8/13 this week, I've learned the connection between AN desktop, insurance, and HR

[ixchel]

Seriously. I'm just diving in right now.

As an AN member...

1. I absolutely, positively can NOT figure out a damn thing on desktop via mobile AN. Somebody, for the love of god, I've been finding my posts by clicking on notifications, going to likes, and following them to stuff I've bookmarked. I'm on safari on iphone. I found something that MIGHT be bookmarks, but crazy old threads are mixed with new ones. I am wondering how the heck I managed to stay active before the app. Maybe it was regular desktop pre-mobile desktop in those days. I can't remember, but I was never morefrustrated than I've been this week. Speaking of... Anyone able to link me to last week's thread? I hadn't posted in it before I lost app access. So now it's missing. Not really missing, just impatiently missing. YOU GUYS. I seriously can't get into this site anymore when it's this much more of a hassle.

As a patient...

2. Another hassle - STD's clinician feels that my claim is not extendable. Obviously my job as a bedside nurse is not relevant. Nothing was done on their end to review this until a few days before my claim ended. Two weeks now waiting on their decision and they're now requesting old records prior to my claim beginning. I'm pretty sure, if we keep this simple, if my surgeon feels my body is not capable of being at the bedside, and my hospital wont take me back as a result, then the insurance I have paid for without using for years now should continue my claim until I can fulfill the duties of my job.

As a hospital employee:

3. AND ANOTHER HASSLE! HR. I'm not going there. I just wont. It's been bad enough.

As a patient's mom:

4. Turns out my kid probably wasn't on abx long enough. Pretty sure Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever is back. No new ticks, no new exposures. I just think he wasn't treated long enough. New labs drawn. 21 days of doxy ordered. Waiting on lab results. So very thankful for the docs at my kids' pediatrics practice. I wish I could find adult doctors this wonderful.

As a person who napped in an empty house today, after several days of feeling a sinus-y thing looming over me:

5. My brain has managed to combine:

(1)a David Bowie and a John Lennon (adult) kid documentary (pre-Bowie death, late 80s-ish) (spoiler: there was sex but after Lennon was gone)

(2)filming a Lannister scene with the Lannister boys (the grown ones, not the kings) (spoiler: Brienne ends up with Tyrion. I did NOT see that coming.)

(3)filming with a realistic Stark direwolf model trying to bite my leg off (I was actually afraid) (spoiler: it was Aryas)

(4)and it was all with the dark undercurrent of TWD, where a shadowy Negan-esque character kills off a GOT character, but you wont know who until next season

All of this in one dream. I skipped the part where a person I haven't seen in 18 years was there with his new husband. Flew in from Oregon. Or was it Washinton? I honestly cannot remember now. I'm still confused about the elbowy sex.

I really don't actually have anything else to add. I didn't expect to be starting this this week. If there is another one out there done by the person I'd already talked to, I never heard back - I'm sorry! (Please see lesson number 1.)

[Cricket183, BSN, RN]

Hugs, Cricket. I was thinking of you the other day, actually, because I had a patient with a weird fall and we were ruling TPF out.

I hope for their sake, it was ruled out!

[WKShadowNP, DNP, APRN]

Yes, ma'am, it was. But her patella was cracked.

[Meeshie]

1. I learned that I lack patience in the job hunting department. I've never needed patience before. However, as a new grad with a shiny RN license that is less than a month old living in an area with almost no internships, lots of new grads, and a lot of hospitals that won't hire new grads (sunny south florida)... I must learn some patience.

.. Or I could move. Moving is better than patience, yes?

[nutella, MSN, RN]

I learned a lot about the relationship between acid reflux / GERD and vocal cord dysfunction.

My daughter had an episode of sudden shortness of breath not that long ago in which she felt her throat was closing up. Understandably, she got into a panic and tried hard to breath, which made it worse. She was not able to speak for a minute or so. Once it stopped and she was able to breath again, she felt her throat was 'swollen' and 'irritated' - her high pitch voice lasted for some hours. She had a cold with a hacking cough and had been taking some cough blocker but her throat was already irritated from coughing.

Initially I though she was choking since she came out of the kitchen with a inspiratory stridor and inability to breath. But after the 'event' and the way she described it, it sounded more like some form of a vocal cord dysfunction to me.

