Do You ever get used to those blood tests?

Unfortunately, looks like i am in good company when it comes to being a worrier.
I haven't even been diagnosed yet, just dealing with rising psa over the last 5-6 years. So i get PSA checked every 6 monhts, and yeah, after the blood is drawn, i start to sweat waiting for the Dr visit to get the results.
I could get them over the phone in a few days but i am afraid to, always worried that there will be a big jump and if that happens i would rather hear it from the doc directly, so i can ask 7000 stupid questions to try and find something to ease my mind.
My source of worry is knowing that at any one of these tests could totally change my life, which is reasonably good right now.
Saying not to worry and enjoy the moment makes a lot of sense. Unfortunately easy to say not so easy to do when you arent built that way.

I guess we could all benefit somewhat from Tall Allens advice about Mindfulness.

Blood tests have been a way of life for me for close to 3-years.

They have changed from:

1) the crevice of the elbows until my veins went away - then to:

2) the top of my hand - usually a black/blue right hand - then to:

3) my (chemo) port until that became painful - then to:

4) a prepared (with a deadoner) chemo port.

   There were times I was getting the blood draws every two weeks - due to my kidney blockage from the metastisized PC. For much of the time, it had been every three weeks - to match the chemo frequency. And recently, it's been reduced to every 4-weeks. My kidneys need checking at least monthly.

   I rarely think about them any more. The skin prep helps alot to reduce the pain from puncturing the port in my chest. I would highly recommend it for someone with a port and frequent blood draws.

   Having my kidney stent replaced every 6-months is much more bothersome to me. Even though on anesthetic, there is a two or three day recovery time with a stent(tube) being removed and replaced thru your penis - to go between your kidney and bladder. Thinking about that bothers me!!!

   I guess we gotta do what we gotta do!

Rob & Gizmo

  

As I've said before, one advantage of getting my HT shot on the same day as they draw my blood for the PSA test is that I am so busy hating on that HT shot that I have no angst left over to worry about my PSA. But in 6 months, when I see my oncologist and don't get a shot I expect I will be sweating bullets.

I get them about twice each month. One is a regular one, and the other is one is usually related to a trip to the doctor for something else.

I have simply quit thinking about them. The nurse calls my wife with the results because I won't call the nurse. My PSA is all over the place, and all it does is scare me. So I ignore it; there is nothing I can do about it. One of my tests recently was a drug test, and I have been taking a good bit of oxycodone and oxymorphone and I was concerned I would get a lecture about taking too much. Not a peep.

I have identified two or three nurses that I like, and I will wait for one of them to do the draw. I am very tired of being a pincushion for amateurs.

B