(no subject)
Wow... a lot has happened since October.
In November (Friday the 5th, to be exact) I smashed my left elbow into a folder at work, directly hitting the ulnar nerve and causing spasms in the arm. I ended up in ED and was eventually sent home after a neurology review that said "Oh my gosh, I can't believe what an extreme reaction you have had to the elbow being hit! I am so sorry, but there is nothing I can do to ease the spasms and contractures in your arm, but you most definitely will need surgery on the elbow and cannot wait until December 23 for your first appointment with a surgeon. Please go and see your doctor on Monday.... you won't be back at work for a while."
So I saw my doctor the next Monday. He was pretty amazed. By this point my little and ring fingers on the left hand were firmly turned into a claw, and my wrist was severely turned to the left. He rang my hand therapist and made an urgent appointment for me to have splinting. He aslo told me I would be having an ultrasound of the left elbow to rule out a haematoma on the nerve.
Splinting was done that afternoon (after a mad dash to Moo's school to have her fitted for next year's special seniors uniform) and the hand therapist said she knew a surgeon who might be able to help. She told me to come back the next day for a splint check and she would speak to the surgeon. When I went back and saw her the next day, she made an appointment for me to get in and see the surgeon that Friday.
On the Friday I had my ultrasound in the morning and then headed over to the surgeon at Flinders Private that afternoon. He was a nice guy, who was somewhat surprised at the extreme reaction I had to the injury. He also diagnosed thoracic outlet syndrome (gee, where have I heard that before) and said I definitely needed surgery, but was not sure whether it would need to be at the elbow, or at the shoulder. He sent me for a left subclavian artery CT Angiogram at Wakefield hospital to help him make the decision.
Meanwhile I am still off work.
So the next day we headed in to town for the Christmas Pageant. My left arm was in the resting splint made for me, and I sat in my folding chair. It was really nice, and Moo enjoyed her first-ever pageant sitting with a girl from Gawler East Primary who knows Shellie, and whose Mum used to work in Q3!!!
Tuesday of that week I went to Wakefield for the CT. After 7 attempts at cannulation with ultrasound (including 2 attempts on the same leg that ended up causing a massive haematoma on my calf) I finally had a jelco in and got to get in the CT machine. By this time, I was running massively late and was very sore. I knew the outcome already - that it would show nothing, because the impingement in my shoulder is functional, not vascular) and went through the motions.
Moo headed off to camp at Glenhaven Park in Stockport the following Wednesday (24th). She had a whale of a time, and thankfully turned her nose up at the chicken served on the last night. Apparently the chicken was undercooked, and all the students who ate it (which was everyone in both classes except 3 vegetarian kids and Michaela) ended up with food poisoning. The teachers all had something they brought from home, so they didn't get poisoned, either and were able to tend to the 60 or so kids who were pooing and spewing all night. Moo came home all happy and excited about her time away.
Tuesday the 30th saw us head back down to Flinders Private again for my appointment with the surgeon. At first it sounded like he didn't want to bother doing surgery because of the CT Angio results... but I lost my shit and started crying (or bleating, as Kristian so nicely put it) and vented my frustration at the fact that everyone says I need surgery, but nobody is willing to help me and I am sick of being patted on the head. He told me he would gladly do it, because otherwise I would just be back in 3 months needing it done anyway because my contractures would not get any better. He gave me a medical certificate stating I was unfit for work until January 30, 2011. I was led out to the RN at the desk, who told me that I would need approval from WorkCover before a date could be set, and so I went straight out to the car and called my senior case manager and told her the news. She was thrilled that someone would finally be helping me, and promised to get the paperwork done as soon as the doctor sent the report through.
And now the waiting begins...
On the Sunday I got a call from Mum at around 0830. She and Dad had the day off, so they decided they would take us up on our offer a few weeks earlier of heading down to Port Adelaide to wander through the markets and go on a dolphin cruise. Unfortunately due to WorkCover paying me only 80% of my wages, we had no money, but Mum told me not to worry, because she was shouting us for our anniversary (12 years since we met).
So Mum and Dad headed down here, and we all got in my car and I drove us to the Port. We had a lovely time wandering through the markets, and then mum shouted us lunch at the pancake place down on the wharf. As soon as we finished lunch we lined up to get on the boat for our dolphin cruise.
There were 2 little boys busking, only a few feet apart, both playing the violin very badly. It really did feel like we were waiting for the Titanic to sink...
