Why do nurses say "you aren't going to throw up?"

[SusanBAnthony]

Can people really be convinced not to barf if they say they are going to barf?

I have had nurses tell me that lots of times. If I say I am going to barf, trust me I really am. Instead of telling me I am not, get a freaking barf bucket!

[heyrebekah]

Ha! When people say that, they have only themselves to blame when they get thrown up on.

It's not like I'm sitting there thinking, "I would just love to throw up, it's so fun!! Oh, you don't want me too, well okay then."

[mrssavy42112]

Well, I think sometimes it's really inevitable. Nothing you can do about it. But other times, you can have a measure of control. For instance, when you get sea sick. But in a hospital setting, chances are there isn't much you can do.

[SusanBAnthony]

I know! If I am in the hospital and say I am going to hurl, you better be believing me.

[jennistarr1]

when my H had a kidney stone, he said he had to throw up...the nurse handed him that small bean shaped pan, one hurl and he overfilled it...so he looked up at her and said "what do I do" and she pointed to the bathroom...I caught her rolling her eyes and shaking her head as he ran to the bathroom (I was walking into the room as this happened). So I said "I don't think he could help it"...she was unapologetic

[cajunmom]

Nov 26, 2012 14:31:31 GMT -5 mrssavy42112 said:

Well, I think sometimes it's really inevitable. Nothing you can do about it. But other times, you can have a measure of control. For instance, when you get sea sick. But in a hospital setting, chances are there isn't much you can do.

Hey, when someone's really sea sick, there's no control. Trust me.

[Kore]

My sister has willed herself not to vomit since she was, like, 11 years old. She's 36 now, and has 5 kids. It's kind of amazing. lol.

[StJess80]

I had a nurse say this when I was in labor (for 51hrs!) and was starving.
Nurse: we can't give you anything in case you need a c-section.
Me well, I am going to throw up then.
Nurse: no you won't
me: BAAAAARF!
Nurse: Oh, uhh, here are some graham crackers. This should be ok.

[boiler717]

I had a nurse tell me this after my colonoscopy. She had to clean up vomit on the floor and on herself because she wouldn't give me a bowl or a pan to use.

[GailGoldie]

my favorite thing is when you tell a nurse you aer giong to puke and they hand you that tiny kidney shaped little dish... as if that will hold in my puke.

yeah- after cleaning up my entire bed, floor, and me after my puke splahsed out of that tiny ass thing, she then gave me huge buckets after that... as they should give EVERY patient who is about to puke.

[carfar]

Nov 26, 2012 17:45:56 GMT -5 @blessed said:

That's really weird. I've never heard any nurses say this.

Me either. I'm glad because no doubt they would've had vomit on them.

[SusanBAnthony]

Nov 26, 2012 18:00:18 GMT -5 boiler717 said:

I had a nurse tell me this after my colonoscopy. She had to clean up vomit on the floor and on herself because she wouldn't give me a bowl or a pan to use.

The incident I was thinking about was colonoscopy. Having another one tomorrow, yay!

I can think of three different barfing incidents, one was labor (normal and they got me a big bowl) two were post surgical. Of those, once they gave me anti-nausea drugs so fast I held it in, the other.... Not so much.

[Deleted]

Nov 26, 2012 16:00:18 GMT -5 cajunmom said:

Nov 26, 2012 14:31:31 GMT -5 mrssavy42112 said:

Well, I think sometimes it's really inevitable. Nothing you can do about it. But other times, you can have a measure of control. For instance, when you get sea sick. But in a hospital setting, chances are there isn't much you can do.

Hey, when someone's really sea sick, there's no control. Trust me.

right? I went on a scuba diving trip once and vomited 14 times on our way to the dive site. No control.

[Kore]

Nov 26, 2012 18:17:18 GMT -5 jenny1980 said:

Nov 26, 2012 17:33:23 GMT -5 Kore said:

My sister has willed herself not to vomit since she was, like, 11 years old. She's 36 now, and has 5 kids. It's kind of amazing. lol.

Some people have much stronger vomit resistance. Mine is like, NIL. I seriously puke at the slightest suggestion. Which makes pregnancy super fun.

She has a serious puke phobia. Her household has had 2 runs of stomach virus in the last year, and her 1 year old ended up hospitalized with salmonella poisoning. I have no idea how she's managed. Haha.

[niki]

I have excellent vomit control, but nothing was going to stop me from hurling while I was on a glass bottom boat in Mexico. Oh, ew.

Coming in from the medical side, you can say things that will cause it. When I drew blood for the Red Cross, they trained us on how to talk to the donors, which included never saying, "Are you feeling sick?" or "Do you feel like you are going to throw up?" because if you did, almost 100% of the time that will convince a person it is time to throw up. The power of suggestion is very strong, so I don't see why if you tell someone the opposite, that it might work some of the time on some people.

[Ashley&Scott]

I've never had anyone tell me I'm not going to puke. I would be pissed if they didn't get me a bucket.

I will say when I'm nauseous I think "I'm not going to throw up" over & over while taking slow, deep breaths. Usually it works.

[Deleted]

I'm guessing this is a "mind over matter" thing. I've repeated this to myself many times in trying to avoid puking. Sometimes with little success, lol.

With that said, I don't think this is a "nurses" thing and some of these anecdotes irk me. Nurses in general are awesome people who I'm sure don't prefer to clean up puke so they probably aren't dealing with all of you incorrectly out of laziness.

[Kore]

Nov 26, 2012 22:09:14 GMT -5 @buckybells said:

I'm guessing this is a "mind over matter" thing. I've repeated this to myself many times in trying to avoid puking. Sometimes with little success, lol.

You just reminded me that I spent my entire wedding ceremony chanting "Please don't throw up. Please don't throw up. Please don't throw up." in my head. Ha! I'm sure anxious/panic puking is probably more controllable with mind power than seasickness or post-anesthesia nausea.

[heyrebekah]

Oh and I can certainly "talk" myself down from throwing up sometimes. Puking sucks, so of course I try to avoid it. I don't need someone to remind me of that. so if I tell someone I'm going to throw up...well, they best believe I have already tried that and found it unavoidable.

[Deleted]

I luckily only puke when I drink liquor it seems. And when I do I'm super stealth about it and no one knows.

[gibbinator]

That does seem like a good way to get covered in puke.

I have always had a rather easily upset stomach (too warm, too cold, too full, too hungry, motion sickness, tired, drunk etc). So I'm a vomiting pro

If I try to wait it out I usually end up puking anyway. Going by past experience, if I'm to the point where I say "I'm going to throw up" you've got about 45s to let me out of your car.