So, I went to the doctor... eh, I chose a nurse practitioner in the same group as my doctor because I wasn't quite ready to see my doctor (a dude) and explain my crap to a guy. So, I explained to her, and the student she had with her, a small part of my past, in very gentle wording. Mostly, I only told her that I have a history of trauma. She was so sweet and understanding!
She offered to let me wait for the pap smear, in case that was too triggering, because I told her that I was having flashbacks to my SANE exam. But I went ahead and did it, just to get it all over with, and asked her to talk to me like I'm a student. We had giggles through the exam as she explained it hilariously and was so kind and gentle. Seriously, this woman was absolutely amazing and I was absolutely put at ease and it was very therapeutic.
I also told her I needed to probably get my labs done to see if I got any diseases from the two ding-bats that couldn't keep certain members to themselves. I also asked that my results be put in an envelope and that I NOT be called if they were positive, until I could go to counseling and read over the results.
The whole staff was so understanding about it! I had to call the billing guy, but he was so sweet and easy going about it. I went back the next day, after they were in, and got the envelope and took it straight to my counselor.
I cried the entire way from the doctor's office to my counselor's office... I had been psyching myself up and having "symptoms" all week. I was just sure I was going to have positive results showing that I had diseases.
Well, my counselor saw the envelope in my hand and asked if those were it. I handed it over and she said "okay, let's just get this over with quick!" (She was very kind about it and just wanted me to not fret about it anymore.
So, she read over the results, had to interpret the lab results (because they kept them in medical terms instead of layman's terms (so silly, good thing I'm a nurse!). And she read it, disease by disease to me...
Every thing was negative. *huge sigh of relief*
Then I started crying again and couldn't stop. They were tears of relief, and gratitude, and my stress and lost sleep over the past 2.5 years were all in vain and I am so very grateful. I know that for many who are victims of assault and abuse, that is not the case. It fills me with rage and disgust that certain people go around spreading incurable diseases with little to no remorse and they spread such diseases via force.
Anyway, I digress.
Blessings guys,
BA
I have survived nursing school, my first year as a nurse, and several traumas. This is a blog chronicling my life, struggles, victories, blessings, and general happenings. My hope is that somehow, my stories can help others. Life is a bumpy ride, and worse for some. The great thing about life? It's 100% terminal and none of us get out of here alive.
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Showing posts with label nurse practitioner. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nurse practitioner. Show all posts
Saturday, November 18, 2017
Thursday, March 5, 2015
Ultrasound Results
I would like to start out saying that I went to a nurse practitioner hoping for more "nursey" care because I have had bad experiences with doctors in the past. This may not have been a wise choice. I understand that she is busy but after being intensely peppered with questions for 5 minutes, being belittled in that short time, then having results read on my voicemail by a receptionist and requesting to talk to the NP and her refusing to talk to me and only answering questions through an MA, I am beyond frustrated. Sorry for the long-winded run-on but that's how I talk when I get super excited or super frustrated. I am so frustrated.
Anyway, I got the results and the NP says that I have a "simple cyst" on my right ovary and that I will need to get another ultrasound in 2-3 months. That is the exact sentence she gave the receptionist (who has a very heavy accent, might I add, and it was barely discernable) to tell me. Freaking out, because I have no idea what that means, I call back and ask to speak to the NP. No, I'm not allowed to right then but they will put a note in my chart and the MA offered to answer what questions she could and then she would have the NP call me later. The answers were not comforting at all and only left me with more questions. Why are you guys waiting so long? Is this serious? Why is nothing else happening? Why is such a passive approach being taken when this could effect my Childbearing abilities? I mean, it's my frickin' ovary!!!
I called Mom to let her know and so I could lose it a little bit. She suggested calling Mema because Mema has been a nurse for awhile and she focuses on Post Partum and NICU. Why didn't I even think of that?! So after explaining everything that's going on, she told me that it might make having kids a little harder because of the ovulation cycle going from one ovary to the other, but she says I will likely be able to have kids because it's just one ovary being effected. She told me what else to look for and what symptoms to expect. She just explained everything and calmed me down so well and in nurse talk and true nurse fashion. Mema is just so fantastic, I am so blessed!
Next day the same MA calls back that I had talked to the previous day and she tells me the NP won't talk to me and she reiterates what the NP had already had read to me the day before on my voicemail. At this point I am beyond livid. Needless to say, I should have cancelled my Well Woman exam right then but I had left class to take the call and didn't want to waste any more time fighting with them. I'll do that another day, though, because she is obviously too busy to have me as a patient. I will also be filling out a review for her because it was not okay the way she treated me.
Do y'all remember me telling you that I thought I may have type 2 Bipolar disorder? Well, one of my cousins was recently diagnoses with it and then one of my dad's cousins (one of his favorites, no less) was recently diagnosed with it too after years of searching for answers and treatment. Mema tells me that in our family, it is passed from father to daughter and mother to son. She suspects I have it because I told her my symptoms and how I went hypomanic after finally taking some herbs to treat my depression. I may end up passing it on to my son, if I have sons, and I want 2-3.
