Tuesday July, 24th 2018
31 Weeks & 2 Days Pregnant
(Continued)
The nurse was expecting me. She escorted me to a room and (once again) began to hook me up to the same monitors. Within minutes, the first reading popped up.
177/97 Naturally it would be high, I was just bawling my eyes out in the car.
She took it again.
177/103 The nurse left without saying a word. I already knew the readings were high, but how bad was it? (Since Sam is a CMA, I had been relying on him to simplify the terms for me)
Nurses flooded into the room. Two crowded to the right side of my bed while another stayed on the left side near the monitors. Another nurse entered, pushing a cart with medical supplies. (The room was small to begin with so I started to feel like I was in a clown car.) The two nurses on my right began the process of an IV. One began to explain the IV was for a quicker dose of blood pressure medicine.
The nurses put a pillow under my right arm and began to raise my bed. I went higher, higher, higher until the bed was almost forehead level with one of the nurses that was just over 5 feet tall. It felt unstable and uncomfortable being in a hospital bed that was so high up.
While the nurses all hoovered around me, the doctor also entered the room and I tried to focus on what he was saying. I still had to be at work later that day so I asked how long they would be keeping me. The doctor replied, "Well it's a good chance you won't be going into work today. We need to monitor your blood pressure to make sure it comes down." I understood what he was telling me, but how long would that take?
I replied, "What numbers are you looking for my blood pressure to get down to?" I tried to not show how nervous I was but I could hear how shaky my voice sounded.
The doctors following words haunted me, "Well, we're going to be monitoring you for a while. You've been admitted to the hospital"
Without thinking, I snapped, "I'm sorry, What?!"
"I've admitted you to the hospital, " He repeated.
I clearly heard him the first time, I just was very angry to find out that I was being admitted AFTER it was done! How could I not have a say in this?!
The nurses were still trying to set the IV and since I hadn't had much water yet, my veins were hard to find. After the nurse thought she located one on the inside of my elbow, she stuck the needle in. As I felt a sharp pinch, nothing came out. She missed the vein. After fishing for a few seconds, she retracted the needle.
Big mistake.
As the needle slid out of my arm, blood splattered out and covered everything near by. The nurse who was initially doing the IV had her top soaked in my blood within seconds. The other nurses scrambled to put gauze on my arm to stop the bleeding but it was too late. The pillow under my arm and the blanket that draped over my lap were stained red.
I just wanted to cry again! I couldn't believe that I was sitting there experiencing this all by myself. I stared at my arm in shock as I continued to fight back tears.
The doctor just stood there as he watched blood droplets slide down the wall behind the nurses; then he said, "I'll come back later" and closed the curtain.
After they cleaned up most of my arm and bandaged me up, one of the other nurses went to work looking for a new vein. This time, they tried the top of my hand. A second sharp pinch and once again nothing. The needle was retracted immediately and they tried the top of my hand again. This time, the nurse began fishing, but it was more than I was prepared to handle and I asked her to stop.
I couldn't fight the tears any longer as they started to flow down my cheeks. I just wanted Sam by myside. One of the nurses handed me a box of tissues and a cup of water before they all left to give me a small break.
The second nurse returned a few minutes later with a third nurse (I guess I was bound to meet everyone working that day) and had her try. They examined the elbow area again. I hoped they would give up and not do the IV at all, but unfortunately I was wrong. They prepped for another poke. This time the new, third nurse gave it a try on the outside of my elbow. I felt the needle penetrate my skin and the nurses sighed in relief. They hit a vein and began to set up an IV drip.
After it took them 4 tries and 1 pillow, blanket, and scrub top covered in blood, I was officially labeled a 'Hard Stick'
I was given saline solution and a blood pressure medicine called Labetalol and left alone for 10 minutes before the doctor came back into the room. I could tell by the way he slowly crept into the room that he knew he wasn't on my good side.
He began to explain to me that I would have to remain in the hospital for the remainder of the day and over night for consistent monitoring of my blood pressure. He further stated that if my numbers mellowed out by morning that I would be able to go home the next day. After the Doctor left, I was finally able to update Sam on everything that just happened. The minute I heard his voice, I started to cry again.
The third nurse came back in the room and told me that I was about to be moved into a Labor and Delivery room.
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