Annie and Isabel and Gowns, oh my!

This blog post has been a long time coming, for sure. Every hospital stay I’ve had, every CT scan, every radiology “procedure” … ahem… surgery – had two things in common: teeny tiny me and massive triple-x hospital gown with questionable cleanliness, new-ness, and butt-covering-ness.  I became an expert at avoiding the hospital gown. When attending the hospital in May through October, I made it a policy to wear no bra, and a tube top:

 

MEP, June 2010

Though my tactic was highly successful, at times I was still forced to wear the yuck-gowns which were thin, freezing cold because they barely covered me, and unless tucked around me like a baby-swaddle, exposed more of my chest than this tube top, if you get my drift.

After my life-saving double lung transplant on July 27, 2010, my sister received word that the Annie and Isabel company wanted to send me a gown to wear! To my surprise, they sent me two, and I wore them in heavy rotation, with my parents washing each and bringing them back to me. Even my surgeons called them my “designer gowns!”  They come in a lot of sizes, for me, very small, and so they actually wrap around my body and fit appropriately, while giving nurses and doctors the emergency access they might need with easy buttons and ties.

It was very fun to wear them and feel like a lady even on my worst days. Here are some pics:

MEP, July 2010 a few days after my tx. The gowns fit so well, you can wear a hooded sweatshirt over them!

MEP, August 2010, After a bit of a tough time, my first time outside in weeks! Sportin’ my gown for the summertime!

All in all, I really loved my Annie and Isabel gowns and I hope that lots of transplant patients get to use them. They make a wonderful gift for anyone you know that is looking at a future hospital stay, or is experiencing an unexpected one.

Thanks so much, Annie and Isabel !

MEP

Blogspot Tags: pictures, annie and isabel, gowns, reflections

Re: Bipap- READER QUESTION

I get lots of questions in my email, and I am going to start being better about posting them as an FYI...
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On Sat, Mar 5, 2011 at 11:59 PM, Tess wrote:

Hi i was wondering if you had any advice on choosing a bipap mqchine.  Or living with ot!! Im going to jave to go on one soon andbrememered that.you had used one

Tess

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Yes, I used a bipap for about a year prior to my transplant, and though it was hard to get used to, once I got used to it, I loved it!!! I don't really have knowledge of a lot of different machines, they are all pretty much the same, I think. I used a huge one at the hospital and a tiny one at home, and really the only thing that matters is the mask, that you get a size that fits well and that you adjust it til it is tight enough to make a seal but comfortable and not pulling at your neck.  If you doctor recommends one, I would go ahead and do it right away. You will sleep much better and the rest will be good for your body!!!
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~Beth