Knowing medical/health stuff is such a blessing but occasionally it's a bit of a downer. Still, I would rather know and then be able to better plan from there than go in blind and wonder what certain outcomes meant.
Anyway, I got the results and the NP says that I have a "simple cyst" on my right ovary and that I will need to get another ultrasound in 2-3 months. That is the exact sentence she gave the receptionist (who has a very heavy accent, might I add, and it was barely discernable) to tell me. Freaking out, because I have no idea what that means, I call back and ask to speak to the NP. No, I'm not allowed to right then but they will put a note in my chart and the MA offered to answer what questions she could and then she would have the NP call me later. The answers were not comforting at all and only left me with more questions. Why are you guys waiting so long? Is this serious? Why is nothing else happening? Why is such a passive approach being taken when this could effect my Childbearing abilities? I mean, it's my frickin' ovary!!!
I called Mom to let her know and so I could lose it a little bit. She suggested calling Mema because Mema has been a nurse for awhile and she focuses on Post Partum and NICU. Why didn't I even think of that?! So after explaining everything that's going on, she told me that it might make having kids a little harder because of the ovulation cycle going from one ovary to the other, but she says I will likely be able to have kids because it's just one ovary being effected. She told me what else to look for and what symptoms to expect. She just explained everything and calmed me down so well and in nurse talk and true nurse fashion. Mema is just so fantastic, I am so blessed!
Next day the same MA calls back that I had talked to the previous day and she tells me the NP won't talk to me and she reiterates what the NP had already had read to me the day before on my voicemail. At this point I am beyond livid. Needless to say, I should have cancelled my Well Woman exam right then but I had left class to take the call and didn't want to waste any more time fighting with them. I'll do that another day, though, because she is obviously too busy to have me as a patient. I will also be filling out a review for her because it was not okay the way she treated me.
Do y'all remember me telling you that I thought I may have type 2 Bipolar disorder? Well, one of my cousins was recently diagnoses with it and then one of my dad's cousins (one of his favorites, no less) was recently diagnosed with it too after years of searching for answers and treatment. Mema tells me that in our family, it is passed from father to daughter and mother to son. She suspects I have it because I told her my symptoms and how I went hypomanic after finally taking some herbs to treat my depression. I may end up passing it on to my son, if I have sons, and I want 2-3.
Knowing medical/health stuff is such a blessing but occasionally it's a bit of a downer. Still, I would rather know and then be able to better plan from there than go in blind and wonder what certain outcomes meant.
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
Labs Came Back
Do y'all remember how I told you I got my blood drawn (twice) when I went to the nurse practitioner (NP) the other day? They finally called back and told me everything was normal. That means:
I have no STD's... DUH!!! I pretty much told the NP that but she didn't believe me.
My thyroid is okay.
They said nothing about me being anemic but I would like copies of all my labs so that I can look over my CBC and whatever else she ordered for myself. Yay for nursing school teaching me what labs mean!
Meanwhile, we have no leads of what is wrong with me so I am going to an ultrasound tomorrow afternoon, after clinicals, to see if they can find anything.
I might inform you guys of my symptoms at a later date but I've only told my mom, NP, and one friend who we share darn near everything with each other and normally I wouldn't even tell my mom let alone anyone else! I'm just that private, sorry. However, I am working on sharing more with more people. I will tell you, however, I am legitimately concerned I have cancer because we had a family friend who had many of the same symptoms and she had breast cancer. I have no lumps, but I'm still very concerned.
I told Boyfriend, before I went to the NP, that I thought I had cancer and he just laughed and hugged me. Awww! I think he'll do just fine and I actually felt comforted. My mom had already received the call of me crying without her knowing it, though, about a week or two before I told him because I really wasn't going to tell him unless they found something. There must be something wrong with my filter though, because it just spilled out. I didn't tell him why I was going, but just that I thought I had cancer. He's great, and getting even better, at talking me down from freaking out.
I have no STD's... DUH!!! I pretty much told the NP that but she didn't believe me.
My thyroid is okay.
They said nothing about me being anemic but I would like copies of all my labs so that I can look over my CBC and whatever else she ordered for myself. Yay for nursing school teaching me what labs mean!
Meanwhile, we have no leads of what is wrong with me so I am going to an ultrasound tomorrow afternoon, after clinicals, to see if they can find anything.
I might inform you guys of my symptoms at a later date but I've only told my mom, NP, and one friend who we share darn near everything with each other and normally I wouldn't even tell my mom let alone anyone else! I'm just that private, sorry. However, I am working on sharing more with more people. I will tell you, however, I am legitimately concerned I have cancer because we had a family friend who had many of the same symptoms and she had breast cancer. I have no lumps, but I'm still very concerned.
