The Girl With Arthritis

A few weeks ago I was talking with a student nurse. Our conversation somewhat ended coldly, but not the way you would expect. You see, this person happened to say, "I mean, it's just arthritis." I kind of smirked, gave a small laugh and said "You're lucky you said that to me and not a patient: I know what you meant, but a patient would think you just completely dismissed their pain." As I gave her the heads up, she proceeded to obviously lose attention and began to text and laugh at a message, not acknowledging I had spoken at all. I get it. Nursing is an extremely difficult career. Believe when I say I understand- not completely, of course, since I'm not a nurse- but I see a lot of things they put up with and lots of great things they do enough to see the passion behind it. I'm in hospitals enough to be reminded of this constantly. And I understand that there will be one patient with a slight fever who insists they are extremely ill and in agon...

Makes you think differently about some words. "I'm going to hospital." The hospital. That hospital. Hospital. This hospital. Over to hospital. I use one of these expression nearly every day. And no matter what name you give it, no matter how you refer to it, one thing is for certain: 'Hospital' is a severe word. It makes people expect the worse. I think a lot of people just harbour a lot of terrible thoughts about hospitals. Sometimes you can get people use to this term without acting as if it were a big deal; I've gotten probably 75 per cent of my friends now joke with me about it, as well as understand that my visiting the hospital is nothing to get nervous about and feel is a terrible, dreadful thing. Maybe it is a terrible, dreadful thing? I'm just very used to it. I don't feel especially nervous going to the hospital, unless maybe if I forget a jumper (sweater) in case it's very cold inside or if I'm missing a test in school while I...

Is embarrassing. Think about it. When you are a patient, privacy is not a right. It is a privilege. Not only do you have to change into a gown  that is open in the back, but you're asked a lot of questions. Sometimes they're not terribly revealing or embarrassing, but it's just the fact that every little thing about you is being written down on a piece of paper as if it isn't a big deal. As if you were just writing down 'the televison is on' a doctor writes down 'the patient has dealt with chronic pain for years' casually. It's as if you are nothing. I also don't know about anyone else, but I'm very embarrassed admitting I'm in pain. It makes me feel weak and as if people see it as a very bad thing, like I SHOULD be ashamed! This might actually be a part one, because I have way more to say about this subject.

Is nerve wracking. Most people have trouble waiting for their love interest to write back to them or waiting for a train. Patients have trouble waiting for test results that could mean the struggle of their lives. Imagine what it is like to wait several days for a doctor to call and tell you whether or not you have cancer. And imagine sitting waiting, wondering if this time next week you'll be sitting in a hospital bed. Or imagine waiting for further instructions to reduce your chances of pain. You feel the longer it takes, the more pain you will be in. It's so  unbearable that after a week or two of waiting, you call and ask for the results and they'll tell you they will call you back. And they do. Two or three  days after the fact. But not only that, you're nervous for the future. Will I be in a lot of pain... tomorrow. In a year. Forever? And not only that but 'will this medicine cause cancer?' and 'will I pass this onto my children?' constant...