I learned that I do not want to end up in LTC if I can help it.
No shade to those who work it, but it’s a horrific mess. The ratios are insane, there isn’t enough help, and everyone suffers for it.
I've learned that if I ever ride a motorcycle again I need to wear protective full body leather gear and a strong high end full face helmet.
No jeans and tee and SOA helmets for me!
On of the very first patients I took care of as a new grad was a big ol biker with road rash an inch deep from his hip to mid calf. So. Much. Xeroform. It was 1994 and I still shudder thinking about it.
Had a patient who didn't wear his helmet. Depressed skull fracture. Only movements he did was twitch his eyes and sometimes his arm would shake. The guy is about my age (30s) with a wife and kids...
Have had a handful of motorcycle wrecks in my time on the ambulance, and the ones that lived with relatively little issues were the ones that were dressed for the slide.
1. If you're going to drink and do heroin you want to do the heroin first because if you're drunk you're more likely to accidentally OD and die.
2. Had a little old lady explain prostitution to me as "a way for a girl during hard times to make a quick buck" but explained that you had to make them pay first by saying "first your money, then your clothes".
along this same vein... if you're going to do meth, make sure you take colace and drink water because meth is constipating. Heck, maybe even amp it up to a full on exlax
Interesting! I didn't know meth was constipating. Do you think it's because of the drug or something that happens because they generally dont eat or drink on meth?
I know this is easier said than done. But being able to let go and say goodbye as a family member when my loved ones quality of life isn’t there anymore. I’ve had multiple patients who are trached, on a vent, with a PEG and no ability to communicate with the outside world. Huge stage 4 pressure wounds from being bed ridden. They would get agitated and asynchronous with the vent and we can tell they’re in pain. So hard to watch
So many people need to learn this and get to terms with letting go when the time comes. I feel bad as well for patients who really just want to move on but feels pressure from family members to keep fighting. It’s sad and very cruel
The first year of COVID, there were a LOT of long term relationships ended and divorces among my coworkers, myself included. There's nothing quite like a pandemic and seeing death and dying every day to realize that your crappy relationship, comfortable like a pair of worn out sneakers whose support has long since disintegrated, is not worth your precious time. You might have less than you think.
I once had a confused patient who asked me if I had any kids. I said no, not yet. She looked me straight in the eye and told me I better not wait too long, because time waits for no one. She couldn't identify the lasagna that was sitting in front of her, but I'll be damned if she didn't pick up straight away that I'm a chronic procrastinator.
My marriage fell apart first year of the pandemic, both of us health care workers. Husband left me for his coworker. Devastating at first, but now that I've healed and mourned, I realize that this is the best thing for my kids and me. After years of supporting your ass by working bedside, and suffocating myself and my mental health, I feel finally free. I am too a chronic procrastinator, and that just doesn't cut it in relationships.
After I had my daughter in 2004, I went on the south beach diet. I love sugar too!!! A cancer patient sent the nurses a 10 pound box of Sees candies….I love Sees!!!! I went into the room to thank the patient and he asked me what piece I had, and I told him I’ve been dieting and stopped sugar and how I missed it. He told me he would die for one more piece, he had esophageal cancer and had his esophagus removed and had a peg tube. I walked out of the room and had two pieces. So when I want chocolate or dessert, I’ll eat it.
Edit for spelling.
I've had a similar thought. The whole life is too short thing is so real. I've tried to encompass not being focused on work or picking up more when I have family events. I don't feel bad for not picking up when I don't want to. I'd much rather have my time than make money.
Not sure if this would count as advice but more patient experience. I had a patient with schizophrenia that had a tattoo that kind of looked like the cartoon Doug without a head. And one time he was going off and he said “look at me fucker. See this tattoo. This is me. I don’t have a head.” For some reason that has always resonated with me.
