I'm Free!

"How can a hospitalized bedridden pregnant woman be free?" one might ask. Let me be a bit dramatic for a moment.

Every 3 days for the past 3 weeks I've been given a new IV, rotating from left arm to right to avoid collapsing any one vein. If I was lucky the nurses would extend the IV one day but really it was just putting off the inevitable--a new IV and another "stick" the next day. Initially the IVs were used to give me quick pain relief and nausea medication. Once I could take oral medicine the IVs remained in place "just in case" of emergency. I was at risk for infection since my water broke and my baby was breech so I was considered "unstable." If anything went wrong I'd need to deliver the baby ASAP and I'd need to have an IV in place. Over the past few weeks I've avoided infection and Baby Hudson flipped head-down. I'm about as stable as I could be with no indication of preterm labor or any other complication. Every three days I've watched my nurses struggle to find my veins and I've watched the IVs go unused, one after another. Did I mention I hate needles? And I hate putting a plastic cover over my arm while I shower to protect the IV? And I hate scraping off the residue from the tape holding the IV onto my arm? With all my complaining I soon learned about the option of having a pick line which can stay in your arm for multiple weeks. It sounded like a great alternative! I repeatedly asked my nurses if I could get a pick line but they said I'd have to ask the doctors. I repeatedly asked different doctors if I could get a pick line and they actually had a better idea--maybe I don't need an IV at all since I'm doing so well! If the anesthesiologists could look at my veins and determine they will be easily accessible in case of emergency then I could be IV free for now. Well folks, I'm free! I can rub my bare arms and roll on my side without worrying about stripping out my IV and take a shower where I get to wash both of my arms. I'm free!

I also repeatedly asked the doctors if I could walk outside of my room. Finally today I got permission to walk to the pantry!! Okay, so it's only 20 feet away from my room which is not that exciting but it has juice and milk and crackers and popsicles! And I can walk there by myself!! I felt so nervous when I opened my door and walked right out. I felt like the nurses would see me and ask questions and make me go back inside. But they didn't. I'm free!

Blessed are those who repeatedly nag the nurses and doctors and anesthesiologists for things they want, for they shall become free.