Chronicle #52: Confidence
pauerish was lost in reality at 11:08 AM on July 15, 2008 in Nursing Chronicles.
I'm beginning to become more confident in my job as a nurse. Last night, another patient succumbed to breast cancer. She was already on a DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) order. When I first handled the patient she was up and about, cracking jokes and making funny comments. During the past couple of days, she started to deteriorate. She became more restless and sometimes unresponsive to our calls. She died peacefully last night at 11:45 pm at the young age of 58.
I was the senior nurse last night and I was expected to know what to do in such cases. I was able to exercise my "people skills" while trying to explain to the patient's relatives on how the discharge will go about. I was happy that it all went good and the discharge was uneventfull.
The rest of the shift was quiet. I was handling 7 patients and was happy with it. I was able to make NCP's for all of my patients (which was difficult to do on a busy shift) and carry out procedures with ease. I hope that this will last. The confidence is really overwhelming and I am continuing to be happy with what I'm doing. I've been interacting more with my patients and have helped them in the best way that I could. I am thinking that I'm now on a manic phase but controlled at that. I'm still medicating and have tried tapering off my meds, hoping that I can one day go about with life without pharmacologic support. I haven't seen my psychiatrist for quite some time because of my hectic schedule. I have been asymptomatic for the longest time now and I am hoping that it will last.
My back pain is back again and the leg pain has been bothersome. I am currently on physical therapy and pain management and I'd be undergoing a lumbar ESI (Epidural Steroid Injection) on the 21st of this month under Dr. Banzon, a pain management specialist/anesthesiologist. I had a repeat MRI which showed the following results:
- No significant interval change in the size of the small broad based central disc protrusion at L5-S1 level, with bilateral S1 nerve root contact, now also with posterior annular fissure.
- Small left paracentral disc protrusion, L4-L5 level, abutting the left L5 descending nerve root.
- Disc dessication changes and mild flaval hyperthrophy, L5-S1
- Schmorl's nodes, upper L2 and L3 endplates.
Here's a picture of how the findings look like:
Pregabalin (Lyrica) seems to have helped with the radiating leg pain but I still sometimes feel that my feet is numb. The therapy is also helping but Dr. Banzon said that weight loss is highly recommended. I'm on my heaviest weight now and I'm trying to shed some pounds to relieve the load on my spine. The doctor also said that I'm already on the "susceptible" group that I might have more problems when I come at the age of 40.
Wish me luck!
I am currently feeling hopeful
reality check