Thursday, February 8, 2007

Threw Caution To The Wind But I've Got A Lousy Arm

Today I spent the better part of my afternoon in triage at the hospital. Turns out I was quite dehydrated and needed to get IV fluids. I have never had an IV in my life. Today was no fun. Lemme recap the day:

I had an OB/GYN appointment today at 2:30. I go in and they do the usual. Check my weight, make sure I'm doing ok and do an ultrasound. I didn't get to keep a picture today, but the babies are doing great. They were both moving around like crazy. Before I was ready to leave, one of the nurses came in and told my doctor that I was still dehydrated, and it hadn't gotten any better. ( I had gone to the doctor on Tuesday, to get them to call in a prescription that they apparently could not remember to do unless I came in. And that day they checked me for dehydration, which I was slightly.)So, then my doctor calls triage and tells them to expect Ricky and I so I can get an hours worth of IV fluid.

Ricky and I get to triage and have to wait for what seems like forever filling out paperwork before the call us back. They finally call us back and make me put on one of those stupid gowns. So, I'm sitting back there with a nurse and a student nurse giving them my information. They then tell me that the nurse will be in soon to give me my IV. Up until the part where the IV nurse actually walks in, I'm doing ok. As soon as she opens up that curtain, I swear my heartrate tripled!!!

The IV nurse comes in and talks to us for a minute, and to calm me down a little, she lets us hear the babies heartbeats. We hadn't gotten to do that yet, and it was so amazing! After that, it was time for the IV. She puts the tourniquet on my arm and I thought I was going to pass out. I don't think she and Ricky could tell though.Then she swabs it with that alcohol swab thing, and goes, "One, Two, Three..." Oh my God, it hurt so bad!!! And she says, "It will hurt for a few minutes and be sore for a few minutes, but it will get better." Well, after it started to hurt worse, she checked out the tube, and turns out it came out of my vein. She was going to have to do it again!!

Instead of doing it again (my arm was killing me at this point) she said I could just have a glass of water. Now, why she didn't mention the fact that I could just have a glass of water to begin with escapes me. So, she gets me my water, then tells me I won't be able to leave until I can pee in a cup. So, I drink my water, and try to go as best as I can. I knew they weren't going to like it...and I knew they were going to say I was still dehydrated, but I hoped since I did what they asked, I could leave. Nope. IV nurse brings in a second IV nurse and says that I definately need an IV because I am very dehydrated.

IV nurse number two then starts to put a tourniquet on my right arm (my left arm was the one they stuck and made bleed the first time...and I'm still bleeding at this point too!) And I was like, "What are you doing???" She says nothing, but then starts prepping the IV tube again! Before she went any farther she asked what I'd been eating and drinking lately. I told her that I'd been drinking like 6 water bottles or more a night, and it was odd that I was dehydrated still. Then when I told her that I would only eat maybe one meal a day, she said that could account for the look of dehydration. So, instead of getting a second IV, she says to go home and eat more. Then she said if it didn't get better, to come back, and get an IV.

I have another doctor appointment on March 1st. By then I will be 16 weeks and it will be time for blood tests. I am not looking forward to that, but I can handle that a whole heck of a lot better than getting an IV. This was not a good experience for my first IV. I NEVER want another one, even though I know I'm going to need one eventually. My arm is still sore.

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