# New Lab Results...Kind of!



## JenneyCat (Aug 11, 2013)

I'm 7 weeks into treatment and last week I had my blood drawn by my GP. Unfortunately, they didn't run half the stuff he asked them to! The way it works here is you get the blood drawn by the doctor's office, they send it off to the lab at the hospital, and about 5 days later the Dr gets the results. Low and behold at my appointment yesterday, despite him asking to run TSH, Free T4, Free T3, Reverse T3 and TPO, they ONLY ran TSH! So frustrating.

I have a follow up with my endo on Sept 25th, and a week before that he will order labs too, I'm hoping they actually freaking run them! I'm just frustrated because I want to know more than my TSH, obviously.

So all I can tell you is that in July my TSH was 4 (0.27 - 4.20) and as of last week it is 2.11 (0.27 - 4.20). I'm still on the 50mcg Eltroxin, and my thyroid ultrasound is scheduled for next Tuesday. I expect that my dosage will be upped when I see the endo, at which point I will be on 50mcg for 10 weeks.

As for how I'm feeling, I have noticed an improvement around the 4th-5th week mark. Instead of being so tired that I want to die every waking moment, I only get some periods of that during the day. A lot of my other symptoms have subsided (headaches, hip pain, digestive issues) but my sleep is still not great and I'm suddenly hungry ALL THE TIME!

I'll update about my ultrasound when I know the results


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

JenneyCat said:


> I'm 7 weeks into treatment and last week I had my blood drawn by my GP. Unfortunately, they didn't run half the stuff he asked them to! The way it works here is you get the blood drawn by the doctor's office, they send it off to the lab at the hospital, and about 5 days later the Dr gets the results. Low and behold at my appointment yesterday, despite him asking to run TSH, Free T4, Free T3, Reverse T3 and TPO, they ONLY ran TSH! So frustrating.
> 
> I have a follow up with my endo on Sept 25th, and a week before that he will order labs too, I'm hoping they actually freaking run them! I'm just frustrated because I want to know more than my TSH, obviously.
> 
> ...


Good to hear from you and glad that you are feeling a tad better! Please let us know how it goes next Tuesday. It is unlikely you will get the results on the spot.


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## bigfoot (May 13, 2011)

Yes, good to hear this! Sorry to hear about the lab draw episode. It was likely an oversight, although here in the U.S. the lab has to run what the doctor orders. They don't really have a choice in the matter, although sometimes things are either missed or confused with another test.


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## JenneyCat (Aug 11, 2013)

Well I'm having my blood drawn in another 2 weeks and I think this time I will go directly to the lab at the hospital (you have that option too) and try to make sure what gets asked for actually gets done!

Thanks for the words of encouragement, as always


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## JenneyCat (Aug 11, 2013)

Well more frustration!! I called the lab who did my blood work the other week and asked them why they did not run the Free T3 and the Free T4 as requested. They informed me that they do not run Free T3 at all, and that they will only include Free T4, or any of the totals, ONLY IF your TSH is not in range. I find this ridiculous! Basically the lab decides your TSH is fine and not to run the other tests the doctor ordered!!

Luckily, my GP recommended a lab that will run anything I pay them to. So this week I get a new blood order from my Endo and I have the order for Free T3 from my GP, I will get my blood taken, and bring it to this lab myself and pay for it. It's not too expensive, thankfully, it will cost me about 64 in total. Despite the frustration, I'm glad I have this option.

Now I'm irrationally worried that all my tests will be normal...TSH around 2, FT4 50% of range, FT3 upper 3rd, and there will be no reason why I still don't feel back to normal, but until I get these blood tests run I'm just going in blind!


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## JenneyCat (Aug 11, 2013)

one more thing  I just spoke to the lab where my Endo is located and asked them if they pick and choose which tests to run and they said no, they look after my Endo and run whatever he orders....so that's at least good news! It still shocks me however how grossly misinformed some people are on thyroid, the woman I spoke to at the lab said "oh yes, I understand why they didn't run the other tests if your TSH was normal because a normal TSH means everything else is perfectly normal." GRRRR!!!


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## CA-Lynn (Apr 29, 2010)

I know that a number of labs in the US operate the same way, that is, only run the other tests if the TSH is abnormal. But here in the US, doctors can override it. After all, it's the doctors who keep this place in business [at least for now].

There are too many MD's who think that blood tests tell the entire story. They simply don't know how to think outside the box.

I'm glad you're going elsewhere.


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## JenneyCat (Aug 11, 2013)

That's interesting CA-Lynn that labs in the US operate the same way sometimes!

I got the blood order from my Endo, I was pretty convinced he wouldn't order anything but TSH but he went and surprised me and ordered TSH, Free T4 AND Free T3, yay! Hopefully it will get ran by the lab, they are the ones I spoke to yesterday who said they usually do whatever he orders.

Is it weird to be excited about blood tests? lol...of course I now have a fear that it's all going to look great, even by our standards here on the board, and whatever is wrong with me will become a mystery....sigh...all I know is 50mcg is not enough for me!


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## bigfoot (May 13, 2011)

Nope, not weird at all!

This is good news that your endo ordered those tests. Hopefully they shed a little light on what is going on.


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