Walking in someone's shoes
It is said to walk in someone else's shoes gives you a better perspective and the ability to possibly understand. The gap in my writing is because I had that opportunity. Not willingly but out of my own fear I went to the emergency room Saturday. I had been not well since Friday but felt it was due to my monthly migraines that I have been living with for over a year now. I was making a quick trip through Meijers to pick up some last minute dinner items when I had a chest heaviness while walking. It left me breathless and just wanting to get out of there. I told myself if I could just get home I would be better. Wrong I actually felt worse at home the pressure increased and I was feeling disconnected. At this moment I did not like the fact that I am a cardiac nurse because my brain was telling me I know better and get to the ER. With every passing moment I was feeling worse so I gave in and had my husband drove me to the ER. I took and aspirin and got in the car.
When I was processed I was hypertensive and having some numbness in my face but that is not uncommon with my migraines. It takes a few days for the aura of my migraines to totally disappear. I was feeling embarrassed that I was there. I sent my husband home there was no reason for him to sit there and wait for answers. I am not sure if sending him home helped him any because he was upset that I was there but we had no one to watch the children and I insisted in finding out what was going on before we involved anyone. The care in the ER was good. The nurse did her best to distract me with her adventures. Then she gave me the nasty sublingal nitroglycerine. I warned her if this worked she would have to get something for my migraine because it was going to come back with vengeance. Moments later the pressure was gone the numbness was resolving but here came the headache. Some Toradol to take care of that. Why? I know from experience if nitroglycerine takes away the discomfort there is a good chance that it is cardiac related. I was right, in came the Nirogylcerin drip and the blood thinners as a precaution.
I am too young for this. I have a risk factors being overweight, diabetic, and hypertensive so no chances are being taken. I was, but then again I was not ready for the next announcement. " You are being admitted and will have a stress test in the morning." This means that I will be admitted to my floor that I work on waiting for a rule out. Talk about apprehensive. I called my husband to let him know. There was silence on the other end. He was crying, I could hear it in his voice when he attempted to answer. He kept blaming himself for causing to much stress some how. I reassured him that I am accountable for my lifestyle choices I had made. I tried to reassure him that I have risk factors and going to be okay. This is a good thing and wake up call. All he could think about was losing me and how much it hurt. His concern for me touched me and just reinsured what a great relationship we have. We have struggled through the baggage we brought into this relationship and have overcome the setbacks manufactured and not. We continue to be each others greatest support and best friend.
I was moved to a smaller unit within the hospital not the one I work on though I knew everyone because it was our interventional unit and I am one of the original nurses that opened the unit over a year ago. I only left to get off nights since a day position opened upstairs. They all treated me with great professionalism. They night just did not seem to move fast enough nor did the next morning. It was all about waiting. I went to my stress test at about 11:15am. You first spend fifteen minutes in a tunnel with only your head popping out and get resting pictures of your heart taken. I then was wheeled to a waiting area for five minutes waiting to be taken to the exercise portion. I arrived in the exercise area close to noon. The dreaded treadmill. I could only make it for 6 minutes. Heartrate is 168bpm and blood pressure 158/92. I was exhausted. Good news no chest pressure at all and I did it. Bad news there is some slight irregularities but not uncommon in women. We have to wait for the second set of pictures and the radiologist to read them. Off to take the second set of pictures. Back in the tunnel for another fifteen minutes. When all is said and done I get back to my room about 1:00pm. Now the real waiting game.
TJ comes with Patrick to wait with me at 2:30pm. He insists he is taking me home. He does not want me here and needs me at home. At about 3:40pm Kurt Crosby the PA for Dr. Friar who admitted me comes in to announce my discharge. Though there is some subtle abnormalities on the EKG they feel with confidence that my heart is okay and I can go home with a follow up with Dr Alan in a week or two. Good News!!! The reality of the experience lets us know that we are very vulnerable and can be taken at any moment. We are accountable for our health and changes will continue to be made. We had already made several changes and reinforcing them and establishing more consistency was in store. I am grateful I was given an opportunity to walk in my patients shoes for a moment. This can only make me a more compassionate Nurse and more accountable for myself. I am grateful for my husband and children's love and need for me and cherish this. It makes me appreciate those that are in my life and knowing that at moment they could be gone.