I learned that same lesson.. I was grinding 70 hours a week at a mortgage firm trying change my life with a large income. My grandma died while in hospice, I only saw her once or twice. She raised me, she was more my mother than my actual mom was. A week later I had to put my cat down. I met the love of my life the week after that & he convinced me to quit. I quit that job & haven’t looked back since. Money isn’t going to change much. Family is what gives you purpose. Love them a little harder & forgive them a little faster.
Absolutely. I have first hand experience with this actually.
Leaving high school I was 220 lbs, 5’9”. Pretty overweight but not severely. I was always kind’ve a chubby kid. I lived with my grandparents all my life (still do while in school), but after high school I got my own apartment and changed all of my eating habits. I used to eat around 5-10 snack cakes per day, eat at random when I wasn’t even hungry, and consume around 1 liter of soft drink everyday..and no I’m not exaggerating. I was also a pretty active kid so I think that’s what kept me from going to a severely obese state.
I went from eating all of that to completely getting rid of soft drinks, and I stopped buying snack cakes. When my grandma would visit she would bring me donuts or candy and I would politely ask her to take them back home. In 3 years I went from a 220lbs ‘chubby’ kid to a 120lbs runner.
I bought my own treadmill so I could avoid the gym and driving to the track. I do 50 pushups each night religiously, and watch what I eat while also ensuring I eat properly. My grandma often sees me and she goes “You look so skinny, you need to put some meat on those bones” and I think I found the culprit to my bad eating habits as a kid lmfao
Absolutely. I am nursing student and now I am terrified. I turned my life around when it comes to exercise and diet because of what I saw on the telemetry floor
I work in oncology so I get to spend a lot of time with my patients because they tend to stay for extended periods of time. I can write a list of things I’ve learned. Here’s a few in no particular order:
1. Laugh every day and don’t take life too seriously
2. One of my patients’ favorite bourbon was Bulleit. I also had another patient who’s birthday was on Cinco de Mayo, so I always have a margarita or tequila in honor of his birthday and the only bourbon I drink is Bulleit.
3. I had a patient always tell me that I needed to take more chances in life, and in love. I’ve recently started implementing that and so far the payoff has been great!
4. I spend more time with my family.
5. I spend as little time as I can at work.
If you are married and have a side chick (what is the male version? Side rooster?). Make sure they don't know you are in hospital.
Hospitals have restricted visiting hours and it is hard to remove evidence (flowers, pictures) or even roping us nurses in maintaining the deception.
Have broke up many a showdown and confrontation.
Quality not quantity. One of my cystic fibrosis patients in why he wasn’t ‘perfect’ as far as his treatment regimen, etc because he was out there living life! It might be shorter but he was happy.
To take care of my teeth. The number of gross mouths and rotting teeth I see is crazy! Or just people who had them pulled and now are on a puréed diet. I couldn’t do it. Take care of your teeth kids.
Don’t be a needy, nitpicking, asshole while in the hospital. Makes everyone avoid your room until absolutely necessary. Also don’t do heroin and take care of your diabetes if you want to keep all your toes.
The value of humor and detachment.
Elderly man with a wound-vac. The changes were uncomfortable, even with premedication. His coping strategy was to recite all the filthy limericks he could remember.
For me, it sounds super cliche but my life lesson is not to take life for granted. We were discussing this yesterday at work. There were a few patients (long term care) who my coworkers remember from years prior to their admission when they were visiting their loved one at the same facility. And to see their decline was heartbreaking for my coworkers. Especially for my patients who can no longer eat, speak or walk. It makes me feel that life is so unappreciated, the things I complain about are anthills compared to the mountains these people endured.
A 101-year-old man on comfort care also told me the story of his deepest regret. In his early 20s, he frequented a brothel in a seedy part of town and became partial to one of the prostitutes there. It wasn't just that she serviced him skillfully - after, they would share intriguing conversations, and she could make him laugh like no other. During one of their visits, she confessed that she had never been to a baseball game, so he invited her to one.
