Hello everyone

[larryparamedic]

I have been watching and reading on this site for some time now, and have decided to join. Thanks for having me.

I am not on dialysis (yet I should say, odds are I could be someday) but I have worked in the dialysis field for close to 5 years now. Prior to that I worked 15 years as a professional (read paid) Paramedic.

I've read some posts concerning staff at numerous facilities and hope maybe my perspective being on the "other end" can be helpful or informative. I really have no desire to give clinical advice, however. I am 'forced' to do enough of that by company administrators at work. Just a different view.

By company policy I am not "allowed" to be friends with dialysis patients at the clinics I work in. I'm told I can't add them to Facebook, E-Mail them or go fishing with them, etcetera.
Despite that I have lost many, many friends on dialysis over the years.

I hope being here can also shed light on the dialysis side of this equation. The things people on dialysis won't tell the staff. My desire is that I hope it will make me not only be better at caring for people on dialysis but make me a better person at the same time.

So in conclusion, thanks for having me and thanks to the creators of such a neccessary place.

[galvo]

G'day Larry, and .

[Jean]

Welcome to IHD larry. Paramedics are my heroes, since they saved my life once already. Glad you decided to join us, and maybe we can learn the whys of some of the rules and regs in clinic.

[Bajanne]

Welcome to our community, Larry.  Since you have been around for a while, I don't have to convince you that this is just the place for anyone connected to the renal challenge.  I am so sorry to hear about those extremely strict rules.  I don't understand why it is like that.  Here we have no such rules.  Of course, it is good to preserve professionalism, but there can be compromise.  You are now part of the IHD family    Looking forward to hearing more from you.




Bajanne, Moderator

[RichardMEL]

Welcome Larry! Good to have you with us.

Of course surely you are breaking policy joining this site - because we're all friends here!

I find that policy pretty silly. I can understand you're in a care position to patients so you have to be careful to be appropriate at all times (kind of like the teacher/student thing I guess) but come on, it doesn't really deal with the realities of dealing with long term chronic illness suffers like dialysis patients - some who you might see many times over the space of years. You can't help having a bond of sorts with some - even moreso with the people you actually like to deal with. I know there are nurses that look after me that care above and beyond whatever their policy should be. They see some of us more than their families and it's like a community - in my unit anyway. Yesterday I came in and found out one of our longer term patients had passed away - we were all sad.

Anyway it's good to have you and your perspective with us!

 

RichardMEL, Moderator

[Rerun]

Hi Larry,  I'm glad you finally joined.  It makes me feel like a weirdo or something is wrong with me that you people are not allowed to be friends with us or go check out a movie.  It for sure is us and them isn't it.  Too bad it is that way.

I hope you take back that we think they are idiots anyway and we don't want to hang out.       

Rerun, Moderator