Doctor Adventures

So I have three medical conditions that I deal with. These conditions need monitoring, and they make my weight loss adventures quite slow and challenging. Here are the conditions:

(1) Anemia (2) PCOS and (3) Hypothyroidism.

Because of these 3 conditions, they take my blood regularly and monitor things like iron, testosterone levels (problem I deal with because of PCOS) and thyroid levels, etc. I really oh really hate having to get blood drawn because I have skinny veins that roll a lot, and it is an ordeal. Very few people actually get it right on the first stick, so I usually end up with them having to get someone else and several pokes/sticks and a bruised arm or arms/hands to show for the trouble.

Recently, I went to do the blood thing, as usual. I am a good girl and follow orders so even though it is an inconvenient irritation, I do it because my dr. needs those numbers to monitor my health. This last time I went, I waited well over an hour. Fast forward a few days later and the dr. calls and says your lab results are 'abnormal' but we can't discuss it over the phone, come in for a visit. Had to wait a week to even get the appointment.

So today I go in for that appointment. Doctor says thyroid levels are wonky and he wants to change my medication. Okay fine, no big deal. Then he tells me that the lab messed up and they did not check everything they were suppose to check and only tested thyroid and therefore I have to go draw blood AGAIN. Oh yes, I'm just thrilled at the wasted time I spent there before, so eager to do it again, note the sarcasm in my voice.

So they shuffle me off to the lab on another floor, I sign in, wait for an eternity. They finally call my name, I go to the window and she says 'are you fasting?'. Um, no I am not - I wasn't suppose to draw blood today, I ate breakfast. She says 'oh okay, let me call dr. to see if that is really necessary'. So I wait and wait and wait some more. Then she calls me back to the window to tell me that yes I do indeed need to be fasting. Gee, it would have been nice to know that BEFORE I wasted all this time waiting, ya think? Then GET this ... she says to me, and I quote 'so you'll just have to come back in tomorrow morning when you're fasting, unless of course you want to change your answer'. Um, say what? She was dead serious. OMG, why on Earth would I LIE about my health to lab professionals or a doctor. I have no interest or desire to have false results and have to do this yet again. I cannot believe she actually asked me if I wanted to change my answer.

So, yes, I will go to do blood work tomorrow, but you better believe it will be somewhere different.

Sorry for the rant, this just annoyed me to no end. But I'm okay - I'm not dying or anything ... I don't have any terminal illness and in the big picture, I'll be okay - so I have much to be thankful for.

Choices, people, we have choices. And I am greatly appreciative that I can choose a different lab, and if need be, a different doctor.

As always, make champion choices,
Debra