Dear Anonymous Nurse:
As this site is a forum for free expression of opinion, my opinion is that I am really glad that you do not work in my local hospital.
Unlike you, I do not feel the need to hide behind anonymity. I do respect
your right to express your opinions, but I do not respect your seeming
attack on the people on this forum who are suffering chronic pain and
disability.
>I found this site by accident and have read so many stories of
>"mistreatment" by nurses and doctors in ERs when you come to us in pain.
Many of us on this site HAVE been mistreated by nurses and doctors, in
fact, our mistreatment at their hands have been the cause of some of our
problems.
>I want you to think of it in our terms.
>
>You wander in day and night, most of you walking on your own, in no
>apparent acute distress.
>You register and wait, telling everyone in the busy waiting area that
>you MUST be seen immediately, "because you hurt so badly."
>You take up valuable space in busy trauma and emergency medicine
>departments complaining of terrible pain in your abdomen, and you tell
>us you must get pain meds for the pain.
>
>One a pain assessment scale of 1-10, virtually all of you cite between
>an 8 and a ten. But you aren't perspiring, crying, vomiting, bloated,
>or acting like you are acutely ill.
If you had any compassion or common sense at all, you would realize that each person reacts differently to pain - some people have a very high tolerance, others have very low tolerance. Most of us are on pain meds prescribed by our family physicians, but those meds we take on a regular basis sometimes are not effective for one reason or another.
>Many of you refuse to have x-rays, scans and other diagnostic studies
>because you say "all those tests have been done a million times and they
>are always negative" but you demand pain medication!!
>You tell us you have adhesions but adhesions are nothing more than
>layers of scarring that have no nerve endings. How can this cause pain?
I have been asked this very question by a surgeon to whom I was sent for a
consult. He bluntly stated exactly what you have said. I give you the
same answer I gave him - if the adhesions or scar tissue are connected to
or wrapped around the pelvic organs or other structures within the body
that are not designed to be constricted/tied together/pulled out of place,
would that not cause pain by pulling on the tissue that is supposed to hold
those organs or structures where they are supposed to be???? Tendons,
ligaments, and muscles designed to hold our internal organs in place do
have nerves, and a tendon, ligament, or muscle that is constantly pulled
out of place or not allowed to operate as it was designed to WILL CAUSE PAIN!
>I am told "I need 100 mg of Demerol, IM " by someone who refuses to
>allow us to examine them, and when we refuse to give you narcotics you
>become upset.
>
>What do you want from us? If every drug addict walked into my ER and did
>what many of you do, they'd be booted out by Security but for some
>reason, you feel we are treating you unfairly??
>
>Maybe instead of asking for pain medication, you might benefit from
>talking to a therapist who can help you deal with your "pain"?
Most of us on this forum who have been seeking treatment and pain relief
for any length of time have already been sent to therapists for mental
health counselling. Personally I was sent before my general practitioner
would even begin testing me for anything medical. The therapist I was sent
to sent a report back to my GP stating that there was nothing she could do
for me as this pain was not psychosomatic, that it was real,chronic,
debilitating pain that the mental health department could not help me with.
>If we do an MRI or flat plate and see something suspicious., of course
>you'll be treated aggressively, and receive sympathy and medication.
>Otherwise, please understand, we are not a narcotic dispensing
>department for everyone with indigestion or cramps.
If you have done any research at all on adhesions and adhesion related disease, you would realize that adhesions do not show up on most tests. The only way that adhesions can accurately be diagnosed is by exploratory surgery. Also, the pain from adhesions is different from the pain caused by indigestion or cramps.
If I have offended anyone, please accept my apologies. I am in serious pain today, as well as suffering from PMS, which always makes the pain meds seem totally useless.
Lynda, I think you had the right idea - pass the Phish Food *grin*. By the way - if it gets too hot for you gals in AZ, come on up to the Northeast and visit Chrissie and Nanc in NH, then continue northeast to beautiful sunny eastern Canada - I'll keep the tea iced.
Nancy in NB