Friday, July 8, 2011

The Waiting Game

Whoever came up with the term waiting room was not entirely correct. While it is true that you go there and wait, more often than not there is more waiting outside of the doctor’s offices.

Like the waiting for the blood draw on Wednesday or how about waiting for the results?

It will take most likely a good two weeks to receive the IBD results, due to the blood needing to be sent to California to be processed. I’m beginning to think moving outside of NY may hurry things up.

Or how I am waiting for Tylyn’s PCP phone line to not be busy so I can get the results of her CBC from 2 weeks ago? They never call, good or bad and I’m quite curious of what her Eosinophil levels were in the thick of her allergies and sinus infection.

Perhaps it could be patiently waiting for her original allergist to call back after I put in a request to go back to her and leave the nightmarish one who wants to argue points that are neither valid nor true. I will do nothing short of beg, plead or get down on my hands and knees to go back the one in Greece near my previous employer on Long Pond Road. Friendly and knowledgeable we were yanked from their grasp when Tylyn’s GI doctor wanted us to coordinate with the one she has now.

In fact while I was feeling quite helpless yesterday dealing with Dr. Nightmare my thoughts wandered back to the kind clinic who actually was the first one’s to mention Eosinophilia and explain what it meant, what could cause it etc.

Sigh. It is like having an ice cream cone that a bully rushes by, grabbing it out of your hand and throwing to the ground, laughing as they run off. Jerk.

Okay one waiting game done. PCP never ordered a CBC with Differential. No way to tell her Eosinophil count. Perfect. Good to know that I get to be the bad guy that tells Ty she needs to have blood work done first thing on a Saturday morning. Soon her veins will look like the people I drew back at Wilson Hospital for my rotation in college.…..

While I wait for the other call, I ponder on Tylyn’s status. I wince. That sounds cold, like she is a patient instead of my flesh and blood. But looking at things objectively lets me think clearer, dealing with only the facts keeps me emotionally sound.

She is in a state of excitement. Though yesterday was another bad day for her physically, her outlook is one of positivism.  She received a long awaited phone call from a new employer giving her a full time job. While she dreams of what color her new car will be, I wonder silently if moving her hours up to 40 from 16-20 will be too much from her. Call me over protective but when you child is exhausted from a four hour shift; I’m not quite sure if eight will be over doing it.

Not to mention everyone at her current job knows she is sick. It is easier to accommodate your bathroom habits for four hours, than eight, after all think back when you had the flu real bad. Could you sincerely limped through 4 hours at a location one mile from your house?

I don’t think I’m going out on a limb here in being concerned. She is determined though and I am supportive. Part of me is relieved. Her former employer was not quite as understanding when she couldn’t work her shift after being in the hospital. Takes me back to a job I had when my car was totaled on the way in to work on a snowy morning. Herniated disc and in a lot of pain, I was not up for standing on my feet that day and my boss wanted to know if I could drive the hour in and pick up work to do at home.

Right on that. Not.

Still, I’m in that protective mode though, but letting her fly. Someday she will have to find her balance, although I’m not quite sure her AP classes, job and soccer are the right mix. She is hell bent on playing a sport this fall after being robbed of softball this past spring.

She feels invincible on her good days, which is the youthful part of her. Let’s just hope we can get more and more of them, but I guess that take me back to the original topic of this blog. It is all a waiting game.

Just as I was getting ready to post- a break through! Our original Allergist called back and after a lengthy conversation with a more sincere doctor it seems as our roadblock has been removed. Although she admits the technique of patch testing is very sensitive they have done it and will do some preliminary tests on Tylyn including patch and RAST testing.

Halleluiah!!!!

Three appointments in total; one to apply the patches, one to remove them and then a follow up with the doctor.

Our first appointment is on July 26th and I will be sure to cover the specifics in my next blog. Sorry to leave you waiting!

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