After a wonderful weekend away, a much-needed mini-vacation, it was back to reality yesterday.  I still have a couple more days to go to the hospital for testing.  Luckily, none of them will compare to last week!

I was given a blood pressure monitor yesterday.  No big deal, right?  I had to wear it for 6 hours.  Every so often, the cuff around my upper arm would puff up and i Had to immediately stop what I was doing until it was done releasing.  So, there I was, in the grocery store, asking a woman where the sun-dried tomatoes were.  And it started inflating.  She walked away, expecting me to follow her to the next aisle.  I felt a quick panic, because I couldn’t move.  I had to stay put.  As it finally started deflating, she walked back with the jar of tomatoes.  “Sorry,” I said, “I have to wear this blood pressure monitor for 6 hours.  When it starts inflating, I can’t move.  Don’t worry, I’m healthy.”  I started laughing when I saw the puzzled look on her face.  “Well,” she said, “I’m glad you’re healthy!”  I don’t want to go around telling people I’m donating my kidney, because it’s a long story and people don’t want to hear it.

I also got to see the results of the CT scan I had last week.  Coolest thing ever!  I saw the iodine rushing through my body and there they were…my kidneys.  “Oh my god, they’re sooooooo cute!”  That’s the first thing that popped out of my mouth.  The doctor laughed and said “Yes, Amy, your kidneys are very cute.”  Too bad he wasn’t as hot as the nephrologist (see all the freaking words I’m learning???) who put the BP monitor on me.  My kidneys are really healthy and both the same size, but the veins and arteries are what could cause a problem re-attaching them into TinyMom.  They were to meet today to discuss that.

So, got home from the grocery store and starting making dinner.  Risotto and roasted chicken.  Well, risotto has to be stirred constantly for about an hour.  But, that darn BP monitor kept inflating every once in awhile.  So, I stood there, at the stove, waiting for it to go down before proceeding with my stirring.  I would have been PISSED if it ruined my risotto!

I had worn a really crappy T-shirt to the hospital and went to take it off to change into a tank top while I cooked…but the cords were intertwined around the neck and through one of the sleeves.  I couldn’t get it off without unplugging the monitor and I was afraid if I did, it would start all over again and I’d have to wear it for another 6 hours.  So, I got it off most of the way, slid it down to the monitor box on my hip, and put the tank top on over it.  There I was, cooking, with a box at my hip and a crappy pink T-shirt hanging from it.  Hysterical.

Once it came time to take the monitor off, I was sooooooo relieved!!!  Until two hours later, as I was getting ready for bed, and I realized my left hand (the cuff was around my left arm) was really red and a little numb.  I guess it’s blood vessels from the tightening cuff or something.  It feels fine today, and the redness has gone down a lot.

On Saturday, I have to go in again for more tests.  Next week Tuesday is my mammogram and psych evaluation.   I think they should have done THAT first, but whatever.  That is the last day of testing I will have to go through.  I hope.  The following week, I find out if I am approved to be a donor.  If not, I’m gonna be pissed that I had to walk around with a freaking pink T-shirt hanging from my hip.

This morning, I had to be back for blood tests and to pee in a cup.  I had to be there by 6:30 in the morning.  Ugh!  They took 10 tubes of blood out of me.  I was fine with it, until the last tube when she squeezed my arm to get it to flow more and I heard it squirting into the tube.  Gross.  Then the phlebotomist gave me a cup to pee into.  “When you make-a de pee, no touch!”  Because, obviously, I so desperately wanted to touch my pee.