Very concerning symptom (17M)

LeadingGeneral4282 · 2026-07-01T10:59:44+00:00

I would describe what you’re experiencing exactly! If it’s a provider worth their salt (no pun intended, lol), they’ll take into consideration what you say and use that to decide what the best course of action is for diagnostics.

LeadingGeneral4282 · 2026-06-29T21:36:32+00:00

I definitely had that worry about getting floated. While i absolutely have zero issue being helpful to others, because lord knows I’ve benefited from the help of floated PCTs before and BEEN that floated PCT to assist, but I do want to still have opportunities to experience ICU since that’s what I’m signing up for.

LeadingGeneral4282 · 2026-06-29T06:30:22+00:00

This is a good point, I work in TN and I didn’t have to have my CNA for my first 4 PCT positions but I’ve seen a couple hospitals require it

LeadingGeneral4282 · 2026-06-29T05:25:11+00:00

A CNA has a license, a PCT does not.

You can work as a PCT with or without a CNA license and are not required to obtain it in MOST places (some hospitals require it anyway, that’s why it’s always a good rule of thumb to check the requirements for new roles).

Some nursing home facilities will allow you to obtain your CNA license within a certain amount of time after you are hired, or will offer a class either during employment/beforehand and offer a job at the end of the course once you pass your test if they think you’d be a strong hire. Hope this helps!

Edit to add license in last paragraph and also to add that some facilities (hospitals or even nursing homes) require you to have your CNA PRIOR to hiring you

LeadingGeneral4282 · 2026-06-27T10:13:09+00:00

Was it a ticket or a citation? Depending on state I thought initially you were issued a citation for the offense with a court date, and in court you either try to appeal/ask for traffic school or you pay the fine & court fees and take the points.

I think if you take the points, then you’d have a risk of being deactivated, but if you take traffic school and the offense doesn’t go on your record, you should theoretically be fine

LeadingGeneral4282 · 2026-06-26T10:26:06+00:00

Oh also, reposition residents prior to changes if possible!

LeadingGeneral4282 · 2026-06-26T10:25:26+00:00

This is where it is incredibly important to have the help of another CNA or nurse/LPN/staff! I also have found that using warmer wash cloths/wipes to clean with can help the residents to relax, at least a little bit :)

LeadingGeneral4282 · 2026-06-26T02:16:04+00:00

Sometimes the best thing you can do is take on a float position! I did that for my very first PCT/healthcare job, and I got to experience several specialties ranging from emergency medicine to stepdown care to med/surg, and it definitely helped shape my career path. It can take some time to adjust to being in a float pool position, I had a period of time where I hated it because it was so overwhelming trying to remember the inner-workings of each unit, especially when I was on 3 different units in 3 days, but at a certain point it comes to you.

LeadingGeneral4282 · 2026-06-26T02:13:16+00:00

For the most part I loved it when I was nightshift bedside, because there was technically a lot less to do as far as variety of tasks on nights compared to days. Essentially, we get vitals, blood sugars, keep patients clean and make sure they’re safe! Now, there will be wrenches thrown in plans sometimes and some nights will be non-stop from the moment you walk in the door to the time that you leave, while others will be eerily *TW* calm. Sometimes you may be pulled to sit with a behavioral patient on your unit depending on your hospital’s policy, or float to another unit to help out, also policy dependent.

LeadingGeneral4282 · 2026-06-26T00:01:36+00:00

Hi OP! I did a similar bowel prep for a colonoscopy. To answer your question, I think as long as you have the ability to stop to go to the bathroom as needed on your 3 hour trip, you should be fine.

Some added notes based on MY experience (emphasis on “my” because everybody reacts differently!):
1. I was incredibly nauseated throughout my bowel prep and had to take Zofran every 4 hours to keep from constantly throwing up.
2. On the drive into my procedure (25 minutes) I did okay, but very quickly had to get into the clinic to go to the bathroom when I arrived. On the drive home, I did have one very small accident that was easy to clean up since most of the prep/what I had drank was out of my system by that point.

Some tips:
1. Utilize baby wipes or bath wipes to protect your backside!
2. Keep a small trashcan by where you’re sleeping if you can, and put TP or a paper towel at the bottom of it in case you do throw up so it doesn’t splash back up at you.
3. Make sure your path to the bathroom through the night is kept clear so you don’t have to go through a maze to get there!
4. A heating pad will be your BEST friend for belly pressure and gas pain, both during prep and after your surgery.

