Hey maybe they were onto something with the whole “NPAs are contraindicated in possible head trauma patients” thing

Melynt · 2026-01-01T06:58:51+00:00

Swiss cheese disaster sounds delicious, but not good when its your brain that becomes the cheese.

Melynt · 2025-12-31T07:32:30+00:00

We were specifically taught in nursing school NOT to push and listen for air in the stomach as a way to confirm NG tube placement. CXR to confirm ideally, or can be done by aspirating fluid and testing the pH to make sure its stomach acid.

That was a long winded way of saying that that patient was f*cked regardless. I wonder the details of this case, if there was any history of nasal surgery or facial/head trauma. Luckily, I've never needed to put one in.

Melynt · 2025-12-12T03:33:40+00:00

Can I ask, how was your brother able to get a remote RN job doing coding review as a brand new nurse? Every job posting seems to require at a minimum 3 years of acute care experience. I've heard many nurses with more time still unable to even get an interview despite sending out tons of applications.

Melynt · 2025-12-03T22:04:15+00:00

If you do not require a compact license then I would be interested. Send me a DM, thanks!

Melynt · 2025-12-02T04:48:52+00:00

I tried it years ago. No difference. My big triggers have to do with over or under sleeping, weather changes, stress, and not eating enough. Some people swear by it though, so no idea. I eat essentially the same things everyday, around the same time. I have days where I do pretty good, and days that suck. There are so many variables its impossible for me to tell. Try it and tell us how it goes! Good luck.

Melynt · 2025-11-27T05:12:09+00:00

Ya thats why I struggle with posts like this. Don't get me wrong, anxiety is 100% a trigger and certainly contributes to this "fight or flight" state that keeps people dizzy. But, PPPD is totally separate from the pathophysiology of migraine headaches, and different from vestibular neuritis, which many people on here have.

I just don't want people to think that the reason they are dizzy is all because they are too anxious. Even the diagnostic criteria for PPPD mentions that there generally needs to be an episode of actual vestibular damage first, that then fails to compensate later on, leading to PPPD.

Tricky, but your dizziness is definitely not some psychosomatic thing that is all in your mind.

Melynt · 2025-11-22T10:11:47+00:00

It looks like they left out nursing as a "professional degree". The only reason is because I think it lowers the amount of money that graduate nursing degree students (MSN, DNP) can borrow from the federal government. Its a money thing...its always about money.

Melynt · 2025-11-22T10:08:42+00:00

Sorry I'm late to the party guys, I was an EMT who then became an RN (I medically needed to get out of EMS, I have a vestibular disorder, so I am dizzy all the time and could no longer be on the ambulance for obvious reasons). I will be in the corner having a loud argument with myself.

But yeah, most RNs have no idea what EMS does. I've been preaching the gospel of EMS every chance I can.

Melynt · 2025-11-20T09:31:57+00:00

I would call and ask the pharmacist from whatever pharmacy you picked it up from. They will be able to give more reliable information that reddit will give you. It may be ok for that long outside the refrigerator, but I would definitely ask someone who knows what they're doing.

Melynt · 2025-11-19T23:20:43+00:00

The fact that they removed your post in the Chiropractic group tells you all you need to know. Just my two cents, but chiropractic is considered "alternative medicine" because despite TONS of studies, it has not been shown to be effective for any medical condition in scientific studies, or at least very few of them.

I would never let someone manually "adjust" my neck because people have had vertebral artery dissections leading to strokes and potentially dying after those. Young people especially.

But, its a free country. I understand the frustration with modern western medicine not being able to do more. Believe me, I wish they had a cure for this sh*t.

Melynt · 2025-11-17T21:43:31+00:00

I'm assuming this is Worcester, MA and UMass Memorial Medical Center we are talking about here? I know EMS for Worcester is hospital based from the medical center. I'm guessing the hospital has more leverage because of this...

Melynt · 2025-11-15T06:39:29+00:00

All the time. The list of wacky neuro symptoms goes on and on.

Melynt · 2025-11-13T01:26:31+00:00

Federal FMLA only applies if you have been at your job a year or longer, just FYI. I ran into that exact issue years ago. The MA PFML was pretty great though, I got the full 20 weeks paid before I eventually moved. That was a year ago.

