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| For
nurses who suffer from chronic conditions including
diabetes, neurological disease, asthma and arthritis,
the nursing profession offers a chance to mentor
patients with similar conditions and provide colleagues
with first-hand information on how to best work
with chronically ill patients. |
The young woman in the infusion clinic sat quietly
preparing to receive her weekly treatment for multiple
sclerosis.
Linda Upchurch, RN, knew the patient well, having administered
her medication treatments for the past several years.
The two women enjoyed a warm camaraderie and often shared
laughs despite the humorless ambiance of their surroundings.
"How are you feeling today?" Upchurch asked,
noting the young woman seemed subdued.
"Tired, tired and more tired," the woman
replied, smiling wryly, knowing that of all the health
care professionals she saw on a regular basis, Upchurch
had the best understanding of her insidious autoimmune
disease.
During the past 12 years, Upchurch has learned more
about MS than she ever anticipated. Her knowledge of
the disease comes not only from working in the Department
of Neurology at the University of Texas Southwestern
Medical Center at Dallas, but also from being an MS
patient.
Upchurch is one of many nurses across the country who
works a demanding job while battling a chronic illness.
For nurses who suffer from chronic conditions including
diabetes, neurological disease, asthma and arthritis,
the nursing profession offers a chance to mentor patients
with similar conditions and provide colleagues with
firsthand information on how to best work with chronically
ill patients.
According to a 2001 survey conducted by Partnership
for Solutions, a Washington-based research organization,
125 million Americans now live with chronic illnesses.
By 2020, this number is expected to reach 157 million.
"Typically, nurses see patients only in the acute
or terminal phase of an illness," said Kathleen
Lewis, MS, RN, a former nurse from Marietta, Ga. "I
never had a clue about the complexities of treating
patients with chronic illness until I was diagnosed
with a chronic illness myself."
Lewis, the author of Celebrate Life: New Attitudes
for Living With Chronic Illness, was diagnosed 21 years
ago with systemic lupus erythematosus, a potentially
life-threatening chronic illness. The illness ultimately
forced her to redirect her nursing background into a
career as a writer, counselor and motivational speaker,
where she continues to serve as an advocate for the
chronically ill.
"Having a chronic illness means fighting a daily
war," Lewis said. "Nurses with a chronic condition
face challenges on social, physical and economic levels
that their colleagues can't begin to fathom."
Fighting a chronic illness can prove to be especially
challenging for patients who don't display any obvious
symptoms.
"It's especially frustrating to look well, but
feel incredibly poor," Upchurch said. "You
haven't lost a limb or anything visual, so it's often
hard for people to even grasp that you're ill."
Upchurch was a young mother with three children when
she was first diagnosed with MS.
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