A song popped into my head as well as some other thoughts while I was caring for a patient in pain.

“Haven’t got time for the pain…..”*

Zoning in like an AWACS plane charting bombing targets, I ask my patient to rate her pain on a numeric pain scale.  “One is pain that’s barely noticeable like a tiny pebble in your shoe.”  “Ten is you gouging your eyes out while jumping off a bridge!”  A bit melodramatic, but it gets the point across.  I continually shift my position, shake my left hand to wake it back up and re-align my neck.  As I lean over to listen to my patient’s breath sounds, my back and neck scream “ No Way!”

“Suffering was the only thing making me feel I was alive….”*

My patient tells me that she can’t sleep because of the pain in her back. She won’t take her tramadol because it constipates her.  She also doesn’t want to cover up a possible problem.  It’s her body talking to her. As I try to straighten my back out, I think, I’m getting old!

“Haven’t the room for the pain….”*

As I offer reassurance and begin a discussion about measures to prevent constipation, my patient looks at me in the most needy way.  I ask if she’ll try my suggestions and she says ‘Yes’.  I, on the other hand haven’t made time to pursue finding a better way to make me feel better.  There’s too much to do!  Work, family, dog, house, volunteer work, grocery shopping, cooking….. Who has time to sit in a waiting room and be a patient!  I’ll just be another whining middle aged woman!

“Haven’t the need for the pain….”*

My patient is going to try taking her tramadol again along with increasing her dietary fiber. I feel good <sort of ;->  This is crazy!  I take my patient’s pain very seriously.   So why don’t I consider mine worthy of consideration. There’s got to be a clinician who will ‘zone in’ on my pain and help me feel better.  I’m going to try to feel better…..soon!

A large number of nurses like myself are Baby Boomers.  Many of us must or want to continue working despite our aches and pains.  So here’s a message to my fellow nurses:  Practice what you preach and take care of yourselves as well as you take care of your patients.

*From the lyrics, “Haven’t Got Time For The Pain,” Carly Simon & Jacob Brackman.