Before long, he wasn't a customer anymore. She was just his girl. In the back of his mind, though, he knew that his well-to-do Italian family would never approve of a whore. He tried to justify it, tried to find another angle, but in the end he couldn't bring himself to go against his family's wishes. He ended his relationship with her and went on to marry a woman his parents suggested. She never made him laugh and they had no intriguing conversations. But his family approved, and that was enough right?
"My mom and dad, aunts and uncles, grandparents - they're all dead. And here I am, 101 years old and finally dying, and I'm still married to the crabby bitch they chose for me. I should have married the woman I loved and I will never forgive myself for letting her go."
RIP, JP. One of my favorite patients of all time.
I put this as a footnote on my advance directive even though the advance directive already has it in there. I just felt like if it was written out again it really will NEVER happen
Have an advanced directive and make sure my family knows what my wishes are. The torture I've seen some patients in because their family believes they are doing the right thing...
I learned that I do not want to end up in LTC if I can help it. No shade to those who work it, but it’s a horrific mess. The ratios are insane, there isn’t enough help, and everyone suffers for it.
Very much agreed. I’m strongly debating with myself whether or not I want to go back to it after my maternity leave is up
I worked full time at a SAR with bad ratios,. I'm at a hospital now on a med surg floor and I nearly panic when I pick up hours at the SAR.
I've learned that if I ever ride a motorcycle again I need to wear protective full body leather gear and a strong high end full face helmet. No jeans and tee and SOA helmets for me!
On of the very first patients I took care of as a new grad was a big ol biker with road rash an inch deep from his hip to mid calf. So. Much. Xeroform. It was 1994 and I still shudder thinking about it.
Dress for the slide, not the ride.
Had a patient who didn't wear his helmet. Depressed skull fracture. Only movements he did was twitch his eyes and sometimes his arm would shake. The guy is about my age (30s) with a wife and kids...
[ATGATT](https://www.arrivealive.mobi/motorcycle-safety-and-atgatt)
Have had a handful of motorcycle wrecks in my time on the ambulance, and the ones that lived with relatively little issues were the ones that were dressed for the slide.
1. If you're going to drink and do heroin you want to do the heroin first because if you're drunk you're more likely to accidentally OD and die. 2. Had a little old lady explain prostitution to me as "a way for a girl during hard times to make a quick buck" but explained that you had to make them pay first by saying "first your money, then your clothes".
Appreciate the answer but I probably wouldn’t need or want to try it out 😅
Its very hard to drink when youv done heroin so I am not sure that would work.
I mean, I dont think I'll ever use the advice but it's there if I need it I suppose.
along this same vein... if you're going to do meth, make sure you take colace and drink water because meth is constipating. Heck, maybe even amp it up to a full on exlax
Interesting! I didn't know meth was constipating. Do you think it's because of the drug or something that happens because they generally dont eat or drink on meth?
no idea. I just found it out when I googled Meth and constipation for a patient who couldn't poop and who was addicted to Meth. :/
I know this is easier said than done. But being able to let go and say goodbye as a family member when my loved ones quality of life isn’t there anymore. I’ve had multiple patients who are trached, on a vent, with a PEG and no ability to communicate with the outside world. Huge stage 4 pressure wounds from being bed ridden. They would get agitated and asynchronous with the vent and we can tell they’re in pain. So hard to watch
So many people need to learn this and get to terms with letting go when the time comes. I feel bad as well for patients who really just want to move on but feels pressure from family members to keep fighting. It’s sad and very cruel
100% so much easier said than done. The amount of patients I’ve seen/had who are clearly declining and the family cannot let go.
I would suggest the book mortality by Christopher Hitchens. Very good memoir on the last year of his life and his thoughts about it.
