I'm very angry!
And I should know better than to read the mostly ignorant comments left on news articles. As a nurse I read every article I can find pertaining to my field and particular speciality. For the last 15 years that has been geriatrics and for the past year, Alzheimer's Disease.
Today's article was about a group of early-diagnosed and still mostly fully functioning people campaigning the government for more funds to research new and better treatments. I support this wholeheartedly. Everyone has the right to the best treatment possible. Right now, Alzheimer's *is* incurable, but the progression can be slowed down if caught early enough and treated. So far it can't be stopped, but productive years can be added to the lives of these people.
Here's why I am angry...
It all starts with a comment from a fucking moron who probably only holds a degree in sarcasm with a minor in asshattery. Loosely quoted, this moron wrote that medical facilities keep these patients drugged out of their minds to keep them tractable and *don't want* more research towards a cure because Alzheimer's patients are a cash cow.
My initial response? Fuck you very much! I take offense for every one of us who care for these people. Yes, it is my job. Yes, I get paid to do it. Not enough, believe me, but there is still pay involved. However, it is what I choose to do rather than just spouting inflammatory comments about something I know nothing about. It is hard, stressful, mostly unacknowledged and materialistically unrewarding work. Sometimes it feels like fighting a constantly losing battle against an enemy you can't see and can't defeat. All you can do is try to 'hold the line' as it were.
Ask yourself, why are there even nursing facilities available? Mostly it's because loving family members are simply unequipped with the resources, time or skill to take care of an affected loved one. But, or maybe I should say...BUT! Quite a few people I take care of were placed there by family members who just don't want to be bothered themselves with the extensive care and supervision an advanced Alzheimer's patient needs. Some of them were removed from homes by Adult Protective Services where they were supposedly being taken of but were actually being financially exploited and neglected or abused.
For some people it is far easier for them to leave their loved one in someone else's care and only visit once every 6 to 12 months. I'd wager they visit the fucking zoo more often! Most of the family members I deal with are truly loving, concerned, and *involved* in the care of their loved one, but there is always someone who comes in, stares at the patient for less than five minutes, then comes to yell at the nurse. "Mom looks thinner and weaker than the last time I saw her. You are obviously not doing your job! You'll hear from my lawyer!"
Uh huh, Mom's 87 years old and the last time you saw her was almost a year ago. Of course there will be physical and mental changes. But guess who is here to listen to the woman worry about "the kids" who don't come to see her and that she can't remember are actually grown adults. It isn't you!
This ranks high on my list of "Gagging Hypocrisy that Really Pisses Lily Off". Another is the idiots that want to debate the issue and who have no background in the field, no education, and no information to back them up other than what they might read in their informational bible, the National Enquirer, or the drunken gossip at the bar where they go after what little bit of conscience they have forced them to "visit" after a year.
Crap! Instead of feeling any better by venting, I'm just working myself to an even greater furious froth. By all the gods, I wish I had the gift of telepathy so I could force feed the truth and some hard facts to people. A little telekinesis would be nice, too, for the ability to remotely bitch slap someone.
Going to cool down now. I've managed to ruin a relaxing day off by doing research then making the mistake of reading asshattery. I needs me some yaoi lovin's! If I can't find anything to read I guess I finally get off the soapbox and do some writing.
Today's article was about a group of early-diagnosed and still mostly fully functioning people campaigning the government for more funds to research new and better treatments. I support this wholeheartedly. Everyone has the right to the best treatment possible. Right now, Alzheimer's *is* incurable, but the progression can be slowed down if caught early enough and treated. So far it can't be stopped, but productive years can be added to the lives of these people.
Here's why I am angry...
It all starts with a comment from a fucking moron who probably only holds a degree in sarcasm with a minor in asshattery. Loosely quoted, this moron wrote that medical facilities keep these patients drugged out of their minds to keep them tractable and *don't want* more research towards a cure because Alzheimer's patients are a cash cow.
My initial response? Fuck you very much! I take offense for every one of us who care for these people. Yes, it is my job. Yes, I get paid to do it. Not enough, believe me, but there is still pay involved. However, it is what I choose to do rather than just spouting inflammatory comments about something I know nothing about. It is hard, stressful, mostly unacknowledged and materialistically unrewarding work. Sometimes it feels like fighting a constantly losing battle against an enemy you can't see and can't defeat. All you can do is try to 'hold the line' as it were.
Ask yourself, why are there even nursing facilities available? Mostly it's because loving family members are simply unequipped with the resources, time or skill to take care of an affected loved one. But, or maybe I should say...BUT! Quite a few people I take care of were placed there by family members who just don't want to be bothered themselves with the extensive care and supervision an advanced Alzheimer's patient needs. Some of them were removed from homes by Adult Protective Services where they were supposedly being taken of but were actually being financially exploited and neglected or abused.
For some people it is far easier for them to leave their loved one in someone else's care and only visit once every 6 to 12 months. I'd wager they visit the fucking zoo more often! Most of the family members I deal with are truly loving, concerned, and *involved* in the care of their loved one, but there is always someone who comes in, stares at the patient for less than five minutes, then comes to yell at the nurse. "Mom looks thinner and weaker than the last time I saw her. You are obviously not doing your job! You'll hear from my lawyer!"
Uh huh, Mom's 87 years old and the last time you saw her was almost a year ago. Of course there will be physical and mental changes. But guess who is here to listen to the woman worry about "the kids" who don't come to see her and that she can't remember are actually grown adults. It isn't you!
This ranks high on my list of "Gagging Hypocrisy that Really Pisses Lily Off". Another is the idiots that want to debate the issue and who have no background in the field, no education, and no information to back them up other than what they might read in their informational bible, the National Enquirer, or the drunken gossip at the bar where they go after what little bit of conscience they have forced them to "visit" after a year.
Crap! Instead of feeling any better by venting, I'm just working myself to an even greater furious froth. By all the gods, I wish I had the gift of telepathy so I could force feed the truth and some hard facts to people. A little telekinesis would be nice, too, for the ability to remotely bitch slap someone.
Going to cool down now. I've managed to ruin a relaxing day off by doing research then making the mistake of reading asshattery. I needs me some yaoi lovin's! If I can't find anything to read I guess I finally get off the soapbox and do some writing.