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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 13 of 13. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by kelly R. on March 4, 2000, at 15:55:09
I've been feeling down theses last two days, I'm not sure if it's because i'm working w/ dying people, I try & make them feel happy in there final days.I sometimes think there so lucky to be leaving this world & having no more problems,(I'm not suicidal) just tired. I've been cring alote & having a hard time getting out of bed in the morning.(fell back to sleep sitting up). & once at work having hard time getting going.I like my work don't get me wronge i like helping people,That's why i became a nurses aide,I just feel though i'm at my end of the rope. Could us some help here,thanks
Posted by Cindy W on March 4, 2000, at 18:49:56
In reply to laughing by the inch-cring by the mile, posted by kelly R. on March 4, 2000, at 15:55:09
> I've been feeling down theses last two days, I'm not sure if it's because i'm working w/ dying people, I try & make them feel happy in there final days.I sometimes think there so lucky to be leaving this world & having no more problems,(I'm not suicidal) just tired. I've been cring alote & having a hard time getting out of bed in the morning.(fell back to sleep sitting up). & once at work having hard time getting going.I like my work don't get me wronge i like helping people,That's why i became a nurses aide,I just feel though i'm at my end of the rope. Could us some help here,thanks
Kelly, I would imagine that working with dying folks is very draining emotionally. In the past, I worked with developmentally disabled (mentally retarded) adults and with mentally ill adults, and now work with prisoners, and find that "people work" can take a lot out of you, requiring recharging to get your own spirits up again. Am sending you virtual hugs.--Cindy W
Posted by Janice on March 4, 2000, at 22:26:48
In reply to Re: laughing by the inch-cring by the mile, posted by Cindy W on March 4, 2000, at 18:49:56
Hello kelly R.
Are you being treated for depression or exhaustion or anything? It sure sounds like depression to me.
I also agree with Cindy W, that this work would be very difficult for an emotionally vunerable person. I certainly can imagine how fulfilling it could be when you're feeling strong, and when you feel that you have something to give.
take care, Janice
Posted by AprilA. on March 5, 2000, at 19:08:28
In reply to laughing by the inch-cring by the mile, posted by kelly R. on March 4, 2000, at 15:55:09
> I've been feeling down theses last two days, I'm not sure if it's because i'm working w/ dying people, I try & make them feel happy in there final days.I sometimes think there so lucky to be leaving this world & having no more problems,(I'm not suicidal) just tired. I've been cring alote & having a hard time getting out of bed in the morning.(fell back to sleep sitting up). & once at work having hard time getting going.I like my work don't get me wronge i like helping people,That's why i became a nurses aide,I just feel though i'm at my end of the rope. Could us some help here,thanks
Hi Kelly-Are you feeling any better today? Have you told anybody how bad you feel? Sometimes it's hard for other people to tell. Do you think it's just stress from the job or something more? Maybe you should go to the doctor and get checked out.
I hope you're taking care of yourself and won't let this go on too long without trying to get some help. You sound like a person with really great values. It's wonderful to help people but don't forget you're people, too! Take care of yourself, Good wishes, AprilA.
Posted by juniper on March 6, 2000, at 0:54:11
In reply to Re: laughing by the inch-cring by the mile, posted by AprilA. on March 5, 2000, at 19:08:28
your job sounds like it has some wonderful points about it...the ability to give to those who need so much, to make a difference in someone's final days, to learn from those who have been through much......but also some very draining and frustrating points...lack of control, attatchment and loss....
i imagine that you are much more effective and postive when feeling so yourself....it's true that you need to care for yourself before you can care for anyone else (or you expend so much energy for others but aren't really getting anywhere as your energy is so faint). i think i've tried to get around this fact as taking care of others often lets me forget about my own problems, but its never worked.
i don't know the particulars of your situation.....are you taking medication? do you work very often? do you have a therapist?.......you seem depressed--do you feel that you are? and how much do you attribute to your working conditions and how much to other things?
i hope that you are making some time for you, and that you find a balance between giving to others and giving to yourself.
peace to you and those you work with.....
juniper
Posted by kelly R. on March 8, 2000, at 17:40:39
In reply to Re: laughing by the inch-cring by the mile, posted by juniper on March 6, 2000, at 0:54:11
> your job sounds like it has some wonderful points about it...the ability to give to those who need so much, to make a difference in someone's final days, to learn from those who have been through much......but also some very draining and frustrating points...lack of control, attatchment and loss....
> i imagine that you are much more effective and postive when feeling so yourself....it's true that you need to care for yourself before you can care for anyone else (or you expend so much energy for others but aren't really getting anywhere as your energy is so faint). i think i've tried to get around this fact as taking care of others often lets me forget about my own problems, but its never worked.
> i don't know the particulars of your situation.....are you taking medication? do you work very often? do you have a therapist?.......you seem depressed--do you feel that you are? and how much do you attribute to your working conditions and how much to other things?
> i hope that you are making some time for you, and that you find a balance between giving to others and giving to yourself.
> peace to you and those you work with.....
> juniperStill feeling down,just had a patient die today,It's not easy to be talking to someone one min. & find them dead that sameday.I knew that she was going soon, she stopped eating last week & we knew she was going to die,cause they all stop eating right before they go.She was a very sweet old lady & well miss her.
