more doctors visits...

The update for today is that I am tired of doctors visits! Especially when you have to go to the medical center. It is hard to find the buildings - the labelling is horrible - and trying to find a place to park is like searching for a needle in a haystack! Then you have to pay to park everywhere and it can get expensive!
Yesterday I went to go visit the hemotologist (which, she practices in the oncology department so everyone there was there for chemo and it was kind of sad!). I liked her too, but she was VERY direct. Not one with a very good bedside manner (like my last doctor that was Middle Eastern who told me when i arrived she was suprised I was alive - she thought I was going to die when she sent me to the hospital the first time!). Here is a summary of part of our conversation - just so you can get the point:
Dr: do you have any biological children?
Me: no.
Dr: why not?
Me: well, I am not married so it would be hard to have children without a husband.
Dr: have you ever had any miscarriages?
Me: well, once again, I am not married.....(you know where I am going with this).
Dr: Does your sister have any biological children?
Me: no.
Dr: why not?
Me: well, you see, she isn't married either.
Dr: has she had any miscarriages?
Me: no....once again....
And it went on and on - don't think we didn't go through the whole family. and on and on. all the direct questions. I know she is just trying to get my history but the why not was cracking me up, becuase the first answer didn't seem to suffice (especially when I said I didn't have a husband - she looked at me like, lady, you can have a baby without a husband - but that is not in my plan you see!!) Especially when she got to asking me if my mom had had miscarriages. I don't know about you guys, but I don't think that really ever came up in any conversations. All of this had made me realize I really don't know my family history. I know that almost all of my grandparents had cancer, but ask me what kind and I probably couldn't tell you - except my grandmother - as she lost one of the "girls" so that one is obvious. I need to figure that out and document it.
Anyway, she said she didn't think that I had a hereditary problem as it would have been seen in my sisters or my parents, so she said to take the coumadin for a year and to come and see her in 11 months. Which is good news....then she said she wanted to send me to get a echo-cardiogram.
*UGH*
She just wanted to make sure there was no damage to my heart through all of this. So, i went this morning and had it done. What is annoying to me is why we didn't do this in the hospital? we did it there the last time. And it is not fun...I know it is just a sonogram of your heart, but like i have said before, the "girls" get in the way and make it a little harder (and painful) to get it done. But the tech was awesome and it is done with!
I also had to go get my labs done this morning and am waiting to hear from my doctor to see what the numbers were today -- and to see if I can quit the shots. We will see...I'm not holding my breath. I should really post a picture of my hip. The bruise keeps getting bigger (well, I think so, but I haven't actually marked it to see -- I just can't believe it is that big already!) and uglier - and yes, i did ask about it, and they weren't worried becuase it is a small vein and is normal.
I have also decided to go see a nutritionist -- because with these meds I am supposed to watch my vitamin K intake and lets just say that all of the veggies I eat on a regular basis are rated either excellent or good for vitamin K.
*sigh*
One more thing to pay attention to. Like the other day when I was eating this great Orange / Cranberry scone - was about half way through it when i thought "this is a really good orange and crannnn...." CRAP I'm not supposed to eat cranberries! It is in the drug interactions in bold "DO NOT EAT CRANBERRIES OR DRINK CRANBERRY JUICE". This is going to take some getting used to. (note - I think it is really the juice - it is high in vitamin K and i think that is why....no reactions...just warned my staff that if i fell over and did weird things to call 911 and tell them i ate cranberries!)
So that is the update for today. I am ready for a weekend to get some christmas shopping done and to hopefully get my house in order. I know, no exertion....that is why the maid is coming! this is a really good excuse for one I think!