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Core Topics => Harm Reduction => Topic started by: nurse_K on February 20, 2018, 02:09:13 AM
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https://harmreductionjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12954-017-0163-0
I do a speak a couple of times a year for american uni students, where I talk about my job working in a hospital setting implementing and involving the staff in harm reduction.
Its articles like this that make me smile. Because it is happening. Delayed I know. But still.
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wow. that is fantastic. i know how it is to be in hospital and get discrininated by some staff although the overwhelming majority are understanding.
it is a good opportunity to start treatment there.
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I recently spent some time in hospital for surgery. The residents who oversaw me were amazed at the doses of opioids I took on a daily basis. They never called me a user nor intimated that I was a user. That made me feel respected in a huge way.
I was put on my normal daily stated dose of opiods, no questions asked, with a button to dispense more when needed, then I was given additonal relief for the surgical work with extra opioids and 50 mcg fentanyl patches.
Every day, sometimes twice a day, a dr. from staff would come and ask how my pain was. Since it was 3-4 and I wasn't personally bugged by it no more relief was given but it would have should I complained about needing more pain control.
Somewhat off topic, Patients around me were freely given all manner of opioids, fentanyl, hydromorphone, oxycontin, morphine. I don't unlimited amounts but more than I would have expected. This is in stark contrast to when I was last in hospital when tylenol was about all they handed out for pain. That was in a surgical ward as well.
Progress is being made people, it's slow, but we are moving ahead.
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I had an infection years ago, when I was still in active addiction. My left leg swelled so much that I had a tough time walking. When I go to the emerg. room the 1st nurse I was intimidated by. She def. did not like drug users. I told her I may have been bitten by a spider, etc. Then, I thought that if I wanted help, and I needed it as I watched my leg grow, I should be more truthful.
The 2nd nurse I told the truth to. She quietly and discreetly suggested that I stick w/ my 1st story-bug bite.
Turns out, that it didn't matter either way. The result was a prescription of antibiotics and motrin along w/ a standard shot to prevent lockjaw and such.
When the DR. asked me about my 2 responses prior to the prescriptions she was skeptical and unkind until I mentioned the brown recluse spider in my bldg. Until I let her tell me about why it's aptly named such.
When they knew the truth they treated me so poorly that even the nurse on duty suggested that I go back to my original statement. Sad... I wish that there were more that I could do to help those with this situation oncoming. I learned a valuable life lesson. I hope others read this and learn w/o having to go through the exp. Good luck!
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I had an infection years ago, when I was still in active addiction. My left leg swelled so much that I had a tough time walking. When I go to the emerg. room the 1st nurse I was intimidated by. She def. did not like drug users. I told her I may have been bitten by a spider, etc. Then, I thought that if I wanted help, and I needed it as I watched my leg grow, I should be more truthful.
The 2nd nurse I told the truth to. She quietly and discreetly suggested that I stick w/ my 1st story-bug bite.
Turns out, that it didn't matter either way. The result was a prescription of antibiotics and motrin along w/ a standard shot to prevent lockjaw and such.
When the DR. asked me about my 2 responses prior to the prescriptions she was skeptical and unkind until I mentioned the brown recluse spider in my bldg. Until I let her tell me about why it's aptly named such.
When they knew the truth they treated me so poorly that even the nurse on duty suggested that I go back to my original statement. Sad... I wish that there were more that I could do to help those with this situation oncoming. I learned a valuable life lesson. I hope others read this and learn w/o having to go through the exp. Good luck!
Was this a result of using opiates or did you get a cut of some sort? Im having issues with my legs currently swelling from i suspect opiate use.
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no it shouldn't happen ... please see a doctor !