Yes! The Voc Rehab through the division of labor dept of disabilities service. Great concepts they have but NO money as there funding has been cut. Many in the program are leaving and many cannot get in. I met and known some whom were in the program and they thrived and have become success stories. I sent my friend there but the wait for programs and offerings are long and or non existant any longer. He is on lists and even has a counsellor but again jobs are in short supply especially those with his limitations.

While we were on the phone I could sense him wanting to get to work but I really must say he is not ready to get out yet in the medical field. I as his designated unbiassed observor know he still exhibts symptoms of PTSD that might not put him or a patient in a good situation should they become active while he is administering care.

He is going to talk to his T and P next Thursday and see if he might get another type p/t job in a field that is more friendly to him at this time but again he was in heavy construction in the past and I am afraid his injury has not healled enough for that besides his surgeon said no more construction (major shoulder reconstruction with screws and rods although you would never know it). My friend said there is a difference between lifting a heavy thrashing patient as opposed to lifting heavy construction material 50 feet in the air on a rain covered ladder in the middle of the night during a snow storm. The lifting of a patient being easier.

He also loves to cook and he has a awesone and great personality (although it used to be better) I might suggest something in the food industry (although it is low paying) I think it might behove him to get out some more but again I do not want to push to hard and I think his T and P really have been great (he went through 3 in the beginning) so I will leave it to my friend and them for now as I think I am speaking more from his frustration rather than from really what is professionally and medically correct for him.

Bless you and good night:yawn:

[friendofinjuredlpn]

To wife2002,

My friend has opted to use the church in part of his recovery from PTSD (again he has never smoked nor done any ilegal drug EVER and ocasionally drank socially maybe a beer a wk if that although now he no longer does that). I really do not know all the reasons but I will say he somehow does forgive his attacker for what he has done to him. The attacker had a 4 page wrap sheet that included many drug related offenses (To which he served no or little time for in the big house). It seems a lot of programs out there are really not the answer as there needs to be a hollostic approach (NO NOT VOODOO). The educated here know what I mean. Therapy, a good home environment, support, medication etc. blah blah but we as sellfish americans (I included) care more about my 401k than another human being so I have to be careful. Plus lets be brutally honest and admit if americans did not pay for the drugs as users the drugs would not be here.

I am shocked at the number of well off fellow students that use many different kinds of illegal drugs for a variety of reasons (hello nursing students and kids of nursing profesionals you included) on a college campus. It is really out of control and we as a society are going to and are already are paying for it. I do fear things are going to get worse before better, IKESSS.

I have just finished a western Civ class and world history class and history is repeating itself worse by 10 times. I am not sure of the answers but as we dip into hard times again I think there will be more anger and poverty and I really do not see much good coming from it. But again I hold onto hope I guess... In the name of my friend.

Chat later....I am now over tired and going back to sleep

[Amanda.RN]

I'm so sorry this happened to him! That's awful!

I have some recommendations:

1. He should be seeing a psychiatrist for his PTSD if he isn't already. It's currently not controlled, so if the current psychiatrist (if he has one) isn't doing enough to get it under control, he should consider a second opinion.

2. Be careful with your comment "he's better than that" re: SSI. There's a lot of great people (and he sounds like one of them) who have to go on disability for some reason or another. Though I realize there's a few 'bad apples' that ruin it for the bunch, try to avoid stereo-typing.

3. He should look at http://www.flexjobs.com for at-home positions. There are many nursing positions that are now being offered as "telecommute". He may have to consider taking additional courses to obtain his RN license though - I'm not sure what the minimum requirement is for those kinds of positions. If he would be agreeable to going back for his RN, he could take online theory classes and then just leave the house for his clinicals.

Good luck to him!

Amanda

[friendofinjuredlpn]

Thanks AmandaRN,

As in earlier posts i did explain he has a Trauma therapist a Psyche DR and belongs to trauma therapy groups as well as has a network of friends from church.

I apologized for and clarified my statement about ssi in prior posts as well

Thanks so much for the flex job site we were looking for something like that so again thank you!

I will say my friend has been really giving great thought about his nursing field pursuit and continuing on with his education at this time. There are considerable costs and time comitments involved (also he would never take up a seat in class from another) and to be honest I have really seen a slight loss of apetite and zest. It is really has been 2 fold we suspect 1- his Trauma 2- his adult ADHD Dx. He is bored to tears but his symptom of flashbacks is not managed enough for him to seek out of the home real hands on work. That is why we are looking at flex positions from home for/with him at this time.

I will say he is not a lump. I have known this man for well over 15 years but I will say he really has deteriorated after the initial trauma and now is finally in a somewhat stable but still fragile state. He is in the need of mental rehab right now and for him that is definately work related physical stuff in a safe honest and positive environment to get his mind and body working. Even though it might not be full time or really physical it still would be something moving forward.