So we had a lovely 2 hour cruise along the Port River. We grabbed 5 chairs and a table and moved them to the port side of the bow (heh, listen to me being all nautical) Our cosy little spot was soon inundated with bogans and retards as they crowded in against us to see the dolphins that had decided to swim along on our side, playing in the bow wave. A short time after that it started to drizzle, and we sat there in the lovely light rain, thoroughly enjoying ourselves as a family. By the time we were heading back (with a bowl ful of awesome chippies and a Drunkstick icecream each) the light rain had turned into big heavy drops of rain, and so we headed upstairs to get out of the rain a bit. We spent the last part of the trip playing silly buggers on the top deck, all trying to hide behind each other and taking turns to stand in front to block the rain for the others (like cyclists do when they ride as a team). it was hilarious when Moo got to the front, because we all crouched down behind her (except Mum, because they are around the same height these days!) We came home after the cruise ended, and I threw together some meatloaf and veggies for a freaking awesome dinner.
The next Tuesday I realised I had forgotten to write down when my Depo was due. Thankfully it was only due the day before, but did I have a script? Nope. I rang the doctor and was told that she would write one, but only if I promised to come in asap for a blood pressure check and a pap smear. Some trade off. Mum and Dad visited that afternoon with the lawnmower they had said they would bring down for Kristian to use on the lawn. It was only after they gave Kristian an empty fuel can and said he would need his own fuel that I realised it wasn't their lawnmower. Mum and Dad had given Kristian a brand new lawnmower for his birthday (early present)
That afternoon it pissed down. I had to pick Moo up early because we had an appointment with our priest to start Michaela's sacramental program, but thankfully he cancelled at the last minute (shortly before it bucketed down) We watched the weather radar as the heaviest rain fell over the north - right where Moo had been on camp a fortnight before. The rain eased enough for me to pick Moo up at 3, and as soon as we got home again, the next torrential downpour fell. Kristian noticed the back gutters weren't coping, so he went outside with the broom and tried to free up the flow into them a bit, making sure they weren't blocked, and then just holding them up with the broom as he stood in the soaking rain in just a t-shirt and a pair of jocks. It was quite cute... he looked like a giant drowned rat!
The next day I got a call from the surgeon's office, telling me my surgery for left cubital tunnel decompression with medial epicondylectomy had been approved. She said I had 2 choices for my surgery: Thursday the 16th of December at Flinders Private, or the 16th of January at Blackwood Hospital. I told her I would take the December appointment, even though it meant no driving for the rest of the year. It also meant that I might get back to work in February, as opposed to losing yet more time by taking the later date.
So the next day I wandered in to my doctor's office for the dreaded "lady examination". I was massively overdue for one (thanks to my shoulder taking up all my thoughts for the last couple of years) and so I laid down. It was over really quickly, and my doctor was really awesome about everything. It was probably the most comfortable, relaxed one I have ever had. She gave me my Depo shot, and I headed out the door for a massage with my massage therapist (who I found out at the end of the massage was 16 weeks pregnant after a long time trying!)
Thursday we started hearing a strange popping noise outside. After much wandering around by Kristian, he guessed it was the next-door neighbour's airconditioner.
Friday, Michaela and I headed to St Ignatius Church in Norwood after school to start her sacramental program. We met with Fr Paul and Rachael, who would be taking her through her spiritual journey into the Catholic Church. We also met a lady and her 14 year old daughter who would be joining us in the program, as the girl had not yet recieved any sacraments. The lady was very nice, telling us that she would pick us up for the meetings on the weeks I couldn't drive.
When we got home from class, Kristian took me out in the back yard and showed me a patch of grass near the back fence. He said he had been outside hitting the ball around and heard the popping noise. At the same time, a flash of blue shot up out of the grass and a puff of smoke wafted up. We called the agents and asked them to send an electrician. They called the landlord and eventually called the electrician, who spoke with Kristian on the phine and told him he would call the next day. Not particularly happy, but the electrician said just stay away from it, because there was no threat to the house, but if we got too close we may get a shock.
