Working on a heart unit for 5 years you get used to a common themes of pacemakers, obesity, bypass surgery, and… cocaine!!!
This young man fell prey to the addiction, and every few weeks, would be admitted for chest pain. Cocaine increases blood pressure, heart rate, and constricts the blood vessels, so many users will have heart symptoms. This guy had a heart attack at least 3 times. Every time he came in, I took care of him, coincidence… maybe. One of the last times he was admitted he rolled his eyes at me and said “Go ahead and lecture me about my crack addition” I sat with him and we chatted. I really liked him and felt sad for his situation. The last time he was admitted, he couldn’t talk or move his extremities….. he had a massive STROKE. He wasn’t leaving the hospital this time, unfortunately. He was 19 years old.
Just a Nurse is a place where nurses can share their lived experiences of the profession. This is a collection of real stories from nurses and student nurses, in various disciplines.
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