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Post by annemcnamara on Feb 21, 2010 2:10:47 GMT
Hi Mary,
last year I had the dreaded C and lost my hair through treatment. Now that it has grown back it's curly [never had curls before] always wanted curls when I was young but now they are so much work, anyway a small price to pay, can't colour it and don't need a perm so I guess I should count myself lucky, and believe me I do..... Anne.
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Post by mary carroll on Feb 21, 2010 3:53:49 GMT
Hi Anne, Sorry to hear that, but glad you have recovered, I work on a haematalogy ward and see patients go through chemotherapy, become so sick, and lose their hair. But for those lucky ones that recover and I'm sad to say there have been few, when their hair grows back its lovely and soft like a baby's and yes curly when they never had curls, I work mostly with leukaemia patients and not those with tumours and sadly a few of them have died very young and its so sad when you have nursed them from first being diagnoised, you do form a bond and it breaks your heart, but one very happy story was a young woman of 33 with 2 small children was diagnoised with CML (chronic myeloid leukaemia), she had a reaction to her chemotherapy and ended up in ITU, When I came on shift I was told where she was and wanted to see her, but told to be prepared, with having lost my sister to cancer some years ago its still painful, so I went to see this women and got so upset, for 1 reason I could only look at her through a window also seeing her family unable to go into her was heart breaking, she was not expected to live. But the following week on a night shift she was transferred back to my ward still very sick but not in danger, she was then transferred to the Royal Marsden hospital for further treatment and hopefully bone marrow transplant although none of her family were a match, nothing seemed to be going right for her, to cut a long story short while escorting a patient to the Royal Marsden for treatment I decided to see if this patient was still there as this was some months later' and she was, so I went to see her and I could have cried with happiness as there she was sitting on her bed looking so healthy and with her new hair, they are still looking for a bone marrow match for her, but she recovering. The best part of nursing is seeing someone recover and go home, and for those who are not well enough to recover knowing that you done your best for them and made their last few day as comfortable as possible makes it all worth while. I also count myself lucky to have my health as there are so many others out there not half as fortunate as ourselves.I know I've rambled on but to me this is a sad story but also a very happy one. It makes my job all the more worth it, to know you have contributed just a little bit to someone elses life, I just wish I had done this job years ago, but it was obviously not my calling then. I've had my life experiences now it's time to give some back.
Take care MaryC
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Post by andybrennan on Feb 21, 2010 9:22:54 GMT
Hi Anne Great that all worked out well and the new hair o golly gee tis great Shirley if you could only give us a bar of the good ship lolly pop.
really am glad that things have worked out for you and your family tis also an awful burden on them as well
keep well and keep safe
Andy
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Post by andybrennan on Feb 21, 2010 9:27:49 GMT
Hi Mary Your job must be heartbreaking in spite of the joys of successes with patient recovery
Rather you then me
keep up your vocation
Andy
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Post by annemcnamara on Feb 21, 2010 14:00:33 GMT
Hi MaryC, thanks for the good wishes I am indeed one of the lucky ones. I am indebted to the Doctors and Nurses in the Oncology ward in Tallaght Hospital who were so good and kind to me. so keep up the good work Mary someone will always need your assistance. Thanks for heart rending story. Anne.
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Post by annemcnamara on Feb 21, 2010 14:07:14 GMT
Thanks Andy, thank God I'm back buzzing again. but trust me I am smiling.
Anne.
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Post by maryfarrell6 on Feb 21, 2010 15:26:18 GMT
Hi MaryC What a beautifully told story its clear from that how much you care for your patients. It takes a very special person to face all that pain every day and still keep cheerful and smiling. I'm sure there are a great number of people who have passed through your wards both patients and families who are eternally grateful that you found your vocation. You certainly make a huge difference to peoples lives and it shines through that you love what you do. Keep it up and well done. Bye For Now MaryF
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Post by johnnykelly on Feb 21, 2010 18:13:47 GMT
Re YOU CANT TAKE IT WITH YOU: Hi MaryC, Keep up the good work and your job is probably the hardest of the hard. the understanding and patience required the lay person would not understand. You shall be rewarded in Heaven. all the best Johnny Kelly.
