! Caution: this chapter contains some medical information that might be gross for some people. You can skip it if you are uncomfortable reading about such things. It won't affect the overall plot.!
Once my mom had some free time, she was finally able to schedule a doctor's appointment for me. I had all my symptoms written down. I listed all the ones I had even if they were minor. I didn't want the doctor to misdiagnose me, and I couldn't just tell him what was wrong with me. I had to lead him in the right direction. My mom was a little shocked when she saw my long list of symptoms. She asked me, "OMG! How long have you had all those symptoms? I didn't realize it was that bad or I would've scheduled your appointment sooner. I'm so sorry!" I didn't want her to feel bad, so I told her, "They started kind of recently. You know I didn't get my period till I was 13. It started mild but has been getting worse lately. That's why I wanted to talk to a doctor." She nodded and hugged me. She said, "I had problems with my period when I was younger too, but it cleared up once I had you. I hope I didn't pass it on to you." I shook my head and said, "Mom, you were 15 years old when you got pregnant with me. Your body was probably shocked!"
We both laughed. The nurse called us back to see the doctor. She did all the usual stuff before she led us into the doctor's office. I was 5 ft and 7 and 1/2 inches without my shoes on. I usually just round up to 5'8. I weighed 135 lbs. and was in the normal range for my blood pressure and temperature. If I didn't have a long list of symptoms, I would be considered normal! In my past life, my periods got so heavy that it made it hard to leave the house. I went through a pack or 2 of pads a day! I was depressed and wouldn't leave the house unless I had to. I gained over 100 lbs. in the first year. I wanted to avoid that by fixing myself as soon as possible.
The doctor came in and did the initial assessment. I showed him my list of symptoms and he ordered some bloodwork to confirm his diagnosis. He thought it was hormones and suspected thyroid problems. I also told him about my stomach issues after I ate or drank dairy. I told him "I've cut out dairy for the last 2 weeks and my stomach has felt a lot better." He said, "That's good. You are probably lactose intolerant. It's okay to cut out dairy, but make sure you get enough calcium and vitamin D from other foods and vitamins. Your blood work will show if you are deficient in any vitamins."
We went to the lab to have my blood drawn. I was already used to it in my past life. I used to get my blood drawn regularly to check my hormones and vitamins. After the blood was drawn, the lab tech said, "Your doctor will call you about the results in about a week." I said, "Thanks, that wasn't too bad." She smiled and we left. I could tell she was a veteran phlebotomist. I had seen some bad ones in my past life!
One time after my thyroid surgery the orderly was too rough moving me from one bed to another and the IV came out of my arm. Blood squirted all over the sheets and floor. The nurse who came to put the IV back in just put it back in the same spot. When they gave me the morphine through the IV, it all dropped out of my arm because the hole was too big! I was in so much pain and I cried as I watched all the pain meds leak out of my arm due to their carelessness! I was so upset I called my mom crying. My throat was dry and sore. She called the hospital and yelled at them. They said they were not allowed to give me more pain meds for 4 hours. Even then they could only give me pills. It sucked! Thankfully my boyfriend was in the waiting room. I told them to go get him. He came and helped the orderly move me to the new bed and got some Jell-O for me. The cafeteria in the hospital was closed for remodeling so he had to go to the grocery store to get the Jell-O.
Hopefully, the blood work will show the low hormone levels and vitamins that I need to take more of. I know I'm probably low on Vitamin D. I burn easily if I stay outside in the sun too long. Even when I go swimming or to the beach and apply SPF 100, I still burn if I'm outside too long! I have experimented with different sunscreens. Mineral sunscreen works great on the face and can be used instead of foundation powder. For my body, I prefer sensitive sunscreen like Aveeno. I also learned the difference between physical and chemical sunscreens. Chemical sunscreens can go higher in SPF, but physical sunscreens that have minerals in them are usually better for sensitive skin. Zinc works well on my skin since I am so pale and don't have to worry about it turning my skin ashy.
I remember when I started doing facials at the first-day spa I worked at. I had a client with beautiful ebony skin. I finished the facial with sunscreen and mixed the moisturizer. My boss saw her leave and told me quietly, "Why is she white? Don't let her leave like that!" I had to bring my client back to the room, remove the sunscreen, and apply a different one to blend into her skin tone. It was a little embarrassing, but she understood since our skin tones were completely different. I was unaware of the zinc-looking white on darker skin tones. We laughed about it and I learned something new. I have worked in the spa industry for over 10 years in my past life. I met people from all over the world with all different skin types. It was a good cultural awakening for me. I learned about different cultures and customs. Some of my clients taught me about their homeland and some of their languages. I loved to learn more about them! We lived in Houston, which had a melting pot of all different cultures. We got to try new foods from different cultures. It was overall a great experience.
I hope to travel more in this life. I want to experience these cultures firsthand! Once my medical issues are fixed, I will have more energy to do things. I will exercise daily and eat a healthy diet to avoid gaining too much weight. I will enjoy this life to the fullest! Once I start a band with Thomas and Amber we can travel more. For now, I will focus on school and helping my mom with my younger siblings. I was always a Straight A student, and in my past life, I had a bachelor's degree in Business Management. This time high school was too easy! Time to start taking Dual-Credit classes so I can focus on what I want to learn when I go to college.
In my past life, I only took Dual credit English my senior year. I was unsure if my parents would be able to afford college classes. Luckily my teacher helped me apply for financial aid and encouraged me to keep going to school. He said, "You have the grades, don't let money hold you back. There is always money available for school. You can get grants and scholarships." This time I will apply early and get as much help as I can. The money I invested in stocks will not pay off for a few years at least. I must plan now for our future!
It will also help my mom stress less. In my past life, she eventually went back to school to get her Real Estate license. Later she became a Real Estate Broker. She made good money, but it wasn't what she wanted to do. This time I will encourage her to try new things and find something she likes. She used to talk about moving closer to the river and opening a retail shop. Then she would hire someone to run it while she went tubing on the river. I could help her do that! The real estate near the hill country will go up a lot in the future if this is the same as my past life. It would be better to move sooner and let the land value appreciate. Then she can sell it and get a better house. I learned some things about real estate from her and intended to use that knowledge this time to improve our lives.
First, we just need James to sign the divorce papers! Maybe I should talk to him? I could explain that he will have a better time if he accepts the divorce and moves on sooner than later.