Exposed at work again

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notheidi
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Exposed at work again

Postby notheidi » Thu Jun 09, 2016 11:26 pm

Can't believe it. Almost one year to the date I contracted it in this same job. I was exposed in the nursing home environment. I have been so careful! I am having cramping, nausea, and diarrhea. I will test tomorrow if it continues. I. just. can't. believe. it. I am absolutely going to have to leave my job if this has happened again. I should have quit the job last year after I got it from work.

I was reviewing the health record of someone who had it. I didn't even go in to see the patient, because I don't work with patients who have it anymore. I noted that she had it and reassigned the case. But it was probably all over the nurse's station. I was so careful. She wasn't even in isolation anymore, and I still didn't see her. It was a particularly nasty, virulent, and resistant infection. I pray I don't have it. Either way, I can't do this job anymore. This illness is just mental torture. I am beside myself. And I feel rather ill. I pray it's food poisoning.
2010 mod/sev w/leukocytosis, cefdenir-sinus inf, metro rx'd wrong, resurged during tx. recovered w/dose change, lost 40 lbs. 2015 mod recur fr SNF, no abx, resolved w/vanco. 7/2022 mod recur, community acq, no abx, intermittent prodrome but didn't realize

NanciT
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Re: Exposed at work again

Postby NanciT » Fri Jun 10, 2016 12:43 am

I am so sorry....I understand the fear and also pray it has not returned. It could be something you ate, a flu bug or IBS.
If you are not having direct contact with patients, I believe the chances are low. I also work in a hospital and have walked through with that same terrible fear of not touching anything. I am not in direct contact with patients any longer but CDIFF is all around. It has been 1 1/2 years for me and although I have had terrible bouts of IBS, flu etc, even tested 3 times...it has not returned.
I do understand your thoughts of getting our of the environment, I also have thought the same thing. That terrible fear takes over.
Wishing you the BEST and hoping it's NEGATIVE for you....let us know how it goes
NanciT

Bobbie
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Re: Exposed at work again

Postby Bobbie » Fri Jun 10, 2016 12:59 am

So sorry and hope it is not c diff. It could be one of the things NancT mentioned. How long between your possible exposure and your symptoms?. I don't know the incubation period but imagine it varies. Also, x diff "does a number" on our heads.

Best of luck to you and will.cross my fingers your have something beside c diff.

georgina
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Re: Exposed at work again

Postby georgina » Fri Jun 10, 2016 1:43 am

Notheidi
So sorry to hear that you might be dealing with this again. Praying that is not Cdiff and is just a stomach virus or a IBS flare. If you say you had not come in contact with the patient and you did not take an antibiotic you should be fine. I also work in the hospital although I am a "desk nurse " now ,but like Nanci said , Cdiff is all around , you can't avoid it all the time, it's impossible. I actually had another positive test a few days ago but I do not think is a reinfection , I just think that it never left and it was there low grade all along. Even if I got this positive test again , I WILL NOT leave my job , I like my job and I will not let CDiff take that away from me too , it has taken enough ( my wedding , my honeymoon , my psych sanity , my last summer , my Christmas etc etc).
Prayers that test will be negative!!

beth22
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Re: Exposed at work again

Postby beth22 » Fri Jun 10, 2016 1:52 am

It is possible you got another pathogen. I got campylobacter post c diff and the symptoms were the same. If you are going to test, test for other things too, just in case.

Ril
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Re: Exposed at work again

Postby Ril » Fri Jun 10, 2016 8:36 am

Never thought I'd be glad I wasn't working in a hospital or as a nurse anymore. This is a crazy illness.
But notheidi, as much as I hope it is not back please try to stay as calm as possible (hard I know) because remember the more anxious you get the more likely the anxiety affects your gut. As everyone has said you know it could be so many things. I have my fingers crossed it is something else and because you know you were in the proximity of that pt of course your mind went right there.
Rita

amyc
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Re: Exposed at work again

Postby amyc » Fri Jun 10, 2016 10:52 am

If all the nurses were observing proper protocol while working with the patient they shouldn't have contaminated the desks, but you can always wipe down the station with the C diff killing wipes that you have on the floor. My son was hospitalized and I grabbed some gloves and used the wipes to clean his room, and I was just a patient's mom lol. They had the wipes in a holder on the wall so I just helped myself, and nobody said a word to me.

