[laurasc]

We had a middle aged woman, a post-op chole who was giving us a lot of trouble. She refused to get up because her abdomen hurt and she was dizzy. When we tried to get her up into a chair she would collapse onto the floor taking several of us down with her. It was all very melodramatic.

Across the hall from Madame Melodramatic was a sweet elderly man with advanced liver CA. He was very jaundiced and his abdomen was huge. During the day he was fine, but at night he was so confused that we were forced to restrain him.

One night at the bewitching hour of around 0300, we hear a ear-piercing scream coming from down the hall. We raced out to see Madame Melodramatic, johnny shirt up around her hips, racing down the hallway screaming "There's a naked man in my room!!!" Sure enough, shuffling out of her room was our sweet (but confused) liver CA gent...naked as the day he was born with a rather maniacal grin on his face.

Seems he somehow managed to get out of the restraints and his johnny shirt and went for a stroll across the hall. Madame Melodramatic woke to find him standing at the foot of her bed grinning at her.

Her healing was instantaneous and complete. She went home within a few days. Had to...how else was she going to get any sleep?

Laura

[Zee_RN]

I love this!! Maybe we should incorporate this technique in our care plans to encourage ambulation in the reluctant-to-move post-op patient!