We had decided to head to Gawler to visit Shellie on Saturday, which was nice. She cooked us a lovely lunch, and we had a nice day. We got a call from the electrician while we were down there, and he asked to meet us after 3 back at the house to look at our weird electrical grass. We got home around 3, and he turned up around 5. He looked at it, hit it with a safety screwdriver and made the loudest popping noise we had heard so far. A giant arc of blue light shot up with a yellow flash, and it continued to smoke. He said he would be back in the morning to fix it, but it may involve digging up part of the lawn. We didn't care... so long as our grass is no longer trying to kill us.
Sunday the elctrician turned up just before lunch and isolated the source of the electricity. He said it looks like there used to be a shed out the back, and some smart bastard had just used a grinder to cut the conduit back to ground level and left it. He said the wires had been gorroding for a while, but the big rain we had was probably what set it off, by forcing lots of water down the pipe. He cut the pipe down, exposed the wires, and then sealed it off with a box. He has turned off the electricity to that point, and it is all good now.
Tuesday, Michaela and I headed back to St Ignatius for the next lesson in the program. We were informed that the family who were going to originally join in would now not be doing so, and Fr Paul had no idea why. He was very happy that Michaela was all excited about continuing on, though, and said that next Tuesday we would meet at our house instead of the Parish House, because I wouldn't be able to drive. I was happy that Fr Paul and Rachael would give up their time so readily to help moo, but at the same time I was a little nervous what turtle would say, because suddenly I was bringing church home with me, and while he is more than happy for us to go to church and for Michaela to do the sacramental program, I didn't know how he would react to a priest lobbing on the doorstep. For what it is worth, Kristian said he will go out on Tuesday while they visit. Kristian mowed the lawn with his brand new lawnmower (now the grass wasn't going to kill him!)
We spent the next day frantically cleaning for the inspection we were due to have on Thursday (yes, the day of my surgery), and the place looked really nice. I felt happy that the place was lovely and clean for Christmas, and that everyone was pitching in to help me where possible.
On Thursday we passed inspection with flying colours. Dad took me to the hospital in the afternoon and I was admitted to the ward pre-op. I sent Dad home at 5:30, and I got in to theatre just after 7pm. All the staff were joking with me about the fact that they had to be good because I knew what they would be doing, and it was very friendly. They all showed me great respect as a nurse and also a patient. When I woke up in recovery, they were really nice to me, and I started pressing my PCA often to try and get my pain under control asap. I was taken back to the ward around 10pm and the nurse looking after me was lovely. He got me lots of pillows and made sure I was super-comfy. He took my dinner out of the bar fridge and left it there for me to eat whenever I wanted. I slept off and on over the night, and I stopped using my PCA around midnight. I had graduated compression stockings on, which inflated and deflated all night in a comforting way. I ate my sandwich around 2am, and felt quite good. The surgeon came around to see me the next morning, and he said I could go home that morning. He was very happy with how things went, and he said the ulnar nerve had been squashed under the elbow, but he decompressed the area and took the medial epicondyle (the knobbly bit of bone on the inside of the elbow) to give it even more room. The best thing was that my fingers were now able to move, and I had a little bit of sensation back in the last 2 fingers of my hand. I haven't felt those fingers for over 2 years!!!
Kristian and moo caught the bus to the hospital and arrived just after I had my shower. I had gotten changed into my clothes because I was going to be going home. I called Dad (who was on a tree job) to come and pick me up, and we all left the hospital around lunchtime. As soon as Dad got us home, he had to run because he had a landsearch in Kyeema.
So I got home a day earlier than expected, and I am feeling OK. I am bored shitless, and my elbow is really sore from the epicondylectomy, but I can now move all th efingers on my left hand freely, and I am able to feel them more each day. I have a very numb area under my forearm, and we don't know if that will ever come back, but frankly I don't care. After almost 2 and a half years I am able to feel my fingers again, and I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. I really do think I will be able to get back to my job this coming year, and I know that for all this time I have been right. Finally someone took the time to really listen to me and help me, and it has worked.
So yes, I am in pain and I am tired and really fucking bored, but I am also coming to the end of a really long and painful journey. I have learned many things in the past 2 and a half years, some good, some bad. I had learned that being a nurse is not all about time management and clinical skills, but also about advocating tirelessly for your patients and giving them the strength to fight against an unfair system that takes all the power from the weak. I have learned that the WorkCover system is a fucking joke that kills people and destroys lives. I have learned that I am much stronger than I ever felt I could be. I have learned that I have a wonderful, supportive family who I love more than ever.
Fuck... the Oxycodone seems to be screwing with my brain... I sound like a girl!
