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Jaeteuk
29,154 M Aiming High 10
PathStep 221 Compassion hearts2,757 Forum posts2,810 Forum upvotes3,496 Current upvotes3,496 Age GroupAdult Last activeApril, 2024 Member sinceJuly 24, 2017
Bio
A healthcare worker. Into K-pop/Kdramas, understand conversational Korean. Lonely with no friends. Loneliness leads to being sad and depressed from time to time.
Recent forum posts
Latest Update on My Health (Menstruation-related)
Women's Issues / by Jaeteuk
Last post
 Saturday
...See more So, for those of you who have been following my previous posts about my conditions. Including being extremely fatigued whenever my period comes (even with an IUD), to a visit to the ER at the end of February (don't remember if I mentioned this in this Community or another one). The latest update regarding my fatigue with my period, I had a phone appointment my GP a couple of weeks ago and she referred me to an Internal Medicine doctor. She says, within the clinic, they have an Internal Medicine doctor that comes to see patients that the Physicians within the clinic refer their patients over to see him. So, I finally got a call from the medical clinic last week, with an appointment in a month from today.  My GP is hoping that he will have a larger scope to find out the reasons behind the feelings of fatigueness during my period. The other thing is, with the IUD, I'm not supposed to be feeling this fatigue the same extent as without an IUD. This is my second official IUD, and it's giving me different results from the first one. With the first one I had, 7 years ago. After the first 4 months of having it in my body, my period stopped coming entirely, and my energy levels were normal. When I got to year 6, my period started coming back, and when I saw a Gynaecologist (upon meeting her at work, and asking my GP to send her the referral), after doing an ultrasound, turns out that is was mis-located. So, we ended up getting a new one. The second one, it took another 6 months until it was correctly placed and stayed put. In those six months, it wasn't until the third time, until it was placed snuggly. So now, it's been almost 9 months. But, the spotting is still on/off and I'm still feeling the fatigue. So, the reason for the referral to an Internal Medicine doctor was because I asked my GP if she has heard of Iron Injections? I explained, when I lived in another city 10 years ago, my GP there gave me iron injections that was done in-clinic, as back then, my iron levels were low and I had heavy bleeds. Apparently, she has only heard of the Intravenous way of have iron put into our body, and she says, the hospital usually doesn't accept patients unless their Iron levels are super low. So, upon the phone call appointment with my GP then, she said she'll discuss it with her colleagues. She called me back the same day, 2 hrs later, and told me she'll send a referral to their in-clinic Internal Medicine doctor, and asked me to wait for the clinic to call for an appointment. Just wondering, does anyone else who has an IUD, feel that some foods you eat affect whether or not you get spotting or your period comes? As an Asian Chinese woman, I have certain foods that I avoid eating because it causes discharge if I consume too much of it. With some foods that will cause the flow to be more severe. I chose to use the IUD to regulate my periods, and the first IUD gave me results that were more satisfying. My mum made a point though, for other women who are using it as a birth control purpose, if they are still getting their period despite having the IUD, does that mean the unit no longer serves its purpose?  I asked my Gynaecologist before, if the current IUD is not as effective as the first one because of hormonal changes in my body.. She didn't seem to give me any exact answer. She was more like, symptoms have nothing to do with the IUD, so the problem is not part of Gynaecology, and asked me to return to my GP for answers. What I don't like about the irregular spotting now is, that I always need to wear like a panty liner. Because I don't want it to get on my underwear suddenly, when I'm out and about. But it feels like I don't get much of a breather, if you know what I mean. I moment I feel it's safe to not wear it (the thin pad), I spot. It's annoying. So, I hope the Internal Medicine doctor will have some solutions. It would've been better if it was a female though, oh well. I hope I won't feel uncomfortable talking to him. That's it for now, sorry for making this into a very long post. And thanks for staying with me to the end.
