AIO about this text I got from HR?

[u/MeanderingDragon]

So to preface, I'm Type 1 diabetic, which means I have to take multiple daily insulin injections to live. I typically take 5-8 shots per day, and while it isn't fun, it is routine and necessary.

I was at work this morning and they had a small amount of food out for some sort of 'employee appreciation' which reminded me I hadn't had any insulin yet and my glucose levels were getting too high. I took a shot of insulin, got some breakfast, and went to my desk. A few minutes later, this text arrives.

I can understand that shots make some people uncomfortable. Trust me, I'm one of those people. But I have to take them anyway. Am I overreacting to think that if you don't want to see me talking a shot, you can turn your head? Should I have to go to the bathroom which only gets cleaned twice a week, and take my shots in secret like it's a drug addiction? Perhaps it is just me, but I feel that not everything in life that makes us a little uncomfortable is something that has to be pushed out of sight. Sometimes we would benefit more from understanding, acceptance, and perhaps acclimation.

Also for the record, while they say they "mentioned this several times", our HR manager scolded me once maybe two or three years ago publicly during lunch in our cafeteria. I ignored it that time, because friends sitting around me supported me after HR walked off.

[u/Warm_Application984]

I can go one worse with this.

I was a surgical nurse for years. We had one anesthetist who would settle in with his Wall Street Journal once the patient was under. Fine. It’s better than sleeping like some of them did.

One day, I heard something and peeped around the curtain. He had a bare foot up on the table where the gas canisters are, and where the drugs to be given to the patient are laid out. Yep, he was clipping. He finished one foot, then did the other. 🤮

Based on the way my cats’ nails fly if I don’t contain them, I can say there’s a good chance one of his clippings could have ended up in a patient, especially if it was an open belly case. I should have reported him, but I was still pretty wet behind the ears. Yuck.

[u/DisastrousBeeHive → u/Warm_Application984]

I really might have vomited in that situation. It's supposed to be a clean room! Not for nail clipping!

[u/Chance-Point-5704 → u/DisastrousBeeHive]

Aside from a surgical suite, I think being able to vomit at will at work into the trash can when something disgusting is happening is a superpower, because you can get HR to fix it without any words coming out of your mouth - fixed with the 🤮

[u/Warm_Application984 → u/DisastrousBeeHive]

I have stories that are worse, but I’ll refrain. 😂

[u/I__am__MONEY → u/Warm_Application984]

No, no, no, don't you dare! Please divulge all the horror stories. Sounds like you've got some crazy tales to tell, so, please do.

[u/Warm_Application984 → u/I__am__MONEY]

Your wish is my command.

Everyone on the schedule worked one Saturday a month (yea, it was a busy place; we scheduled cases on Saturdays).

One urologist used a Saturday to do all of his circumcisions. Not a whole lot of people ‘enjoyed’ working with him, so it usually fell to me. Foreskins are one thing that didn’t have to be sent to pathology; they go straight into the trash. This particular surgeon liked to throw the foreskin as soon as it was off, usually to see if he could hit the trash can. One day, he threw one towards the wall where the crucifix hung (Catholic hospital).

That foreskin hit Jesus right in the face, and stayed there. If I’d had my cell phone on me, I might have taken a pic. It was surreal.

And whose job was it to take Jesus off the wall and clean him up? Yep, you got it. Me.

There’s more, but I can’t give my whole book away!

[u/HipsEnergy → u/Warm_Application984]

I'm sorry that you went through that, what a horrible work environment, but also, I'm absolutely shaking with laughter at Jesus being slapped with a bloody foreskin 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[u/Audio-Starshine → u/I__am__MONEY]

I once saw a coworker who WHILE WORKING IN THE KITCHEN, blew her nose into her hand, stuck her hand in the dishwasher and wiggled it around, wiped her hand dry on her scrubs, and then went back to cooking. She got fired the second I reported it.

[u/Warm_Application984 → u/Audio-Starshine]

And………this is why I rarely eat out.

It’s been over 20 years, but we had an E Coli outbreak that was traced to one particular restaurant. It was bad; restaurants were hurting because people stopped going out.

My husband at the time and I went out (not to THAT place, obviously) on a Sunday afternoon. The place was near empty. We ordered beers and were just waiting (they were extremely slow despite the lack of business). We finally placed our orders, and I got up to use the restroom. While I was in my stall, I heard someone else come in and use one. I came out just in time to see OUR WAITRESS exiting the room, bypassing the sink.

I lost it. Marched out and found the manager. This guy had the audacity to tell me that said waitress didn’t want to ‘disturb’ me, and intended to wash her hands behind the bar. Right. She already did her business and touched the door handle. It wasn’t a single hole bathroom - multiple stalls, several sinks.

