Blood Draw

 When I started getting the bills for the blood test and the hormone pellets that have done nothing for me, I had myself a little rant, pacing back and forth and waving medical bills in my fist. Even after the insurance paid their portion, the blood test, the pellets, and the doctor visit together cost us nearly $1000. We have a health savings account, but still! The pellets are not covered by insurance, and they cost a pretty penny all by themselves.

Husband patiently waited for me to calm down (for the record, he wisely never told me to calm down) before stating that he thought that one dose of pellets was not enough to determine if they would work and that he felt it was worth the money to do a second dose. "I just want to find out if it can help this fatigue you've felt for so long," he said.

"That makes me fall in love with him even more!" exclaimed Denise when I told her later, which is a very Denise thing to say and made me laugh. "Me, too!" I agreed.

Today, I had to get my blood drawn in anticipation of my next appointment. I chatted with the phlebotomist as he got my arm ready. 

"Last time, having my blood drawn knocked me out for two days straight," I said. "I forgot to eat all day before coming here, and, afterwards, I was so tired for two days I could barely move. This time I made sure I ate something, and I see you're not filling nearly as many vials."

The phlebotomist was skeptical.

"Even when you donate a pint of blood, it's only 500 mils, which should not be enough to bring on any sort of anemia." He held up one of the tubes and looked condescendingly down his nose. "This is only 80 mils." 

Shut up, Phil. I know how I felt. I have never before had a problem after having blood drawn, so I was not expecting such debilitating fatigue. It was surprising and unpleasant, and it was not all in my head.

"Yeah, well, I have never been able to donate blood," I said lamely. "I was in England at the wrong time."

Phil remained unimpressed. At least I'm not afraid of needles, so I had the satisfaction of not wincing or looking away as 160 mils of my blood swirled into two test tubes. And, as an update, I'm not feeling unusually fatigued five hours later, which is a good sign.

My second appointment with this gynecologist is next week. I am eager for more answers. Hopefully, they will be more forthcoming, given the cost.