I AM Worthy

This post is going to be a bit rambling.  I'm still pretty fried from My Big Day in Boston.  I was so nervous last night I couldn't sleep even though I was tired.  I think I got about four hours total so I was already cooked when I arrived at Tufts Medical.  I made hubby follow me around.  This is the first time ever I have needed him at a medical appointment. Usually I am very self sufficient.  Hubby came in very handy.  He read over my papers that I had to fill out.  He remembered stuff I had forgotten.  And generally kept me from having a massive crying jag in the middle of the waiting room.  I was scared they would think I was dumb.  I was scared they wouldn't take me seriously.  I was scared they would think I was lazy/faking.  And OMG I was so very very tired.  I couldn't think straight and needed help walking.

I had my initial interview with a fellow (that is someone who has done their residency and is now studying under a specialist but who isn't a full doctor yet).  After a long interview regarding my history, family history, blood tests and not so much with my current symptoms she disappeared saying she was going to discuss this with The Specialist and would be back in a minute.  I could tell she was tired herself in the normal sort of way.  I kept seeing a thought bubble over her head that said "if you think you're tired you should try being a doctor for a while...." each time she looked at me.

Apparently I was "interesting".  Not only did she show up with The Specialist but he also had another student in tow.  I was worthy of lots of attention.  I had weird symptoms that they couldn't immediately figure out.  (I had the fore thought to type up a symptom list the night before which I had given her with my packet of papers from the doctor.  This was a good thing since she did a bad job of getting a list of my current symptoms.)  I was a medical puzzle.  He went over my history again and it was cool.  He really listened to me.  Made lots of eye contact.  Asked me lots of questions.  Examined me again.  He then rattled off a long list of blood tests he wanted done based on my symptom list, the fact that I have cats and the fact that I traveled to NM the month before falling ill.  I asked him about testing for XMRV.  He smiled and immediately asked the students if they knew what that is.  He then told me not yet.  He wants to try this other stuff first and doesn't want to jump to the conclusion that I have CFS yet.  He said if we get to the point of testing for XMRV he has a colleague at Mass General that is looking for study patients.  That would be cool if I could help the docs understand this better.  I could then contribute to finding a cure.  I've been trying to keep good records of symptoms and the like.  Mostly because my memory has been so bad but it is helping document the course of the illness. 

After waiting some more the nurse came and fetched me and drew 8 vials of blood and then filled a syringe as well.  She then injected my blood into two bottles of liquid which are going to be baked for one to two days.  They then take the guck that grows in them and spread it out on a petri dish and let it grow some more.  When they look under the microscope they will be able to see what is living in my blood and if they are aerobic bugs or anaerobic bugs.  The later being the nastier of the two.

I'm excited.  I have to wait a month before I can see them again.  The docs wanted me back in two weeks but the first available appointment is a month out.  The next one is at 8:30am so I will be toasted again.  But, I'm making progress.  I'm very happy with the way things went.