Pain in bones

Every body experiences pain in their lifetime. So we all understand when we get hurt what pain is. However, pain in your bones is something very different. This kind of pain wakes people up and causes many sleepless nights. With American medicine fighting drug addiction Physicians are having real pain patients sign papers to protect the facilities and the physician. These forms may specify no refills before 4 weeks or various time frames and allow for drug screenings to be performed regularly to rule out other drug usage. Which can be very confusing to the pain patient. While Doctors struggle to find ways to treat pain, bone pain is horribly under treated. Many medications cause such bad side effects hundreds of thousands have turned to marijuana. But does it really help pain or just numb the brain? Recently a physician told me our brains were wired for opioid's not pot. Working with people who have had cancer, HIV and other terminal disease I have witnessed their ability to function better after they smoked pot. However, I am concerned physicians are turning away from this medicine because of their personal views. Or, it could be because marijuana is illegal in America at the federal level. Which puts a licensed medical personal at risk of loosing their license. Medicine has long known marijuana has benefits. Federal law ought to catch up with society any day now for the greater good. So more real bone pain patients could find relief with their physicians help.

Nursing, not for babies

In 2005 I entered the nursing arena believing I would make a huge difference in the lives of those I would take care of. The difference was laid out upon me. As a male I expected to get picked upon and possibly even some jokes made. I never expected a female to cuss me out over asking her to sign the narcotics book when we finished the count (that is a state requirement in that case). She had her outburst in an all male locked down psychiatric unit. As she slammed doors and cussed the residents came to the window to see if they could help me, I ask them to remain calm and go to their rooms. I wrote a letter of complaint to my Director of nursing. She laughed and tossed the letter aside stating, "nursing isn't for babies." I am glad to tell you, neither of these women are working in the field. Incompetence seems to run rampant. On another occasion, another female nurse decided she could physically smack me in the face when I asked about an IV medication and if the resident had received the dose, after the resident told me they never got the lunch dose. In that state I simply picked up the phone called the police and filed assault charges. She too is no longer working in the field. My car became a victim of an angry nurse who was caught on video at the hospital I worked. All these crazy women yelling they were the victim when after investigation I was the real victim. I have survived by documentation, and lucky for me video with sound recordings were made at the companies I worked. I keep telling myself I will stop working in the field because there are some really sick people that work in nursing. And they won't get help. There are the ones who won't give the medications as ordered, the ones who can't seem to put in a note for the shift they worked. The ones who constantly call off but are above reproach because their closest friend is the Director of nursing. The ones who are having sex with the doctors so they can get them to write a prescription. Nurses who will not wash their hands or use PPE (personal protective equipment) as directed. Nurses who scream, cry and yell at residents and other staff when they are frustrated and over whelmed. I have seen more violence in nursing than my fifteen years in construction and not just from nurses. I worked on a cardiac unit when male doctor exploded on a nurse. He scared the residents so badly two began to have cardiac issues. The nurse began crying and had to leave the floor she did not return. I approached the male doctor and told him to shut up and real it in. I was a nursing assistant at that time. I got wrote up and told he was wrong and so was I because I was not his equal. I'm sorry, did I fall into a vacuum of screwed up personalities? I thought the NCLEX was tough. To be fair I have worked with some fantastic nurses and doctors. They are the ones I aspire to be like. Yet, I still here those words "nursing isn't for babies."

Character reference, what a character?

When I enter a room some folks act negatively to me. This has happened through out my life in varying degrees. Some folks are down right unfriendly, some are cruel in word and deed, others just turn away. My spouse tells me I need Riki work. A sort of shifting in the energy to remove negatives. When I began searching for another job to secure more income I found myself needing what employers call character references. Now for a dude who looks like he could implode at any moment I need these references. To my happy inner child I have them. All though there is some negative response to my being. I am a dam good worker. I pride myself in doing what is right by the law. And so I have some great references. But many of them will tell you what a character I am. He is stern but fair. He is tough but he gets the job done. He is so funny I cry when he talks because he makes me laugh so much. But recently a bridge was burnt for home and hearth and I listened to my wife. Perhaps preemptively I took her advice. You see she understands management more than I. And she knew the folks we were employed by, were, well lets say, not of the best character. They enjoyed belittling those who paid their bills. And those who worked for them. So we made a decision to leave without the ominous two weeks notice. And I made the mistake of believing because we had done such great work they would give me a good reference. Wow, how wrong I was. My character was trashed by them. I found out because we live in a population of less than 15 thousand. And our local Walmart employees seem to have the line on town gossip. Along with the local dollar store and auto parts store and then we have the marina's. The moral of the story is we all need character references just be careful not to be the character they bad mouth.

