fed up of saying 'ok'

[Riki]

  Or, how can I forget, the random texts because "You're sick, I know you're not doing anything, so you're always there for me!"   

That one would probably cause a not so nice tongue lashing to be given out if it was sent to me.  Yeah, I'm sick, it doesn't mean I don't have a life.

I noticed lately that my friend, Kelly, has been rather quiet, and she's stopped doing some of the things that I know she loves to do, like her acting classes.  Tonight, I asked her how she was doing, and she gave the standard "ok" that we are all used to giving.  I wasn't taking that, though.  I know better.  I pressed it, and finally she told me how she was really feeling, that her own ailments are wearing her down, but she finds it hard to rest.  I ask her a lot of questions,  but it's only so that I can understand what she goes through.  It's not like she hasn't done the same to me over the years.  She's even come to dialysis with me when I visit her.  I wonder if she'd let me go to chemo with her

[BattleScars]

I found out the hard way that when your dialysis nurse asks you how you are doing you need to keep your answers short, to the point, and mostly positive, that is unless you have a real concern about something being wrong. I recently got a hold of my medical records and EVERYTHING I ever said was written down, and mostly in a negative light of me. As a kidney patient trying to get a transplant this isn't good. For example, a lot of what I said was twisted and taken out of context. If they asked how I was doing and I told them I wasn't feeling too well they would write down that I was depressed. Or if I told them I was having a bad side effect from a medication they would suggest I wasn't complying in taking my meds. Several of my nurses did this. There was only one at my clinic that was fair and would really take the time to address my concerns and help me find solutions. I mean what good does it do to ask a patient, "How's your sleeping?" I say, "It's been getting worse, I have bad insomnia to the point it's interfering with my life. I haven't slept in days." And she just notes it in my chart month after month without making any suggestions or offering up help in talking to my doctors about a sleep aid. Or another one, "Are you having any chest pain or shortness of breath?" I say, "Actually I am. I can't walk up a small set of stairs without getting extremely winded. I've been very short of breath lately." Nurse makes a note and moves on to asking me how my bowel movements are. What's the point of asking me then? And isn't that kind of serious and should be followed up with more questions or maybe an exam? Is her job just to take notes or is she s nurse?!?!?

Sorry to rant but this is just infuriating. Can you just do your job? Peoples' lives and well-being are at stake. Why ask the questions if you aren't going to do anything about a patient complaint? It baffles me.

[Grumpy-1]

Interesting Battlescars,  I guess I need to be a bit more careful in what I say too.   Grumpy

[Jean]

I just tell people I am still this side of the dirt. But, then, I live in a senior citizen mobile home park, so they are more understanding.