The Waiting Game: Medical Test Results

I've been through quite the journey with this recently.

One significant obstacle came in 2021 when I had to wait for the results of my spinal MRI. As bazaar as it sounds, I was anxious that they would come back all clear. I knew deep down that something was really wrong with my back. And let me tell you, that anxiety was immense. I was in such intense pain that it was affecting my shoulder, arm, posture, balance, and everything in between. If the MRI results had come back clear, I wouldn't have known what to do or even how to begin to understand why my spine was causing me so much trouble.

The results came back, and issues were found – severe narrowing in different vertebrae due to degenerative reasons and hypertrophy and arthritis in my spine. When I finally received the MRI results back, I cried with relief. Finally, it made sense; I had answers, and I could start getting the help I needed to relieve the pain and musculoskeletal issues. 

However, the wait for test results is frightening this time around.

Yesterday, I had a gastroscopy (because of excessive burping, excruciating swelling, midsection pain and so on). I was initially convinced I had gallbladder issues, yet two weeks ago, I had an ultrasound, which gave me the all-clear, so my GP referred me for a Gastroscopy at the Endoscopy dept. As it wasn't my gallbladder, I was then thinking the camera down my throat into my stomach would return clear, yet I had a niggle that I could have an ulcer or a hernia (that is the amount Mum was found) - as something has to be causing me these issues?! My GP suspected it was Naproxen that had caused damage to my stomach, as it had already caused inflammation of the bowels, so I had to stop Naproxen earlier this year. Anyhow…..

What I was not ready for, or it hadn't even occurred to me, was that they found an area of concern (lesions) where they needed to take 3 x biopsies and send it off as urgent and that I would likewise require a CT of my abdomen. That threw me, as it potentially is more sinister, and so once again, I'm hanging tight for the results to come back, yet this time, I’m scared if they do return as unsatisfactory.  

Now it is the waiting game, and this time, results that I am fearing

About me

I am a married mother of four children. One of those four children is our granddaughter, for whom we are SGO (legal guardians)/kinship carers. I run a small business and enjoy writing, so I blog. My blog focuses on my family life as well as my experiences of living with chronic illnesses and disabilities such as ME/CFS, spinal stenosis, chronic pain, and fibromyalgia.  Oh, and I am only in my mid-40s.