Having RA means having a supersquad of medical specialists who attend you. It can be quite overwhelming at first. After my diagnosis, I felt like I was drowning in doctors and appointments, and I could barely keep straight who I was supposed to see when. One of my medical supersquad was a cardiologist (my rheumatologist had found a heart murmur at my first appointment and wanted me to get it checked out). After having a rather unpleasant run in with an ekocardiogram technician following my first cardiology appointment, I was proclaimed free for a year before my next check up, and I wasn't looking forward to its eventual appearance.
This past Thursday, my number was finally up. I made my way to the towering Beth Israel hospital facility at Union Square, rushed myself into one of the elevators before the doors could close on me, and pushed floor 2. Walking into the busy waiting room for cardiology, I became instantly aware of the fact that I was decades younger than anyone else in that room. I literally mean decades. By far. I was also the only red head wearing heels and a brightly-colored pencil skirt. After checking in at the front desk and paying my $30 copay (choke, choke), I sat down in a corner and waited. To say that I stuck out like a sore thumb (pun intended) was an understatement. People literally gave me a confused once over as if they were sure I had stumbled into the wrong office....so why was I still there?
A few times while I was waiting, a young, fresh faced man or woman would walk through the door and my spirits would start to lift thinking that, finally, here was another 30 something getting their heart checked out. Inevitably though, it turned out that they just worked there. Blerg.
After a spell, I was finally called back to see my doctor. I love it when the actual time with the doctor is way less than the time spent waiting to see them. This was another prime example of this annoying medical phenomenon, but this time, I ended not caring two bits because after a short examination and some questioning, my cardiologist declared that I was totally fine! My heart murmur and atypical rhythm were both completely innocent, my heart was structurally sound and . . . . there was no reason I needed to see her again! EVER!
Woohoo! I walked out of Beth Israel that day feeling just a little more normal. That's one specialist down...now only about three more to go.
One by one----yay for this victory!
Posted by: Millicent | June 06, 2009 at 05:57 PM
Congrats!!it's great to be able to remove one thing off the ever growing list of issues. So vindicating!
Posted by: Steph | June 06, 2009 at 07:42 PM
Congratulations! Each good report is a small victory.
Posted by: Becky | June 06, 2009 at 08:22 PM
Wow...congrats. You can hear your excitement in your post.
Posted by: Angie | June 07, 2009 at 10:33 AM
I'm glad to hear you have a healthy heart Sara - that must be a huge relief for you! I have to admit that until this post, I didn't realize you have red hair... so that means we not only have RA in common, but we're both redheads! Coolest hair colour EVER!!! :)
Posted by: claire | June 07, 2009 at 01:05 PM
M-you bet!
Steph-thanks!
Becky-yes, and feeling victorious feels goooood.
Angie-I'm glad about that. I do truly feel excited to strike that one off the list.
Claire- yay! I love having red hair. It's absolutely the best!
Posted by: sara | June 07, 2009 at 06:01 PM
I had a similar appointment this week with my Rheumatologist. Everyeone in the waiting room was also decades older than me (i'm guessing about 4 decades on average!!) - and to make it even more atmospheric, the woman behind me was making the most disturbing sounds when she was coughing... It wasn't a pleasant afternoon. Thanks for helping me see the lighter side of it somehow! :)
Posted by: Kim | June 07, 2009 at 06:43 PM
I just found your blog, and I love it!
I'm 25 and have RA and a heart condition, so I can absolutely relate to being the youngest person in the room by about a million years. When I DO see someone close to my age in the waiting room, I have to fight the urge to stare and/or try to inconspicuously scooch over closer to them. I'm just so happy to see them!
Posted by: Helen | June 08, 2009 at 09:34 AM
=] i went to see my rheumy last week... and was the youngest patient in the waiting room. its an odd feeling and a little disheartening sometimes. i always take a book to distract myself from thinking "how bad of shape am i going to be in when i'm THAT person's age?" thing. and go redheads!! i too have reddish hair lol
Posted by: Ambra | June 08, 2009 at 10:13 AM
Hey Ambra! This is turning into a "Redheads guide to Rheumatoid Arthritis" hahaha.. nice to see another redhead! Is your hair colour natural?
I agree with you both - Ambra and Helen - walking into the rheumy's office and being surrounded by older people is very discouraging for us younger people.
We may not all be in the waiting room together, but we've sure got each others backs through this blog :)
Take care ladies.
Posted by: claire | June 08, 2009 at 03:08 PM
Kim-I know, it's such a drag being the youngest and feeling so out of place.
Helen-haha, I love that image of you slowly inching your way over.So glad you found me (and all of us here), too!
Ambra-I have those thoughts, too. Kind of hard not to... Yay for red heads!
Claire-totally!
Posted by: sara | June 10, 2009 at 11:09 PM