That Lovely Place to Wait

I feel like I should run around quoting 'Candide', where the cast runs around wishing for the best of all possible worlds in the middle of the Spanish inquisition where its 'oh what a day for an auto-da-fe'. Basically incredible amounts of optimism in the midst of chaos and bad things.

Yesterday I had a wonderful time at the hospital. I met with my back pain doctor and we discussed my back and how it actually feels better these days due to my new drugs and my actually making it to the gym regularly. He also gave me a greatly appreciated cortisone injection in my left hip which has been full of bursitis recently. My back feels okay - meaning it doesn't give me nearly constant pain, but it is not and will never be cured so don't jump up and down with optimism for me. I don't have to see him for four months instead of the usual three.

Then I went for my mammogram and changed into a lovely gown and sat around and waited but then finally got a clean result on the first try which was very nice. I changed back into my clothes.

Then I went back to check in for my bone density scan and changed into another set of lovely pajamas. The test is quick and boring. I then changed back into my clothes again.

My last scheduled stop was at my primary care for a physical with my new doctor. We talked and decided that the biggest concern is my blood pressure/pulse/heart rate. She measured my pulse at 106 but my BP was 128/86 which isn't bad but still higher than it used to be. We talked about my eating habits, my salt intake, exercise schedule, weight gain/lost, etc. We also talked about the impact of my thyroid level (which won't settle down) on heart rate etc. Weight loss would be good as well - but I already knew that and will try some more.

Finally, this is what I know. I have tachycardia - meaning fast heart rate - which is not a good thing. After changing back into my clothes again, I was sent for an EKG (which meant another lovely gown) and I brought the tapes down to the doctor to read. She said my heart rate was normal but fast. So I guess the good news is it doesn't look like I am about to drop dead. But then I had a chest x-ray (another clothes change - at this point they recognized me in diagnostic radiology where my mammogram and bone density scan took place) as well as a full set of blood tests.

I also am scheduled to have a fasting blood test next week, an echocardiogram, and then back to see her in a month to finish my physical (we never got past the cardiac issues) and discuss the results of all my tests. Next week I will stop by and get the results of all my tests to review (and over-analyze and over-research online) in private as well

So two doctors, five tests, and five clothes changes later, I am in the lovely place to wait called 'you have something wrong with you that could be very bad but we don't know quite what it is yet or how we are going to treat it'. I hate this place. But I do like my new doctor and think we can work together on this.