Its official. Nathanial and I are admitted to Via Christi St Francis for the transplant. They make this whole process so convienant--they let us use yesterday (Thursday the 12th) to get all our admission paperwork and lab done so that on Tuesday (THE day) we just walk right in and go to it. I have to say, I was starting to get really nervous about this transplant....until yesterday. Yesterday brought such a peace and calmness to me. I don't know why and I don't know how, it just did.
Yesterday I was to be at the imaging center at 6:45 in the morning. It was time for my MRA, magnetic resistance anatomy imaging. I knew this required an IV so I had been literally making myself sick about this day for two weeks. They were going to start and IV drip of some kind of radio-active material and then stick me in the machine so they could see all my insides and map out just exactly how the surgery would take place.
When Geoff and I arrived we had to circle the hospital a few times first to find the imaging center. It was hidden! It was all tucked inside a little C-shaped part of the hospital, but it was a seperate building. I get stressed out when I'm running late, and although this didn't necessarily make me late...it did make me feel like I was late so I got flustered. Upon entering, the desk clerk had me fill out forms releasing my information and consenting to treatment....all that rigamaroo that goes along with doctor visits. Then they asked Geoff if he was going to be in the room with me. What? He has the option!? Last time there was radio-active material in me they wouldn't allow him in the same hall!! So needless to say we were pleasantly surprised he was allowed to go with me!
They guided us to the dressing room and told us that we needed to leave all our things in there. They even made Geoff empty his pockets of his wallet because the room would suck the magnetic stripes right off of his credit cards. ...uh... seriously? We obliged and then I got to put on my little hospital gown. While the gown isn't dripping with sexiness, it sure is comfortable! The nurses guided us to the actual MRA room. It had this giant machine with a tube in the middle and a bed that slid in and out......and then over in the corner was a recliner and some magazines and a little plant. It was actually pretty funny looking because the room itself was so 'medical' and then over in the corner was a little piece of hominess. I immediately began asking which nurse was going to do my IV and with hardly any more questions, they assured me they would just request someone from the IV team to come over from the hospital :) I have determined I must get a look about me once IV's start getting talked about. Maybe its when I go white or when I start shaking uncontrollably, but something sends them the signal that they're going to need help! The nurses said we could do half of the testing before the IV team showed up and then we would stop halfway through for the insertion (gag) of the IV and we would finish up the tests after that.
I layed on the bed....well, I wouldn't exactly call it a bed.....it was a board with a little bit of cushioning on it. And they strapped me down. The nurses had straps around my hips and my belly and my under-boob-area. My shoulders had to line up just right and then I had to raise my arms above my head. Next they proceeded to explain how I must hold completely still for this test. Even when they pulled me out of the tube for the IV, I must NOT move my torso at all. Great. I don't usually hold still for very long. Geoff and I were then given ear plugs. Apparently the machine is so loud that even Geoff had to wear ear plugs....and he wasn't inside the contraption! They layed a nice warm blanket over my body and then they put warm pillow cases on each of my arms. I was told my arms would be the coldest during the test because they were above my head and they kind of stuck out of the tube. I was strapped (literally) and ready to go!
The giant machine lifted my bed and sucked me into the tube. I'm not clausterphobic in the least bit so this test didn't worry me a bit. I have heard stories of people being scared to death about being put into this tube. Not me, the IV was still the only thing on my mind. Or it was the only thing on my mind.....until the machine turned on. HOLY COW!!!!! The imaging machine was so loud that it sounded like someone was jack-hammering right there in the room!!! No wonder we were given complimentary ear plugs!! I was given a series of breathing commands...'Hilary, take a deep breath and hold it'......okay you can breathe now......'okay, now take a deep breath and hold it again'......etc.
Right about the time I was sort of drifting off into dreamland and really getting relaxed the IV team showed up. They pulled my little bed into the hall and reminded me not to move my torso while they administered the IV. Oh crap.....usually I flop around out of control while getting an IV. If I move my legs around wiggle, it seems to take my mind off the attack of my viens. This was going to be tough. The nurse started doing that slap thing where they slap the back of your hand to 'find a good vein'. THIS IS PURE TORTURE!!! I yanked my hand out of hers and the poor little asian nurse kept saying (in her broken english) 'wat wong wit you?' 'why you don't like?'. Then she would look at Geoff and say "wat wong wit her?" " I didn't do noting yet". I always feel bad afterwards for whatever nurse got chosen to give me my IV. But I went easy on this one.....I had to....because I was tied down and couldn't move my torso. The nurses got me cold rags for my head and they rubbed my feet and I prayed while they did their thing.....and amazingly, the IV went in fairly quickly and painlessly.
Crap! I will have to finish this blog later I guess. Its almost time for me to get to work!
~Hilary
No comments:
Post a Comment