What can nurses do to better help you?

Hi kitchell!
I had leukemia when i was about 10. I was in the hospital a lot and i think they were closer to me than my own family when i was sick. All you have to do is listen, you know like a friend would do. We don't want to be pitied we just want to be treated like normal people. That's all you have to do. We need someone to talk to make jokes and stuff. There is nothing better than that. Thanks for caring about this stuff.

later,
erica10

Hi! Erica hit it right on the head! I am almost 2 years in remission from ALL. I spent 17 weeks in the hospital over a 7 month period. I had 8 rounds of chemotherapy (1 week each) and spent the rest of the time dealing with "fun" side effects. I was the problem child -- "if anything can go wrong- it will!" I ankles the size of grapefruit, peticie (or however you spell it!), steroid induced diabetes, multiple (and I mean multiple) blood and platelet transfusions. I also developed some rather nasty headaches.
During all of this, the nurses & nursing aids that I loved the best were the ones that came in with a cheerful attitude; were willing to help any way they could; kept me in the loop -- let me know they were going to be 15 more minutes with another pt, etc., before they can bring me a pain pill or they would get another nurse if at all possible. Bringing PAIN MEDS ASAP is the #1 priority in my opinion. The methotrexate, by the end, gave me excruciating headaches. It was like someone flipped a lightswitch on and it was instant debilitating pain that reduced me to a sobbing heap on the floor. (For anyone else reading DON'T BE FREAKED - I have a history of headaches, I get them easily) I had to be put on a Dilaudid drip. So to sum it up: Cheerful, upbeat attitude, quick response to pain...doing your best and letting the small stuff roll off YOUR back so that YOU can be the most effective YOU can be! Also, I was the youngest on the floor many times (I was 33 yrs. old) and the staff would bring in movies for me to watch and TV/VCR...that didn't hurt either! I also appreciated the aids and the occasional down times that the nurses would bring me chicken broth at 3 AM in the morning. The biggest thing you need is the HEART to help people. Hope this helps - And bless you for wanting to help us! Kathy