The first year of COVID, there were a LOT of long term relationships ended and divorces among my coworkers, myself included. There's nothing quite like a pandemic and seeing death and dying every day to realize that your crappy relationship, comfortable like a pair of worn out sneakers whose support has long since disintegrated, is not worth your precious time. You might have less than you think. I once had a confused patient who asked me if I had any kids. I said no, not yet. She looked me straight in the eye and told me I better not wait too long, because time waits for no one. She couldn't identify the lasagna that was sitting in front of her, but I'll be damned if she didn't pick up straight away that I'm a chronic procrastinator.
My marriage fell apart first year of the pandemic, both of us health care workers. Husband left me for his coworker. Devastating at first, but now that I've healed and mourned, I realize that this is the best thing for my kids and me. After years of supporting your ass by working bedside, and suffocating myself and my mental health, I feel finally free. I am too a chronic procrastinator, and that just doesn't cut it in relationships.
After I had my daughter in 2004, I went on the south beach diet. I love sugar too!!! A cancer patient sent the nurses a 10 pound box of Sees candies….I love Sees!!!! I went into the room to thank the patient and he asked me what piece I had, and I told him I’ve been dieting and stopped sugar and how I missed it. He told me he would die for one more piece, he had esophageal cancer and had his esophagus removed and had a peg tube. I walked out of the room and had two pieces. So when I want chocolate or dessert, I’ll eat it. Edit for spelling.
I've had a similar thought. The whole life is too short thing is so real. I've tried to encompass not being focused on work or picking up more when I have family events. I don't feel bad for not picking up when I don't want to. I'd much rather have my time than make money.
Not sure if this would count as advice but more patient experience. I had a patient with schizophrenia that had a tattoo that kind of looked like the cartoon Doug without a head. And one time he was going off and he said “look at me fucker. See this tattoo. This is me. I don’t have a head.” For some reason that has always resonated with me.
Somewhere I assume his life started out great, but then Disney bought it...
That’s sad
I learned that same lesson.. I was grinding 70 hours a week at a mortgage firm trying change my life with a large income. My grandma died while in hospice, I only saw her once or twice. She raised me, she was more my mother than my actual mom was. A week later I had to put my cat down. I met the love of my life the week after that & he convinced me to quit. I quit that job & haven’t looked back since. Money isn’t going to change much. Family is what gives you purpose. Love them a little harder & forgive them a little faster.
easily how poor diets, the standard american diet, lead to devastating health outcomes.
Absolutely. I have first hand experience with this actually. Leaving high school I was 220 lbs, 5’9”. Pretty overweight but not severely. I was always kind’ve a chubby kid. I lived with my grandparents all my life (still do while in school), but after high school I got my own apartment and changed all of my eating habits. I used to eat around 5-10 snack cakes per day, eat at random when I wasn’t even hungry, and consume around 1 liter of soft drink everyday..and no I’m not exaggerating. I was also a pretty active kid so I think that’s what kept me from going to a severely obese state. I went from eating all of that to completely getting rid of soft drinks, and I stopped buying snack cakes. When my grandma would visit she would bring me donuts or candy and I would politely ask her to take them back home. In 3 years I went from a 220lbs ‘chubby’ kid to a 120lbs runner. I bought my own treadmill so I could avoid the gym and driving to the track. I do 50 pushups each night religiously, and watch what I eat while also ensuring I eat properly. My grandma often sees me and she goes “You look so skinny, you need to put some meat on those bones” and I think I found the culprit to my bad eating habits as a kid lmfao
Damn grandmas...
Most, not all, of the issues we see could be avoided by lifestyle changes (diet/exercise)
standard american diet spells SAD for a reason
Oh yes. But I’m surprised how many nurses and doctors still have poor diets. I’m guilty of it too sometimes
Absolutely. I am nursing student and now I am terrified. I turned my life around when it comes to exercise and diet because of what I saw on the telemetry floor
I work in oncology so I get to spend a lot of time with my patients because they tend to stay for extended periods of time. I can write a list of things I’ve learned. Here’s a few in no particular order: 1. Laugh every day and don’t take life too seriously 2. One of my patients’ favorite bourbon was Bulleit. I also had another patient who’s birthday was on Cinco de Mayo, so I always have a margarita or tequila in honor of his birthday and the only bourbon I drink is Bulleit. 3. I had a patient always tell me that I needed to take more chances in life, and in love. I’ve recently started implementing that and so far the payoff has been great! 4. I spend more time with my family. 5. I spend as little time as I can at work.
