The art of waiting

Over this past week I experienced the need to learn how to graciously and patiently wait for something.  During a routine medical exam, I was told I needed to have a CAT scan done because something did "not look good". Humm...what does that mean? I wondered to myself, but not quite out loud.  I waited with batted breath as the Physician's Assistant handed me a prescription and told me I should call as soon as I got home and make an appointment which is what I did. And, oh, I needed to know that they would only call me if I had to come in.  If everything was okay, I would get NO CALL!
Then I did something I often do when I am in a medically induced state of confusion, I called my sister. 
Now, you may wonder why I did that.  She happens to be an independent contractor who advoctes for orphan drugs and has a plethora of contacts in the medical field not only in the US and Canada, but also abroad.  I called her when a colleague's niece had a balance problem and was later admitted into a trial study at Columbia-Presbyterian that enabled her to have a normal life.  I also contacted her when a friend's granddaughter who lived in Switzerland, was diagnosed with a rare disorder.  She hooked them up with a doctor in Europe who helped this girl who was only 12 at the time, live a normal and healthy life.  I understand she recently graduated from college. My sister, of course, had a list of specialists for me to call if necessary. She also encouraged me to request copies of my prior test results which I did as soon as I walked into the lab to have the second test.
After the test, and while sitting in the car, I read the results of the first test...not that I had any idea of what I was reading. One thing I know after twenty-five years in the education game is that all professional fields have their own professional jargon, and only the insiders actually understand the gobbledygook. But we also have the internet now to help us become even more confused.
Talk about too much information!  I was more confused than ever. Take my advice here: don't get bogged down on the internet.  You will only wind up more confused than ever.
The one practical thing I did was make an appointment with my doctor to renew some prescriptions and to go over the test results...all of which I had sent to him.

Anglican Prayer Beads

The two things that kept me centered during that time was meditation and prayer. I have been practicing meditation in one form or another for several years now since taking a course on meditative practices at General Seminary.  And recently I received a gift of Anglican Prayer Beads from the Youth Group at my parish in New York.  Similar to a rosary, but not as Marian centered, the repetitiveness of the prayer cycles had a calming effect and brought clarity to my jumpy mind.

And in the end...everything was fine. Just have to have one more follow up in six months.  My primary care doctor, who has been my doctor for around twenty five years, put my mind at ease and chastised me a bit for trying my hand at self-diagnosis.

Oh, the office that insisted I get the tests?  They never called.