Am I in for a quarterly fight??

Okay, so I told you how getting my laundry list of labs at the pcp.was relayively easy, right? Well, I guess it was too good to be true. Finally got the results that had been mailed (already had then faxed cuz I hadn't received yet) and with it was a letter from my pcp stating that my labs were normal and there was no need for further testing.

So, does this mean he will refuse to approve them when I come back in three months? Can he refuse to do it? I know they need to be redone each quarter to monitor the progress of my D, Calcium and PTH alone, but there are other things that need to be monitored as I improve. I am going to see what my surgeon's office says Tuesday, cuz if I am not gonna get a fight on that end, I'll go with them to do my labs quarterly.

If they balk too, I guess I'll have to be ready to fight.

In the meantime, i'd like to respond to my pcp to educate and set him straight on my labs. That for WLS patients, of which I know I am one of several, that normal numbers don't tell the whole story. Considering my pth alone, I am surptlrised at the assessment. That number would be cause for concern in any patient. . . add the D, then calcium. . .

Any advice on the best approach??

Have the labs sent directly to you from the lab or made available to you at the lab so you don't have to go through a doctor's office to get them.  The lab just needs to say: Release copy of all labs to patient.


But really?  Your pcp said your PTH was NORMAL?  I would call about that and ask for an appointment to discuss your abnormal labs and your plans to rectify them.  Then you could make sure your pcp is on board for your next draw.

~Becky

It's not the getting results after they are done, it's getting them done. My problem is that it is the office in-house lab. I don't think they will even do draws that have not been ordered or approved by the doctor.

Well you don't know that the doc won't order them in 3 months do you?  Or that Smith won't?

I would meet again with the pcp to go over the results of the labs s/he ordered and try to determine if s/he is going to be willing to order what you need when you need it or not.  If not then you start on Plan B.  Seems like if you meet with him in the next couple of weeks to go over the last labs he could go ahead and order the next ones for 2 months from now.  My pcp doesn't want to see me to ORDER the labs but to discuss them after she gets them back.  Dunno.  They all work differently.

~Becky

No, i don't know that. I interpreted his memo to mean that he was referring to the re-test in september since all the labs needed for now are done and I told him that I needed to get labs done every three months.

I ill jusy have to figure out where the path of least resistence is. Who knows, it may even be with my hematologidt. Just so long as I get the labs done.

so i am not familiar with your whole case, but it is your dr that is responsible for what gets ordered and he has every right to order or cancel any blood work as the ordering physician.  if you dr is telling you, your levels are normal and they are not that is either an education issue or did he actually tell you or was it office staff?  get a copy of your results from the place you actually had them drawn, every facility and every state has it's requirements, some need a signed release form to get the results, but make no mistake they are yours to get.  from there ask to speak to the dr directly NOT office staff and ask your questions specifically to him....good luck

That's just it. This is not a separate lab like Quest or Labcorp, My pcp's office has their own in-office lab that is not a separate entity. I ave spoken directly with my pcp when discussing my labs tor the most part. Only spoke with the nurse when I ralized tgey missed a couple of tesrs that the pcp ordered and when I requested that they fax the results since I had't rcvd the hard copy yet.

I do realize I need to discuss with my pcp, what it appears I didn't relate cleatly in my original post is I need ammunition. How do I best approach the "discussion" in a way that will garner his support and not make him shut me down? What are some suggested resources I can with me that he won't discount as "non-medical" opinion that I am shving down his throat?

Perhaps I ask prematurely as you probably need to see all lab data for a clear picture and I was waiting to post until after my surgeon follow up. Anyway, it may be a moot point if Smith advises quarterly testing anyway.

Have you ever printed out the facts of what you need from dsfacts.com.  You need to print out copies of this and give to him and state if he is to continue to be your PCP, he needs to educate himself with the procedure, outcome, and needs to maintain it as it could be a matter of life or death to you.

Hope this helps.

I haven't, but I will. Thanks, Diane.

I would sit tight and try again in 3 months.  If I get a lot of opposition, I'd find a new PCP.

My PCP does whatever I want...lol.  I just fax the labs I want, his super sweet MA puts the order in (I try to make it as easy as possible on them by providing the code), and I go get my labs drawn and the super sweet MA mails me a copy.  Super easy peasy.  She said next time she'll save a copy of the list that way I can just leave a voicemail that says..."I need that long list of labs, can you put them in" and we'll be done.

This shouldn't be like pulling teeth, but I'm all for giving a doctor a couple chances to get the picture.