Whenever I go into another doctor appointment or another medical procedure I always think about the television show Grey's Anatomy. You know, the show where all the characters are Interns and Residents and always fighting over the patients with the abnormal medical conditions that require rare treatment. Every week they are fighting over patients. The question is always which one is going to have the coolest surgery or the patient with the most interesting history. While I love the show, I don't care for it so much when I am on my way to the doctors. I always begin wondering if they are talking about me and my medical condition or the history of doctor appointments and medical tests I have gone throughout my entire college career. It makes me wonder, are those interns and residents fighting over me and some other patient and who has the most interesting patient they are taking care of? Did they watch my surgery happen? See how closed up my artery was by one ligament or was I saved from that? Not that I was "exposed" but at the same time I was, and I hate even thinking about how many people saw me split open. And yes, I know they do not see it like that, but I do. haha
 It is crazy if you think of it like that. Granted, on Grey's Anatomy they are always one in a million cases that are featured, and MALS isn't that rare but it is crazy to think about it that way.
Two Thursdays ago, I went back to Dr. Thompson hoping something good would come of it. He wanted to perform an angioplasty immediately because of the fact my artery seems to be closing up again. So we scheduled an angioplasty for the very next day, Friday. Dr. Thompson had one of his partners perform the angioplasty because that doctor does angioplasties more often the Thompson. This doctor's name was Dr. Curcci. He seemed fine on Thursday but on Friday, I (of course) was crying and freaking out even though lots of people go through this procedure. Anyways, Dr. Curcci came in and explained what was going to happen and then started making jokes about how you "dont always get what you pay for" and whatever. I, personally, do not find those jokes funny....especially when I am the one going into the procedure room. In fact, I find it obnoxious that he would even make those jokes. When he came in, I was already in tears because of how scared I was and he did not make me feel any better. My mom immediately said something, and how it was not funny so he quickly shut up and left. The anesthesiologist then decided that he was going to actually put me completely to sleep because of how much I was already freaking out. Normally, the patient is just heavily sedated. But because I am allergic to the IV Contrast Dye the anesthesiologist was going to have to be in the room anyways in case there was an issue. Needless to say, I was terrified.
After the procedure I could not move my leg for hours and then I immediately got in the car and mom drove me back to the Lake for her to watch me. I was soo sore, it was crazy. I never imagined that tiny little prick could make you that sore.
The doctors never actually performed the angioplasty because when they got in there and saw my artery they decided the blood was still flowing sufficiently enough that they did not want to put something like that in me because it wasn't necessary just yet. Dr. Thompson wanted to perform the surgery because that way we wouldn't always wonder if the angioplasty would have solved the issue or not. So, it is good that we ruled out that I need the angioplasty...for now. ha.
The thing about going through something that feels like it is never ending....is that it feels like it is never ending. It seems like all my big medical procedures all seem to happen around the holidays. Which granted, there is always some holiday at some point or another throughout the year. But my body always seems to choose to need more attention on the holidays when we actually have things planned with other family members from out of town. This whole process is stressful on my whole family, more specifically my mom. She is constantly there at the doctors, my apartment, everywhere and anywhere I need her to be. The thing is, you don't realize how it affects other people, you are always focused on yourself, because you are the one going through it. I mean, after all, you ARE the one going through the needle pricks, medical procedures, and everything else. But you have to take into account, they are usually sitting right there with you too. That is one thing they do not always show on Grey's Anatomy or any of those doctor/medical tv shows. The emotional toll it takes on not only the patient but the family is hard. And it is one that you have to deal with together. And learn to appreciate everything they do help you through, no matter how much harder you feel it is for you, it is ten times harder for them to watch you go through it. That is something I have just now learned to take into consideration. And I will make sure to appreciate there actions more than I did in the beginning of this whole experience.