Lisa33
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Re: Exposed at work again

Postby Lisa33 » Fri Jun 10, 2016 11:20 am

So sorry you aren't feeling well, and also praying that it's not c-diff again. It must be so hard to work where you got c-diff from. That is a very difficult thing to do. You are much more aware now though and have been extremely careful, so hopefully it's not c-diff again.

notheidi
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Re: Exposed at work again

Postby notheidi » Fri Jun 10, 2016 4:14 pm

Thank you all so much for your kind replies and ideas. After a half hour drive across town, two hours waiting to be seen at urgent care, being seen, paying my $45 copayment, only after I was seen did they tell me they don't write lab slips for c diff tests "because you have to go to a hospital to be tested for that, it's not on our form." I asked if they can just have a doctor write me a lab slip somehow and they told me to "go back in your room" and wait for the receptionist to come talk to me. At that point I started sobbing and I just walked out and came home. I am going to write a letter and ask them to refund my copayment because I clearly wrote on the intake form that I was concerned about c diff. Why didn't they tell me at the front desk?!

I'm going to try calling my GI when he comes back from lunch, which is probably what I should have done first but they don't get back to me quickly there and it's a Friday. If it gets worse I'm going to be stuck going to the ER, where I will have to wait 5-10 hours and they will probably look at me and treat me poorly for not going to my PCP, which has happened before.

I am so angry and I feel so helpless and out of control. I am trying not to be hysterical. I have a lot of job related stress right now so this is not the only thing going on, which is probably why I'm so over the top about it. I've also been struggling with chronic pain for several months now and dealing with the medical establishment on that one is awful as well. Furthermore I'm having problems with my tenants in my duplex and they're moving out at the end of June, so it's not a good time to have any other financial stressors.

I'm supposed to go up in the mountains tomorrow with some friends so hopefully if I don't get any worse i can still go and get my mind of all this crap.
2010 mod/sev w/leukocytosis, cefdenir-sinus inf, metro rx'd wrong, resurged during tx. recovered w/dose change, lost 40 lbs. 2015 mod recur fr SNF, no abx, resolved w/vanco. 7/2022 mod recur, community acq, no abx, intermittent prodrome but didn't realize

amyc
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Re: Exposed at work again

Postby amyc » Fri Jun 10, 2016 5:07 pm

The doctors at your work won't order you a test? Health care work has changed so much since back when my mom was a nurse at a family clinic in the 1970s, and even since she retired from hospital administrative nursing in the mid 1990s. Hospitals and staff used to take much better care of their people, and even my dad and I could count on getting excellent care from her facilities very easily. It was one of the perks to working in the field. I left research years ago and recently worked in health care and was appalled. I quit and took a job cashiering at a health food store. More fun, better health insurance !!! And no bodily fluids.

notheidi
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Re: Exposed at work again

Postby notheidi » Sun Jun 12, 2016 3:14 am

Yeah, I've really seen a big change in the healthcare field. Not good.
2010 mod/sev w/leukocytosis, cefdenir-sinus inf, metro rx'd wrong, resurged during tx. recovered w/dose change, lost 40 lbs. 2015 mod recur fr SNF, no abx, resolved w/vanco. 7/2022 mod recur, community acq, no abx, intermittent prodrome but didn't realize

amyc
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Re: Exposed at work again

Postby amyc » Sun Jun 12, 2016 7:38 am

Can you sell your rental property and change jobs? Seriously haha. Are you an RN or a tech? I followed an orthopedic surgeon and a neurosurgeon for a while, and the ortho had MAs doing lots of stuff in the office that used to be done by RNs. They were very skilled, so I didn't think they put patient safety at risk or anything, but I would definitely start looking for jobs working for specialists in office settings even if you don't have your RN. Ortho, ophthalmologist, endocrinologist, cardiologist, hematologist, allergist, etc would be great and wouldn't be nearly as likely to involve exposure to C diff patients as nursing home work.

We own several rental properties and have been blessed with great renters, but even so it can be stressful.

notheidi
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Re: Exposed at work again

Postby notheidi » Mon Jun 13, 2016 6:22 pm

Yeah, it can be stressful! I am a social worker. But yes longer term plan is to get out of the c diff business!!!
Don't want to sell, I bought 10 months ago only. It's actually a great setup for me, great when it's good but stressful when it's not. Hopefully I'll get better next time.
2010 mod/sev w/leukocytosis, cefdenir-sinus inf, metro rx'd wrong, resurged during tx. recovered w/dose change, lost 40 lbs. 2015 mod recur fr SNF, no abx, resolved w/vanco. 7/2022 mod recur, community acq, no abx, intermittent prodrome but didn't realize


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