Quote:
Originally Posted by chaotic13
I am scheduled to have a surgical procedure done. I struggle a great deal with being poked and prodded. I thought I might be a little better at tolerating this attention...but I'm not. I recently went in to have the pre-op stuff done and got very agitated with something as simple as laying on the table for an EKG. I tried hard not to be a total B, .. but I was. The woman was trying to be nice and talk to me. But was not interested in hearing any of her explainations, I just wanted to jump up and choak her for touching me and leave. Luckily, I just withdrew inside instead. I wouldn't even make eye contact...basically ignored her. The thing is the surgery day is going to be so much worse. With the medication etc... I am worried that I might not control myself and actually lash out at the nurses...and really be a B. Not sure how I can avoid being an bad patient.
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(((((((((((((((((((CHAOTIC))))))))))))))))))))
Heya
In my former job, I used to work as a technician in cardiology, and it's quite normal to freak out in various ways. Overt anxiety like yours is really more disturbing to you (the patient), than it is to the nurses and staff---who see it several times a day, every day! It bothers you more than them, as it's NOT characteristic of your normal self. Hospitals and medical procedures aren't very relaxing, you know?
Really. Do not feel bad. The nurse will most likely not take any offense at all. I'd tell your nurses and whomever else is involved in your procedures to tell you what they are going to do before they do it "I've got to place this sticky lead on your fourth intercostal space, which is this right here"... and if they don't tell you what they are doing ahead of time, slow them down. It can become rather rote and mechanical for them, even if they are consciencous. I hated the job personally (I hate healthcare).
I was really good at dealing with anxiety in patients... anxiety in myself, however, is a different matter.
