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I perked up, the hair on my arms stood tall. "Were there things in it that concerned you?"
"Your vitamin levels were up and down, your iron was below normal, and so was your red blood cell count."
I froze. Her words caused instant anxiety to soar through me. I didn't know much about proper levels, but anything below normal scared me, especially red blood cells.
"Not to worry." She must have sensed my alarm. "A low red blood cell count can be attributed to a lot of things. Nothing to get your mind going until we get the new results."
I went to the bathroom and returned within three minutes. The doctor was busy noting stuff in my chart and looked up when I walked in. She put the folder down and pulled out a pair of latex gloves and snapped them on. She took the sample from me and stepped out of the room for a moment.
"What are you testing for?" I asked when she returned.
"Pregnancy, kidney levels, see if you have a UTI, your liver, blood in your urine, any bacteria. It's just a rapid test to see if I need to start you on antibiotics. The blood work will give us a more comprehensive look at what’s going on."
I frowned, and jumped back up onto the table. I didn't think I had anything wrong with me in those areas, but I also wasn't a doctor either.
Leaning over the counter, she reached for a referral sheet for the blood work and checked off boxes for what I assumed would be the standard lab tests.
There was a light knock on the door before a nurse poked her head in. She handed a sheet of paper to the doctor and closed the door behind her.
"As of right now, there's some protein in your urine," Dr. DeLang said after scanning the sheet.
"What's it caused from?"
"Protein in urine could mean a number of things. Typically, it's a sign to test the kidneys, but given your age, and the pressure you put on your body to train, it easily could be due to dehydration, strenuous exercise, and even extreme emotional stress. Your high protein diet could also easily be the reason."
Emotional stress. Fuck. Of course, that was it. And coupled with my diet? A recipe for disaster. Only problem was, I couldn't tell her how stressed out emotionally I was without it raising flags for more questions.
"I’ll see you back in a week or two." She peered at me over her glasses and gave me a look my dad would’ve given me to indicate he was serious.
"I have a couple meets back-to-back so it may be a month before I can get back here."
She eyed me, then handed me the lab sheet. I jumped off the table and stood up to face her. "No eating after midnight—you need to fast. Go first thing in the morning. Until then, go home and rest, Adrianna. Do not go to practice, go home. And don't make it more than a month till I see you again."
I nodded, ignoring the rest part. I could rest when I was dead.
"Could the protein be due to taking too much Motrin?"
She tilted her head to the side, observing me. "The medication itself wouldn't cause it. You'd have to ingest a great deal of Motrin over time for it to affect your kidneys."
"I have. I was going through a few big bottles a month at one point."
Her eyebrows shot up. "While I don't think that could have caused any kind of long-term side effects just yet, absolutely no more until we get the results in." She paused briefly to look in my chart. "If I recall, you can't have any kind of anti-inflammatory with the plasma injections."
I didn't answer. Just flattened my lips and told her I'd be at the lab bright and early.
Pulling out of the office building complex, I dialed up Kova to tell him I'd be at practice within the hour.
"Adrianna, go home and sleep. Lord knows you need it. I will see you tomorrow morning. And by the way, we are going to sit down and talk. I had no idea you had anything serious going on with you."
My jaw dropped and I missed the entrance to the highway. "What? What are you talking about? There's nothing serious going on."
/> "Do not take me for a fool. This conversation is over. I will see you tomorrow."
"What? I have to practice!" I screeched, instantly heated as I made a U-turn. I'd just qualified to compete at the U.S. Classic, where the national team would be picked. I had to practice this week more than ever. "How do you even know?"
"Your doctor phoned your father, and then he called me. Get your ass in bed."
I ground my teeth together. I'd forgotten everyone was connected.
