Last Thursday my blood was drawn. The data is being analyzed in a lab somewhere right now. Have you ventured a guess as to what my t-cell count is? Well, what are you waiting for? Read the rules on my previous blog post here, and post your guess as a Comment on my Poz Blog.
It’s that simple!
“Hey, Shawn?”
Yes, random voice in my head.
“Why make a game out of something so... serious?”
Great question! Well, one of the reasons why I make a game out of this is because for many people, doctor’s visits are scary. People put off their appointments, find excuses to miss them, often times because they are afraid of what they are going to hear. Or that a doctor’s appointment just reminds them of whatever medical condition they have. These are all for human and reasonable reactions- I know, I’ve been there.
On Thursday when I was taking an elevator to the Clinic, I just caught a whiff of the hospital. Hospitals have a unique scent, do they not? Anyway, it wasn’t a bad a smell, but it triggered a deep emotional response. I got really nervous, and I didn’t know why. For a brief second, I felt the exact same way I did when I used to go to Richmond in the early days of my diagnosis. I realized it was the smell of the hospital that took me back and reminded me of how these routine check-ups used to make me feel- sick to my stomach with worry.
By the time the elevator got me to the floor I was headed to I felt better. And I was reminded why I turn what has become a normal experience- getting my labwork done- into a contest. It’s about flipping an undesirable situation and making the best of it. And in the bigger scheme of life, that’s the biggest challenge we all face, isn’t it?
Oh yeah, guessing ends at midnight on Tuesday- good luck!
Positively Yours,
Shawn
It’s that simple!
“Hey, Shawn?”
Yes, random voice in my head.
“Why make a game out of something so... serious?”
Great question! Well, one of the reasons why I make a game out of this is because for many people, doctor’s visits are scary. People put off their appointments, find excuses to miss them, often times because they are afraid of what they are going to hear. Or that a doctor’s appointment just reminds them of whatever medical condition they have. These are all for human and reasonable reactions- I know, I’ve been there.
On Thursday when I was taking an elevator to the Clinic, I just caught a whiff of the hospital. Hospitals have a unique scent, do they not? Anyway, it wasn’t a bad a smell, but it triggered a deep emotional response. I got really nervous, and I didn’t know why. For a brief second, I felt the exact same way I did when I used to go to Richmond in the early days of my diagnosis. I realized it was the smell of the hospital that took me back and reminded me of how these routine check-ups used to make me feel- sick to my stomach with worry.
By the time the elevator got me to the floor I was headed to I felt better. And I was reminded why I turn what has become a normal experience- getting my labwork done- into a contest. It’s about flipping an undesirable situation and making the best of it. And in the bigger scheme of life, that’s the biggest challenge we all face, isn’t it?
Oh yeah, guessing ends at midnight on Tuesday- good luck!
Positively Yours,
Shawn
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