My daughter thought she was having an allergic reaction or asthma but I was not convinced. She also has been asking for tums lately but not complaining about acid reflux. She continued to have some of those 'events' and especially at night and today the ENT physician stuck a camera down her nose to look at her vocal cords and throat - sure enough right above the vocal cord it is very red and swollen.

The doctor is treating her acid reflux with medication and gave my daughter instructions about lifestyle changes (eating, not eating for 2 hours before bedtime). Also, she reiterated what we have been doing : Wenn a person with vocal cord dysfunction feels the vocal cords/throat 'closing up' it is important to stay calm and breath slowly through the nose. That can stop the "attack" so it does not lead to a full blown closing of the vocal cords.

I also found some information by a specialist who recommends to try breathing through a cut off straw when the vocal cords close down or to do a 'sniffing breathing' , which can end the 'event'.

Go figure - there seem to be quite some people who are misdiagnosed with asthma , exercise induced asthma, or other forms of respiratory illness when in fact they have vocal cord dysfunction. The reason I thought about it and bypassed the pediatrician was that I have worked in ENT years ago and the presentation of shortness of breath just did not end up with anything else. I was not aware that a teenager can have this problem related to acid reflux and my daughter has not complained much of acid reflux.

Here is a link that talks a little bit about vocal cord dysfunction:

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/ccf/media/Files/Head_Neck/head_neck_testimonial.pdf?la=en

Also, this article is interesting:

Paradoxical Vocal-Cord Dysfunction: Management in Athletes

Another interesting piece of information is related to nose piercings. Different countries handle the whole nose piercing and aftercare somewhat differently it seems. While in Europe the piercer gives a bottle with a disinfectant solution that contains alcohol and asks to clean the outside with a cotton bush, the piercer in the USA recommends a salt solution and to move the nose piercing by pushing against the plate/backing from the inside of the nose so it sticks out. The idea is to move it slightly so that the person who got the piercing can clean with a q-tip between skin and piercing. Also, nose piercings can sink into the skin when the inside of the nose gets swollen.

I found some interesting information about how to care for body piercings here:

Body Piercings: Cleaning and Healing | University Health Services

[AspiringNurseMW]

I am RARELY on here now that there is no App. I miss it, but I find being on the desktop version, whether on mobile or my computer to be so disappointing. I mean, seeing as to how school starts in 11 days it's better to NOT have something else to distract me, but still.

My daughter starts kindergarten in 9 days. I am not ready for this! And my stupid school district just changed kindergarten to half days, and orientation isn't until next week! So I have to figure out scheduling and busses in less than a week.

I am both excited to be entering my final year of my ADN program and terrified. And also disappointed that I didn't get to do half of what I wanted this summer.

I think I have made a connection at my local hospital. I went for an interview for a scholarship sponsored by my local chamber of commerce. One of the panel interviewers works for the hospital and was kind of recruiting me during my interview! Now to find that paper with her email to keep in touch. While I didn't get the scholarship (I didn't need it because I have 2 others) the networking was great.

[Cricket183, BSN, RN]

Update on previous post: EGD results-moderately severe gastritis throughout the body & antrum of the stomach. Three ulcers in the antrum, one with evidence of bleeding. H&H is slightly low but nothing to be concerned about. Biopsies taken. Go back Friday for results and then will treat accordingly (Abx if positive for H. Pylori, Carafate if negative.) Low acid diet & PPI for now.

[aeris99]

Is there a new thread going or should I just post here? Not that I've learned too much lately but I do have a brief update.

[NotAllWhoWandeRN, ASN, RN]

Is there a new thread going or should I just post here? Not that I've learned too much lately but I do have a brief update.

Nothing new that I've seen yet.

[LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN]

Let's post away until a new one pops up!!!

[Cheyenne RN,BSHS]

Is AN even considering having a new app created? It seems that many posters were using it.

[Farawyn]

Hey all!

The app being gone is a huge loss, IMO. I think they said it was not cost effective. Since I actually pay for AN, this decision to stop the app will probably influence me on shelling out my hard earned dough again.

What have I learned? Hmmm... not much. It's been a mellow time off.

Hope you all are well! I've missed ya!

[Lauraingalls, BSN, RN]

I agree with those that are not visiting as much due to no app. It is definitely more slow here.

I learned that Nubain is the best medicine for a post csection patient who has severe itching but most docs just say to give Benadryl. The itching is t an allergic histamine response therefore Benadryl only sedated the patient therefore reducing the itching.