Lab Work and the Doctor: Why doctors terrify us (part 1)

 “Make sure you give blood so we can get some lab work done.”

And there it is. 

That’s how it starts.

You go to the doctor every year for a routine visit or a follow up and, at some point, they want lab work done.

And the reality is that most of us don’t really know what any of the results mean.  Glucose.  HDL.  LDL.  A1C.   All of these things are a different language to us.   We have no idea if they are good or bad.   

Until we sit down with our doctors.

On some days, the doctor tells you everything is normal or that they want to keep an eye on a couple of things.  They try to tell us what the results mean.  They explain things we need to change.  Stop eating fast food.  Exercise more.   Add a medication here or there.  Come see them in 6 months to see how you’re doing.  That’s the conversation you don’t mind. 

On other days, the conversation goes a different direction.  The doctor sees something that causes them concern or causes them to explore a little more.   The doctor wants you to get a procedure more invasive than giving blood.  The doctor wants to refer you to a specialist to get their opinion.  

And then your heart starts racing.  Why?  What’s the problem?  Why do you need more procedures?  Why do you need to go to a specialist?  What’s wrong?  

All of those thoughts rush through your head.

For the doctor, it’s just precautionary.  They want to catch something early if there is something to catch.  They want to make sure there is nothing to be worried or concerned about.  They want to make sure they do what’s necessary to prevent anything from getting worse.   They want to make sure they get ahead of anything before it becomes something.  

But for you, it’s the terror.  You have gone through your life with their being nothing wrong and now, you are terrified that there is something possibly wrong.  Thoughts about your health have never been in the forefront and now they are.   In your mind, every day becomes the long walk towards something bad.

In the end, the most powerful thing you did was do what the doctor says.  You came into the clinic.  You had blood work done.  You met with the specialist.  You scheduled the procedure.   If the only thing you have is fear but you have done everything else you are supposed to do, you are much stronger than you realize.