I had no idea I'd spend so much time in the hospital as a pregnant person. I went to the ER today as instructed to get my throat cultured (results: neg. for strep. I have a god damn cold) and it turned out my blood pressure was high. Begin! A great three hour adventure of blood pressure checks, IV placement, blood and urine tests and fetal monitoring. All for the viewing pleasure of the risk management office of Swedish Medical Center.
Of course, I'm fine. Went shopping for curtains afterwards. After lying on my left side and moving even though it was against the rules because my back hurt. To be proclaimed as well as I was when I walked in for my throat culture.
In case you don't know, taking the blood pressure of a very pregnant woman lying on her back, you are likely to get a high number because the baby is big and will compress her Vena Cava which is the largest blood vessel in the body. If you get a high number, turn her on her left side and try again. Unless you are an ER doc and can't creatively problem solve. I hold this against him, because he was not an ER doc on his eleventh hour, but actually told me he'd started his shift only an hour or so before I got there.
His last name is Mailman.
I don't know what to make of that. But it's funny. You don't think people still get trade names as last names, but apparently they do.
Plus having an IV sucks ass. It hurts just a little too much to ignore even after seveeral hours have passed. It's THERE and you KNOW it. The representative from my OB's office came in and talked to me about anemia (aparently I'm anemic right now) she asked me if I had any questions. I affected a very languid expression and drawled. "Only one. How quickly can you get this fucking IV out of my fucking arm."
Posted by jlp716 at December 18, 2005 10:39 PM