I wish you luck and that it is nothing major, just the doctor being in a non-phone-talking mood. My PCP rocks, he has given me the “oh, the tests show that you have congestive heart failure, but I think that’s wrong as hell, why don’t you come in for some other tests” conversations over the phone before.
Having just had my first pap in 7 years (yeh, I am a horrible patient!) i am anxiously awaiting that “nothing’s wrong, see ya in a year” postcard. Keeping things crossed for ya that all is well.
I’ve had a few calls like this before and I agree, they totally suck.
Here’s hoping it’s something like “You have low iron.” or “Your thyroid gland isn’t working properly.” Those were two of mine, and while not something you hope for, they’re both pretty easy to manage.
I could, in fact, be nothing at all; the local doctor’s office here has started not giving out ANY news (even “everything was fine”) over the phone, claiming some sort of privacy regulation. Getting them to leave actual information in a voicemail (not even a live call) would be completely impossible.
I got a badly worded letter when my son was a baby…something about they had to do some follow-up bloodwork to rule out mental retardation.
Of course, I freaked. First-time mom, my husband is across the country (thanks to the Navy) and I am terrified as it is with this newborn.
It turned out the blood they had taken had congealed before they could run the tests, so they needed more blood. I showed the letter to the ombudsman, and she agreed they could have worded it better.
Yep, this is the standard nowadays. I’m involved in the medical field too, and they really emphasize to us nowadays that we have to protect patient confidentiality. You can get in big trouble for telling info about patients to someone who isn’t authorized to find out about it.
Anyway, hope that the doc eases your anxiety soon.
I had the same thing happen last Friday (same tests, too - pap smear and bloodwork). They said it wasn’t serious, but of course they don’t tell you what it actually is. I was very lucky; there was nobody waiting at all at the doctor’s clinic, so I was able to find out very quickly that they just wanted to rule out a bladder infection. Try not to worry too much; you’ll find out what’s going on, and make your plans from there, if there’s any need for further plans.
Yep. If someone else checks the voicemail, then you can get all bent out of shape about them not keeping your records secure.
If it helps, we used to follow the same rule when I worked at Blockbuster Video, fer chrissakes. Only leave a message saying we called and please call the store back. I thought it was ridiculous until one day as a newbie I called and left a message that the special ordered copy of National Velvet had arrived and was available for pick up - only to get an irate phone call that I’d ruined a 50th wedding anniversary surprise. It was the movie they saw on their first date, and he wanted to buy her a copy and give it to her in front of everyone. Boy, did I feel this big. But I learned never to mention a title except to the cardholder ever again.
Back. It was (virtually) nothing. Everything I went in for checked out absolutely fine, but the Ovarian Cancer Test she chose to run (I didn’t ask, she just decided to run it) came back at a 22 instead of the “safe range” 0-21. “We don’t really start to worry 'til it gets into the hundreds,” she said. “But I figured we could run another one and have your ovaries ultrasounded.”
“I nearly shit a Mack truck with worry for this?” I screamed at her.
She apologized. And I’m glad it’s (virtually) nothing, but this doctor is starting to annoy me. She’s been doing a ton of overkill on all sorts of tests for me lately and all this CYA stuff is getting annoying.
Still, I’m glad it’s (virtually) nothing and I thank you all very much for your kind support.
Just saw your post now…but I’m so glad it turned out to be virtually nothing. Sorry you had to be so worried for not that much. I got notice of an “abnormal pap smear” once…turned out the slide hadn’t been processed properly. Bleah…turned out Ok, but I was scared shitless in the mean time.
Thing is, I don’t mind being cautious when it comes to my health. Hell, I get shit from my family for being too cautious, always getting my mammogram and pap smear and all the proactive stuff you’re supposed to do.
I would have been quite satisfied with a phone call saying “We got all your test results back, and everything looks fine. There’s this one test I did, which put you on tiny notch out of the “safe” range, so I’d like you to come back in so we can take it again. Nothing to worry about, let’s just run it again for kicks.”
BTW, she never left detailed voice mail in the past. We had to have a live connection before she’d tell me my test results. So I just knew it had to be something bad because of this big change.
I feel your pain. I’m in limbo right now, waiting to see whether I have a serious heart condition, a thyroid problem or just a sudden predisposition to caffeine overdose.
There is a new pap test that doesn’t throw out as many false positives.
Unfortunately, many docs still throw women on the “pap train” without using this new test. I got my first red letter in the mail when I was 18 on a Saturday telling me to call the office immediately. It was 5 years before I was able to get a normal pap test schedule, they had me on every 3 months and would withhold my birth control pills if I didn’t follow their advice.
Had I listened to the doctors, I probably would have had a cervix so weakened I probably would not have been able to carry my daughter to term. I absolutely, positively, without a doubt, recommend you find out about the test, the usual results, the outcome.
My example? I found out having the cryosurgery would have only killed the abnormal cells present at a location that is very common for abnormal cells and there was nothing saying that the cells wouldn’t just immediately grow back abnormal. In other words, it got rid of the existing “problem” but did nothing to prevent any future problems. I was told at 18 that I would get cancer if I didn’t have the surgery. I’m now 39 and never had the surgery and have never had cancer.
I was very lucky to have a doctor that was a professor at our local college who told me about the new tests. She is the one who introduced me to the “pap train” phrase.
Well, I’m glad you called her on it. Maybe next time the call will be, “Hey, everything’s fine, but one test got screwed up, so I’ll need you to come in and retake it.”
Girl Next Door, I am so very glad it came back as (virtually) nothing. Usually that’s the case with paps. Just glad you had the sense to go back and find out what the deal was. I am currently scratching my head over a cow-orker who had her first pap smear in several years a couple weeks ago. She received the “your test came back abnormal, please come in for a follow-up” call and said to me (2 days before a week-long trip to Florida) “oh, I don’t have the money for the appointment, it’s probably nothing, I’m not going to schedule a follow-up.” Our co-pay is $25!?! Seriously, how the hell can she afford a week-long FL vacation, but not a follow-up pap smear? Some people are beyond stupid.
As for the Hipaa regs, I always make a huge note on my charts that says “you may leave a detailed voicemail on my cell phone, home phone or work phone at any time. You may leave a detailed message with my husband (husband’s name) or my daughter (daughter’s name) at any time. Please do not leave “just call us” messages.” My doctor’s understand that I would prefer to hear “Litoris, this is Dr. So-and-so, you have cancer” on my VM than to play phone tag with their office.
Personally, I am hoping I just get that lovely little postcard from my GYN saying “see ya in 12 months.”
To be clear, this wasn’t about my Pap. It was about a blood test she ran (one I didn’t even know about).
She ran it again yesterday when i went in and called me today. Up to a 45 now, but she says that’s probably 'cause I’m on my period. She says that can jack up the number.
Still, gotta go get an ultrasound for my ovaries on Fri. Whee!!
I got my ultrasound on my ovaries done yesterday. Sonofabitch, is that a miserable procedure. I have to admit, I was a whiny bitch there, and I didn’t even drink the full four glasses of water (I’ve had this done before, and I know that four glasses is one glass too many - I hadn’t realized previous to an ultrasound that a full bladder could hurt that much). I got there a little early, and sat there with an extremely full bladder for a half hour. Turns out, my appointment wasn’t until 15 minutes until after the time they said - to trick people into getting there early. Now, there is normal time, and there is screamingly full bladder time; they seriously need to get pelvic ultrasounds done RIGHT FUCKING NOW.
Then they couldn’t even get good pictures - I had to have the lovely endovaginal scan procedure after all that (which doesn’t require a full bladder). :mad:
