qualitative vs quantitative

I am really pissed the fuck off frustrated right now!

Had my blood drawn. While in the office, the nurse asked for a urine sample...i told her to bring out the big guns i wasnt playing (wanted the blood test). Then the dr in training came by and told me that i prolly wouldnt have the results by thanksgiving. I confidentally told him that the lab pickup was at 3PM and the results come in 24 hours - and it that wasnt the case i wouldnt want it done. He said he just works there once a week (then dont speak). Finally the Dr comes in and says that they can do it in house and have yes or no results within 5 minutes. They just spin down the blood and test it in house. "Are they as accurate as the test you send away to the hospital?" I ask. "Oh yes they certainly are " he says. I was thrilled to have answers so quickly...so i went for it.

Blood drawn...5 minutes turned into 25 minutes (THANKS A LOT). It was an interesting period of time. I was actually nervous hehe. I read a pregnancy zine. I called my dh and said our fate would be determined in the next 5. Then after 20 minutes I asked the desk clerk if they had forgotten about me..no they reassured me....they just enjoy torture.

Doc comes out....its a negative! I feelconfused. So i ask him what next? why do i feel like this? He doesnt think its my intestines...prolly just a bug. He did say (without coaching) that he has had it come back negative and then she turned up prego...but that is rare.

OK so here is the real kicker....im not convinced...and i wasnt convinced the second he told me. So you can imagine my dismay when upon arriving back at work, and googling one search on blood tests i find the following:

"A quantitative blood test (or the beta hCG test) measures the exact amount of hCG in your blood. So it can find even tiny amounts of hCG. This makes it very accurate. Qualitative hCG blood tests just check to see if the pregnancy hormone is present or not. So it gives a yes or no answer. The qualitative hCG blood test is about as accurate as a urine test." Are you kidding me? I should know better than to trust a dr.

So the dr talked me into the quickie test which is basically no better than a urine test! I called back twice to talk with the nurse. Unfortunately they used all the blood. I had hoped for them to send off the rest for the other test. GRRRR. Im just so disppointed right now. Why would I submit to having blood drawn just to have a dime store result? PLEASE. So now I have spent $$$ and time and are none the smarter. GREAT. Just call me lucky.

Ya I agree that its unlikely to get a false negative....but i cant deny my body. And I STILL havent officially missed a period yet. Until I have a period (or a positve test)...theres a part of me that will be unsure. I am not going home to have a cocktail....although i really want one...because im not sure.

It is easy to tell me just to relax...and see what happens. If I am prego I am...and likewise. But im not wired like that. Plus if i am prego i want to start not getting drunk and acting a whore at the local tavern treating my body like it is growing a baby (vitamins,good foods, extra water etc).

So i promise i will try and stop writing about this....but its gonna be hard.

Thanks for listening :)