Funny thing about being a nurse who takes care of patients in the home environment, as opposed to a hospital, or other institutional setting. Everyone in the home thinks you’re there to take care of them, too.
I don’t know how many times I’ve gone to see a patient in their home and after taking care of him, and getting ready to leave - - the spouse/daughter/son/nephew, etc - asks me if I would mind taking their blood pressure, looking at their wart, checking out their baby’s latest poop and on and on. I hear everything about these people from the status of the hemorrhoids to their latest blood pressure readings.
What does this mean? Is this harmful? Would you recommend this? Is this ok? Should I go see a doctor?
Ok. People, people, people. I hate to be cold hearted and bitchy and all - - but we’re there because either the insurance company or Medicare is paying our company to take care of the patient - - not the health needs and advice for the entire extended family, neighbors and friends. It’s not that I don’t care - - but my day is already full of patients that I really am responsible for . . I lack the time to hear about and give recommendations on baby’s latest poo-poo. If I stopped to take care of everyone in the household - I’d never get out of there. My visits are an hour long, as it is.
Whew. Ok. I vented - I feel better.
Today took the cake, though. My patient’s 18 year old son approached me with a concern that his burps are very foul smelling - - should he worry about this? Is it a concern? What can he do to stop it because sometimes it smells up the entire room? Should he see a doctor?
I looked at him. “Your burps smell?”, I ask. “Yea”, he says, looking at me, expectantly - as if I have the cure.
“Lay off the gassy foods and see your doctor”, I reply.
“That’s all??”, he says.
What do I look like - the traveling Mayo Clinic?
“Yes, that’s all - good luck with those burps”, I reply - then leave.
His burps smell up the whole room.
Either that is very funny…or….I’m very burnt out and am finding humor in inappropriate places.
3:24 pm on July 27th, 2004
9:15 pm on July 27th, 2004
I got one maybe not as funny but I was asked to pack up a computer for shipment to a customer back when a former patient ran a business out of his garage. It seems nothing is beyond your scope of practice.
9:43 am on July 28th, 2004
LOL! My hubby gets those kind of questions all the time, only they’re all computer related. When being introduced to someone, he dreads that opening first question: “so, what do you do?” He actually has a shirt that reads “No, I will not fix your computer” Unfortunately, rather than ward off the requests, it has spurned more. Oh well. It was worth a try.
11:37 am on July 28th, 2004
That is so nasty! You poor girl!
7:54 am on January 13th, 2005
i think burps are amazing things…dey make me laught alot…they smell n dere tasty …..looooool…just jking…by da way..i love sami ridha sooooooooooo much…4 ur information..but dnt getr me wrong!! sami dosent burp…
7:59 am on January 13th, 2005
hey guys.. I’m florelas friend… I think burps and farts r stinky… she does them alot… but don’t worry my dear friend florella.. I do it 2… hehe.. bye luv ya… oh ya by da ways I love izzat sharif.. soooooooooooooooooooomuch… ask her.. bye luv ya all..mwah
Sarah
8:01 am on January 13th, 2005
gheya im muna hamde..oh m agod…burps!! lol..dere so irating..im british ..hehehehe…oh well i know florella n sarah..dere such amazing gurls……hehe…well bye
4:05 pm on January 3rd, 2006
mmmm i just LOVE to belch after swilling a beer or two. it feels so amazing to get all that air out. plus the long, deep loud sound really hits you. everyone laughs and thinks you’re impressive if you can burp. i love to burp. mmmmmm once i burped for 11 seconds! damn i love belching
11:10 am on June 27th, 2006
Re: “Fart” or Sulfur burps. stinky burps, smelly burps
From: bamfan
Your problem is “Giardia”. This is a parasite that is picked up thru water, fast food, daycare facilities and travel. The treatment for it is Flagyl.
Hope this helps you!!
more information at http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/parasites/giardiasis/factsht_giardia.htm#what
11:22 am on November 22nd, 2006
This blog is upsetting at best. Your bedside manner and professionalism is questionable at best. May I suggest a different field of practice in which you are not asked medical questions as a medical professional. This article left me in dismay as to how our medical professionals feel about their patients and the family members of their patients. I am in hopes you are the only doctor that has this outlook on helping others. I hear that pigs need doctors too if your looking for a diffferent profession.
11:59 am on November 22nd, 2006
They are called veternarians, moron.
I hope your physician or nurse who takes care of you has a sense of humor. I also hope that they are HUMAN and actually have human feelings and are able to vent those feelings in order to cope with the pressures they deal with on a regular basis.
This post was actually done with an edge of HUMOR.. kind of tongue-in-cheek, R.Campbell. Check it out for yourself some day - a sense of humor can be very healthy for everyone involved.
5:17 pm on January 20th, 2008
i have the same burps.they are very very nasty and digusting.one thing is that, is that it is not consistant but comes in big groups.I also heard it could be “your stomach upset from something you ate, viral gastroenteritis or rarely, gall bladder disease. One other possibility is a bacteria that grows in the stomach called Helicobacter Pylori.”
here is the website if you are interested:
http://en.allexperts.com/q/Family-Internal-Medicine-969/smelly-fart-burps.htm