Woe is Me!

Last Monday, I went to see a new doctor for my annual physical. We had to switch insurance companies because of Chris' new job, so our doctors all changed. He did a thorough work-up on me and took his time to listen to, and answer all of my questions. I like that a lot...I never like to feel as though I'm being rushed.

Anyhow, he told me that he wanted to run a Vitamin D test on me to check my levels since I'd never had one before. He, then, wished me a Merry Christmas and walked out the door. So, not thinking, I walked right on out the door, too. I didn't realize until much later that I had forgotten all about getting the test! Guess I was having ANOTHER "senior moment"!

Needless to say, I called the office this morning and explained the situation and asked if I could come in to have it done. The receptionist gave me a 10:30 AM appointment with the nurse. I sat there for an hour before I was finally called back...I was growing impatient, something I'm trying to work on! She drew my blood and I mentioned to her that for the past several days, I've been having horrible nasal congestion. I felt a little "off" at the beginning of the week, but now, it's just dealing with a stuffy nose. I took some Nyquil before bed last night. All that does is knock me out. I woke up around 4:15 AM with a cotton mouth. Apparently, I had been breathing through my mouth all night long because my nose was so congested and mouth had gotten completely dried out.

I got out of bed and tried some saline nasal spray, but no relief. I even put some Vick's VaporRub up under my nose; still nothing. So, I went on back to bed and layed there in misery, trying hard to get some sleep. I asked the nurse if she could get the doctor to write a prescription for me to get me some relief. She replied, "I'm sorry, but you'll have to make another appointment for that." Now, she was as nice as she could be, but I wanted to say, "Are you kidding me?" I mean, I was right there in the office and I knew exactly what I was feeling...why did it have to be such a big ordeal? Needless to say, she told me to get some Claritin-D. That stuff is so expensive, so I got the Equate brand from Wal-Mart and saved a bundle, if it will just do the trick! I really hope it does.

Just as I was about to leave, I asked the nurse if they'd gotten my bloodwork back from my physical, and it happened to be in my chart. They just hadn't had time to call me yet. I was most interested in my cholesterol. The last time I had it tested a year ago, my total cholesterol was 212, but all the of the other elements were within the normal range. Well, she said my total cholesterol was 183...yay!!! My LDL was 47...yay! Then, she said my HDL (good cholesterol) was 82 and that she'd never seen anyone with a level that high, which is very good! Yay, again!!! She asked what I ate and I told her that I eat a handful of almonds everyday and I, also, eat dark chocolate with almonds. She said she'd just read a book about how almonds are really healthy for the heart, so maybe there's some truth to it. All I know is that, even though I'm still as congested as can be, I'm so happy with my encouraging test results today!

I'm off to try another shot of saline nasal spray. I can't use the decongestant until I go to bed because it usually makes me so drowsy. It sure is the pits when my sniffer is broken! :(

I Don't Wanna Go!!!

Yes, you heard me right! Today is a day I don't look forward to...what woman does??? I have an appointment for my "yearly visit" with the OB/GYN. Oh, boy...oh, boy!! Can you feel the excitement? Then, to top it off, I've never been to him before! With Chris' new job, we had to change doctors due to a change in insurance companies, so this is almost like going on a blind date...I just don't know what to expect! He could be nice...BUT, maybe he won't. Will he talk too much...OR, not enough? It really is nerve-racking!! I've said it before, but men don't have a clue what women have to go through! Can anyone second that???

I will never forget when I had my first visit with an OB/GYN when we lived in Alabama. Would you believe that he made a comment about me being petite and said, "I like petite women...they're good to snuggle with." I'm telling you, I about slapped that dude right across his face...and I'm not like that! Needless to say...that was my first AND last visit with him!

I'm the kind of woman who wants to get checked quickly, while keeping the conversation to a minimum. It isn't the time for me to be sharing my favorite family recipe or telling about a vacation spot I really liked. I AM NOT in the mood to talk! Let's just do what needs to be done so that I can be on my merry way! Can you tell that I'm really not looking forward to today? :)

On a more serious note, when I went in for my last yearly exam, my doctor decided to run the CA-125 test on me. It's the test that's used on women who've been diagnosed with ovarian cancer to determine whether or not their treatment is working. Well, I made mention to my doctor that my mom had breast cancer and my paternal grandmother died of ovarian cancer (I later found out that might not have been the case...possibly stomach cancer?). Anyhow, he thought it would be wise for me to have the CA-125 test done.

Well, the results came back elevated. The normal is something below a value of 20, I believe. Mine came back at around 66. So, he sent me in for a CT scan and an ultrasound. First of all, it was determined that I have bilateral kidney stones. Chris has had several bouts of kidney stones, one last summer, and I've never seen anyone in as much excruciating pain as he was! That's something I definitely don't want to experience myself! I keep telling myself that maybe I'll be one of the lucky ones and have them just sit nicely in my kidneys for years to come, never rearing their ugly heads. OK, I know that's only wishful thinking on my part, but I can try, right?

The results also showed that I have a ring-enhancing mass on my right ovary. It's most likely a functional cyst, which I've had before. However, my doctor did say that I should be tested with the CA-125 every 6 months to monitor what's going on. I've done some research on the test and I've found that it isn't supposed to be used as a screening tool to diagnose ovarian cancer because there are so many false positives with it. I've had it done two times in the past year and the levels increased by about 10 points. What that means, I haven't a clue! I feel perfectly fine, but it's something I'll be addressing with my doctor today.

So, if you would, say a prayer that my nerves will be calmed, I'll receive good and encouraging news, and I'll approve of this "new man" in my life. Just please don't have him ask me if I've ever eaten at such-n-such restaurant when I'm not really in a "position" to talk...if you know what I mean! Oh, my knees are knocking already!!