Again Bless You all

[Amanda.RN]

Sorry friendofinjuredlpn, I only read the original post - I should have read on. Thanks for clarifying. I hope everything works out well for your friend.

[Jenni811, RN]

He does NOT want to go on SSI (he is better than that)

I'm confused. Just because someone needs to be on an antidepressant, it does not mean anything. It doesn't mean he is a bad person with ineffective coping if he were to take an antidepressant. My best friend was rapped and beaten 2 years ago. She suffered a concussion and multiple scars on her face from being beaten. The biggest scar is from her rape. She had PTSD, untrusting of males. She went on antidepressants, but this does NOT mean her coping was ineffective.

I'm not a psychiatrist, but i personally would think finding him a job to work from home would not be in his best interest. It is like feeding into that fear. He needs to overcome that fear. Which i totally understand he has.

After my best friends rape and beating, all she wanted to do was sit in her basement and not leave. I slowly did things with her, like sit outside at HER place on the deck together. When that became comfortable, we would go for a little drive to the park (only a couple blocks away and she was fearful to walk there). I'm not taking credit for making her "better' because she still has issues to this day. It is just that if i were to feed into that fear, and ALLOW her to sit in her basement, she would have never gotten over it. i wanted her to continue school, and continue doing things she loved to do. Make sense??

I'm not a psychiatrist/psychologist so i could be very very wrong, but that is just my personal opinion on it.

[Jenni811, RN]

never mind, i just read your reply to that SSI thing.

[leslie :-D]

I'm not going to put a name to the company here but their commercials feature a duck.

:lol2: very smooth, and so, so subtle.

leslie

[friendofinjuredlpn]

Jenni811

He thank goodness is over the basement stage... he does get out and about at some level, to church, the close by water and etc. He does experience however flashbacks and most paralyze him. Some last for minutes others longer. He will sometimes shake, rattle and roll other times the tears just flow from a stare that could cut and ice cube.The knife is a big reminder and device that reminds him of the attack but I must admit that is what he says. I have seen him go into the hypervigilance state just by seeing a person with a hoody sweatshirt (what was worn by attacker) or even people walking towards him on the sidewalk in the middle of the day (where and when he was attacked).

The T'S have been working on these issues with him using different therapies but little has succeeded.

There are days u would think he is almost normal (hehe) other days watch out. Again that is the bigest issue there is not consistency from one thing but many inconsistencies in his actions and symptoms from many little things if that makes sense. Then again maybe he just needs a little more time and we shall just keep moving forward as best as we can.

Bless you all

[cherrybreeze, ADN, RN]

clarification is needed.

1) He is under the care of a great trauma therapist and psychiatrist.

2) "He is better than ssi" are my quotes not his. He at this time does not need to go down that avenue and I am sure if he feels that is a needed path he would seek those resources out. He has financial resources for the time being but he, his T and P feel that he is at a place where p/t at home work would do him good and nursing is his passion so that is why "I" am reaching out here for him.

I hope I did not offend anyone and please keep up with the suggestions, ideas and or questions

Bless You all for your responses!

The clarification doesn't make a lot of sense to me.....maybe I'm just thick. I am hoping what you mean by, "he is better than that" is that functionally, etc, he doesn't require it, as opposed to being "above" it. Am I reading it the right way?

To wife2002,

My friend has opted to use the church in part of his recovery from PTSD (again he has never smoked nor done any ilegal drug EVER and ocasionally drank socially maybe a beer a wk if that although now he no longer does that). I really do not know all the reasons but I will say he somehow does forgive his attacker for what he has done to him. The attacker had a 4 page wrap sheet that included many drug related offenses (To which he served no or little time for in the big house). It seems a lot of programs out there are really not the answer as there needs to be a hollostic approach (NO NOT VOODOO). The educated here know what I mean. Therapy, a good home environment, support, medication etc. blah blah but we as sellfish americans (I included) care more about my 401k than another human being so I have to be careful. Plus lets be brutally honest and admit if americans did not pay for the drugs as users the drugs would not be here.

I am shocked at the number of well off fellow students that use many different kinds of illegal drugs for a variety of reasons (hello nursing students and kids of nursing profesionals you included) on a college campus. It is really out of control and we as a society are going to and are already are paying for it. I do fear things are going to get worse before better, IKESSS.

I have just finished a western Civ class and world history class and history is repeating itself worse by 10 times. I am not sure of the answers but as we dip into hard times again I think there will be more anger and poverty and I really do not see much good coming from it. But again I hold onto hope I guess... In the name of my friend.

Chat later....I am now over tired and going back to sleep

You are very focused on the issue of drugs (in general). I can understand pointing out that your friend doesn't use them....and the point was made. Your post almost feels like a, "protesting too much" kind of thing, at least to me? And why the discussion of how "rampant" drug use is, including the accusation that "we" are also guilty? What am I missing? How is this either a) true or b) relevant?