Doing Hard Things, Scared : A Urogynecology Update Post
I had an important appointment yesterday afternoon. I met with my urogynecologist's Nurse Practitioner, Katrina Whipple. It was my first time meeting with her, so my anxiety was through the roof. In fact, my anxiety was so bad that I had a massive meltdown in the morning while trying to get ready for my day. I knew that I was going to have to tell this doctor all about my past trauma, both sexual and medical. Both forms of trauma are pertinent to this appointment as it affects Interstitial Cystitis in a big way. Every time I have anxiety or get upset, I have an instant bladder flare. It's like clockwork, every single time. When the nurse was checking me in and doing my vitals, I let her know that my blood pressure might be elevated due to my medical anxiety and past trauma. At that point, I told her some of the minor details of my abuse by medical providers. She was very compassionate and had empathy for what I hav...