Were you ever a nurse or do you know of a nurse that has CFS/ME?

[Hope123]

I was also in the medical field. However, I think we can't draw conclusions based on a selected group already -- e.g. people with health care backgrounds are probably more likely to seek out ME/CFS conferences and forums than your average person so it might LOOK like more health care folks are affected but to really answer the question, you'd need to do a larger/ different type of study.

It's also why ME/CFS was initially called "yuppie" flu -- I suspect that people with enough knowledge, money, gumption, etc. to find out their diagnosis and resist being labelled as "depressed"/ "lazy"/ "psychosomatic" were probably younger, well-educated, professionals. There are poor less well-educated folks with this but they might not have the same knowledge, access to care, etc.

 

[SaveMe]

true

but I am still amazed by the sheer number of medical professions, nurses, techs, doctors, paramedics we have in this place!

 

[heapsreal]

One thing that hasnt been mentioned here is that most health care workers , work shift work, this in its self causes alot of fatigue issues, high disease risks like heart disease, diabetes , circadian rythm problems which also disturb sleep, immune system as well as being exposed to so many different bugs etc etc and then you throw cfs on top of it and there u have it, mass hysteria, yuppie flu, lol.

cheers!!

 

[Sean]

Medical engineering. Was inside and exposed to the most intimate and dirtiest parts of hospital equipment (often unable to be sterilised properly in advance), across all wards and departments from outpatients, through surgery, ICU (adult and natal), and path and research labs, plus dealing directly with a range of patients, making it one of the riskiest jobs in the health system for infections (and cross infections).

Think one other person I worked with in engineering got ME/CFS as well at the same time. But only ever got second hand reports, never talked to him directly. And at least one doctor in that hospital got it at the same time.

Of course, this is all statistically unreliable anecdote.

 

[Tulip]

I was working in a pharmacy (which is still medical based obviously) when I got sick.

 

[Sushi]

I wasn't a nurse but worked in the medical intensive care and infectious disease units supporting patients.

I wasn't really well before I began this work though. I think it just added to the toxic/viral load.

Sushi

 

[SaveMe]

http://forums.phoenixrising.me/showthread.php?11072-M.E-CFS-Patient-Occupation-at-Illness-Onset

 

[SaveMe]

that ab0ve link is not active? wierd