A Gestational Diabetes Scare

So the whole Australia incident was rather scarring, and I am trying not to think too much about it, because some part of my mental health awareness is cognizant that I have to just stuff this into a dark recess in my brain and not dwell on it.  The work itself wouldn't have been so unbearable if it weren't also for the fact that I was really stressed that I was overdue for my gestational diabetes test and my routine checkup.

I had had a test scheduled in Hong Kong for the week before I left for Australia, but then moved it to the following week because I thought that timing would be better, only for me to not be able to fit anything in before I had to leave for Sydney.  My anxiety over this, coupled with a complete lack of sleep and stress over work plus stress over stressing over work, was playing a real number on my mental state.  It didn't help that I ended up being in Australia by myself, so Michael was small comfort over the phone. 

I finally decided that it would help me calm my nerves and help me feel better if I went to get the test done while I was in Sydney.  That's the benefit of international health care, right?  Well, worst idea ever.

First I called up an ob/gyn, but because they didn't have availability until the following day and then I would have to separately go to a clinic the following morning, they suggested I reach out to a clinic facility instead, which would be able to run labs on the premises.  That sounded efficient and promising, so I scheduled an appointment first thing in the morning, and fasted before the appointment.

I got to the clinic bright and early and met a rather confused general practitioner who asked me what I needed, and had to be reminded about gestational diabetes and to check my pulse and blood pressure.  Not off to a promising start.  Then I was became the confused one when the lab technician informed me that, with no family history of diabetes or sugar in my urine, I would only need to do the glucose challenge test, and not the full oral GTT.  So I could eat.  This seemed contrary to what I'd heard from my doctor previously, but I heeded their professional advice.  No blood was drawn at first - I just had to drink a small bottle of sparkly sweet soda, and wait for an hour.  They wouldn't let me leave the clinic (I'm not sure why, as the test didn't require me to fast so it wasn't like I was a fainting risk - although I had, in fact, fasted, and for nothing).  I ate a banana and orange to pass the time.  Then the technician drew a vial of my blood (and bruised me badly in the process).

The next morning, I was so busy that I missed my 10:30 am appointment and couldn't make it in to the clinic until 4:30.  When I finally managed to get to the clinic, I was greeted by a different general practitioner, a wizened, old man.  When I sat down, he launched into a long and nearly indecipherable soliloquy about diabetes and getting my results checked with my doctor when I was back in Hong Kong.  I kid you not, it took me about 5 minutes to understand that I had failed the test.

It was something about his complete lack of introduction, the confused and meandering way he delivered the message, coupled with my absolute conviction that I didn't have/couldn't have gestational diabetes, combined with all of my stress and lack of sleep or fitness over the past week, that completely robbed me of my rational defenses.  The doctor then weighed me to determine if I had "gained too much weight during pregnancy" (I stepped on the scale and he confirmed that I had not) which also didn't seem quite like the right measure...and otherwise told me to lay off all sugars and carbs in order to control the diabetes.  I really felt at a loss, and just so... vulnerable in that moment.  It felt like he was giving me rote, random advice and no context for this huge, shattering news.  But then when I asked follow up questions, he could give me no more advice than to speak to my doctor once I was back in Hong Kong - and then reassure me that it wasn't urgent or anything to worry about immediately.

It all felt very futile.  I was also really pissed that I had to pay for two GP visits and a blood test that didn't tell me anything except that I needed another test.

Of course I called Michael in a very wobbly and emotional state and from there he panicked and went into overdrive checking out the impact of diabetes on me and the baby.  It all just snowballed from there.  I also couldn't get ahold of my doctor in Hong Kong to confirm what I should do.  Not to mention, all of this was happening while the deal was fast approaching the last moments of signing, always a frenetic, relentless and punishing point.  Those were some low, low moments.

However, fast forward two days later, on the first morning that I was back in Hong Kong, (you know, feeling super refreshed and awake after not sleeping for 24 hours straight and then boarding a 9 hour flight), I re-did the GTT, but this time the "real," "full-fledged GTT", with the full fasting, blood drawing before and after the test, a two hour wait instead of one, and a much more sugary drink.  My poor arms had been pricked back and forth.

And the very good news is that (1) I do not have gestational diabetes (hooray!! yay!) and (2) I did not faint or even feel lightheaded after all that blood had been drawn.