One retiring + one new hire
Work & Career / by Jaeteuk
Last post
 Saturday
...See more There are some changes in the staff positions. One colleague who is currently on a relief full-time line, applied to the position of the one who is retiring. So, now she as a permanent full-time position. Which means, her relief line is up for hires. This is where the new hire comes in. If you have been following my previous posts about work, you might remember that this colleague retiring is the problematic one, so, I'm celebrating that she's leaving us soon. The other problem is, the new hire. She and I had a mishap at least 2 years ago. She got me investigated by our Managers. For what I did, I had already apologized through an email I sent out to her and a couple of others. I tried looking past the conflict we've had, but her response gives off the idea that she still holds a gr*dge against me and obviously just doesn't like me. Luckily, the shift she's working, I only have 2.5 hours of overlap shift hours with her, and I could still easily avoid having any interaction with her. Her Relief Line is until end of November though. But to know that she's now on the same team, just thinking about it, makes me feel stressed. I have examples of why I think she holds a gr*dge against me and doesn't like me. There had been times after the incident, when I went down to the department looking for instruments because the staff downstairs couldn't find it. So, the nurses sent me to look for it. When I couldn't find it either, she came back from her dinner break, one of the others asked her. She found it, and I "thanked" her out loud when I walked past her. She totally ignored me and continued a conversation with someone across from the room. Other times, she will call my department asking about questions, whenever I answered the phone, she would ask for others. When I say, they've stepped out or went for break, she's like, can you ask them to call me back or she say's she'll call later. When she asked for another person, and that person is there, I've stuck around just to listen in on what she wanted to ask. And according to what my colleagues answered with, I could've easily told her too. So, that makes it obvious that she doesn't even want to speak to me. So, to know that she's joining the team, I really don't know how that will play out. My Manager knows that we've had some conflict between us, and she told me that she hopes I act professionally and look beyond our differences and work well together. I wanted to tell her, I tried putting it past us ever since the incident happened, but she's the one who isn't forgiving and isn't looking past the incident. Another thing I'm worried about, all the staff on my team, are all buddies-buddies with her, they have all started in the same department downstairs, before coming up to the OR for work. So, I get a feeling that everyone will end up taking her side and I'll be left out. This is a time where I'll feel like I don't want to work this job. Having her on the team just makes the atmosphere give a negative vibe. I have one week of work in April, and by looking at the schedule, she starts on the same day that I have work. Literally, just thinking about it is stressful enough, I know she will eventually apply for a permanent line once the other 2 colleagues retire in the next two years, but hopefully by then, I'll either be gone or maybe I'll try and get my business going again. The one I tried starting last summer, with no income yet.
My visits to the ER
Trauma Support / by Jaeteuk
Last post
 March 6th
...See more Working in the Operating Room as an Aide (not nurse), I checked myself into the ER for some unknown abdominal pain. I took Wednesday off because I was having an allergic reaction to a shampoo I used on Monday evening. Allergies were better by noon, but the abdominal pain started Wednesday morning. I went back to work on Thursday, as promised. I work a 1200 to 2000 shift. Throughout my shift the pain continued to come and go. Around 1500, I was able to speak with one of our General Surgeons in between his cases and ask him for a brief consult. He had a feel of my tummy, I told him my symptoms, even asked him if I should go down to the ER (on the opposite end of my hospital).. he says my tummy feels fine, and that I probably don't need to go unless I'm having a fever, feeling nauseous or vomiting. 1700 comes around, the pain and frequency of the pain has increased, I had a nurse check my vitals every couple of hours since I started my shift. My blood pressure and pulse was higher than normal, so was suggested I head down to the ER. So I went. Was there for 3.5 hours. I already feel the process is quicker than the general public, because I was in my scrubs, as a staff member from the OR. Was sent home, because our Medical Imaging had closed, I believe the Tech leaves at 2000, so I was asked to call them in the morning of Friday for an appointment. I was able to get an appointment for 1415, asked to arrive 30mins earlier. I still went to work, told the Desk Clerk I'll be stepping away for an ultrasound. Finished the appointment at 1415, was told ER should have the report in an hour. I went back to ER and ask about my report, they said I had to re-register myself through Triage again, to get myself in the queue for the ER Dr to go over the report with me. So, I told the Triage nurse, I need to head back to work, and asked them to call the OR Desk when the Dr is ready to see me. Our OR usually closes at 1900, that's when the last 2 nurses leave by. But on Friday, the last Ortho case finished right at 1900. So, the nurse didn't leave until 1930, and I tried to finish all my work by that time too. Since she was leaving, I went down to wait. Good timing on my end, the moment I sat down, a nurse calls my name, and the ER Dr saw me within 5 minutes. Only to tell me, the ultrasound doesn't show that there's anything wrong, and because he suspects it could be my appendix, the ultrasound didn't show it. So, he ordered a CT Scan for me. More waiting, for the porter to come get me to take me to get the Scan. Around 2200, they took a second bloodwork, close to midnight, the Dr comes and tells me the report from the