The long wait

Some days back I had to visit a diagnostic centre for some investigations. I usually get myself checked at regular intervals but of late there was some issue with gastritis that had been bothering me. After trying the conservative medications that we usually prescribe to our patients, I felt as if the problem was a bit resolved but not completely. My due date for getting the routine tests was near and so I decided to get more detailed investigation done this time. A good start towards preventive, rather screening for a disease, I thought.

Being an anaesthesiologist, I routinely do cannulations, as well as draw blood whenever required for intraoperative investigations like ABG etc. but, the thought of getting myself pierced by the technician’s needle for aspiration of a blood sample to get my blood values evaluated felt an uneasy affair.

Yes! I am a human after all and years of being in the medical practice had changed little when it comes to piercing myself. The night was rather sleepless and there was a sever bout of gastritis possibly owing to the hectic schedule that I had to go through over the past few days. But as I was already going for the investigations, I also decided to go for an USG.

Early morning, I was up and out of the bed and rushed to the laboratory to give the morning samples. The moment before the needle pierced into my vein, I felt cold sweats building on my forehead in the well ventilated and conditioned atmosphere of the laboratory. Anyway, having done with the bloody affair, it was now turn to drink water and fill my bladder with as much piss as possible and still not go get relieved. You felt as if you’d burst and still you have to patiently hold on.

The moment I lay myself on the bed, the radiologist recognized my and as a matter of courtesy exchanged greetings while in my mind I was perplexed at having to go through all such stuff. I wanted to rush into the loo and piss myself to heaven. Anyway, she asked – what’s the matter with you, here? What’s wrong?

I told her of my abdominal pain.

As she probed my tummy, although I was quiet sure it was a case of gastritis, but a strange fear grasped me – what if it was a tumour causing the things? Who knows what may come out of it!

At the end of the procedure as she gestured me to get up and wipe myself of the gooey jelly I looked at her expectantly and she said smiling – what? Nothing’s wrong.

Those few moments till her voice reached my ears, so tense and terrible. I wonder how so many people might feel everyday when they wait for the results dictated onto them. The wait seems never ending.