I work as a nurs.e in the holding area and recovery area of a can.cer hospital. Yesterday, one of my coworkers had done the prep work for a 24 year old girl who was having a hysterectomy and oopherectomy due to her ovar.ian cancer. She had received sedation for her epidural placement and needed the required post-sedation monitoring. My coworker went to lunch, so I said I would keep an eye on things for her. I hated walking around that curtain but there was no one else available to get her vital signs. When I opened the curtain, I could see that my huge stomach was right at eye level for her mother sitting in the chair next to her. She instantly averted her eyes, most likely not wanting a reminder of the things her daughter will not get to experience. I was so thankful that the patient was still asleep from her sedation.
To add to that, I had checked in a 28 year old who was to have a cervical dilatation. I had overheard her asking her physician if she thought she would recover in time to begin injections for IUI.
Yesterday was the first time that I felt any sort of guilt over this belly that A&I both worked so hard for.
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I'm sorry that you found yourself in that situation. It's so hard when you've worked so hard to get where you're at - plus you have the empathy to be so aware of others around you as well in a profession where you come face to face with delicate situations. Shows what a kind person you are though because you were so aware of what was going on around you - you would be so much more empathetic than most others that those patients would encounter so be proud of where you've come from. But I understand it's hard. ((hugs))
Hi K. I'm sorry you had to experience that. Your struggle with infertility helped make you more aware and sensitive to these other women, which is a gift to them. Meanwhile, you don't need to feel guilty. You are thankful for your pregnancy, and there is nothing wrong with that.
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