The Cowboy Gals from Pittsburgh

VP's...we got another entry in the TEXAS contest from Vic aka (cop-speak for "also known as...") Dr. Beaver Inspector. This was really a fun time and they sure DID surprise me...enjoy! Here's what Vic had to say along with her post and pictures:

For the Texas contest, I'd just like to say that Cal and I were cowgirls long before it was fashionable. This photo was taken on Dee Dee's 60th birthday (we won't tell how long ago that was).

We flew in from Pittsburgh to surprise her (and it's not easy to put one over on peeker!)  Brenda was in on it of course. The plan was that Brenda would take Dee to dinner at Cowboy Ciao in Scottsdale for her birthday. We flew in that day and Lynn picked us up at the airport (our flight was due at 3:15 PM and dinner was at six). 

Of course on the flight out there was an in flight announcement (by a panicked flight attendant asking if there was a doctor on board). I was in the back of the plane and ran to the front along with a male passenger. He was a nurse and I was the doctor (you have to love that part.) Anyway we get to the front of the plane and there is this 80 something lady slumped back in her seat wearing a royal blue outfit that exactly matched the color of her lips! Her eyes were rolled back in her head and she was just coming around as we got to the seat. Apparently she stood up and passed out. We gave her oxygen and took her vitals. Her blood pressure was about 80/40 and she was nauseated. 

Within a couple minutes her pressure was up to normal and the blue lips went away.  She was fairly healthy and took her blood pressure pills that day and probably didn't drink much so when she stood up her BP dropped and she fainted. She kept insisting she was okay and I sat next to her for the rest of the flight.  She almost threw up on me but we got the barf bag out in time. I was fairly certain it was nothing serious but she was old and you can never know for sure. 

Good samaritan laws aside, you can still get sued for helping someone if there's a bad outcome. So, when the flight attendant said, "Doctor, the captain would like to know if you think we need to make an emergency landing?" I had to swallow hard.....after all we had a surprise party to get to. I asked how long until we get to Phoenix and the answer was 55 minutes. I looked at the blue lady and I looked at my watch and thought,  "I can do CPR for 55 minutes ! " "I think she'll be just fine."  I said. As it turned out we got a priority approach to Phoenix and were on the ground in 25 minutes.  

We made it to the restaurant in plenty of time and snapped this picture before Dee arrived.  Now those of you who don't know me, if you remember the Dr. Beaver Inspector photo you will understand that this is not my real hair (or Callie's).

When Dee got to the restaurant we were hiding at the bar which is kind of around the bend from the entrance. It was kind of dark with a little back lighting so if you did see us from the entrance it would be kind of a silhouette and it would be hard to make out our faces. The wait staff were in on the joke so they told Dee they didn't have a reservation for her. So while Dee was being upset about the missing reservation we had the waitress take her a drink and say that those ladies at the bar wanted to buy her a drink. You could see her straining to figure out who we were and there was absolutely no recognition on her face. In fact our fearless police chief was hiding behind Brenda. She thought Brenda had hired some strippers! We started walking toward her and she wouldn't come out from behind Brenda. When she finally figured it out we all cracked up. We still laugh about it.  Brenda finally was able to pull off a birthday surprise for Dee!....and the blue lady.....as far as I know she's still fine.

Thanks Vic for this great story and the fond memory. We were together camping in Colorado the year before this picture was taken and everyone...BUT BRENDA!!!...got cowboy hats when we were in Colorado Springs. I guess she was channeling her Tonto personality and was looking for feathers instead of hats!!

The medical update on Chemo-sabe for today can be summed up in one word: SLEEPING!!! She's just so pooped that she can hardly sit up so I just let her sleep on the couch. When she does wake up we play "culinary roulette"...all day, every day! It's a constant crap shoot! The union nurse took a little break today and fed her science fiction alter-ego and went to see "Star Trek." Are any of you Trekies? I liked the movie, but I'm easily entertained with lots of action and special effects!! Ha!

Thanks again Vic for the Texas entry...does anyone else have some ideas about this one?

Nurse Dee