It's nice to find other nurses here

It is great to find other nurses to communicate with online. I am scheduled for surgery on May 28th at Mass General in Boston. I live about 90 miles west of there but this seems like the best option around for me. I, too, get sick of hearing about the awful nurses. If only people knew what the staffing ratios were and what that means. They just have no idea. I would not go back to floor nursing again for anything. I work Head Start and work with the little ones. Interesting mostly, frustriating sometimes. I am glad to have you guys to ask questions of as I get closer and then post-op. Willi Ryan

Hello All! I too am a RN, and I try to make it stand for "real nice," when I work. I guess some of them are "real nasty" out there. Sure have worked with a few. I really do love nursing, only been doing it 2 years. I'm 29 with 2 kids, and the only thing holding me back in life is my fatsuit. I have been thinking about sx (it's great to be in a nursing forum, so I can use all the shorthand!) for > a year, and cancelled a consult last year. I have since gained 30 lbs, and have set my mind to sx. Consult is in May (my future surgeon is VERY busy - RoseMarie Jones in Carmel, IN); I'm hoping to go under the knife by summer's end. Anyone feel like it has been beneficial to be a nurse while speaking to your MD? Any tips on using this to your advantage or disadvantage? That would be great & helpful knowledge to have. Hope I am welcome to the group; most nurses I work with are skinny, and think WLS is bad, and that MO is a mental issue (you know we are all food addicts ). Happy early St. Pat's Day! Lori H. Fort Wayne IN

I agree that it is great to find other nurses here. I have found that being a nurse has made all of my pre-op appointments smoother. I also had an easier time scheduling the surgery as I work for the same hospital where my surgery will be...less than 3 weeks now! I am currently having a heck of a time getting coverage for the days I will be out. As it is, I already have to work the night before surgery...meaning I get out of the ER at 0700 and report immediately to day surgery...and I have to be NPO after mn. Oh well...hope y'all have a great weekend! Kristen

I have found that it is easier to navagate through appointments being an RN. I know how scheduling works and the buzz words that get me what I need. Kristin, what is wrong with thoses nurses that they won't cover for you the night before surgery? You must work with some real winners. I can't imagine working in that situation. I'd be pissed! I have found that I am getting support from my co-workers. I supervise a nutritionist and she has watched my struggles and has helped me with it. I went to an endocrinologist who was the one who first verbalized wls. My pcp and my rheumatologist are behind me. When I tell my co-workers I usually begin by telling them of my struggles. Then I tell them about my MD visits and the recommendations. I have not found any that are unsupportive. I know that I should not have to tell these details, but it is much easier for me to gain their support and not feel looked down on. I am also not a terribly private person. I am kind of "what you see is what you get". My co-workers know that I will support them in their struggles and I have found them to be quite open with me. I expect the same from them. Maybe you should share some of your struggles with one of them that might be easiest to reach. It would be good to have someone on your team when you end up spending so much time with these people. Good luck in your struggles and especially with your surgery. Let us know how you are. Willi