Meanwhile, back at the doctor's office...

So I went back to the doctor yesterday for my follow-up tort...I mean, exam. Now, I never went to med-school and I don't watch a whole lot of medical dramas on TV but they must seriously teach a class on how to scare your patients straight! Last Friday's nightmare had me convinced that I was on the verge of death - thyroid: BAD. Hemoglobin/Anemia: BAD. Weight: BAD. Heart: BAD. I mean, by the time I looked down at the two mis-matched shoes, I was convinced that all was lost! That doctor hooked me up with another doctor who worked on sliding scale for payment who could take care of ALL of the things that were wrong with me (Go ahead, Cathleen, and say what you are going to say..."But there are so many things wrong with you..." Ha, ha, very funny).

So I go to the doctor - scared of what they are going to do to me this week. I knew all of my test results and records had been sent over and that they would probably move me around the place like some sort of ticking time-bomb. Boy was I disappointed! The first nurse was like "Why are you here?" and I'm thinking, you mean there was no huge, bold-print memo sent over? Clearly I over-rated my own importance. She took my medical history and did remember who I was a short way in to my bio and so she took my blood pressure and temp and exited. Five minutes later, a tiny little woman comes in. She is my new doctor - who will right all of the wrongs that I have done to myself with my stupidity (go ahead...).

She is a bit stumped as to why I am there, as well. I'm like "Um...see all of the bad numbers on my chart?" Maybe there's a reason she works on a sliding scale! Clearly she's not too smart! No, I'm kidding. My thyroid? Can't be re-checked and my meds can't be adjusted until I am on them for 8 weeks. So that story won't come to a climax until that point. I DID, however, lose four pounds since getting back on the meds on Friday. That psyched me up a bit. My anemia? She was like "If you are a woman who still has a period, you're going to be anemic from time to time. Just take your iron and we'll test you again in three months." Okay, point two of how I'm not going to die. Yea, Stace! My weight? That will go down once my thryoid is working again. All of my other symptoms - being cold all the time, the tiredness...all will go away once my thyroid is working properly. I'm beginning to feel like this appointment was a big ole waste of time at this point.

But then she threw a new curve at me - my cholesterol was high. Actually, my good cholesterol was good and the bad was, well...bad. But she thinks that once I am feeling better and get exercising again, that it will go down. BUT, did you know that cholesterol is hereditary? If your parents had high cholesterol, or your grandparents, you could be the healthiest of eaters and you will STILL have high cholesterol. When I got home and called my mom and told her this, she immediately told me that it wasn't her so I will have to grill my dad on this later. He'll probably be like "Cholesterol? What's that? I don't think I've ever taken that. Why, who told you that I did? Was it your mother, because, she lies!" Oh, that should be a fun conversation.

So in the end, I am okay (one more time, Cathleen!). I go back in 7 weeks to re-check my thyroid and then again in three months for the anemia and cholesterol. I'm feeling better already and the fact that some of the weight is gone has encouraged me. Did I feel the need to pay $70 for that 20 minute conversation? Not particularly but hey, I'd rather pay for good news than have another Stace-slamfest like last Friday.

Well aren't I sporting "the glass is half full" cheer today?