In November (Friday the 5th, to be exact) I smashed my left elbow into a folder at work, directly hitting the ulnar nerve and causing spasms in the arm. I ended up in ED and was eventually sent home after a neurology review that said "Oh my gosh, I can't believe what an extreme reaction you have had to the elbow being hit! I am so sorry, but there is nothing I can do to ease the spasms and contractures in your arm, but you most definitely will need surgery on the elbow and cannot wait until December 23 for your first appointment with a surgeon. Please go and see your doctor on Monday.... you won't be back at work for a while."
So I saw my doctor the next Monday. He was pretty amazed. By this point my little and ring fingers on the left hand were firmly turned into a claw, and my wrist was severely turned to the left. He rang my hand therapist and made an urgent appointment for me to have splinting. He aslo told me I would be having an ultrasound of the left elbow to rule out a haematoma on the nerve.
Splinting was done that afternoon (after a mad dash to Moo's school to have her fitted for next year's special seniors uniform) and the hand therapist said she knew a surgeon who might be able to help. She told me to come back the next day for a splint check and she would speak to the surgeon. When I went back and saw her the next day, she made an appointment for me to get in and see the surgeon that Friday.
On the Friday I had my ultrasound in the morning and then headed over to the surgeon at Flinders Private that afternoon. He was a nice guy, who was somewhat surprised at the extreme reaction I had to the injury. He also diagnosed thoracic outlet syndrome (gee, where have I heard that before) and said I definitely needed surgery, but was not sure whether it would need to be at the elbow, or at the shoulder. He sent me for a left subclavian artery CT Angiogram at Wakefield hospital to help him make the decision.
Meanwhile I am still off work.
So the next day we headed in to town for the Christmas Pageant. My left arm was in the resting splint made for me, and I sat in my folding chair. It was really nice, and Moo enjoyed her first-ever pageant sitting with a girl from Gawler East Primary who knows Shellie, and whose Mum used to work in Q3!!!
Tuesday of that week I went to Wakefield for the CT. After 7 attempts at cannulation with ultrasound (including 2 attempts on the same leg that ended up causing a massive haematoma on my calf) I finally had a jelco in and got to get in the CT machine. By this time, I was running massively late and was very sore. I knew the outcome already - that it would show nothing, because the impingement in my shoulder is functional, not vascular) and went through the motions.
Moo headed off to camp at Glenhaven Park in Stockport the following Wednesday (24th). She had a whale of a time, and thankfully turned her nose up at the chicken served on the last night. Apparently the chicken was undercooked, and all the students who ate it (which was everyone in both classes except 3 vegetarian kids and Michaela) ended up with food poisoning. The teachers all had something they brought from home, so they didn't get poisoned, either and were able to tend to the 60 or so kids who were pooing and spewing all night. Moo came home all happy and excited about her time away.
Tuesday the 30th saw us head back down to Flinders Private again for my appointment with the surgeon. At first it sounded like he didn't want to bother doing surgery because of the CT Angio results... but I lost my shit and started crying (or bleating, as Kristian so nicely put it) and vented my frustration at the fact that everyone says I need surgery, but nobody is willing to help me and I am sick of being patted on the head. He told me he would gladly do it, because otherwise I would just be back in 3 months needing it done anyway because my contractures would not get any better. He gave me a medical certificate stating I was unfit for work until January 30, 2011. I was led out to the RN at the desk, who told me that I would need approval from WorkCover before a date could be set, and so I went straight out to the car and called my senior case manager and told her the news. She was thrilled that someone would finally be helping me, and promised to get the paperwork done as soon as the doctor sent the report through.
And now the waiting begins...
On the Sunday I got a call from Mum at around 0830. She and Dad had the day off, so they decided they would take us up on our offer a few weeks earlier of heading down to Port Adelaide to wander through the markets and go on a dolphin cruise. Unfortunately due to WorkCover paying me only 80% of my wages, we had no money, but Mum told me not to worry, because she was shouting us for our anniversary (12 years since we met).
So Mum and Dad headed down here, and we all got in my car and I drove us to the Port. We had a lovely time wandering through the markets, and then mum shouted us lunch at the pancake place down on the wharf. As soon as we finished lunch we lined up to get on the boat for our dolphin cruise.
There were 2 little boys busking, only a few feet apart, both playing the violin very badly. It really did feel like we were waiting for the Titanic to sink...
