You Mean I Have to Visit My Doctor?

March 2012 I found myself hurting and wondering what in the world was wrong with me. My joints ached. My cycle was a crazy mess. I was fighting depression and thinking that maybe, just maybe, losing so much blood every single month had something to do with it. (Which, by the way, I'm convinced it did. Doctors, however, disagreed with me.) I called my doc and got in before the end of the month.

Before I go further, I should disclose that I have a general distrust of the medical/pharmaceutical/government  powerhouse that is our current system. I believe that we truly are what we consume. I believe that the body is designed to do certain things (the uterus is for child-bearing, breasts are for making milk for babies, brains are for learning and thinking) and when we don't allow those cells to do what they are designed for, we're more likely to experience diseases specific to those areas. Those are my personal thoughts that I've developed after reading lots of books and looking at statistics. I'm not interested in debating that in this venue. I grew up only visiting the doctor for annual check-ups and if a sore throat was looking like it could be a strep infection. I'm raising my children the same way... Sort of.

Why is this distrust relevant? I want my readers to understand that I do not run to the doctor for a fever, a sniffle, or even a cough that lasts for a month. Doctors are for life and death situations in my book. I can look at my children month after month and see that they do not need a well-child visit. They are well. They are growing, learning, and advancing as they ought. I treat myself the same way. I need to lose weight? I exercise and say no to the sweets that every single tooth in my mouth craves. Or, I bite the proverbial bullet and buy bigger jeans.

So, I went to my general practitioner knowing that a) he was going to say, "It's been FOUR YEARS! YOU ARE OVER-DUE FOR A PAP!" and b) he was going to take me seriously and let me talk about why I was there, because it had been 4 years. He was concerned about my joint pain, not concerned about my diet or weight (yes, I've gained weight, but I'm 34, have 2 children, and don't eat processed food unless necessary), and didn't have much to say about my period complaints. He ordered fasting blood work and said, "We'll talk after that."

Blood work came back all within normal ranges, although my thyroid levels were at the upper end of the newer standards, which my doctor wasn't using. Nothing out of the ordinary. So, he told me to see an OB/GYN about the period thing. I asked for referrals. I hadn't been to the group that delivered my babies since my 6 week post-birth check-up 8 years earlier. I looked the doctors up online. One was in the group that I used for both babies (no thanks, and he was a male). The second was another male. Nope. I was ready to see a lady doctor. The third was a female and looked to be about my age. I called and made an appointment. There was a six week wait.