Chapter 3: Anxiety Comes with Weddings

The next day at my fitting, the designer said I had gained a couple of centimeters in which I would still fit in the dress, but it would be a tight fit. He suggested I try to lose a pound or two but was sufficient with my fitting and said he would make a couple of small adjustments just in case and wrap my dress and the maid of honor's dress and have them ready for pick up the next day.

Our brunch went well and almost qualified as best day number two, but I was so anticipating the wedding day to take that spot it overshadowed the idea that the brunch could. It was called the bridesmaid's brunch, but my mother and soon-to-be-mother-in-law were there as well as some aunts from both sides, cousins and a couple of female friends. It was a lady's event, and we had a blast. It ended with both mothers giving gifts to everyone. Spa day certificates from my mom, whose best friend owned a spa. And shopping cards, good for $1000 for each of us from George's mom, whose husband was rich.

We were all delighted, and many girls shrieked at the gifts. One girl actually cried. All the bridesmaids went to Trinity's for movies and popcorn and finished out the day with chic flicks and gossip. No, this was not my bachelorette. I already had one of those, an all-expense-paid trip to Vegas with these girls who at first were just a hodgepodge of females most closely related to George or me, but after that trip, a sisterhood that could never be broken was formed.

I would have possibly included one of those days in Vegas as a best-day-ever candidate if I weren't hungover or vomiting so often and I barely drank anything. I hadn't realized I was such a lightweight. I was still vomiting for days after I returned just from recalling the trip. We did have some fun, though, and we bonded in ways I never thought would be possible.

I spent the night at Trinity's after all over movies and popcorn. The next morning I told Trinity I would meet her to pick up our dresses after my doctor's appointment. I would hopefully be able to get some free samples and not need to stop at the pharmacy, but just in case, I gave myself enough time before I would meet up with Trinity.

*****

I was sitting in the waiting room at the doctor's office watching someone bulldoze a shed and raze a backyard for some kind of makeover on the waiting room television when the nurse came out and called my name. I got up and followed her back through the corridors.

"Hello, Ms. Hart," She said with a smile as we walked. "My name is Bonnie and I will be working with your clinical work today."

"Oh, okay. Will this take long?"

"We will have you out of here as soon as possible," she opened the door to a patient room. "Please set your purse here and stand on the scale." She weighed me, measured my height, took my pulse and blood pressure, and asked what symptoms I was having that had brought me in today.

"Well, I'm super anxious, I think, because of my upcoming wedding. I have been nauseous, kind of dizzy, and pretty thirsty a lot even though I drink tons and am always going to the bathroom. Sometimes my breath is pretty quick and shallow. I've been getting heartburn a lot more frequently. I'm super tired but restless at the same time. I think that's about everything I can think of.

"How often do you smoke and, or drink?"

"I don't smoke, and I have a glass of wine maybe two or three times a week."

"Do you use any street drugs of any kind?"

"No."

"When is the last time you had your period?"

"Oh! That too, I think maybe 40 days ago. I'm not sure but I read that stress can affect your menstrual cycle as well."

"That is true. Is there any chance you could be pregnant?"

"No! Haha, ha no, we take precaution. We have a five-year plan that is rather tight, so we can't have any little ones quite yet. I just want to be able to get through my wedding without passing out from exhaustion."

"Haha, yes, I can understand that. I've been through my own wedding." Bonnie told me as she finished typing notes into my online chart. "I've got this all logged into the system for the doctor. She may want to run some tests just to rule out a few things, but that shouldn't take too long. Don't worry, we should have you out of here soon so you can get back to your wedding preparations."

"Thank you," I said with a smile which she returned and then promptly left the room. I was slightly fidgety, going over my to-do list a few more times in my head. Mostly to pass the time but also because I didn't want to forget something and end up rushing trying to get it done last minute.

"Hello, Ms. Hart," the doctor said when she came in. It had felt like it took her three hours, but my Fitbit had only changed by 11 minutes.

"Hi, Dr. Wansen," I responded, eager to hear what she had to say, hoping she could give me something to help with the nerves and get me through to my wedding. "I just really need something to help me calm down a little bit to get through these last two weeks."

"Yes, I understand." She said as she pulled up my notes on the computer. "I looked at your clinical, and I am going to order a couple of tests just to rule some things out. We can do it in house and it shouldn't take too long."

"Okay."

"I understand you probably have a lot to do, so we can collect some samples from you and call you with the results, then send over whatever prescriptions to your pharmacy for you to pick up."

"Oh, Okay."

"Are you having any constipation at all?"

"Umm, no."

"Your pulse was a bit elevated, are you having any lightness of your chest, or dry mouth, maybe breathlessness?"

"No, not really more like a tightness in my chest at times. I just came from doing some hot yoga, though."

"Okay. Good. Well, you seem to be in great health overall, but based on your symptoms, I want to run a few tests. I'll give you a sample of a mild anxiety medication to help calm you until we get these results back. Bonnie will be in here shortly to draw some blood and collect a urine sample, then we will have you on your way." The doctor said her goodbyes. Bonnie came in, collected blood and a urine sample, and gave me a small paper bag with a medication sample, and as promised, I was on my way.

I headed to my soon-to-be mother-in-law's to go over seating arrangements and get an update on her forest. I had to go shopping for some work clothes and supplies and then check the wedding set up once the forest was approved and underway. The wedding was going to occur at George's family's house in the back yard near the lake. The mock fence was in place to contain the peacocks. We just needed the flower arrangement set up.

I gave my soon-to-be mother-in-law the thumbs up on the flowers, adjusted a couple of my mom and dad's relative's seating arrangements, and was finally on my way home and exhausted. I had taken the day off to go to the doctor and get the last-minute things done at George's family house, but I still had the rest of the week to go through. I had resigned to prepare for my new job. I would work until the end of the week and then have a week off to finish wedding preparations, a week for my honeymoon in Bali, and then I would be back home to start my new job. Everything was going as planned and I needed a nap, badly.

I walked in the door to my apartment and headed directly for the sofa, where I laid down and immediately fell asleep.