little black ache

Every once in awhile I get this idea of how my ideal Fantasy Life would go in, you know, Fantasy Land.

It pretty much goes like this: I would be able to go to work and not pull my back all the time, I'd be able to eat a full meal and not get an upset stomach or other GI upset, and I'd be able to fall asleep within fifteen minutes of my head hitting my pillow at night.

Plus, when I went to the doctor because I couldn't do one or some of those things, that doctor would actually be the doctor I made an appointment with, not I Just Got Out Of Residency Five Days Ago McSmarty Pants MD, and then that doctor would docilely just prescribe what I need, not make useless little patronizing speeches about sleep hygiene.

I mean, "If you can't get used to night shift, you'll probably have to find another job," is not helpful when probably 90% of the hospital nursing jobs are night shift, especially if you have to start all over and find another job because your first night shift job was killing you.

I was almost sorry I brought up the fact that my back has been hurting for two weeks straight. I can't sit or lie down without LOTS OF PAIN, and it is sort of starting to wear on my temper just a wee bit.

Apparently, even though it is my job to control my patient's pain, when it's my turn to be the patient, I'm just supposed to suffer in silence.

Well, maybe not in complete silence, but wholly unmedicated, any way.

I guess that doc was right in a way, though, I could potentially solve all my problems if I just got the hell away from bedside nursing.