Hi all!

[southernlady]

and an old nurse story... True: our instructors told us not to wear gloves when we changed colostomy bags because it insulted the patient.

They can insult ME all they want!!!!

 

[hilary1617]

Hello and welcome @Butterfly! Thanks for pursuing nursing. The world needs good people like you who care!

 

[Butterfly]

@hilary1617, thank you so much

@duh_Mom, that's crazy about the gloves! It's amazing (and wonderful) how times change.

Clinical was interesting. I've been to 2 of them now. I like my instructor pretty well, but she shocked me (and the other ladies) on the first night. We were given patients to start with for us to buddy up on. She gave us the charts and let us look them over. She then asked us to give the diagnoses for each patient. We're at a rehab/long term care facility and one of the patients was under 60. Our instructor said "She's young, what's her story?" they started giving her info and mentioned (to start) morbid obesity and mobility issues. Our instructor put her hand up and said "Say no more. So she's a fat slug of a person. I know her type."

We all stood there not knowing what to say or where to look. I felt humiliated because *I* weigh as much as this woman does. Turns out, this patient was injured quite badly on the job and it had nothing to do with her weight, that was just PART of her diagnoses. She's also a fantastic person who has been a real help to us with learning. She's a patient and friendly person who lets us all practice on her with a cheery attitude. Our instructor announced yesterday "She's so great."

Still, I can hear her original assessment ringing in my ears. I just smile and do what she says and remember it's all a means to an end. So far she's been kind to me, but those words stung.

 

[duh_Mom]

@Butterfly you will learn nurses are mean and opinionated and there really is no privacy. you already have your first story for your 'book' . I had an instructor that was so opinionated about girls that had babies out of wedlock - like me. I always got the young girls that were not married on the OB rotation. and during lecture she would give thoughts as to how 'those girls' were. At one point she suggested to me I could not cut it as an RN and perhaps I should go to LPN school... she meant it as a dig. well, I didn't listen - she really pissed me off and I was going to succeed to spite her.

 

[Butterfly]

@duh_Mom good for you! It really is disheartening to see how many people just lack that capacity for kindness. We've all got struggles and do the best we can with what we know at the time. I hope to keep that attitude as I move forward with this.

 

[Munchkin]

I always wanted my mom to write a book. I even gave her the title. 50 Years in White! She was an RN. She graduated from nursing school in 1945! After she died I donated a lot of her textbooks, cape, old uniforms, caps, etc to her nursing school, Shadyside in PA. She had old correspondence from the War Department. And sew on patches that said Cadet Nurse!

She loved her career. It wasn't her first choice. She wanted to be a doctor. But she was a woman so she had to settle and nursing was what she could afford that was close to her dream.

 

[Butterfly]

@Munchkin I'd read that book!

 

[Butterfly]

Hello again, everyone! I've thought about you all many times over the years and meant to get back here and check in but didn't!

I've been a nurse now for 2 years and I work in addiction medicine. I love it. It's challenging and rewarding.

The surgery helped me but it was (as you all know) not some magic bullet. As of today I am down to 225 pounds so I'm down 300 pounds from my highest verifiable (I avoided scales) weight of 525.

I had a tummy tuck in August of 2020 and the surgeon removed 34 pounds of skin from my abdomen. Crazy! In a few months I'm going to have a breast reduction and lift. Those are my only plans at this point. My thighs are a mess but I don't care, I can live with the rest.

Anyone wan to say hi and tell how you're doing? I'm going to poke around a read a bit too!

 

[southernlady]

Hello again, everyone! I've thought about you all many times over the years and meant to get back here and check in but didn't!

I've been a nurse now for 2 years and I work in addiction medicine. I love it. It's challenging and rewarding.

The surgery helped me but it was (as you all know) not some magic bullet. As of today I am down to 225 pounds so I'm down 300 pounds from my highest verifiable (I avoided scales) weight of 525.

I had a tummy tuck in August of 2020 and the surgeon removed 34 pounds of skin from my abdomen. Crazy! In a few months I'm going to have a breast reduction and lift. Those are my only plans at this point. My thighs are a mess but I don't care, I can live with the rest.

Anyone wan to say hi and tell how you're doing? I'm going to poke around a read a bit too!

Glad to hear an update. Good on your plastics, I suspect that made a world of difference in your psyche.

 

[Webmommy]

Hello again, everyone! I've thought about you all many times over the years and meant to get back here and check in but didn't!

I've been a nurse now for 2 years and I work in addiction medicine. I love it. It's challenging and rewarding.

The surgery helped me but it was (as you all know) not some magic bullet. As of today I am down to 225 pounds so I'm down 300 pounds from my highest verifiable (I avoided scales) weight of 525.

I had a tummy tuck in August of 2020 and the surgeon removed 34 pounds of skin from my abdomen. Crazy! In a few months I'm going to have a breast reduction and lift. Those are my only plans at this point. My thighs are a mess but I don't care, I can live with the rest.

Anyone wan to say hi and tell how you're doing? I'm going to poke around a read a bit too!

Congratulations on finishing your education and career! Your weight loss is amazing too!

 

[MsVee]

So good to hear of your success. It is wonderful that you will take your experiences and bring a much needed empathy to your patient interactions.

 

[JackieOnLine]

I've been a nurse now for 2 years and I work in addiction medicine. I love it. It's challenging and rewarding.

wow, glad to hear you found work you like. is it out patient?

 

[Munchkin]

@hilary1617, thank you so much

@duh_Mom, that's crazy about the gloves! It's amazing (and wonderful) how times change.

Clinical was interesting. I've been to 2 of them now. I like my instructor pretty well, but she shocked me (and the other ladies) on the first night. We were given patients to start with for us to buddy up on. She gave us the charts and let us look them over. She then asked us to give the diagnoses for each patient. We're at a rehab/long term care facility and one of the patients was under 60. Our instructor said "She's young, what's her story?" they started giving her info and mentioned (to start) morbid obesity and mobility issues. Our instructor put her hand up and said "Say no more. So she's a fat slug of a person. I know her type."

We all stood there not knowing what to say or where to look. I felt humiliated because I weigh as much as this woman does. Turns out, this patient was injured quite badly on the job and it had nothing to do with her weight, that was just PART of her diagnoses. She's also a fantastic person who has been a real help to us with learning. She's a patient and friendly person who lets us all practice on her with a cheery attitude. Our instructor announced yesterday "She's so great."

Still, I can hear her original assessment ringing in my ears. I just smile and do what she says and remember it's all a means to an end. So far she's been kind to me, but those words stung.

Yup. You have a hangnail...it's because you are fat. The medical community has been into fat shaming in one way or another forever. And they wonder why we tend to avoid treatment.

 

[hilary1617]

Butterfly I am so happy for you and for your patients! Keep being amazing!