Gah!

So, S went in to gets initial labs done for a transplant evaluation. Her eval day is on Wednesday.

The lab just called to say her potassium was low, and maybe she should go to the ER.

Except, we hate going to the ER (especially on weekends), her low potassium is caused by one of the diuretics she takes, and her current level, while lower than normal, is still within a range that doesn't necessarily show symptoms. (In fact, when she first presented years ago, she had almost no potassium in her body).

So, we're probably not going to be going to the ER, and I've mostly calmed myself.

But I'm still worried, and kind of want to go.

Of course, I couldn't get her to go to the ER when she split her face open and gave herself a minor concussion, so I doubt I'll get her to go if I wanted to.

That's ok - all I have on my agenda today is Prom.

I read this as porn and coming from Erin it didn't seem out of place.

Of course you worry, Sean. Her levels may be lower than normal, but not necessarily low for her situation with the diuretics. Do you have previous reports to compare it to? A weekend trip to the ER may be harder on her than the potassium levels.

I read this as porn and coming from Erin it didn't seem out of place.

So did I, then I got to the free steak part and was confused.

Sean, it sounds probably not worth the misery of an ER visit just yet. Would it help any (with the potassium or just with your worry) for S to eat some bananas or choke down some Gatorade?

A weekend trip to the ER may be harder on her than the potassium levels.

This is our thinking. And I'm sure we have previous tests to compare levels to, but more than that, I'm sure her current levels are not unusual (even if they're not constant).

So, yeah, it's really not any worse than the low level worrying I always do, and there's probably not anything unusual worth worrying about.

I just worry when she breathes or blinks different, so I'm trying to train myself as to what appropriate response levels are.

Would it help any (with the potassium or just with your worry) for S to eat some bananas or choke down some Gatorade?

Probably. And we have bananas, so I'll be trying to encourage her to eat those.

Gatorade has very little potassium in it - 35-50mg per serving. Low sodium V-8 has much more, 590mg if memory serves, but I'm not sure if that's an 8 oz serving or those little 5.5 oz cans.

ETA: I was so concentrating on the useful info that I forgot to add the ~ma. Lots of it for both of you, Sean.

It does sound like you and she have a good handle on what her levels usually are -- from working for someone who deals with lab results all the time, I'm positive the lab has orders to report unusual levels and make certain recommendations based purely on a particular set of numbers for someone of a given age, gender and weight; they're processing dozens if not hundreds of tests a day and they can't possibly have specifics on every single individual case. S's potassium could very well be both officially low and normal for her. She and you know her history best, infinitely better than the lab.

It's got to be nigh impossible not to worry, but this really does sound like a situation where you two have a better handle on it than the lab. They're doing what they legally have to in terms of reporting and recommending, but you and S know her history best.

Mwah, and a bananalicious lunch, to both of you.

I read this as porn and coming from Erin it didn't seem out of place.

Well, I don't have cable, so I have to make my own...porn.