Requesting of labs from GCP

[blsdnsvd]

Ok.....so, i went to my general pract today to make sure that i do not have a viral infection or oncoming of the flu ....and then, i though to myself.....hey...since you're there, ask her to request a FT3 Tests amongst other's.( I did not have any bloodwork besides thyroid since my surgery).. So, I ask her for a complete workup..including Vit D, Vit B12, Cholesterol,Blood Glucose, etc etc...and then i ask for a FT3 workup and she asked me why??...so i said: well, I understand that this is an important test when a person has thyroid issues (i didn't tell her that my endo won't do it YET!)....so, guess what???? It's not on the Quest Diagnostics lab slip! So, she writes it in along with the vit D, so at least she did it.

Now when i go to the lab for the bloodwork, i pray that they don't give me a hard because it's written in. I am also thinking...by the time i leave, I won't have any blood left..lol.

Why would that particular test not be on the lab slip if it is so important???? could that be why most docs don't order it?? Or maybe the lab company is going by what the doc's order...who knows!

[blsdnsvd]

Goolara...Yes, finally! Thank You.

Annamae... it's a shame that pattients have to step in and finish the job..

Froggy....We are getting smarter thanks to better experienced posters on this site

Super_Sally...They should make that change here in NY...

[Super_sally888]

I always request my own thyroid bloodwork. Can do that over here.
My endo has ft3, ft4 and tsh on his request forms with no sign of a t3 and t4!
But the bad thing is that only t4 meds are available here. Anyone needing something else has to get it from overseas.

[annamae26]

i also have to go to quest with my wellcare hmo and i know ft3 is not on the check list so if my pcp doesn t do it i write it in myself. i just write FREE next to the t3 option. she always orders ft4 but forgets ft3. it is not acceptable to me to not have the ft3 tested and i will assert myself as needed to obtain it.

[froggy0936]

I wrote it on my prescription too...although I'm not due bloodwork for awhile! HAHAHA

[goolarra]

It's a mystery.  I know my lab slips have TSH and FT4 "bundled" together up in the top of the form.  FT3 is there, but it's down at the bottom of the page under "miscellaneous" or something like that.  I'm sure they'll do it, even if it is just written in.  After all, those slips can't have every test imaginable on them.

Anyway, congratulations on getting it done!  Whatever works...

I recently heard from someone who's PCP told him that FT3 "didn't exist", PCP even called an endo consult, who backed up that it didn't exist!!!!  Finally, when blood was drawn, the phlebotomist knew it existed.  She had to call PCP and clue him in...wow!  These guys learn what they learn in med school, and that's often pretty pathetic and pretty consistent from one med school to the next.  It gets passed down through generations of doctors like a genetic disease.

Good for you!