When you are the patient and know way too much LOL

Nurses Relations

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Specializes in Psych.

So I went for my first set of four (yes FOUR, I'm allergic to everything) shots today. Years ago, it would have been the needles that made me green around the gills (I had a huge needlephobia problem, still have a hard time getting stuck to venipunctures), now it's because I know too much about what COULD happen to me.

I spent all morning working myself into a near panic......oh my god what happens if I go into anaphylaxis. So I go there, get the shots and in my 20 min wait, all I could think is oh no......is my chest getting a little tight? What's that little lump in my throat? (It's called being thirsty lol). Oh my god, is the inside of my mouth itching? I can make the inside of my mouth itch by thinking about it. Really. So my 20 mins was up, and all I had to show was a little itchy lump at one of the sites smaller than a pencil eraser. Slapped some hydrocortisone cream on and I was good to go.

Then I started freaking out because I was tired. Well no duh I spent forever worrying myself to death. I've always been somewhat of a hypochondriac. So that plus being a nurse..........leads to some pretty humorous situations sometimes.

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When I was pregnant for the first time, I was absolutely terrified of CMV infection, and convinced that it was lurking around every corner. I became a freak about washing my hands constantly. I never touched my face unless I had JUST washed my hands, even if I was at home. Not a day, heck an hour, went by without me fretting and worrying about it.

Then I got to thinking about my husband. My sweet, loving husband who chews on his fingernails...in the middle of Walmart. One day we were at a steakhouse that had peanuts in the shell on the table in a bucket. He ate one, and soon regretted it because I hit the roof. It didn't matter how careful I was, because my husband could pass CMV to me! What was I supposed to do? Not kiss him for 9 months? He still hasn't lived that down and our little boy will soon turn 5.

Anyway, I can only imagine that all the anxiety I felt because of CMV during my pregnancy was far worse for me and my little one than any actual risk of me getting CMV.

I think it's humorous that when you talk to the majority of pregnant non-nurses about CMV, they say "what's CMV?" Yes, ignorance is bliss.

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Specializes in Emergency/Trauma/Critical Care Nursing.
When I was pregnant for the first time, I was absolutely terrified of CMV infection, and convinced that it was lurking around every corner. I became a freak about washing my hands constantly. I never touched my face unless I had JUST washed my hands, even if I was at home. Not a day, heck an hour, went by without me fretting and worrying about it.

Then I got to thinking about my husband. My sweet, loving husband who chews on his fingernails...in the middle of Walmart. One day we were at a steakhouse that had peanuts in the shell on the table in a bucket. He ate one, and soon regretted it because I hit the roof. It didn't matter how careful I was, because my husband could pass CMV to me! What was I supposed to do? Not kiss him for 9 months? He still hasn't lived that down and our little boy will soon turn 5.

Anyway, I can only imagine that all the anxiety I felt because of CMV during my pregnancy was far worse for me and my little one than any actual risk of me getting CMV.

I think it's humorous that when you talk to the majority of pregnant non-nurses about CMV, they say "what's CMV?" Yes, ignorance is bliss.

Lol I'm drawing a blank, what's CMV?

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Lol I'm drawing a blank, what's CMV?

Cytomegalovirus

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Specializes in Emergency/Trauma/Critical Care Nursing.

Thanks!

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Specializes in Medical-Surgial, Cardiac, Pediatrics.

Or when you have family members who end up in the hospital with a nasty injury (like muscle split open to the bone needing surgery to be sewn up again), and you nag them with questions about the awful discharge they had..

"What do you mean, they didn't start you on an antibiotic and send you home on at least a week regime?! Why would they discharge you right now? They need to keep you overnight for observation, you're completely at risk for compartment syndrome and a really nasty infection! Okay, since they apparently HAD to send you home, you need to check how much you're peeing, make sure you're drinking enough, check your peripheral pulses, make sure your toes stay warm and pink, and if you have any drainage that isn't clear or slightly bloody, or you have pain that isn't relieved with painkillers and increases, you need to call someone competent immediately, because OMG WHY DIDN'T THEY PUT YOU ON ANTIBIOTICS AT LEAST?!"

