Terrified About Blood Test Results

I know I'm pretty new here, and don't really know any of you very well yet, but I visit and read your posts all throughout my day, so I feel like it's a community that's close to me. I hope that doesn't bother anyone!

I'm currently just going out of my mind, dreading blood test results from labs that were taken last week. I have endometriosis and fibroids to begin with, but my cholesterol has always been a little high (lots of good cholesterol, at least), which bothers me all the time. For the last few years I've had, for some reason, higher than average serum creatinine, too, which would apparently usually indicate kidney failure, but when I actually went to my hospital's nephrology department last year, I was told that they didn't actually see kidney disease, and that some people just have higher serum creatinine than others....Huh....

Anyway, I emailed my doctor last night in anticipation of coming in to get my results today, asking if he'd just reassure me a little that I had no reason to panic. I didn't get a reply, and usually he's very good about replying - so now I'm really scared.
I live in Japan, and have no idea whether or not doctors are bothered to actually call patients if something is very wrong on their blood test results.

Anyway, I will have to go in a few hours, but it requires walking a pretty long distance, so I'm trying to psyche myself up for it. The worry is draining my energy. Out of all of it, the endo is the least of my problems. I'm terrified about kidney disease more than anything. If I ever ended up needing a new kidney, I don't know anyone who would ever be willing to donate (don't know what goes into the process at all - been trying to avoid obsessing over it), and god only knows how much it would cost to have a transplant and the risks that come with it...

Then again....I am pretty worried about the endo treatment. My doctor had me on Yaz for a year a few years ago.
Yaz....the one people are suing over left and right back in the US for causing death by way of blood clots....Yeah....
He kept insisting that it would be fine, and not to pay so much attention to what the internet says. That actually pissed me off because I really didn't think he was taking into account that my physical make up may be very different than the countless Japanese women he prescribes that crap for who don't have problem one with it. Wouldn't at all surprise me if somehow caucasian women in particular are more likely to get the blood clots...but people can be extremely insensitive that way here sometimes (y'know, when they're not gawking and yelling "GAJIN" at you as if they've never seen a foreigner in their lives).

The flip side is that he ends up having me take a stronger medication that will deplete my estrogen level to try to keep the endo at bay. Doesn't low estrogen levels in women cause severe depression?? I'm depressive - and currently in the middle of a major funk - as it is! This is not something I'm looking forward to...and the thought of trying to get hold of a psychiatrist to drug me out that way is futile. Japan is still very much in denial of emotional/mental wellbeing. The steady stream of suicides by speeding train are proof of that. Not only can people not get help for things like depression and anxiety, they're ridiculed for trying, and told that their illness doesn't exist, and that they're simply whining.

"What? You're feeling suicidal you say? You're going to be leaping in front of the next express to Kyoto, you say? Well, please try not to inconvenience others by waiting until evening rush is over, and - oh yeah - SUCK IT UP, BUTTERCUP! That'll be 5000 yen, thank you."

Nobody wants to accept it.

Sorry to be such a pill. I'm just really scared now, in anticipation of getting my results. I hate being humiliated by doctors, or worse yet - being given news by doctors who just sit on the fence with their assessments of my health, not really giving me any clear direction what I should do, or whether I should do anything at all. Just reaching out here because I'm feeling pretty lonely with this task ahead of me. Really not up to going, but I must.

I really don't know what to say except that I am sorry you are going through such a rough time. I hope that everything is okay and will be sending positive thoughts your way.

I don't know the procedures in Japan, but I had a fairly substantial case of endo a while back. The options I was given were (a) take hormones that would put me into a chemical menopause for about three months and the lesions would die and fall off, or (b) have them burned off by a laser. Seeing as how I had to have surgery to remove a lump of tissue from the side of my uterus anyway, and my doctor really didn't prefer the hormonal route due to bone depletion etc., I opted for the laser. He never mentioned birth control pills as a treatment. After the laser treatment, I didn't have any more problems with endo, and that's been about 20 years ago.

You may want to look into that.

Forgot to mention that I can understand your concern over your kidneys. I have a few severe mental diagnoses, with panic disorder being WAY up there. Before I got on the right meds, I stayed in a constant state of fight-or-flight all the time. I lost all appetite and couldn't eat - lost over 20lbs in about a month - my hair began falling out. I slept about 3-4 hours a night, and that is a generous estimate. I ended up spending 5 days in the mental hospital after finally having a nervous breakdown from all this. But, this ended up being a life-saver as it got me on the right meds.

I have had a full metabolic work-up, and my liver enzymes are about twice the upper limits. My Mom has a liver disease, and she had to go off a lot of her meds. I panic constantly that they will take me off my mental meds because of my liver. If that were to happen, I'd just have to kill myself.

Also, cannot imagine what I thought was an advanced country to have such disdain for mental illness.

Midnightcowgirl and Redheadedharlot, thank you so much for your replies, and they came just as I was waiting to see the doctor, so reading them was a real comfort. I really appreciate it.

Ok, what I found out is that my serum creatinine is somehow lower, so thankfully the kidney worry is away for a while. Don't have to worry about that one. As for the endo, I've not been prescribed a drug called Dienogest (also known as Visanne), which sounds like it does the same thing you described, RHH, in that it does something to help get rid of the adhesions. Unfortunately, it has to lower estrogen to do it, and apparently causes weight gain, but if it actually does something to help get rid of the endo and the pain that comes with it, I'm all for it. Here's hoping that works!

As for the dealing with depression, yeah, they don't like dealing with it at all, here. It's weird, you'd think that because they have large hospitals (in large cities, at least) for the treatment of all kinds of mental illness, it means they are invested in understanding and helping people that suffer with it, but the problem seems to be that you have to be pushed to the extreme where you would need to break down and become hospitalized in order to get your first initial help. There just aren't many cognitive therapists to go around, and it's still sort of hush-hush taboo to seek out therapy at all, so that makes finding effective help you can be comfortable with tough. I hope that'll change someday.

Thank you both again for your kindness. Those last few hours before the visit were very stressful, but I feel pretty relieved now. Just got to work on lowering my cholesterol a bit more, staying fit as possible and eating right, and hopefully things will stay on an even keel.

People sue right and left over many medications in the US. I am not saying there are notba few people who deserve compensation but any asshole admitted to the Bar in their state can try to start a class action suit. They litter up TV with advertisements but most go no where.

I feel for you Cats. Panic disordered here. Cyber hugs to you.