06.20.07
Posted in Random at 6:54 am by Administrator
The nurse was ready for me. As soon as I showed up, she handed me a slip and off to the lab I went. The lab technician poked me in the right arm… but only drew one tube of blood. He decided he wasn’t going to get much out of this arm, so he went for the left. Plenty of cranberry juice there. He drew another five or so tubes of blood.
Afterwards, I went back to the nurse’s office where she stabbed me in the right arm. OW! I squinted for a while, not knowing that she had already removed the needle from my arm. “It’s going to take a minute,” she says. Jeez… I can’t remember a shot this painful! but she was right, if wore off.
Half an hour later, I was back at the lab where the tech poked me in the left arm and drew another tube of blood. I was worried he’d have a hard time trying squeeze some out of me, but he had no problem.
I couldn’t leave yet. I needed to wait another half an hour for another blood draw. I was getting fidgety. Quick run down the elevators, down the block, across the street to Subway for a breakfast sandwich, and back to the lab tech’s office with just enough time to take a bite of my sandwich.
One more poke in the left arm and I’m done.
That’s 5 sticks in 2 hours.
I’m not even bruised. The dude’s pretty good. He apologized for giving me a bruise the size of my pupil.
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06.16.07
Posted in Random at 7:35 am by Administrator
8:00am. Another doctor’s appointment. Dr. Davies. I had no idea what I was in to see him for. Some time during the last ten years, I had lost interest in the purpose of my appointments… maybe because there really is nothing new anymore.
The nurse asked me what I was there to see Dr. Davies for - I told her I didn’t know. I was there only because Bonnie, my regular doctor’s nurse, requested I see Dr. Davies. The nurse then asked me if I’ve ever seen an Endocrinologist… “Umm… what is Dr. Wong”… she tells me he’s a Nephrologist. “Then maybe not. What’s a Nephrologist?” Kidney doctor. Oh yeah. Dr. Davies later asked me the same question and I vaguely remembered Dr. Kelly from about ten years ago… he’s the one who performed my kidney biopsy. No… he probably isn’t an Endocrinologist either. Come to think of it, Dr. Carkin has been getting me to see an Endocrinologist for a long time now… but it seems I could only handle one appointment at a time.
It turns out this appointment was the first informative appointment since my diagnosis of Lupus ten year ago - Dr. Davies was excellent… he even drew me a picture! “This is a brain… this is the pituitary gland… the gland creates these four hormones… in your case, it’s not making this one (AVP; hence I’m taking DDAVP for my diabetes insipidus), nor this one (estrogen-less) - we know that for sure. What we don’t know is if it’s making this one at all (TH), nor this one (stress hormones)…. thus, we need to find out and determine if we have to do something about it.” Excellent! It was apparent that he had done his homework too… I’ve had visits where the doctor asked me everything I had written down on their questionaire 30 minutes before they finally entered the waiting room. Dr. Davies, however, told me my story to confirm what he knew was correct.
From the moment he entered my waiting room with a firm handshake and get-to-business voice and attitude, I could tell this time that I might get my answers. So I dare pointed to his picture and asked, can this ever be fixed? He gives me a firm look, then shakes his head with a hopeless expression. I tried hard to keep myself from crying. I know he saw my tears, and I’m glad he continued on explaining his picture. (Those who know me know never to ask how I’m doing when they know I’m not doing well as I would start bawling.)
He handed me a robe to change into and left the room. Once robed, I sat on the little bed and stared at this colorful painting of a field in front of me — It never bothered me much before, but now I know for certain that my pituitary gland is forever damaged and it slightly pains me to know I’ve lost something again. I can’t get it back. For someone who chooses to maintain options, I’ve lost an option. I can’t repair it.
But it’s not the end of the world. Though it is the beginning of another series of probing, sticking, testing, bad news, good news….
So, even though I had no idea what I was seeing Dr. Davies for, he knew exactly what to do with me. As he talked again with his picture, I see him thinking of the next course of actions for me. He considered changing my nasal DDAVP to a pill, but quickly decided it may be best to get more lab results as a basis. First step, this coming Monday, is to fast and come in for an injection and blood work. Allow two hours, he says.
…Sigh…
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