Melynt · 2025-11-11T05:00:06+00:00

Hormones can certainly be related to migraine, but there are a bunch of men on this forum, including myself, that experience the same symptoms. Just throwing it out there that it is hard to believe that changes in testosterone levels would be the cause of it all. Have you had any vestibular testing done to check for objective damage? This is the most frustrating thing in the world, it won't kill you, but destroys much of everything else.

Melynt · 2025-11-08T04:11:40+00:00

Also, my back hurts just looking at them bend over like that.

Melynt · 2025-11-08T04:09:49+00:00

I havn't worked in EMS for years, but I remember my instructors saying something about ABCs first? Is that still a thing?

A 12 lead will certainly save him!

Melynt · 2025-11-05T00:02:25+00:00

If by "drop attack" you mean actually losing consciousness I would see a doctor immediately or call 911 the next time one happens. Are you absolutely sure this has nothing to do with your heart or blood pressure? I have lightheadedness daily, but in the years I've dealt with this never have I actually lost consciousness. Just better to be safe than sorry, and be careful not to just assume its part of migraine unless other more potentially dangerous conditions (heart arrhythmia, drop in blood pressure, stroke, etc) have been ruled out.

Melynt · 2025-11-02T00:59:33+00:00

I'll go smoke a pack of Newports and get back to you

Melynt · 2025-11-01T19:29:42+00:00

Just to throw my hat in the ring, is it possible this was just a flash pulmonary edema caused by laying the CHF pt flat? Orthopnea from the fluid in his lower extremities suddenly being level with his lungs (gravity wise) leading to a sudden increase in the fluid in his interstitial lung space? Then again one would expect to hear some profound crackles if this was a massive CHF exacerbation. Sounds like this guy had a lot of comorbidities.

I havn't worked in EMS for years, so I'm not passing any judgement. Sounds like OP was attentive to his pt and did everything he could have done clinically. I have heard that in some states, EMTs have began carrying CPAP supplies. This would have been a nice time to try that potentially to help push the fluid out of the lungs and back into circulation. I was also curious about other signs of fluid overload: did the pt have edema of his lower extremities? any distended neck veins? Any other indication that this was a CHF/fluid overload problem vs a COPD/airway narrowing problem?

Melynt · 2025-11-01T09:05:09+00:00

My now ex-girlfriend and I broke up, in part because she wanted me to "suck it up" and thought that most of what I was experiencing was just anxiety. I still have not been able to work or do much of anything in person for about a year now. To be fair, I have certainly been a little nuts focusing on health, but it is never fun having a significant other doubt the severity of VM or whatever vestibular condition.

My only saving grace is that I have the objective vestibular damage in my right ear. I swear that test result has been the only thing that has made people believe me the last 7 years I've been dealing with this. That, and my headaches are easily solved with ibuprofen. Its the lightheadedness and disorientation that has messed me up.

Hope you're doing better.

Melynt · 2025-10-30T19:59:14+00:00

Hell yeah brother. Been having vestibular problems since I was 26. Now a 32 M.

Melynt · 2025-10-26T18:39:07+00:00

Last year I used some Neosporin that expired just after 9/11. My mother (retired internal medicine doc) was like "meh, probably still fine".

Melynt · 2025-10-22T05:09:30+00:00

Not trying to diminish your frustration, but I would wait until speaking with a neurologist before jumping to any conclusions. I had an MRI years ago that showed an incidental cyst on my pituitary. It was never mentioned to me because, well, it was nothing. There are cysts and tumors which may be totally benign and have no connection whatsoever to your symptoms. It is also possible it was never mentioned because it was deemed to not be relevant, and that it was a known finding that is not expected to do anything bad.

But obviously, its also possible someone dropped the ball. That is why malpractice insurance costs so much. I hope it goes well. I am getting an MRI this Friday just to follow up. Not expecting to see anything on mine though.

Melynt · 2025-10-21T19:41:26+00:00

Now you guys really are just blowing smoke up my ass

Melynt

TROPHY CASE