CT, and said I'll be needing to stay for the night. My parents came by and stayed with me starting around 2130 and left after knowing I'll be needing to stay overnight. There were no beds available, but I was placed in an area with like 5 recliners. I didn't get any sleep. Two other male patients also stayed overnight. One of them had sleep apnea, and nurses woke him every two hours to check on his symptoms. The other guy, got up from his chair every hour to use the washroom, he was getting a lot of Potassium fluids. They both snored, although they dimmed the lights in our corner, the nursing station area is bright, the nurses chatted all night, there was no way I could've fallen asleep. Despite the fact that I only got 2 hours of sleep Thursday night, I should've been really tired and sleepy. I was just able to close my eyes to rest, but not exactly falling asleep or felt like I napped. At least the nurses' conversations kept me entertained. I was finally discharged from ER on Saturday at 1300. Told by the Dr, I'm on a clear fluid diet for the next 7 days, that I have to return to Outpatient Department daily for IV Therapy. Next Wednesday, they will reassess me to see if further treatment is needed. After all I've said, here's my condition. I don't quite remember the medical term, but the Dr explained that I have an infected abscess that grew from the outer wall of my colon. And since the pain ended up in my lower right abdomen, they had first thought it could be the bile duct or appendix. When the CT report came out, they called the General Surgeon who was on call for a consult. Was told surgery is not needed, but will need antibiotics. My first overnight stay in the ER, in a reclining chair. The last time I stayed overnight in the ER at a different hospital, was 12 years ago, not as a Healthcare Worker. But that time, I had a stretcher, in my own room. It wasn't pleasant, as a security stayed outside my room the entire time (this was during one of my severe depressive episodes). So, this current visit, I do somewhat believe I had a better wait time compared to the general public. After seeing the Triage nurse by the main entrance of the ER, a nurse called me into another area where the patients are treated, that waiting area had much less patients. If I had stayed by the main entrance Friday night, I won't even have a place to sit! So now, they've kept the IV in my arm, that way they don't have to poke me again in the Outpatient Department on Sunday. The nurse wrapped it up with gauze before I left. It's just with sleeping, it's quite uncomfortable no matter how I rest my arm. So definitely won't be able to get solid sleep. Maybe napping on and off throughout the night. Oh yea, I was also given some oral antibiotics to take at home. Once every 12 hours for 7 days. Most likely calling in sick for Mon, Tues, and Wed. Probably end up taking the remaining of the week off too. Whether or not further treatment is needed after my reassessment. Just need to time off for my body to recover. Plus, I'll be on that clear fluid diet for 7 days, I won't have the energy to complete the tasks that are expected of me at work. Might as well take the time off, and hope to return the following week, either on the Monday or mid-week. We'll see how the reassessment goes.
My 3.5hr visit in the Emergency
Women's Issues / by Jaeteuk
Last post
 February 26th
...See more I was having some lower abdominal pain since Wednesday morning, intermittently. On and off, pain was either like a dull ache, or a sudden sharp pain. I stayed home, firstly, it was due to an allergic reaction I had to a shampoo I used Monday night. Tuesday when I went to work, my face was still very red, bumpy, and itchy. I left 2 hours earlier. Then, called in sick on Wednesday, because it was still somewhat red and itchy in the morning. So, this abdominal pain, continued on yesterday when I returned to work. I measured my blood pressure a couple times before my parents dropped me off, and blood pressure was higher than normal, and pulse was 2x my normal rate. When I got to work, I went to a nurse and asked her to take my vitals, as Hospital machines are probably more accurate than what we use at home. And she says my pulse is quite high too. Says there's something definitely going on in my body. I spoke briefly with a general surgeon between his cases, and he had a felt to my tummy and says it's nothing of concern, and he doesn't think going to the Emergency is necessary. But, in between my shift from noon to 5pm, there had been too many times where I felt a sharp pain in the middle of walking.. So, I decided to check myself into Emergency and get it checked. Another nurse took me, as with the renovated ER department, I wasn't sure where I have to go to get checked in. Still in hospital scrubs, I already think I was seen quicker than others. So, in those 3.5hrs.. it was a lot of waiting. Waiting to see the doctor, and then waited for another hour or so to get my bloodwork results. The doctor says she'll send a requisition for an ultrasound for today (which I just called them a while ago, and got myself an appointment at 2:15pm, need to be an empty stomach, it was either that time, or for tomorrow). My bloodwork, shows that my white blood cells are higher than normal, which also indicates there's some sort of inflammation that my body is fighting. The ER Doctor had asked me to check back in with them to see the results of the ultrasound, so, I'm going to have to remember to ask the Medical Imaging staff how that works. Will ER call me to go back to them once results are out? I figured I should get the ultrasound done today, in case I need surgery, I could do it right away. If I do the ultrasound on Saturday, if surgery is needed, I'll need to go to another hospital, as our hospital, the operating room is not open on weekends. I wasn't really able to sleep last night, too worried about what's wrong with my abdomen and where the pain is coming from. But I did few the pain a few times in the night. Not as frequent this morning, but my pulse is still higher than normal. Blood pressure is kind back to normal, on the lower end. I'll probably ask the nurse to check my vitals again once I get to work.