So we had a lovely 2 hour cruise along the Port River. We grabbed 5 chairs and a table and moved them to the port side of the bow (heh, listen to me being all nautical) Our cosy little spot was soon inundated with bogans and retards as they crowded in against us to see the dolphins that had decided to swim along on our side, playing in the bow wave. A short time after that it started to drizzle, and we sat there in the lovely light rain, thoroughly enjoying ourselves as a family. By the time we were heading back (with a bowl ful of awesome chippies and a Drunkstick icecream each) the light rain had turned into big heavy drops of rain, and so we headed upstairs to get out of the rain a bit. We spent the last part of the trip playing silly buggers on the top deck, all trying to hide behind each other and taking turns to stand in front to block the rain for the others (like cyclists do when they ride as a team). it was hilarious when Moo got to the front, because we all crouched down behind her (except Mum, because they are around the same height these days!) We came home after the cruise ended, and I threw together some meatloaf and veggies for a freaking awesome dinner.
The next Tuesday I realised I had forgotten to write down when my Depo was due. Thankfully it was only due the day before, but did I have a script? Nope. I rang the doctor and was told that she would write one, but only if I promised to come in asap for a blood pressure check and a pap smear. Some trade off. Mum and Dad visited that afternoon with the lawnmower they had said they would bring down for Kristian to use on the lawn. It was only after they gave Kristian an empty fuel can and said he would need his own fuel that I realised it wasn't their lawnmower. Mum and Dad had given Kristian a brand new lawnmower for his birthday (early present)
That afternoon it pissed down. I had to pick Moo up early because we had an appointment with our priest to start Michaela's sacramental program, but thankfully he cancelled at the last minute (shortly before it bucketed down) We watched the weather radar as the heaviest rain fell over the north - right where Moo had been on camp a fortnight before. The rain eased enough for me to pick Moo up at 3, and as soon as we got home again, the next torrential downpour fell. Kristian noticed the back gutters weren't coping, so he went outside with the broom and tried to free up the flow into them a bit, making sure they weren't blocked, and then just holding them up with the broom as he stood in the soaking rain in just a t-shirt and a pair of jocks. It was quite cute... he looked like a giant drowned rat!
The next day I got a call from the surgeon's office, telling me my surgery for left cubital tunnel decompression with medial epicondylectomy had been approved. She said I had 2 choices for my surgery: Thursday the 16th of December at Flinders Private, or the 16th of January at Blackwood Hospital. I told her I would take the December appointment, even though it meant no driving for the rest of the year. It also meant that I might get back to work in February, as opposed to losing yet more time by taking the later date.
So the next day I wandered in to my doctor's office for the dreaded "lady examination". I was massively overdue for one (thanks to my shoulder taking up all my thoughts for the last couple of years) and so I laid down. It was over really quickly, and my doctor was really awesome about everything. It was probably the most comfortable, relaxed one I have ever had. She gave me my Depo shot, and I headed out the door for a massage with my massage therapist (who I found out at the end of the massage was 16 weeks pregnant after a long time trying!)
Thursday we started hearing a strange popping noise outside. After much wandering around by Kristian, he guessed it was the next-door neighbour's airconditioner.
Friday, Michaela and I headed to St Ignatius Church in Norwood after school to start her sacramental program. We met with Fr Paul and Rachael, who would be taking her through her spiritual journey into the Catholic Church. We also met a lady and her 14 year old daughter who would be joining us in the program, as the girl had not yet recieved any sacraments. The lady was very nice, telling us that she would pick us up for the meetings on the weeks I couldn't drive.
When we got home from class, Kristian took me out in the back yard and showed me a patch of grass near the back fence. He said he had been outside hitting the ball around and heard the popping noise. At the same time, a flash of blue shot up out of the grass and a puff of smoke wafted up. We called the agents and asked them to send an electrician. They called the landlord and eventually called the electrician, who spoke with Kristian on the phine and told him he would call the next day. Not particularly happy, but the electrician said just stay away from it, because there was no threat to the house, but if we got too close we may get a shock.