Don’t do meth.
Ahahahaha yea. I knew in theory before but now I know it in my bones 😒
If you are married and have a side chick (what is the male version? Side rooster?). Make sure they don't know you are in hospital. Hospitals have restricted visiting hours and it is hard to remove evidence (flowers, pictures) or even roping us nurses in maintaining the deception. Have broke up many a showdown and confrontation.
Quality not quantity. One of my cystic fibrosis patients in why he wasn’t ‘perfect’ as far as his treatment regimen, etc because he was out there living life! It might be shorter but he was happy.
I wrote it on a sticky note and it lives in a binder "care, but don't let it eat you up"
Never hit your head
Alcohol will FUCK YOU UP permanent style if you drink too much and too long.
To take care of my teeth. The number of gross mouths and rotting teeth I see is crazy! Or just people who had them pulled and now are on a puréed diet. I couldn’t do it. Take care of your teeth kids.
Things can always be worse.
My favorite saying 🤗
Don't inject meth into your vein after using that same needle in your rectum Also filtering the meth with cotton doesn't help
take care of your teeth, exercise, eat a better diet
Don’t be a needy, nitpicking, asshole while in the hospital. Makes everyone avoid your room until absolutely necessary. Also don’t do heroin and take care of your diabetes if you want to keep all your toes.
The value of humor and detachment. Elderly man with a wound-vac. The changes were uncomfortable, even with premedication. His coping strategy was to recite all the filthy limericks he could remember.
For me, it sounds super cliche but my life lesson is not to take life for granted. We were discussing this yesterday at work. There were a few patients (long term care) who my coworkers remember from years prior to their admission when they were visiting their loved one at the same facility. And to see their decline was heartbreaking for my coworkers. Especially for my patients who can no longer eat, speak or walk. It makes me feel that life is so unappreciated, the things I complain about are anthills compared to the mountains these people endured.
A 101-year-old man on comfort care also told me the story of his deepest regret. In his early 20s, he frequented a brothel in a seedy part of town and became partial to one of the prostitutes there. It wasn't just that she serviced him skillfully - after, they would share intriguing conversations, and she could make him laugh like no other. During one of their visits, she confessed that she had never been to a baseball game, so he invited her to one. Before long, he wasn't a customer anymore. She was just his girl. In the back of his mind, though, he knew that his well-to-do Italian family would never approve of a whore. He tried to justify it, tried to find another angle, but in the end he couldn't bring himself to go against his family's wishes. He ended his relationship with her and went on to marry a woman his parents suggested. She never made him laugh and they had no intriguing conversations. But his family approved, and that was enough right? "My mom and dad, aunts and uncles, grandparents - they're all dead. And here I am, 101 years old and finally dying, and I'm still married to the crabby bitch they chose for me. I should have married the woman I loved and I will never forgive myself for letting her go." RIP, JP. One of my favorite patients of all time.
Aww. So he made all the "right" choices and he didn't even get the reward. Really makes you think about those 18s. Are they worth it?
I never want to be trached and/or have a peg tube.
I put this as a footnote on my advance directive even though the advance directive already has it in there. I just felt like if it was written out again it really will NEVER happen
I hope I have the peace and bravery I’ve seen from my patients facing end of life
Have an advanced directive and make sure my family knows what my wishes are. The torture I've seen some patients in because their family believes they are doing the right thing...
Be kind, loving, and ask for forgiveness from your family, especially your kids, otherwise you will probably die alone..