When I was processed I was hypertensive and having some numbness in my face but that is not uncommon with my migraines. It takes a few days for the aura of my migraines to totally disappear. I was feeling embarrassed that I was there. I sent my husband home there was no reason for him to sit there and wait for answers. I am not sure if sending him home helped him any because he was upset that I was there but we had no one to watch the children and I insisted in finding out what was going on before we involved anyone. The care in the ER was good. The nurse did her best to distract me with her adventures. Then she gave me the nasty sublingal nitroglycerine. I warned her if this worked she would have to get something for my migraine because it was going to come back with vengeance. Moments later the pressure was gone the numbness was resolving but here came the headache. Some Toradol to take care of that. Why? I know from experience if nitroglycerine takes away the discomfort there is a good chance that it is cardiac related. I was right, in came the Nirogylcerin drip and the blood thinners as a precaution.
I am too young for this. I have a risk factors being overweight, diabetic, and hypertensive so no chances are being taken. I was, but then again I was not ready for the next announcement. " You are being admitted and will have a stress test in the morning." This means that I will be admitted to my floor that I work on waiting for a rule out. Talk about apprehensive. I called my husband to let him know. There was silence on the other end. He was crying, I could hear it in his voice when he attempted to answer. He kept blaming himself for causing to much stress some how. I reassured him that I am accountable for my lifestyle choices I had made. I tried to reassure him that I have risk factors and going to be okay. This is a good thing and wake up call. All he could think about was losing me and how much it hurt. His concern for me touched me and just reinsured what a great relationship we have. We have struggled through the baggage we brought into this relationship and have overcome the setbacks manufactured and not. We continue to be each others greatest support and best friend.
I was moved to a smaller unit within the hospital not the one I work on though I knew everyone because it was our interventional unit and I am one of the original nurses that opened the unit over a year ago. I only left to get off nights since a day position opened upstairs. They all treated me with great professionalism. They night just did not seem to move fast enough nor did the next morning. It was all about waiting. I went to my stress test at about 11:15am. You first spend fifteen minutes in a tunnel with only your head popping out and get resting pictures of your heart taken. I then was wheeled to a waiting area for five minutes waiting to be taken to the exercise portion. I arrived in the exercise area close to noon. The dreaded treadmill. I could only make it for 6 minutes. Heartrate is 168bpm and blood pressure 158/92. I was exhausted. Good news no chest pressure at all and I did it. Bad news there is some slight irregularities but not uncommon in women. We have to wait for the second set of pictures and the radiologist to read them. Off to take the second set of pictures. Back in the tunnel for another fifteen minutes. When all is said and done I get back to my room about 1:00pm. Now the real waiting game.
TJ comes with Patrick to wait with me at 2:30pm. He insists he is taking me home. He does not want me here and needs me at home. At about 3:40pm Kurt Crosby the PA for Dr. Friar who admitted me comes in to announce my discharge. Though there is some subtle abnormalities on the EKG they feel with confidence that my heart is okay and I can go home with a follow up with Dr Alan in a week or two. Good News!!! The reality of the experience lets us know that we are very vulnerable and can be taken at any moment. We are accountable for our health and changes will continue to be made. We had already made several changes and reinforcing them and establishing more consistency was in store. I am grateful I was given an opportunity to walk in my patients shoes for a moment. This can only make me a more compassionate Nurse and more accountable for myself. I am grateful for my husband and children's love and need for me and cherish this. It makes me appreciate those that are in my life and knowing that at moment they could be gone.
posted by Kimberly | 9:29 AM
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