We walked out. My hope was that he’d have fired her on the spot, especially given that every restaurant in the city had postings on their doors about E Coli. But nope. This was before the days of Yelp reviews, but I’d have blasted them.

[u/Audio-Starshine → u/Warm_Application984]

Oh no honey, this is so much worse than if it had happened in a restaurant. This happened in a dementia care facility.

[u/Soluna_Sol → u/Warm_Application984]

New medical fear unlocked, thanks :(

[u/AimeeSantiago → u/Warm_Application984]

As a surgeon, I generally follow the rule of "I do my job on the patient at xyz location, and anesthesia does their job on the airway" and I keep my mouth shut while we all do our specific jobs. But holy hell, I would have said something. That is disgusting. I would probably never trust that doc to intubate a patient again. There's no way they were washing their hands between cutting their nails and administering drugs. So gross and so unethical

[u/Warm_Application984 → u/AimeeSantiago]

I respect you. ❤️

In general, that’s the way it worked. I don’t recall the specifics of the case, but I was the only one who noticed Mr Clipper. Surgeons only spoke up if the patient got a little light. We had one bad anesthetist that let that happen too often. His bedside manner was awful as well.

So, I’m waiting behind the curtain for Mr Awful to finish interviewing a patient so I could do my part. She was in with fetal demise; triplets, no less. By the time he was done, the poor woman was in tears, full on sobbing. Why, you ask? He’d scolded her for brushing her teeth that morning. 🤦‍♀️ He took ‘NPO after midnight’ a bit too seriously. I wanted to punch him in the face. Everyone did, every day. We’re a level one trauma center capable of a bilateral leg amputation on someone who has a Quarter Pounder and large order of fries in their gut, what the hell is wrong with you?

Recalling that made me mad all over again, and it’s been 20+ years. I hope she went on the have the family she wanted.

Mr Awful has since passed away, probably due to alcoholism. I had my suspicions, as did others, but no proof. I had more than one surgery while I was employed there, and I made sure he was nowhere near my room. Ugh.

[u/Just_Improvement_333 → u/Warm_Application984]

Great - I'm having knee surgery in a couple of weeks. This has me seriously reconsidering it. All I'm thinking of is the Seinfeld 'Junior Mint' episode but with nails clippings instead, lol

[u/Warm_Application984 → u/Just_Improvement_333]

What are you having done?

Just curious. I’ve had four knee surgeries, so if I can give you any tips, I will.

[u/Just_Improvement_333 → u/Warm_Application984]

Totall knee replacement. No cartilage, bone spurs. I didn't think to ask what they can do on a couple of tears of the meniscus. They're also going put some cortisone in both hips.

I'll take any advice I can get!

[u/Warm_Application984 → u/Just_Improvement_333]

You’re in luck; I’ve had one done. I’m gearing up for #2.

I was a surgical nurse for years, and assisted on these. My gut instinct is to say that, since they’re in there manipulating and rearranging EVERYTHING inside the joint, the ligaments would be ‘covered’, if you will, by the procedure. Like it’s a new joint, so all the structures around need to be in line too, so if they need repair, he’ll do it then. If that makes sense? Plus, he’s got an MRI and can see what he’s getting into; ligament wear and tear is to be expected when you’ve got all that cartilage stuff going on (and that thing called aging doesn’t help). I can’t recall ever having to run and ‘fetch’ anything specific for a ligament during a total.

I posed my question to google and got this:

‘Total Knee Replacement - A total knee replacement does not typically "fix" or repair damaged ligaments. Instead, surgeons usually remove the Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) and balance the remaining collateral ligaments, using the prosthetic implant's design to provide stability. The new, artificial joint replaces the damaged bone and cartilage, relying on the surrounding muscles and ligaments for support.

Key Details Regarding Ligaments and Knee Replacement: Ligament Removal: The ACL is almost always removed during a total knee replacement, regardless of its condition, because the artificial joint provides the necessary stability. Collateral Ligaments: The MCL (medial collateral ligament) and LCL (lateral collateral ligament) are preserved and balanced to ensure the knee remains stable. PCL (Posterior Cruciate Ligament): Depending on the implant type, the PCL might be kept or removed. Joint Stability: While ligaments aren't "fixed," the new, engineered joint, along with the patient's existing soft tissues and muscles, creates a functional, stable knee, often eliminating pain caused by arthritis. Severe Cases: If ligaments are severely damaged, surgeons may use a more "constrained" or hinged implant to provide stability in the absence of working ligaments

While a total knee replacement doesn't repair torn ligaments, it successfully replaces the damaged, arthritic joint to restore function and reduce pain.’

