How do you all personally cope with the "waiting game" after having important medical tests run?

I fret and pace and wring my hands. I make Doomsday plans. I put on a brave face for the loved ones and totally freak out.
I gorge on bad food. I over drink. I do not cope with any grace.
Sorry that doesn’t help at all. :-/

That said, I wish for your mother a benign outcome, and that all your worry be needless and unfounded.
Eat a pizza anyway.

I go out about my normal day to day business. And I remind myself that if it is bad, now I know about it and so do the doctors, and we can do what ever can be done.

I remind myself that if I hadn’t had the test done, no one would know anything.

I’ve haven’t had to worry about anything really serious yet, which is probably why I’m lucky enough to reliably turn into an optimist in these situations. I still feel for you, and I hope you get answers as soon as possible.

I worry more about my pets or daughter than I do myself.
I am fully at peace with my mortality and figure we all have to doe of SOMETHING. What that something is is anybodies guess. The last testing I had done was for an Adrenal adenoma, usually benign, and I checked out for all sorts of endocrine issues like Cushings disease so now, I go for CT scans every 6 months to keep an eye on the tumor.

I decided long ago that in the event of a serious issue I do not want any invasive surgeries or treatments, just make me comfy and let me go naturally and enjoy what time I have left.

Best wishes to your mom and try to remember, as hard as it might be, worrying will not change anything.

Thanks, y’all. I always tend to freak out with stuff like this, like when my little one fractured her skull, and I can’t stop myself from imagining the worst case scenario. I know worrying doesn’t help anything, I just can’t seem to not worry.

Research the medical issue on the internet.
Get freaked out.
Ask Fluther and get lots of support and love. (and scolded for asking the internet a medical question)
Drink some beer.
Sleep.

Ugh, can’t have alcohol right now because my oldest has a concert in a few hours. I did already take a Xanax as soon as I got home, though.

Xanax is better. You’ll be good. =)

Xanax is OUTSTANDING! lol, I haven’t taken it in like 15 years but boy, it works, got me through a divorce and a psycho ex boss all at once. haha

Please (if you’re comfortable with it) let us know how your mom is. I’ll be sending good thoughts.

First of all, keep us posted and let us know hiw your mum is doing. Something tells me it is not serious and there is an explanation for it. All the very best to you.

Now for your question. I feel anxious to the point of breakdown for loved ones. For me not so stressed. I just want to know what is going on but I do not really care.

Calm down so your mother also feels calmer, it will all be clear soon. :)

I handle it OK. I’m a bit spoiled, or maybe blind, in that I can’t imagine anything really bad happening. All the news has always been good.

What bothers me is when they take longer than they said they would to get the results. My daughter had an MRI, they said they’d call her by Wednesday. On Saturday they still hadn’t called. She was freaking out. She thought it meant that there was something seriously wrong, and they didn’t want to tell her.
I said, “Don’t take this wrong, honey, but you’re just another patient to them. You’re probably a number. Delivering bad news is old hat to them. They wouldn’t wait to call just because they didn’t want to break the news.”

That made her feel better.

@ZEPHYRA I kept calm until I dropped her off at home, then I let the fear loose and called my hubby. Mom and I went to lunch after being in the doc’s office almost 4 loooooooong hours (and I’d already gotten zero sleep last night, which didn’t help) and I stayed upbeat and kept steering the convo toward other things and trying to make her laugh because I could feel how nervous she was. In my head though, I was screaming, “OMG, there was a big ugly splotch on pictures of my mom’s heart!”

She’s supposedly supposed to hear something by tomorrow morning, and I’m so frigging impatient to know what’s going on. Thankfully, my hubby has been sending me sweet messages all afternoon and that has helped take my mind off of it a bit, and maybe going to hear my oldest sing tonight will help too.

Thanks for the answers to the actual question, you guys, AND for the warm thoughts. I’d been away for so long due to all the arguing, I’d forgotten how kind and supportive jellies can be.

If you have to wait it’s usually good/ok news

Not in my experience, sadly.

I rant at my poor husband about all the possible outcomes. I usually focus on the bad shit. In return, he tries to make light of the situation and find the positives.

For instance, when I thought I was going blind, he told me the good things that could result if that happened. One, I would be able to get a labrador (which I agree is a big win), Two, for him there would be the disabled sticker so he could park everywhere. Three, and of dubious value, was the idea that he would dress me and do my makeup, thereby removing a stress from my life as I’d never have to make those decisions again…

Another time I had a problem with my boob, and had to see a specialist to find out if it was something sinister. He comforted me by advising me that female archers on some island historically, had one breast removed to stop their boob interfering with their archery skills.

:-|

I’m waiting for results now too. I was fine until I googled to much then I was a basket case. The next night I got a good night sleep and was fine until this morning when I went to yoga class and cried my eyes out again. Ugh. Regardless of what the results say I’m not dying tomorrow but also, regardless of what the results say, I already know my life expectancy is probably shortened.

Why @Judi?

What @Dutchess_III said!?!?!

I do my best to keep it out of my head. Easier said than done. I don’t start googling. However, if I already know about the condition I’m screwed, and I know too much for my own good about a lot of medical conditions.

The one time I had a test that scared me like crazy I held it together pretty well during the wait, but when it came back negative (good) I burst into tears.

Go about your normal routine and wait. You don’t know what you don’t know

Accept the worst case scenario until you know for sure.

I worry, and then I research and then I worry some more. Then I remember that I’ve been though doomsday reports more than once and it always comes out to really be nothing at all. So I usually calm down and direct my anger at the doctor that made my flu symptoms or simple blood test or xray be something bigger than it was. So no point in worrying about something that I have no control over and no point in worrying about something that may be nothing. The time to really worry is when you actually get confirmed bad news.

First,

Coloma- get it written down legally as to your wishes. My Mom put me as Med Power of Attny- I still had to have a throw down in the hallway of hospital with a sibling over things! The yutz.

Judi- I wish you well and calm. Your yoga cry and good sleep did you a good stress release.

Earthbound_Misfit- You lucky girl! What a hoot! How can you cry when you’re laughing…

WillWorkFor Chocolate- I’m sorry about the stress and upset you and your Mom are going through. Helpless waiting is awful. You want to scream, then cry, move on to howling, and stomping your feet. If it helps, do it. Mr WillWork was nice- he knows.
I’ve had to wait for test results for family members, and for myself. Scary stuff.
Sometimes I read. Watched a movie. Colored with crayons. Cleaned-euw!
But at its most desperate, I sat outside looking at the Fall leaves, in case I wasn’t here to see them the next year.
Sit wiith Mom. Let it be quiet. Let her talk. Or not.
You’re there. You love her. That’s what helps the most.
I can’t not-worry. It sounds great and all. Sensible. But it ain’t happening.
I wish your Mom, well and you, calm.

Take care all.

Okay, her doc called and said the spot was an “artifact” or something like that. Basically, it was a “false spot” and she’s okay. Phew!

:D !!!!! Yea!
I’m so glad for you both!
Champagne for all!

That’s great news! Glad your worrying is over.

Now you can drink a beverage!

Are you kidding? I took a three hour nap, LOL!

Yeeeeeees, I thought so! Not everything has to be something bad. Take care of each other and focus on keeping calm and following the doc’s orders. Great news! So lovely to hear something positive.