The Waiting Game
 The Waiting Game
Contents
I Am Waiting For The Results Of My Medical Tests
If you read my post of May 11th, you’ll know that I have been suffering a lot of pain lately.
I have had to take some time off from my job because I simply could not function. I am going to take every medical test I can to find the causes.
So far I have been to an internist, podiatrist, and even a psychiatrist.
I went to the internist who examined me and then sent me to a lab to get blood tests and some disgusting other tests.
I also went to the podiatrist for continuing heels spurs.
I went to the psychiatrist because I was told that I might have fibromyalgia which is supposedly caused by depression. No, I believe that the pain from fibromyalgia is very real.
Well, I am suffering from depression and anxiety, but that is because of the pain and because I cannot function because of the pain.
Tomorrow I go to the dentist, and next week I go back to the internist, where I hope that I finally will get the results of all those tests. I will also go to a gynecologist in two weeks to do the usual exams (ugh) and check my bone density. I might need some low-dose hormone treatments.
The reason everything is taking so long is that all of these doctors have long waits for appointments because of their packed schedules.
I spent the entire weekend in bed because it was too painful to move, let alone blog.
I thought that I’d feel better on Monday morning, but instead, the pain was worse.
Pain All Over My Body
I had tingling pain all over my body, especially in my arms and legs. It felt like needles. It was not pleasant.
I have suffered for years from carpal-tunnel-like symptoms but have never been properly diagnosed.
Several years ago my mother went for a long time without going to a doctor, because she did not have insurance.
One day she was hammering a nail into a wall to hang a picture when she hurt her thumb.
She finally went to the doctor and they discovered that her blood pressure was sky-high.
She was sent to the clinic at the local hospital where they gave her a complete physical and discovered that she had breast cancer.
Fortunately, it was caught in the early stages and she received no chemo or radiation, just Tamoxifen.
My father had diabetes and high blood pressure, and it killed him because he stubbornly left it untreated. He died of a heart attack.
My mother now has Alzheimer’s. Clearly, I need to be more vigilant about my health.
 Hopefully, I’ll have good news about my health soon.Â
I really do urge anyone reading this — male or female — to get regular exams instead of putting it off.
 It could save your life.
Further Reading
Please also read The D Factor and Making Healthy Choices.
Thanks for visiting New Jersey Memories!
14 Comments
Anonymous
Stopping by from SITS – sorry to hear about your hacking woes, great information on protecting yourself!
Don't let your doctors give you the runaround about Fibro… It is not entirely caused by depression. I've had it for 10 years, and was NOT depressed when the first symptoms appeared – I was a newlywed in the prime of my 30's and very happy.
I too have suffered from depression since the pain started – but with treatment things do improve! I wish you the best of luck with everything!!
New Jersey Memories
@magimomsblog — thanks so much for coming here and commenting!
As for the fibro — I really haven't been diagnosed with anything yet. I go back to the internist on Thursday — I'm dreading it. If it is fibro — I'll just have to deal with it. At least I'll know what it is and have a name for it. Some of my bosses haven't been taking my pain seriously.
I'm glad things have improved for you. Thanks and best of luck!
Unknown
Stopping from SITS! I hope that you feel better soon. It sounds like you have been through so much.
New Jersey Memories
@JDaniel4's Mom — Thanks for stopping by! Yes, life's been very difficult the last few years and I think my body has finally rebelled from all that stress. Stress really does a number on your body.
Staci
Sorry you haven't been feeling well. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you that they find out what's causing you pain, that it's nothing too serious, and that it's easily treatable.
I'm tagging you for a meme on my blog about things that make us grumpy. Stop by whenever you feel up to it.
New Jersey Memories
@Staci — Thanks so much. I've been an admirer of your blog for a long time. I'm off to visit your blog!
Pua
Stopping over from SITS!
I'm sorry you're having to go through all this pain and frustration with doctor's offices. I hope they discover the cause and a good course of action for you soon. I understand living with unexplainable pain, I've had back trouble since I was a young teen and for years they just assumed I was lying. It wasn't until I got a decent doctor who actually gave me an X-Ray and MRI did they discover that I actually have serious issues. I understand the waiting period can be the hardest part. I hope everything is okay.
Glen
Glad you are cured of your nasty Internet infection at least!
The fact that you have pictures of trees from Newark is reason enough to follow you (I was brought up and raised in Newark, England)
Hopefully your tests will get to the bottom of your woes soon and early enough to sort them out swiftly.
Good luck.
New Jersey Memories
@Pua — I've always gotten the impression from doctors that they always believe that women in particular make up stories about their physical pain. If it doesn't show up on an x-ray, we're making it up. (I've gotten the same impressions from mechanics, too).
New Jersey Memories
@Glen — one of the reasons I was obsessed with taking that picture of the cherry tree in Newark is because Newark has such a bad reputation for being a crime-ridden, ugly city. But there are places of beauty even there. That cherry tree festival in April is even larger than the one in Washington, D.C. Actually, Newark has a lot going for it. One of the reasons I started this blog is also because New Jersey as a state has a bad rep, too, and it isn't fair.
Your blog is delightful, by the way. I really hope to visit England one day! Thanks for visiting my blog.
Carrie
Good luck in figuring out what the cause of your pain is. It can be SO frustrating not know what is going on! At least you are taking the steps so you won't repeat your parents mistakes 🙂
Visiting from SITS
New Jersey Memories
@Carrie — the pain had become so debilitating that I simply couldn't function. Anyway, I'm going to every doctor I can think of while I take some time off from work!
Unknown
I hope you feel better soon! And you're right, it's always good to get checked out by a pro.
New Jersey Memories
@Jay — thanks so much. I've been putting it off too long.