That’s EXACTLY kinda what I was trying to say. 😂 Okay, close. The removal of the ACL is actually news to me. Same for the PCL. I know I never had a patient with an artificial knee come in with ligament issues later. It’d be crazy to put in a new joint and have it susceptible to failure due to surrounding ‘parts’.

So, personal experience. Is it the worst pain I’ve ever been in? Yes. Am I going to do it again? Also yes, it was so worth it. I waited way too long to have the first/worst one done. For me, day 5 was kinda the turning point as far as pain, but when I told my surgeon that, he said ‘FIVE days?’ So, I take it I’m an exception and people usually have it bad for longer. But, keep ahead on those pain meds.

I regret not doing the left one six weeks after the right. I know now that I could have handled it, and it would have been in the same calendar year. Live and learn.

So most importantly 1) keep ahead of the pain. Don’t wait til you’re writhing to take pain meds. 2) do the PT exercises faithfully. I know one person who didn’t take that part seriously, and they have limited range of motion in that knee. 3) rehab should drop off a CPM (continuous passive motion) machine a few days before your surgery. Make sure you use that too. It kinda feels good.

It took about a year before the knee felt like it was really a part of my body. It felt really foreign for the first six months, then it gradually progressed to ‘hey, I’d never know this wasn’t ‘my’ knee’. Numbness around the incision site is common. I still feel a little numbness on the lateral (outside) of my kneecap occasionally. It’s been four years since I had it done.

If you have a written MRI report, you could read it and see what it says about the ligaments. Otherwise, if you have any doubts, ask the surgeon (or more likely, his assistant; most of them have one). If you have an online patient portal where you can write to them, that’s a good option.

I think that covers it. Feel free to DM me if you have further questions, and best of luck!

ETA, jeez, I’m wordy.

[u/Just_Improvement_333 → u/Warm_Application984]

Wow! I keep thinking it will feel a little better after recovery. I'm trying to get a screenshot of the written report,but not having any luck. There were 5 things listed at the end of the report.

Thanks for your help & sharing all the info. I hope I'll be a "five days" recovery. I tend to have high pain tolerance - I've had an ovary burst while in the ER, have my esophagus swell (? Not sure that's the correct term) shut down to less than a hair to where I couldn't even swallow water. That was an experience, lol. Lost about 55 lbs in about a month and had to have it stretched out every week for about 4 months. After one procedure, I had to be hospitalized because there was a hole that blew up.

But, I recovered from both pretty well so I'm hoping this will be a good one as well. 🤪🤞

[u/Warm_Application984 → u/Just_Improvement_333]

It’s not a five day recovery; that’s just when the pain got a bit more bearable for me. I did, however, drive myself to my first appointment a month after surgery. I walked into the office twirling my cane overhead like a baton. And I was off the narcotics by then as well.

I ditched the walker at five days, and went down our stairwell to the basement (against post op instructions, lol). My husband was yelling at me the whole time. But, with having had two bad knees for so long, I’ve learned to use my arms for a lot of things, like a monkey. At 60, I was climbing trees with a saw in my hand. I took myself down the stairs using my arms on the hand rails, not letting the operative leg hit the ground. It helps that I weigh about 110# soaking wet.

Speaking of walkers, mine wasn’t provided by insurance. Thrift stores have them all the time. I picked one up there for $3. Same for canes and crutches. People buy them for one surgery, then have no use for them. Money saving tip.

That esophagus thing sounds awful, I’m sorry you experienced that. I had my cervical spine fused, up high - C3,4,5,6 - just over a year ago. The pain was as bad as the knee; actually more disturbing because it’s your head. I could barely swallow. The plate he put in was so close to my esophagus, and the swelling nearly closed it off. I struggled to take a pain pill, and lived on water and yogurt for a month. Lost weight I couldn’t afford to lose. It was six weeks before I ate a piece of meat - a very tender piece of chicken about a half inch square. It was sooooo good! 😂 Even today, I’m a choking hazard if I try to shovel anything down too quickly.

There’s a name for that esophageal restriction thing, but it’s not coming to me at the moment. 🤔 I’m not sure what causes it to come on suddenly like that; I’ll have to look it up. Do they sedate you for the ‘stretching’? I can’t even imagine!

You’ll do fine, I’m sure. Good luck!

[u/Legitimate_Act_9789 → u/Warm_Application984]

JFC.

[u/I__am__MONEY → u/Warm_Application984]

That is utterly disgusting. What is wrong with some people?

[u/Warm_Application984 → u/I__am__MONEY]

I ask myself that a lot!

[u/PublicHearing3318 → u/Warm_Application984]

In the OR???? OMG!!! Imagine one of those flying daggers landing right inside an open abdomen!