Me + Biopsy or medical procedure of any type = trouble

Today was one of the most interesting days I've had in a very long time. That's not necessarily a good thing, either.

This morning, I had an appointment at 0800 in the gyn clinic. Yes, I'm going to blog about it, so if you're offended by talk of stirrups and speculums, stop reading now.

Anyway, this is nothing new to me seeing as though my past medical history includes cervical cancer.

So this morning I was a little nervous, but not as much as I have been in the past. After all, I've been through this before.

Ha. Apparently, being able to say "I've been through this before" doesn't mean my body wants to handle it any better this time around!

Let's just say one of my funniest doctor stories is the time I passed out in the stirrups at the gynecology clinic while having a biopsy back in 2004. Flash forward to 2010 - the clinic I'm working at with lots of co-workers actually doing the procedure this time around....

Good news: I'm not still passed out. Bad news: I passed out. Bad. They even got the crash cart and hooked me up to the oxygen machine! Since our hospital became a health clinic, and all OB appointments are referred off post now, I think this is the most excitement the GYN clinic has seen in a very long time! It's called a vasovagal reaction - yes, there is a medical term for it, which I have of course googled and will post at the end of this blog.

I warned them beforehand that this sort of thing happens to me, and we were even joking about it pretty much the whole time. She looked at every thing and then took one sample, and I was fine. Then took a second sample, and I felt it coming. I said, "I'm passing out. Here I go, I feel it!" and then next thing I remember, I woke up and there were four people standing over me, toweling me off with cool cloths. I had no idea who they were or where I was for several minutes. Then they rolled me over and I threw up.

Then they kept toweling me off, hooked me up to the blood pressure monitor and started giving me oxygen. I laid there for probably 30 minutes or so. I have no idea how long it was. I was very weak and naseous. They did a nice job with me though, I will give them all credit. It was two Soldiers, a nurse and the doctor. She even finished the procedure while I was still slightly out! I could hear her saying, "I'm afraid to wait till she wakes up or she'll pass out on me again!" That was weird :)

They tracked my blood pressure for about 30 minutes I think and it was steadily rising. Finally, I made it in to talk with the doctor again. She said it'll take about two weeks to get the results.

So, I made my way back to the office and everyone that knew was so nice! Everyone kept trying to tell me to go home, but I said why would I do that? First, I'd have to drive myself and then be at home alone? If I'm not feeling well, this is definitely the place to be, where people are always checking on me and the health center is just a walk across the street.

I would love to give my co-workers and friends credit today for being absolutely caring and nice to me. So many people who knew about it helped me out; one took my briefing for me, another offered to drive me home, another offered to bring me lunch, one gave me some cancer-fighting tea, another walked with me to a meeting across post. Definitely, I am blessed by where I work.

So that's the story in a nutshell. I made it through the rest of the afternoon by just taking it slow and easy. By the time I got home tonight, I was starving, so that's a good sign! I am going to head to bed soon though because needless to say, I'm pretty exhausted.

Thanks for reading!

Vasovagal reaction: A reflex of the involuntary nervous system that causes the heart to slow down (bradycardia) and that, at the same time, affects the nerves to the blood vessels in the legs permitting those vessels to dilate (widen). As a result the heart puts out less blood, the blood pressure drops, and what blood is circulating tends to go into the legs rather than to the head. The brain is deprived of oxygen and the fainting episode occurs. The vasovagal reaction is also called a vasovagal attack. The resultant fainting is synonymous with situational syncope, vasovagal syncope, vasodepressor syncope, and Gower syndrome which is named for Sir William Richard Gower (1845-1915), a famous English neurologist. (www.medterms.com)