FIFTEEN
Two months ago I remember sitting in the LifeLabs parking lot having what was probably a small panic attack. I felt sick to my stomach, I was breathing heavily, and completely filled with nerves. I remember thinking to myself, "I've already dealt with one tumour, and I am not ready to go through anything like that ever again, even if it does seem like a smaller one". A lot was riding on this bloodwork, it would tell me if the pituitary glad tumour was in fact throwing off my hormones, and indeed it was. Thankfully only one of them though. I heard back from my endocrinologist and he said it was only slightly elevated so we will monitor it and that I should have repeat bloodwork done in two months.
Well the time has come. I went back to LifeLabs this week feeling the exact same way as I did the first time. You think these things would get easier but I am not sure they ever will. I barely sleep the night before any sort of test, and I woke up with a headache which instantly starts worrying me in itself.
Quick fact: If you are waking up in the morning with headaches consistently there could be numerous reasons for it. A less known reason is that they can occur because your cerebrospinal fluid pressure rises during the night when you lay down, and if there is a brain tumour like mine, the added pressure will cause a headache.
I arrived at LifeLabs and tried to compose myself as much as possible. I went first thing in the morning so that I could get it over with and not worry my whole day away. Now that I've had the bloodwork taken I can instantly feel my body relax. I have been in hyper tense mode for the last week worrying about these results. Now that they are done, it is out of my control.
I usually get my results online, but I am reallllyyyyyy going to try not to look at them and just wait on the call from the endocrinologist and see what he has to say before I put myself into a tail spin. If I don't hear from my endocrinologist by Friday morning, I will give them a call and see if they can get back to me by the end of the day so that I can move on with my weekend with some answers.
Medical Suggestion: There is a difference between being rude and getting answers. Kindness does get your further. Have I been rude to a medical professional throughout this journey? Yes I have unfortunately. When it comes to your health, most things are out of your control which can lead to many emotions and being mad is definitely one of them. Also having to wait for answers allows your mind to wander in an unproductive way, which often ends up in calling a doctors office multiple times and getting no answers. This automatically turns into frustration and therefore can result in a rude undertone coming out.
I wish I could have handled many situations differently, but when your world feels like its crumbling at your feet, its hard to take a step back and realize that. So, this week I will wait for a call and if it doesn't come, I will call. I will be sure to be mindful of my tone, explain to them that I am nervous about the results and ask if someone could even just give me a quick call to follow up. Last time I called and took this approach, they called back that day! You still need to advocate for your health, and in most cases you shouldn't have to wait weeks for results unless that is specified by your doctor. Just call, and let them know you are waiting. Keep advocating for yourself!
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