I had the following tests last week:
BP (bone
profile)
ESR FBC (full blood count)
FGL (fasting Glucose)
FLP (fasting lipids) GGT
(GammaGT /MCHfT) LCRP
(C-reactive protein)
LF
(Liver Profile) LTF
(Thyroid function/ MCHfT) PR (proteins TP/Alb)
UA (Urate/ uric
acid) UE (renal profile /
U&E/creat)
TODAY I had a letter telling me the GP wants the LCRP
(C-reactive protein) repeating...
The following information was taken from http://arthritis.about.com/cs/diagnostic/a/crp.htm
What Is CRP?
It is not a new test, but it is a test in the news. CRP, also known as C-Reactive Protein, is a test which measures the concentration in blood serum of a special type of protein produced in the liver that is present during episodes of acute inflammation or infection. In the body, CRP plays the important role of interacting with the complement system, an immunologic defense mechanism.
As a blood test, CRP is not specific. A high result serves as a general indication of acute inflammation. In cases of inflammatory rheumatic diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, doctors can utilize the CRP test to assess the effectiveness of a specific arthritis treatment and monitor periods of disease flareup. It's value is as a general indicator, not specific.
It must be noted that even in known cases of inflammatory disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, a low CRP level is possible, and is not indicative of no inflammation.
Normally there is no CRP in blood serum. From Lab Tests Online, "a high or increasing amount of CRP in your blood suggests that you have an acute infection or inflammation. Although a result above 1 mg/dL is usually considered high for CRP, most infections and inflammations result in CRP levels above 10 mg/dL".
A positive CRP may be an indicator of several conditions, including:
A positive CRP also can be detected during the last half of pregnancy or with the use of oral contraception.
Sedimentation Rate
Another blood test often ordered in conjunction with CRP is known as ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation rate or sedrate). Both CRP and ESR give similar information about non-specific inflammation. CRP appears and disappears more quickly than changes in ESR. Therefore, your CRP level may drop to normal following successful treatment, whereas ESR may remain elevated for a longer period.
So either I have yet another illness (possibly arthritis, as I have already been told I have arthritic changes in my feet) to add to the list or its just inflammation from a virus. Considering I do seem to have issues with my sinuses at the moment and a constant headache, I'm hoping that's all it will be. I don't actually know what the results of the 1st test were, the letter didn't tell me, all it said was that it has to be repeated in 2 weeks. *sighs*
So, I ring the docs.... and my Blood Pressure goes through the roof.
Who the hell do the receptionists think they are?
Our practice sister tells me to ALWAYS ask for her to have my bloods taken and to ALWAYS ask for a double appointment. The reason being, I am a bugger to get blood from, am prone to panic attacks and blown veins, so knowing she can get blood from me fairly easily makes me more relaxed than if I had to go t the phlebotomist, whom I've never met (cos they keep changing) and have no experience of whether she is going to be understanding with me. I have had many experiences with phlebotomists who think they know better than their patients when told such things as.. "You wont get blood from my arm, please use butterfly needle in back of hand" or "If you insist on stabbing me randomly in my arm I will have a major panic attack and probably pass out on you"...
The receptionist tries to refuse the appointment on the grounds they are not allowed to book blood tests with the sister.
So I say, "Well she drew the bloods last week, and its under her instruction that I am asking for an appointment with her".
So she relents and books it, then I say, "is that a double slot?"
"No" comes the reply, "A blood test is a 5 min appointment, so by seeing Sister you are getting double time anyway as her appointments are 10 mins"....
I bite my tongue, take a deep breath and explain AGAIN, that I am a tricky patient to take blood from and at the instruction of Sister herself I am supposed to get a double appointment... but NO, lil miss Hitler re-incarnated refuses to budge any further and says all she can offer me is the usual 10 mins slot.
I thank her through gritted teeth and end the call then rant for 5 mins at my poor OH before ranting here dear friends....
xxx
Oh yes I do hate it when they think they know best. I also hate sorry we cant do that on the phone you will need to see the doctor but we cant make an appointment for you. You will need to ring at 8am in the morning (and hope an appointment slot is still open and see who ever)
ReplyDeleteOh I've been there! Receptionists like to play gatekeepers don't they. And heaven forbid they make a change in the rules even if the nurse or doctor has told you to ask. It's blooming awful feeling like they have to rush because mrs receptionist won't listen.
ReplyDeleteTaking your complaint to the practice manager doesn't help either. The one at my GP's surgery is stupid - and I mean that quite literally - as well as mind-numbingly obdurate.
ReplyDeleteFor many years I've faxed my repeat list (I get my meds delivered), and I used to have two versions of Salbutamol, inhaler and nebules. To avoid confusion I put one at either end of the list, separated, at the time, by 10 other drugs.
Despite that, when I asked for inhalers, I got nebules, and when I asked for nebules I also got nebules, plus the inhalers delivered a day or two later - it reached a point when I had more than the pharmacy, but the law doesn't allow them to be taken back, only destroyed.
So I took it up with the practice manager - politely, at first... Turned out it was my fault for faxing - the mechanism by which this was so was never explained.
So I asked how her staff, being too inept to transpose information from a sheet of paper to a computer screen (just a box-ticking exercise), was in any way anything other than their fault?
And by the way, did she realise how much money this was wasting?
All a complete waste of time. I took the nebules off the list - I had about a year's worth anyway! And bought them as I needed them afterwards.
Then, a few years ago, they introduced an online system, bought off the shelf, with no consideration for patients' needs, which meant it only worked every 28 days and was the practice manager in electronic form!
I used it twice, after which it stripped a gear and shut me out, as I need some of my meds delivered more or less weekly, not every 28 days.
Consumption fluctuates depending on how ill I am, and there were a lot of drugs - 16 in total - and ordering every 28 days meant that over a period I'd have a surplus of some and a deficit of others.
That, too, was beyond the practice manager's comprehension, and I still fax my repeat list.