Juniper i am on meds prozac 30mg zyprexa 2.5mg,I do have a pdoc,i see him every other week. I do work full time as a nurses aide.been doing this for over 2yrs. now.And there is alote of other things going on at home that i've been writing about here on other threads.Thank you for helping
Posted by juniper on March 9, 2000, at 1:58:18
In reply to Re: laughing by the inch-cring by the mile, posted by kelly R. on March 8, 2000, at 17:40:39
i am sorry that you are still feeling down and that one of your patients passed away. even with the knowledge that the person lived a full life, or would have suffered had he or she lived, death is death and ridiculously hard. death doesn't lend itself to rationality. by dealing with death frequently, has your response to it changed? as a nurses' aide, i imagine you could worrk on other wards too--did you choose to work with terminally ill patients?
(sorry if i am prying too much--i have often thought about working with terminally ill people)
i hope that next time you see your p-doc you will discuss with him your saddness and lack of energy--maybe he or she could tinker with your meds and provide a better basis for you to work on the other stuff (30mg prozac is pretty standard, but not a very high dosage---have you ever tried more energizing ADs? such as wellbutrin?)
good luck to you, i hope some good karma catches up with you.juniper
Posted by Noa on March 9, 2000, at 17:30:13
In reply to Re: laughing by the inch-cring by the mile, posted by kelly R. on March 8, 2000, at 17:40:39
Kelly, sorry to hear you are down. You obviously care about your patients a lot and the loss must be hard. But think about how you added to his quality of life at the end, something that most of us don't have the inclination to do.
Also, sorry I haven't been too communicative. I've been limited in time in contributing to babble, cuz of my no-internet situation. But I also have been needing to pull back a bit. Between the difficulties I have been having with my depression lately, and how it felt to go through V's suicidal crisis, I have needed to pull back to take care of myself. But I have been thinking about you. I saw your thread, and tho I didn't read it, I saw that people were responding to you, and that made me glad. Sorry I haven't been one of them til now.
Hang in there.
Posted by kelly R. on March 9, 2000, at 18:42:35
In reply to Re: laughing by the inch-cring by the mile, posted by juniper on March 9, 2000, at 1:58:18
> i am sorry that you are still feeling down and that one of your patients passed away. even with the knowledge that the person lived a full life, or would have suffered had he or she lived, death is death and ridiculously hard. death doesn't lend itself to rationality. by dealing with death frequently, has your response to it changed? as a nurses' aide, i imagine you could worrk on other wards too--did you choose to work with terminally ill patients?
>
> (sorry if i am prying too much--i have often thought about working with terminally ill people)
>
> i hope that next time you see your p-doc you will discuss with him your saddness and lack of energy--maybe he or she could tinker with your meds and provide a better basis for you to work on the other stuff (30mg prozac is pretty standard, but not a very high dosage---have you ever tried more energizing ADs? such as wellbutrin?)
> good luck to you, i hope some good karma catches up with you.
>
> juniperToday was a better day, I did see my pdoc today & he too wants my meds upped,so when my new insur. kicks in i'll call to get a psychiatrist(my dr. died in jan.).I like my work even if its not so happy sometimes,but i can find some happy things about it & when i have to work on a different wing & the patients are happy that i'm going to be there aide that day,it makes me feel good. I can say that this is what i'm good at.thanks of the help
Posted by juniper on March 9, 2000, at 22:24:15
In reply to Re: laughing by the inch-cring by the mile, posted by kelly R. on March 9, 2000, at 18:42:35
your post made me smile....i am glad that you had a "good day" and think that it is wonderful that you can say that this is something you are good at--sometimes it's really hard to recognize talents when your depressed. how long until your insurance kicks in? (i'm pretty miffed right now with the state my insurance is in)
wishing you more good days!!juniper
Posted by kelly R. on March 11, 2000, at 15:15:39
In reply to Re: laughing by the inch-cring by the mile, posted by juniper on March 9, 2000, at 22:24:15
> your post made me smile....i am glad that you had a "good day" and think that it is wonderful that you can say that this is something you are good at--sometimes it's really hard to recognize talents when your depressed. how long until your insurance kicks in? (i'm pretty miffed right now with the state my insurance is in)
> wishing you more good days!!
>
> juniperI got my insurance card in todays mail, not bad timing.I'll call for a Dr. on mon.
I have this weekend off so now i can caught up to the house cleaning(not been doing it since i was down)going to work took everything out of me.
My husband wants to go out to dinner(just the two of us).I panic when in large groups,so we don't go out that much.so well see what happens.
Posted by Noa on March 13, 2000, at 6:15:13
In reply to Re: laughing by the inch-cring by the mile, posted by kelly R. on March 11, 2000, at 15:15:39
Hi, Kelly. Hope dinner was nice. Sounds like you are hanging in there, even with all the bumps in the road.
Posted by kellyR. on March 13, 2000, at 19:38:14
In reply to Re: laughing by the inch-cring by the mile, posted by Noa on March 13, 2000, at 6:15:13
> Hi, Kelly. Hope dinner was nice. Sounds like you are hanging in there, even with all the bumps in the road.
Hi,noa.diner was nice thank you,we went to this place that on the high side but the lobster is great there.I'm glade that there wasn't that many people there,come summer you can get a seat.It's nice sitting by the ocean in the summer w/ all the boats going by,I love the beach it like prozac,it's a place were i can think about thing without getting to down about them.
My husband has to go to court on friday & it's making us both feel down, not knowing if it going to be alright,that test that he took came back in his favor.I don't know if i should take off from work to be w/ him when he goes to court(i've been to all the court hearings).
This is the end of the thread.
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