Only Special Patients Get to Wear The Blue Gown

Yep, that's me in that hot little blue number. I wasn't always this cool though. I started out wearing the white with flower print gown just like everyone else. I'll get to how I became so "special" in just a bit. I guess I should start from the beginning. Not the beginning, beginning but, when I was told I could no longer dodge the bullet and needed to be more aggressive with my PH treatment. Like I had stated in my earlier blog, I started to feel real crummy earlier this year and my PH doc wanted me to get an echo. I went in and HOLY MOLY!!! my pressures were 128!! To understand the severity here, normal pulmonary pressures are below 30 and my last echo said my pressures were around 60 I believe. My last echo was also only 9 months earlier. So, needless to say, my doctor was pretty concerned. She has always been very laxed about letting me decide how I want to be treated, however, this time she was rather stern with me and said if I didn't do what needed to be done, I would die and probably fairly soon. This was in April..the week before my daughter's big 1-0 birthday. My doctor wanted me admitted to the hospital for this procedure on my daughter's birthday...why does every major event happen on or quite close to my daughter's birthday? Anyways, we celebrated her birthday with family and later that night I began my week long stay. Now, most people do not need to stay for a week. it's a simple procedure...well...I'm not that simple =) I have a very low tolerance to any medicine..I mean like Tylenol makes me sleepy lol!! So, my doc thought it would be a good idea to have me come in to be monitored. Better to be safe then sorry. So, I get settled in for the night. My family has left and it's just me and the nurses. Oh yea! My PH doc had ICU duty that week so she was able to check on me( I forgot to say I was actually admitted into the ICU). I feel like such a woosy sometimes and I really do not like to draw attention to myself. So, like I said, I'm all settled in for the night, just me and the nurses. Since I can't remember all of the nurses names I will refer to my first nurse as male nurse 1. Male nurse 1 got me all settled for the night. Gave me my white/flower print gown, brown fuzzy hospital slippers, gave me my evening meds and had the IV nurses put in my IV. Male nurse 1 is also, in my opinion, the reason for the awesome blue gown! Apparently when you stay in the ICU they like to have you overly loaded up on potassium since they give you water pills. I was already quite well off in the potassium dept but, whatever, who am I to argue. UGH! I should have argued!! He gave me straight potassium in my IV line...not diluted at all. He said I may feel a slight burn that will go away. Slight...burn?? I felt like my vein was on FIRE!!!! It felt like someone was blowing my vein up like a balloon! Oh man I can't begin to describe the pain. He slowly but surely decided to send some saline into my IV to ease the pain. It helped. The pain gradually moved from my forearm to my wrist and shoulder, oh boy..big frowny face here. I am also not one to complain, scream or throw a fit either so I simply told the guy no problem, it's ok, I'm feeling a little better. LIES all LIES!!! I will now begin the tale of "The Blue Gown".  When I am in a lot of pain my body heats up and my stomach starts to feel all bubbly like I gotta poo and poo NOW! I waited for the nurse to leave and waddled over to the potty. As soon as I sat down I knew I was in trouble. I felt light headed and knew I was gonna pass out and soon! Only problem was, I had already started going potty and I knew there would be no wiping...at least, not by me. I calmly pulled the nurse call line and gently laid myself on the floor...oh the cool floor felt so good. I awoke sometime later to a strange man saying my name and not so gently shaking me. All I could think was "Who the heck is this dude and why is he waking me up?!" Then I hear a female voice saying "CALL DR. DEXTER STAT!" Yes, yes..my PH doc's name is Dr. Dexter hahaha. Dr. Dexter?! Wait, what? Oh man...this is real.....I'm on the ICU floor, with my undies around my ankles, there are strange people smiling and talking with me, another strange girl wiping me with warm sticky cloths and worst of all....there's an awful, horrible smell in my room. Now this beats my past "Most Embarrassing" moment by a long shot. I then hear my doc saying.."Well, at least you did it here." I was finally able to sit up and get back into bed. Female nurse 1 was now dressing me in a blue gown, BRIGHT yellow slipper socks and male nurse 1 was applying a BRIGHT yellow band that said "Fall Risk" Lol...how cool is this! I couldn't do anything except smile and laugh at myself and tell my friends and family about my "mishap". So, thats how I received the special blue gown. it is color specific attire for patients who are in danger of falling. Oh boy!! I should mention that in the whole ICU...full of elderly and open heart surgery patients, I was the Only one wearing "Fall Risk" attire...I even had an awesome sign on my door that said "Fall Risk". I wanted to take it home as a souvenir but, unfortunately, they said no. I will write another blog explaining about the Remodulin and the rest of the hospital experience later. I just wanted to share this funny yet embarrassing tale with you all. Tomorrow I go in for my Groshong placement and that most likely will be another funny story. So, goodbye for now and when next I blog I will tell my tale of Reggie...The Remodulin Keeper=)