Heart Pounding Call

Don't you just hate it when someone from your doctor's office leaves you a voice mail message and tells you to call them right away because its urgent? I have to admit, my heart skipped more than a few beats. What on earth? I was just at my doctor's and everything was fine! I just got a fabulous "get out of jail" card from my oncologist. I am in the free and clear, am I not?

My fingers tremble as I push the buttons to redial the number. Rats! They are on lunch and not answering the phones. I try to busy myself with work at my desk, my eye glued to the clock, waiting a respectable ten minutes after they are open again before I call. I squirm as the phone rings, trying not to imagine any bad scenarios. "Your C levels are off the chart. Come in immediately. We will admit you to the hospital and take out all your insides." I giggle at my ridiculousness.

After ten rings, the receptionist answers and before I have the chance to say my name, she asks me to hold. Without waiting for an answer, I am switched to elevator music. This does not help my frame of mind. When will I ever learn not to panic? I am sure its nothing serious. I tap my finger impatiently, ticking off the minutes while I wait. One, two, five, eight. . .

Finally I hear the woman' voice asking how she can help me. I explain that I am returning the nurse's call, and she puts me on hold while she figures out where the nurse is and whether she can talk right now. The nurse is in helping the doctor, but the reason she called was that my Vitamin D levels are too low and I need to start taking a supplement right away before things get any more serious.

I blink. Vitamin D? That's the emergency? You've got to be kidding! I thank her, heaving a huge sigh of relief and shaking my head in disbelief. I am sure they had no idea what their message might sound like to someone who has been through all sorts of real medical emergencies!

On second thought, maybe this means more than I think. I decide to do some research. Turns out that low levels of Vitamin D can contribute to muscle weakness, something I struggle with, and given the involvement of my bone marrow and bone with the cancer, it would be helpful not to develop osteoporosis which it also helps prevent. Vitamin D is instrumental in preventing colon cancer and tooth loss as well as helping regulate your weight and revving up your immune system.

All that stuff impacts me. I wonder. Could I have avoided all this mess just by taking Vitamin D? Well, no use fussing about what might have been. I dutifully go to the store and get the prescribed vitamin. Let's just see if this wonder pill makes that much difference.