We had decided to head to Gawler to visit Shellie on Saturday, which was nice. She cooked us a lovely lunch, and we had a nice day. We got a call from the electrician while we were down there, and he asked to meet us after 3 back at the house to look at our weird electrical grass. We got home around 3, and he turned up around 5. He looked at it, hit it with a safety screwdriver and made the loudest popping noise we had heard so far. A giant arc of blue light shot up with a yellow flash, and it continued to smoke. He said he would be back in the morning to fix it, but it may involve digging up part of the lawn. We didn't care... so long as our grass is no longer trying to kill us.
Sunday the elctrician turned up just before lunch and isolated the source of the electricity. He said it looks like there used to be a shed out the back, and some smart bastard had just used a grinder to cut the conduit back to ground level and left it. He said the wires had been gorroding for a while, but the big rain we had was probably what set it off, by forcing lots of water down the pipe. He cut the pipe down, exposed the wires, and then sealed it off with a box. He has turned off the electricity to that point, and it is all good now.
Tuesday, Michaela and I headed back to St Ignatius for the next lesson in the program. We were informed that the family who were going to originally join in would now not be doing so, and Fr Paul had no idea why. He was very happy that Michaela was all excited about continuing on, though, and said that next Tuesday we would meet at our house instead of the Parish House, because I wouldn't be able to drive. I was happy that Fr Paul and Rachael would give up their time so readily to help moo, but at the same time I was a little nervous what turtle would say, because suddenly I was bringing church home with me, and while he is more than happy for us to go to church and for Michaela to do the sacramental program, I didn't know how he would react to a priest lobbing on the doorstep. For what it is worth, Kristian said he will go out on Tuesday while they visit. Kristian mowed the lawn with his brand new lawnmower (now the grass wasn't going to kill him!)
We spent the next day frantically cleaning for the inspection we were due to have on Thursday (yes, the day of my surgery), and the place looked really nice. I felt happy that the place was lovely and clean for Christmas, and that everyone was pitching in to help me where possible.
On Thursday we passed inspection with flying colours. Dad took me to the hospital in the afternoon and I was admitted to the ward pre-op. I sent Dad home at 5:30, and I got in to theatre just after 7pm. All the staff were joking with me about the fact that they had to be good because I knew what they would be doing, and it was very friendly. They all showed me great respect as a nurse and also a patient. When I woke up in recovery, they were really nice to me, and I started pressing my PCA often to try and get my pain under control asap. I was taken back to the ward around 10pm and the nurse looking after me was lovely. He got me lots of pillows and made sure I was super-comfy. He took my dinner out of the bar fridge and left it there for me to eat whenever I wanted. I slept off and on over the night, and I stopped using my PCA around midnight. I had graduated compression stockings on, which inflated and deflated all night in a comforting way. I ate my sandwich around 2am, and felt quite good. The surgeon came around to see me the next morning, and he said I could go home that morning. He was very happy with how things went, and he said the ulnar nerve had been squashed under the elbow, but he decompressed the area and took the medial epicondyle (the knobbly bit of bone on the inside of the elbow) to give it even more room. The best thing was that my fingers were now able to move, and I had a little bit of sensation back in the last 2 fingers of my hand. I haven't felt those fingers for over 2 years!!!
Kristian and moo caught the bus to the hospital and arrived just after I had my shower. I had gotten changed into my clothes because I was going to be going home. I called Dad (who was on a tree job) to come and pick me up, and we all left the hospital around lunchtime. As soon as Dad got us home, he had to run because he had a landsearch in Kyeema.
So I got home a day earlier than expected, and I am feeling OK. I am bored shitless, and my elbow is really sore from the epicondylectomy, but I can now move all th efingers on my left hand freely, and I am able to feel them more each day. I have a very numb area under my forearm, and we don't know if that will ever come back, but frankly I don't care. After almost 2 and a half years I am able to feel my fingers again, and I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. I really do think I will be able to get back to my job this coming year, and I know that for all this time I have been right. Finally someone took the time to really listen to me and help me, and it has worked.
So yes, I am in pain and I am tired and really fucking bored, but I am also coming to the end of a really long and painful journey. I have learned many things in the past 2 and a half years, some good, some bad. I had learned that being a nurse is not all about time management and clinical skills, but also about advocating tirelessly for your patients and giving them the strength to fight against an unfair system that takes all the power from the weak. I have learned that the WorkCover system is a fucking joke that kills people and destroys lives. I have learned that I am much stronger than I ever felt I could be. I have learned that I have a wonderful, supportive family who I love more than ever.
Fuck... the Oxycodone seems to be screwing with my brain... I sound like a girl!