Hypnotherapy?
Trauma Support / by Jaeteuk
Last post
 February 11th
...See more I'm currently reading a book, and the author seems to be a Hypnotherapist. Only in the first couple of chapters, but it has mentioned several times that our unconscious minds prevent us from "living". That how our brain functions and its causes is usually originated from trauma we had when we were little. The book doesn't really go into detail as to how hypnotherapy works, but it does make me want to do more research on it. Does anyone here know much about it or have tried it yourselves? Does it really work? Do you have to believe in hypnosis for this type of therapy to work? I remember watching TV dramas, where the character goes through a hypnosis and try a retrieve a lost memory.. while when one person doesn't believe in hypnosis, their session fails and they can't get into that trance.
Any other like minds?
General Support / by Jaeteuk
Last post
 March 1st
...See more Just curious, does anyone else do this or is it just me? When crossing the road as a pedestrian, whether that be at the traffic light or roads with Stop Signs. Are you aware of all the cars on the roads around you? Like, if you're crossing a road, you turn your head and look behind you to see if a car is waiting to turn left into the road you're crossing? If you're the only person crossing that road, and a car is waiting, you'll hurry your steps or do a little skip/run to fasten your pace? I do it all the time, I kinda feel like I'm in the way if I take my lovely time to cross a road, while a car is waiting to turn into the road I'm crossing. I'll only walk a normal pace, if there is a line-up of cars going straight and that waiting car can't turn anyways. I call this being mindful of drivers on the road as a pedestrian, and keeping myself safe. In case a driver doesn't see me crossing the road and tries to turn. Anyone else do this? I feel like I'm the only one that cares to do that. Makes me wonder if those drivers even notices this little gesture of mine and appreciates my actions.
Foods to avoid eating during your period
Women's Issues / by Jaeteuk
Last post
 February 3rd
...See more Does anyone else have foods they would avoid eating during your period? As a Chinese woman, based on the traditional medicine doctors, there are certain foods that cause our periods to become heavier, or they flow out more often. I sometimes feel like blaming these foods as the cause of getting spotting, even when I'm using an IUD. It's annoying to avoid these foods, but it's also true that it affects the flow of our periods. I'll be having another phone call appointment with my Gynecologist in a couple of weeks. To see if there are any other ways to lessen my period, as this time with the IUD, it's not working as well when I first got it 7 years ago. I got a nearly normal cycle this past January. I was lucky that it came when I didn't have work. That I could rest at home and manage the "overflows" better. Sigh, when will this end? The first IUD I had, I had no period, and little spotting. Now, I'm constantly needing to wear a liner.. in case something flows out unexpectedly. It's annoying.. I think down there would like a breather.. lolz, rather than having a liner there all the time..
Good News About Current Job
Work & Career / by Jaeteuk
Last post
 January 27th
...See more Thought I'd share some good news. Apparently with my current job, even though I'm not considered as a permanent staff member, I'm still entitled to 5 paid sick leave days. A colleague told me of this last December, I have emailed my Union Rep to clarify this. Finally got a reply, and my colleague is right. So, I've immediately emailed my Manager and Payroll Clerk this morning, I didn't expect my Manager to reply, as it's a Saturday. She said under the Employment Act, they started this in 2022. So, she asked me to check my pay stubs for 2022 and 2023. I looked, I did not have sick days in 2022, but I was sick with the cold last December, so I have asked them to pay me out, as it indicated that they were unpaid sick leaves.
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