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So when my "epidural" for prolonged labor turns out to be a high spinal, numb way up past the nipple line, and I see out of the corner of my eye the anesthesiologist fiddling with the ET tube ...

"Put that goddam thing down! I'm still breathing!"

And then when I have the nasty episiotomy necrotizing fasciitis...

"Doncha think I shouldn't be sharing a single-toilet bathroom with seven other women?"

Oy. And a university hospital to boot.

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It should be a 30 minute wait after allergy shots. Anyway, I'm the world's worst to do what RedInScrubs talks about: questioning family member's medical orders/dx/tx. I actually called my mom when she texted me that my cousin was undergoing surgery and told her all the reasons why he shouldn't get that particular procedure done--never mind the fact it was out of my specialty and the GI really did know what he was doing, I just knew the potential side effects and was letting that cloud my judgement! I also over-analyze everything. My toddler had a cough one evening and I mentioned it at his next checkup, telling the ped that I automatically thought it was asthma! I also question whomever is unfortunate enough to draw my blood or start an IV on me--I always ask for a 24g instead of the 22g they come at me with!

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When a family member has stage 4 metatisc melanoma and the "oncologist" tells them, the staging doesn't matter.???? You know it's not good, but you also don't want to kill their will to live. I did make sure that oncologist know, I am protective of my only little sister. I have his cell # and he keeps me in the loop (with my sisters permission of course). I hate that she lives so far away. ?

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Specializes in Psych.

Glad to know that I'm not the only one who has driven myself over the edge. I had an episode with my dad this week, he was pulling a ride on mower down some ramps off the hack of a cargo van. The ramp slipped and the mower FELL ON HIM!!! My mom tells me this, he was in excruciating pain in his back and had swelling over the sacrum. My mom wanted to call 911 but he refused and wouldn't go to the ER because he "doesn't trust doctors" even though he's an orthodontist. I absolutely hit the roof! I made her put him on and was screaming at him about how he could have an unstable fx and could be paralyzed and he was all, "yeah I'm in some pain but I can walk and have control of my bodily functions. It fell over my sacrum, non displaced fractures of the sacrum are really rare". He still refuses to be checked out. I about died.

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Specializes in SICU, trauma, neuro.

That's a scary thing to worry about. I became kind of obsessive about avoiding CMV when pregnant w/ my second. I had a lot of transplant pts, and I was even assigned to one w/ CMV once. It was never verbally reported, but I found the info in her chart. So I put myself on contact iso...this one dr. asked, "Oh is this pt on contact precautions?" I explained that no, but she has CMV and I'm pregnant. Her response: "Well is your older child in daycare? You've probably been exposed anyway." True, but that's an awfully big "probably" when compared with the risk of profound disability or death.

When I was pregnant for the first time, I was absolutely terrified of CMV infection, and convinced that it was lurking around every corner. I became a freak about washing my hands constantly. I never touched my face unless I had JUST washed my hands, even if I was at home. Not a day, heck an hour, went by without me fretting and worrying about it.

Then I got to thinking about my husband. My sweet, loving husband who chews on his fingernails...in the middle of Walmart. One day we were at a steakhouse that had peanuts in the shell on the table in a bucket. He ate one, and soon regretted it because I hit the roof. It didn't matter how careful I was, because my husband could pass CMV to me! What was I supposed to do? Not kiss him for 9 months? He still hasn't lived that down and our little boy will soon turn 5.

Anyway, I can only imagine that all the anxiety I felt because of CMV during my pregnancy was far worse for me and my little one than any actual risk of me getting CMV.

I think it's humorous that when you talk to the majority of pregnant non-nurses about CMV, they say "what's CMV?" Yes, ignorance is bliss.

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Specializes in FNP, ONP.

You people need therapy.

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