Am in a dilemma-work as a nurse in Oncology in a private hospital only 2 days a week- am 56 yrs old .PMR since May 2018.Got to 6 mg Prednisolone but have v painful shoulder -had US on Friday and radiologist reluctant to inject with steroids because of Covid19-it did show a lot Olof inflammation -Am in high risk group as we all are on this forum!and saw my boss at work who said they would support me if I decided it was too risky to work-I feel guilty when there is so much talk of the heroic efforts of nurses and medics -what would you guys do in my position???
Would be interested to know if PMR nurses on steroids are carrying on
Thanks 😊 xx
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bakingD
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Please do not feel guilty, you have and are doing your best.
BTW what dose of pred are you on?
I would talk (telephone call) to your regular medic who has been looking after you for the past years. They may have a different take on the steroid shot. I don't really understand why s/he was reluctant as if you were having a 'flare' the dose you are currently on would be increased and for a lot longer.
The last thing you want to do is make your shoulder worse and end up where you need more medical care.
There are other things you could look at and still help, like 111, so think laterally and take time to think this through.
Rotator cuff often comes along with PMR so take extra care.
If I were you, which I am not and as always YOUR Decision............... I would up my dose to where I was comfortable and stay there for at least 5 days, the alternative I would try is up to 10mg for three days and if it subsides, come down at 1mg per week.
The stress we are all under causes problems to arise, in this case your PMR is probably flaring.
Remember it is not a race to the bottom, you take the pred to manage it and it is quite easy to forget that.
With a bit of luck someone else with more experience will be along.
Please look after yourself and your patients by self isolating. You are at risk and would tell a patient what they should do if they are at risk.
Don’t forget that after the storm there will be many depleted, sick and burnt out staff. If you are not one of them because you had to avoid the highest risk , you will be best placed to help in the aftermath. Sounds like you may be on too low a dose of Pred at the moment.
Believe it or not in an "at risk group" your most heroic job will be protecting yourself from catching this virus , or having a Flare and becoming ill from other causes , that means you need a hospital bed , nurse or doctor.
They know the rules on social distancing and so do you , you are at risk in this type of Hospital Ward enviroment , more so than your Healthy Colleagues. There is no guilt in taking time off in this situation for anybody who must leave work because of being " At Risk" , especially nurses and Doctors because you will be able to help take up the shifts after this crisis is over and the people who worked the crisis are getting a break.
I would say you could see if there are any minimal contact roles you could volunteer to do on other wards or in Admin freeing other Healthy Staff to work in the more intensive units but you sound like you are already suffering from Pain.
That Pain and Stress from the virus sounds like it has you close to needing time off anyway , it may help your colleagues and those organising rotas to know you are deciding to self isolate or do rigid " at risk group" social distancing now , rather than you having to give up soon anyway.
I would think that one place that was likely to be safe in a hospital would be the Oncology ward because the patients are at a far higher risk than the rest of us so the precautions will be extreme.
Here in Italy Covid19 wards are being kept separate and our Oncology day ward is on a separate floor and closed off. Cancer treatments are one of the few that are being continued.
But you will be using a mask and gowned and gloved anyway. Probably so will they - after all, they are likely to be at greater risk from you than you from them.
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