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Post by rose5mcdonaghtce on Feb 21, 2010 18:56:57 GMT
Hi All,
Speaking of hair loss and illness, the long weeks I spent in the childrens ward of the Families and then just as many in Crumlin as a kid was due to the fact that I had a blockage in my gullett and digestive tract, it took ages to find the cause of the problem, they told the folks I probably had the big C, it was touch and go for a while, until I started to bring the blockage up, which was very long strands of dark brown hair.
As I stated in other posts, I hated spending time in the sticks, and when we were quite young Mam was'nt doing so well and she spent long spells in the Mater, we would be packed off down to Tipp to her sister for part of it. I never liked staying too long away from the red bricks, to ease my misery, unlike other kids who suck their thumbs or have a blankee, I used to pop the end of the plaits into my mouth, of course over time I swallowed a major amount of hair, yeuck. (hope no one is eating while reading this). Very few humans survive a hair ball the size of what was gathered within, I still attend the gastroentology clinic in St. James and still take medication to try and avoid the scarring from the strands that have affixed themselves to the walls of my tummy from ulcerating. Apart from the visits to hospital and the scopes, I only take one tablet a day there's not a bother on me thank God.
Thw worst part for me was after that Mam used to put the two plaits in and then cross them at the back of my head and nearly sew them to my scalp, the way both my grannies wore their hair under little light hair nets, and I hated it.
I escaped from both hospitals, Families put a stop to it by putting me in a big cot with a cage on top, Crumlin by tying me to the bed with leather straps, no visitors allowed that I would be upset over which was everyone when they were going as this was seen as delaying my recovery and causing undue stress, nothing about the stress of not knowing where they had all disappeared to.
Rose.
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Post by andybrennan on Feb 21, 2010 19:21:02 GMT
Anne,
tis not only those people you mention in relation to your recovery but firstly yourself for having the problem seen to and the GP or otherwise who forwarded you on for further investigation, but the first person you must thank is yourself.
I have attended the funerals of many a dear person who was afraid to take the first step or just shrugged off their illness by self diagnosis mostly wrong,
morale dont be afraid to approach your GP no matter how embarrassing it may seem, no harm being wrong and alive
Andy
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Post by andybrennan on Feb 21, 2010 19:29:04 GMT
Rose, you were very lucky re your hair ball, I remember a programme about children eating their hair very hard to diagnose as if I remember rightly it does not show up on x Ray
Andy
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Post by mary carroll on Feb 21, 2010 22:02:18 GMT
Hi All, Thank you all for your kind words, and Johnny, don't think its heaven I'm going to but more like the fires of hell, well I do like the heat. Cheers MaryC
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Post by andybrennan on Feb 21, 2010 22:09:43 GMT
Mary C
re the fires of hades you will have plenthy of company a lot of us heading that way as well we will have a BBQ and drink fire water
Andy
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Post by johnnykelly on Feb 21, 2010 22:19:37 GMT
Hi Rose Anne Andy the night we met up in Ceannt one of the jokes going around was about the time I swallowed the live Bullet and it took weeks for it to shift with daily trips to the Families and Xrays doses of castor oil enough to start an oilwell, not being allowed to stand near the fire in case the bullet went off, getting slagged off in school daily : dont fart in case you shoot someone, laughable but scary non the less, but as Andy said the amount of people afraid to get help until it is too late, is astounding, I found that out just before i left the Army when one of my friends that i worked with for years was dodging the Doctors both in the Curragh and Tallaght until it was too late, it worked out that he was embarrased about going in front of Doctors and Nurses, I only found out about him when i paid a visit up to the lads and every one seem to suspect what was wrong, but did f/all about it, remember the best of help is out there, never fear about costs etc your health is your wealth, you cant bring it with you. Johnny.
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Post by andybrennan on Feb 21, 2010 22:29:04 GMT
Johnny, Begob but wernt you a hot shot after swallowing that bullet would you describe it as being armed or arsed.
To true about the health, it beats me people will borrow money for cars, holliers, to put into brown envelopes, any thing but their health.
It still amazes me the amount of people who are terrified to make a will, sign or carry a donor card in case it brings the man with the scythe galloping to take them away the mind boggles.
Andy
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