Some of you need to get a freakin' clue (R A N T)

[sickofbeingsick]

There are some days when going to your treatment at the clinic is more than you can stand. I wasn't my usual peppy self one day and the D.O.N. walks up to me asks "what's wrong"? I tell her "I really don't want to be here today" to which she replied "Yeah, I know what you mean--I don't wanna be here either." WTF?! I tell her  "Yeah you know exactly how I feel 'cause it's the same thing, right"?  Let's compare experiences, shall we? I go to the clinic and have to look forward to painful needle sticks, nausea, headache, cramping, and the blood pressure rollercoaster ride. She gets to park her  ass behind a desk and do paperwork. Wow--she really DOES get it!

[okarol]

AND she gets paid! And can quit if she wants. Yep, she gets it. 

[kellyt]

I'm so sorry you're going through this, Sick.  I hope you can find a "happy place" to go to in your mind.  I went on a cruise in June and did the dolphin swim in Cozumel.  That's going to be my "happy place" whenever I start.  I hope it's enough!  I can usually put up a good front around people, but I'm the Master at planning a personal pitty party!

Let it all out, girl!  We're here to listen and hopefully help!

[RichardMEL]

lol kelly I love that happy place in my mind... it's full of nubile young ladies and.... uh.... well....  .... but then my blood pressure goes up and it's no good

Yeah SOBS when staff complain about being there I do think "a bit of perspective please..." but then I whinge sometimes at my own job so... horses for courses I guess....

[kellyt]

Can you request to NOT have a certain tech or individual deal with you when your at the clinic?  Or are you "stuck" with whoever is available and working?    Get it?  "Stuck"...   

[Robby712]

lol, more than once my techs or nurses have implied that I'm lucky b/c I'm only there 4 hours at a time...they have to work 12 hour shifts.  Sometimes longer!

Uhhh...okay, three-four 12 hour shifts a week versus a 40 hour workweek AND spending 12 hours a week actually ON dialysis on top of that.  Pick one.

Clueless is right.

[monrein]

I don't mean to defend the clueless and lord knows there are some mean medical people out there but sometimes these really silly things are said from a place of trying to find common ground.  Doesn't make it any less stupid but intent is important and if I feel that the person just doesn't know what to say then it's an opportunity to give them some necessary on-the-job training.  So in a situation like this, Sickofbeingsick, I might say something like "That's pretty funny,  I'd give my eyeteeth, my firstborn and all my savings to be able to be in your position instead of mine."  Or "Are you kidding me, just think about that for a minute, we're hardly in the same boat"  Or "Okay, I have an idea, let's mix it up tonight, you have a seat, I'll stick you and do your job and you can get to go home early.  Dialysis is a piece of cake really, you'll have no trouble getting used to it".  Or even "You know, when you say something like that, it really makes me feel that you have no idea how incredibly difficult this whole dialysis business is, physically, emotionally, financially, relationship-wise, travel-wise, food-wise and the list goes on.  I mean really (insert tech or nurse's name here) you might as well say to a cancer patient who feels upset about hair loss that you know what they're going through because when the humidity's high you never know what to do with your hair.  Now I'm really and truly in a bad funk."

Most people, even nurses, who have never been really ill simply cannot know what we feel or experience and as crazy as this might seem, I feel that it is my/our responsibility to educate them on all the big and little things that affect our care.  Words are important and if someone hurts me accidentally or ignorantly or whatever they need to know that they've added to my burden, not helped.  I knew nothing about dialysis when I had to go on it and I honestly think if I were a dialysis nurse I might have been misunderstood a number of times, especially at first. 

Of course, all that being said doesn't for a second change the fact that we get tired of educating, defending, repeating, explaining, eyeball rolling, double-checking and pushing back.  Thank goodness we can RANT.

[twirl]

  SOBS----- I love you 

[kitkatz]

You said it Monrein!

[cherpep]

You know, if I were healthy with 2 functioning kidneys, the last place I'd want to be is in a room where I have to take care of a bunch of crabby dialysis patients! LOL!  Strapping people to chairs and sticking them with needles, trying to keep them living, all the while listening to them crab about how they hate the place.  I'm telling you - the clinic is the last place you'd find me. 

[Rerun]

I know what you mean Sick.  The staff has no idea how we feel.  I think part of on the job training is to set them in the chair for 4 hours with no TV (because sometimes ours is broken) no cell phone and something to give them cramps.

I don't know if I rather have them say "I know how you feel, I have to be here all day" or "Yeah, I wouldn't want to be you, your life is screwed, you live on a machine for awhile just to die anyway".  I guess I'd pick the former.

[paris]

And for some reason, when one is going through chemotherapy, everyone is shocked that the patient has to sit there for 3-4 hours to receive the treatment.   No one compares that the dialysis 3x a week that is never ending.     I know you shouldn't compare the two and I do have compassion for cancer patients--our family has been greatly affected by cancer.  Just my 

[RichardMEL]

SOBS----- I love you 

hey!!! I'm jealous.... is there no room for me?? *pout*

[twirl]

plenty of room for RichardMel
especially with Kitkatz putting her skirt back on------