10.24.2008

Chicken Little

While Bei was in the hospital I learned really quickly that the medical field is not for me. I am way to emotional and highstrung for that type of business. Here is why: For the first 24 hours after Bei's open heart surgery there are stringent guidelines for his blood pressure. It needs to remain between 70 and 90. The nurse that we had was wonderful and walked us through what all the machines were that Bei was hooked up to and what each one was monitoring. The first 8 hours or so went really well. If Bei's blood pressure would creep up past 90 the nurse would adjust the meds and you could watch on the monitor it coming down quickly to within the guidelines. Things were going along as usual and Bei's blood pressure started to creep up, ...no worries, the nurse will adjust the meds and it will come back down...no problem...uh oh...it's not coming down, it is going from 93 to 99 to 103 to 110...., I'm watching the nurse...he is looking at all the machines, trying to figure out what is going on. Now it is 121...126....147, Oh boy, I'm ready to jump out of my skin, my first instinct is to call 911( "Help! Help! we need a doctor!!!...oh yeah, we are already were we are suppose to be!)...I can tell the nurse can't figure it out...he is conferring with the charge nurse...(I want to shout at the top of my lungs, "Blue Light Special! Blue Light Special"...oh no, that is K-Mart!, "I mean "Blue Men's Group", "Blue Men's Group...oh no, that is a band that plays really bad music and actually charges people to actually listen to it. "Walk the blue line! Walk blue line"...okay, I give up, I can't think of "Code Blue"under pressure). I finally can't restrain myself any longer and I said, "I just saw Dr. O, do you want me to run and get him?" Now I'm envisioning myself running down the hall, sweeping this 6'2" doctor up into my arms and throwing him over my shoulder and running back to Bei's bedside. I think I could have done that easily, my adrenline was pumping so fast. Instead the nurse on charge said "I'll go get him". Now I look at this woman who is as round as she is tall and realize that if her butt was on fire, she would still meander to a bucket of water....I want to shout "NO!" I ran track over 25 years ago and I use to be fast! Get out of my way! I didn't give her enough credit, surprisingly, Dr. O was there within seconds. Just as he got there, my nurse, realized the pump that injects the medicine had turned itself off. He was embarrassed and felt bad, but he was an excellent nurse and we requested him for the next day. Anyway, unless I'm scrubbing toilets, that hospital business is not for me!

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