I told Boyfriend, before I went to the NP, that I thought I had cancer and he just laughed and hugged me. Awww! I think he'll do just fine and I actually felt comforted. My mom had already received the call of me crying without her knowing it, though, about a week or two before I told him because I really wasn't going to tell him unless they found something. There must be something wrong with my filter though, because it just spilled out. I didn't tell him why I was going, but just that I thought I had cancer. He's great, and getting even better, at talking me down from freaking out.
Monday, February 23, 2015
So I went to the doctor...
I went to the doctor today, except it was actually the nurse practitioner because I was hoping for some nursey care instead of another experience with a doctor (I haven't had good experiences with them in the past). Anyway, it was dumb. I have been having some weird symptoms but I highlighted nausea and dizziness for the past year as well as increased shedding lately. She was in the room for a solid 5 minutes and left to go write up her orders for me. However, in those few moments she was present in the room she asked if I was sexually active a few times. When I told her no she moved on briefly and then asked: "are you sure you haven't been messing around? No sex?" Oh my gosh! Lady, it's not like people trip and end up with a penis in their vagina!!! I know that I have not had sex! I am absolutely positive! What more do you want from me?!
Anyway, she ordered a CBC, thyroid blood test, pregnancy test, and a full STD panel because she obviously still does not believe that a 20 year old could have their "V card". I just lost my hand-holding and kissing virginity, the sex virginity card is not going to be given to anyone but my husband and not until we have a wedding. That is a certain, guaranteed fact of my life. I was struggling with the kissing, but there is not wavering in my mind about sex. No. No. No. No. NO!
Also, she wouldn't do my well-woman exam because I'm not 21 yet. I have a freakin' month until I turn 21, it's not like the day before my birthday I'll be fine and then BAM! I suddenly get cervical cancer the day after my birthday so they miss it for a whole year or two until I go get another one. Well, let's be real, I've lasted about 8-10 years without a doctor appointment so far and I would probably last another decade or two before I ever go back after this whole fiasco gets finished up in another MONTH AND A HALF.
Moral of the story: going to the doctor accomplishes nothing for me except raising my blood pressure, causing me anxiety, making my hypochondria flare up, getting me thoroughly frustrated and my blood drawn.
Oh my gosh, I had to get my blood drawn twice today! My insurance company sent me a biometric screening kit and so they needed some blood. They told me to go to my doctor. Okay, fine. I take the kit to the doctor/NP office and they tell me they don't do that there. The NP orders blood to be drawn and sends me downstairs to the lab where they actually do draw blood. They won't draw it for me either! So I have to drive across town to the hospital I work at because they are actually able to do the stupid blood draw and they were for the same exact tests my NP had already ordered. *facepalm* The sheet even said I could have the doctor send in results from any labs they had ordered. Does she do that? No. So I look like a drug addict today because both of my arms were tapped for my two seperate 30 second blood draws that could not be done together for some odd reason.
Well, that's the end of my rant. I need to go take my anxiety meds and try to get some sleep by avoiding thinking about lying to my NP about drinking and depression...
Anyway, she ordered a CBC, thyroid blood test, pregnancy test, and a full STD panel because she obviously still does not believe that a 20 year old could have their "V card". I just lost my hand-holding and kissing virginity, the sex virginity card is not going to be given to anyone but my husband and not until we have a wedding. That is a certain, guaranteed fact of my life. I was struggling with the kissing, but there is not wavering in my mind about sex. No. No. No. No. NO!
Also, she wouldn't do my well-woman exam because I'm not 21 yet. I have a freakin' month until I turn 21, it's not like the day before my birthday I'll be fine and then BAM! I suddenly get cervical cancer the day after my birthday so they miss it for a whole year or two until I go get another one. Well, let's be real, I've lasted about 8-10 years without a doctor appointment so far and I would probably last another decade or two before I ever go back after this whole fiasco gets finished up in another MONTH AND A HALF.
Moral of the story: going to the doctor accomplishes nothing for me except raising my blood pressure, causing me anxiety, making my hypochondria flare up, getting me thoroughly frustrated and my blood drawn.
Oh my gosh, I had to get my blood drawn twice today! My insurance company sent me a biometric screening kit and so they needed some blood. They told me to go to my doctor. Okay, fine. I take the kit to the doctor/NP office and they tell me they don't do that there. The NP orders blood to be drawn and sends me downstairs to the lab where they actually do draw blood. They won't draw it for me either! So I have to drive across town to the hospital I work at because they are actually able to do the stupid blood draw and they were for the same exact tests my NP had already ordered. *facepalm* The sheet even said I could have the doctor send in results from any labs they had ordered. Does she do that? No. So I look like a drug addict today because both of my arms were tapped for my two seperate 30 second blood draws that could not be done together for some odd reason.
Well, that's the end of my rant. I need to go take my anxiety meds and try to get some sleep by avoiding thinking about lying to my NP about drinking and depression...
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