On the Other Side of the Bed Pan

About the Book

This a story of a nurse going from the care giver to the patient. Six weeks in hospital six months of recovery and subsequently being able to Ride a bike on the Erie Canal 68 miles along with my surgeon and raise over ten thousand dollars for the Children´s hospital. When my doctor said I was to old to ride a bike I challenged him on the local TV station Never to old to attempt something new.

About the Author

Born May 22, 1941 and raised in Northern New York, my father was a plumber and my mother was a housewife. I have two siblings, both older, a sister and brother. I graduated from a catholic high school. I met and married my husband two years later. I had finished business school and started thinking of the medical field. I worked as a hospital aid in various hospitals. I returned to school in the early seventies and received my LPN. Worked until 1982 when I injured my back and could not lift. Remained in the medical field and worked at various medical supply places. I opened my own place of business in 1990, PATS CUSTOM FITTINGS. I ran this business for ten years, fitting custom braces, mastectomy products and custom Stockings. In 1999 and 2000, I had bilateral knee replacements. At this point, I went out on Social Security Disability. I was also having problems with my back again. Not until 2003 did my back start to become a bigger problem where I needed medical care. As the months and years went by, I became more and more dependent upon anti-inflammatory and pain meds. This is a story of a nurse going from the caregiver to the patient in a matter of a few years.