Co-worker Harassment how to help stop it

Years have passed like the now flowing lava in Hawaii.As a young man I found myself in the construction industry and many times other men were very cruel in behavior and deed. We had a few women working with us, very few, like three. We harassed those ladies, we all did the cat call. The hey babe and occasional slap on the butt. How those women felt I never knew. I entered the medical world after falling nearly two stories in my youth. I bounced better than and recovered quickly but I needed a change. As a caregiver, I could see folks at home or in the hospital even nursing homes. I enjoyed the work, all though it was tough. I made less than the construction field but I felt as if I were giving more to our society than working on a job site. I found myself on the other end of harassment. Women who would slap me on the butt. Or say really poor tasteless sexual jokes intended for me. I have had an occasional run in with gay men as well. I don't care about other peoples sexual orientation putting it bluntly I have sex, and as a free person I am allowed to have sex. Too many times employers who are in positions of supervisory roles allow or even participate in this behavior of harassment. Why they would take the chance of loosing their careers I am not sure. For me if you want to have sex with some one, tell them. Maybe they will agree. But to harass a person is to try to intimidate them. And for me the buck stops here. I see this as nothing more than violence. And if the law isn't on your side you can notify the corporation. You see one thing I have learned is employers who have millions too loose will cut out the risky real fast. If you feel like you can't go over their head just write a letter about their behavior and sooner or later the letters will get someone in trouble. Not you, if you stay anonymous. Usually these idiot co-workers and supervisors will cut their own throats by their own behavior because they just can't stop. What is great today is there are so many ways to catch people acting up and boom, when you get your evidence what a great day has passed. You will never feel as good as when they are no longer employed because they just couldn't shut up. I must admit when my former boss lost her job after she publicly harassed me I was secretly happy. Perhaps this woman was let go for other reasons but sending in the information I believe revealed enough to the company with all her other issues they needed to part ways. So don't be afraid of your bully. Eventually they will loose. And if the harassment is bad enough turn to the law. There are many ways to help the turd head figure out they are wrong.In the mean time support groups or even counseling may help you to walk through this nasty ordeal.

Observation and quarantine will they work?

The news stories jump around now like fleas hoping over carpet. As an American I knew some day in my lifetime we would face possible microbiological threats. And like you I am scared. Not from the news but from other people who are unwilling to participate in following protocols and unwilling to stay in quarantine. Videos depicting Liberian workers forcing a sick man to return to the sick zone. But he was running away, he doesn't want to die. I understand how he feels. When the needle was embedded into my finger at a hospital,I was a lower line employee who took out the trash. "The nurses who worked there just made a mistake", the Director of nursing told me."It happens", she said emphatically. I was mortified. No matter what age we are when we are challenged with death we all balk. No one really wants to die. We can become desperate believing we can not go on and many commit suicide. Alone and scared we scramble to figure out what to do. But in the end we all must eventually rely on someone else to get us where we need to be. Especially when medical issues arise. That is what makes getting sick a trillion dollar industry in America. But today the news talked about observing a few hundred people. And I was concerned they are not all under quarantine. This lackadaisical idea of observation without quarantine is bull---. What are we watching for? Temps, nausea, vomiting. What is it that we are supposed to do with the sick ones? Wash their butts from fecal matter and urine and watch them die? I have worked in hospice. And worked with HIV, Hep C patients. Some were very considerate about others, some were down right nasty. When this newest killer disease takes hold who will be there for all the dying? The military. Our leaders? Their families? Who? And can I just observe and watch them until they die? What kind of nursing note would we write? Patient A had temp 103 now shaking vomiting sweating like a monsoon storm. The Doctor order's Tylenol unable to give it rectally massive amounts of blood and fecal matter coming out. Unable to start IV due to severe dehydration? We can't possibly make those who are sick better or more comfortable. So we will continue observing hundreds and use quarantine only for the ones we think need it? Is this how we think we will stop Ebola with observation and quarantine?

Ebola and Forced Health insurance

Ebola has opened the conversation, how best to protect the over crowded human population. Texas first reported they had a case of Ebola in September. Texas flew a sick physician back and they administered medication that cured his disease. That same physician has donated his blood to others who are a match to him to save their lives. FDA says there is no cure. With a 100 percent kill rate Ebola has been killing Africans for several months. The CDC began revamping its protocols, while health workers had all ready seized the opportunity to be of service. One man returned sick from Africa he headed to the ER and was turned away from the hospital. He returned with the full blown disease he later died. The news reported he lied and that his dog was taken away and killed to prevent the spread of the disease. People were upset about his dog being killed. Now we have a nurse who does not want to remain in quarantine for the 21 days because she believes she is not infected. Her rights come before all others apparently. Each state in America is scrambling to set up protocols when those arrive here who are sick. As a health care worker, I am appalled at anyone who would not stay in quarantine for 21 days to protect the rest of the people in the city or country. After nearly twenty years working in the health care field in America I have personally experienced what happens with accidental needle sticks, and the one year of testing that follows to clear us from disease. HIV, Hep C, Hep B, MRSA, just to name a few. I have witnessed health care workers who feel they are superior to protocols while employed at facilities that house the sick and the elderly. Physicians who will not wash their hands prior to patent care. Nurses and caregivers who failed to where PPE (personal protective equipment)even when they are placed at the patients room. Directors of nursing who do not teach their staff how to use PPE and Doctors who tell you it isn't really about protecting you, but about protecting the patient from what ever you might have. Ebola has people scared and we ought to be. This disease turns the organs to liquid. A horrific death follows. Basically people drown to death. But now, no one wants to close Africa's boarders? Simply put: all Africa needs to do is have safe zones set up outside of airports for those who have assisted with Ebola patients and let them stay there for the 21 day period. Then they can return home knowing they will not infect anyone. This isn't buying time it is ending a disease that knows no boarders. You might say, why should they do that? What about their family and friends. As this disease takes hold in America case after preventable case comes back spreading the disease even further. One professor tells the nation we don't need to close the boarders we need to think clearly and react sanely. He has obviously never seen a patient with HIV purposely throw their fecal matter or spit on staff out of anger. This does and has happened. There will always be individuals who place their freedom above everyone else's right to be safe. The CDC recommends full face respirators with rubber gloves, boots and suits then tape around shoes and wrists to prevent workers from getting sick. This is the trillion dollar question. Did our government force us to buy health insurance knowing this disease was going to get here. And if so, how can regular persons protect themselves from this disease if people will not stay in quarantine for 21 days regardless of symptoms?