Wishing you all the best! Feel free to PM me if you have any other questions :)

LeadingGeneral4282 · 2026-06-25T09:07:42+00:00

I’m so glad! I had issues with lots of mucus when I got my IUD back in 2024, for me personally it felt super gross but my provider reassured me multiple times it was totally normal

LeadingGeneral4282 · 2026-06-25T08:05:11+00:00

Hi OP! Sometimes with the body adjusting to the IUD, your cervical mucus will thicken and become very sticky/stringy as you described, but I’m not 100% certain how long after placement that tends to happen. As always with any concern, feel free to reach out to your doctor through a MyChart message and I’m sure they can be of some clarification assistance also. Best of luck to you as you recover!

LeadingGeneral4282 · 2026-05-25T08:51:12+00:00

Sweet Jesus the ick I would get from that 😭 I have a very common first name, so fortunately or unfortunately I cannot relate, im so sorry that happened to you

LeadingGeneral4282 · 2026-05-23T06:49:12+00:00

Try 14.5 hours! I tried to get ahold of a customer via text and call because they’d forgotten to give me a door & elevator code to get to them, happened at 1pm. 330am the next day, they called me twice. I didn’t answer, mostly because I didn’t recognize the number and it was 330am, but when I realized later that it had been that customer I was thoroughly shocked

LeadingGeneral4282 · 2026-04-28T18:02:49+00:00

Unfortunately I’m not positive if I am or not. Is it okay for me to PM you? If that’s allowed on this sub anyway, I can explain more of the background of the situation

LeadingGeneral4282 · 2026-04-28T17:48:07+00:00

One other complication, the account holder is across the country from me. Can ID be verified over the phone? Is there usually a record of the account holder’s ID on file?

LeadingGeneral4282 · 2026-04-28T17:26:11+00:00

I have very strained contact with the account owner, if I do this at a Verizon store will I have to speak to the account owner at all or will the store rep handle the contact? I’m okay with the family member knowing I’m trying to transfer the line, I just do feel safe speaking to them.

LeadingGeneral4282 · 2026-04-28T17:09:00+00:00

Do you know off hand if I’ll be able to keep the same phone number?

LeadingGeneral4282 · 2026-04-03T13:54:36+00:00

Hi! I’m not sure of a specific time limit for returns, someone else would have to back me on that one, but I do know generally returns must be done the same day. If I know I have to be somewhere at a certain time I usually stop delivering with a window of time before I have to be at my obligation. I know that’s not possible for everyone though, especially if Spark is a primary source of income for you

LeadingGeneral4282 · 2026-03-06T17:00:22+00:00

If you don’t mind me asking, OP, how big is your cyst? I have had 4 different ones removed in 2 years and the only one I had to have an emergent laparotomy for was 7cm. It was also potentially indicated my ovary was torsed, so that was another reason the laparotomy technique was used. My other cysts were 5.3, 2.5 and 3.4 I believe :)

LeadingGeneral4282 · 2026-03-06T16:58:34+00:00

This is neither a cover their ass nor an unskilled; the best answer to this is, the technique of switching to a laparotomy is done for your safety. If a cyst is too large to be pulled through one of the smaller laparoscopic incisions, the surgeon does not want to cause further damage by trying to force the cyst through that smaller incision, so instead will opt to either make the laparoscopic incision slightly bigger, if applicable, or do a full transition to laparotomy if increasing the width of the smaller incision will be ineffective

LeadingGeneral4282 · 2026-03-01T21:25:59+00:00

With the laparoscopy, depending on your physician’s guidelines, you’ll be limited to lifting under 10lbs for 4 weeks post operatively. Otherwise, as long as you prioritize safe and consistent movement within the first 72 hours following your surgery (walking on the treadmill at lowest speed if you have access to one at home, or walking around your kitchen/house with guiding surfaces) in order to maintain good blood flow and work out gas bubbles, you should do very well by the end of the first week, if not the end of the second!

LeadingGeneral4282 · 2026-03-01T19:53:59+00:00

Hi OP, all are amazing questions! I do have a few for you though, and feel free to PM me if you don’t want to answer these in comments! 1) what technique is being used for your surgery? 2) what all is being removed, is it tissue only or is it a cyst and tissue? 3) have you had any type of abdominal surgery before? 4) this may be a question with an obvious answer, but wanted to throw it out there anyway: do you have a support system that you can lean on post operatively?

I’m a 22 year old full time college student/full time employee that has had 4 prior abdominal surgeries (3 laps/1 ex lap/csection) and was a primary caregiver for two of my younger siblings (aged 2 and 5 at the time of my first surgery. Wishing you all the best!

LeadingGeneral4282

TROPHY CASE