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Why are tests always so nerve racking?

Walking Girl

Walking Girl

Well-Known Member
Messages
314
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Does anyone else get nervous getting tests even at a regular checkup? I always feel like I’m on pins and needles until I get the labs. My heart rate jumps when I see that they are added to the on line portal.

Liver, kidneys all chugging right along. A1c 5.3%. The only thing out of range was vitamin D is mildly low. I’ll up the supplement. Thought I was getting some from my walks, but I guess not as much as I thought and need to be more consistent on taking a supplement.

My prior doctor left so I met my new one. She seems like someone I can work with, helpful but not pushy. She didn’t just rush through.

The only “ugh” is I have to get a colonoscopy. I’m just “of that age” now, no reason to suspect it’s other than routine.
 
Yup, I'm nervous for weeks before, even although I know my consultant is very nice and my results are good. It's the main reason I requested my reviews to be only once a year. I don't need 3 weeks of stress more often than that.

Good luck with the colonoscopy!
Does everybody get one where you live? In the Netherlands they only ask you for a bit of poo to check when you're over 55.
 
My stress about D appointments is vastly reduced if I get a copy of my blood results before I go, especially the HbA1c. I don’t like surprises!
 
Mel dCP said:
My stress about D appointments is vastly reduced if I get a copy of my blood results before I go, especially the HbA1c. I don’t like surprises!
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The practice I go to does not do labs ahead of the appointment, which seems very odd and backward to me. They take blood after the appointment. But it’s so convenient for me, and it’s by far the largest practice in the area, so I live with it. If they are normal, they just load them on their app, if not they call you.
 
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@Antje77 I think it’s all over the board in the US, but since I have a family history of polyps (my Mom), the doctor prefers the full procedure over the cologuard poo test. I’m OK with it, and if it’s completely clean, then I’ll go 10 years to the next one. My diet has always been 180 degrees from my Mom (at least since college after I moved out), so it will be interesting to see.
 
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Walking Girl said:
The practice I go to not do labs ahead of the appointment, which seems very odd and backward to me. They take blood after the appointment. But it’s so convenient for me, and it’s by far the largest practice in the area, so I live with it.
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That does seem odd! I just pop to the local hospital’s walk in blood clinic with my request a week before I see my diabetes people, so we can discuss the results when I get there.
 
Antje77 said:
But what is the appointment about when there are no results?
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At my diabetes check every 6 months, which this was, they take all my vitals and ask me how things are going - how often I test, what are my results, do I home monitor BP (I do), what are my results. I give her a print out of my home tests because I tend to have white coat hypertension and want to show my BP is totally normal. How frequently do I exercise (5-6 hrs per week). How well do I sleep (7 solid hours per my Fitbit). She looks at my feet, does a filament poke test. Any other random questions or concerns. Then they have me pee in a cup and give blood :)

Edited to add: the diabetes checks are every 3 months if A1c is not at goal.
 
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Walking Girl said:
Does anyone else get nervous getting tests even at a regular checkup? I always feel like I’m on pins and needles until I get the labs. My heart rate jumps when I see that they are added to the on line portal.

Liver, kidneys all chugging right along. A1c 5.3%. The only thing out of range was vitamin D is mildly low. I’ll up the supplement. Thought I was getting some from my walks, but I guess not as much as I thought and need to be more consistent on taking a supplement.

My prior doctor left so I met my new one. She seems like someone I can work with, helpful but not pushy. She didn’t just rush through.

The only “ugh” is I have to get a colonoscopy. I’m just “of that age” now, no reason to suspect it’s other than routine.
Click to expand...

I never feel nervous when I go to see them, yet my BP is always much higher when they take it than when I take it at home each day, so inwardly I must be nervous. Luckily they are always happy to accept my record. I guess that most of us get nervous.

I find it is always useful to read the test results on-line before the actual visit. What did they do before the internet !!!

Even though I am also of that age, I count myself lucky in that they send a little test kit through the post each year. Good luck with the colonoscopy.
 
Walking Girl said:
The only “ugh” is I have to get a colonoscopy. I’m just “of that age” now, no reason to suspect it’s other than routine.
Click to expand...

Is that after supplying a sample that would suggest further investigation, or don't they bother with that these days?

I'm 67 now and I've had 5 colonoscopies and although I don't relish the stuff you have to take before the procedure, it's the worst part of the whole thing in my opinion. Although not knocked out, whatever the stuff is they give you for the procedure itself must have made me very relaxed because on one occasion the PC broke down and had to be repaired and water came in from the theatre next door and a bloke came in to mop up, while they paddled about and carried on with the procedure. They did "tell me off" for laughing so much. Must have been the drugs, I thought it was hilarious, just the splashing noise was enough to get me giggling like a school girl.

I think the "all clear" is also a good feeling and although I've had polyps removed in the past, they've all been benign, another good feeling.

All the best with your procedure.
 
I don't usually worry about what the test results will be. For the last two annual tests they were online about 3-4 days after blood taken.
But this year I had test on 27/8 and the results still aren't online 13 days later. Well the Serum TSH level is, which shows 'normal', but not any of the others.
I'm not anxious about what the HbA1c result will be. I am expecting to go back above 47, into the diabetic range again, but the only worry is about how high.
 
I rang my GP surgery to ask why my results weren't online and was told I could collect printout. I just went to get it and my HbA1c is 48, back in the diabetic range, but not as high as I had feared.
 
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