Re: A little venting, and some lab results - help, please!

[Guest guest]

Jill,

I recall that Elaine said 10am is best.

At 11:09 PM 10/28/2003, you wrote:

>I will get the FT4 and FT3, and TSI done - again, is there a time of day I

>should aim for?

>-Jill

[Guest guest]

Hi Jill,

You don't have to fast but it's to have your thyroid labs drawn around 10-11

am if possible. If it's more convenient to have them drawn earlier, go ahead.

The total thyroid hormone levels are often falsely elevated so it'll be

interesting to see what your free thyroid hormone levels show.

Symptoms are always more important than lab results especially for thyroid

function tests.

Your positive TPO and thyroglobulin antibodies aren't too significant

although the fact that they've declined is a good sign and suggests that there's

less

of an inflammatory process going on. Your TSI levels, as you know, are much

more pertinent.

You also have a right to your lab results, and I have a feeling you may know

more about interpreting them than your doctor will. Best, Elaine

[Guest guest]

> Jill,

> I recall that Elaine said 10am is best.

>

Thanks, - I got your e-mail at not quite 10am (after staying in bed

late to try to get enough sleep - ugh!) and went out immediately to the lab!

-Jill

[Guest guest]

Elaine wrote:

> You don't have to fast but it's to have your thyroid labs drawn around

10-11

> am if possible. If it's more convenient to have them drawn earlier, go

ahead.

Thanks, Elaine - I ended up having the blood drawn at just about 10:30am

today!

> The total thyroid hormone levels are often falsely elevated so it'll be

> interesting to see what your free thyroid hormone levels show.

> Symptoms are always more important than lab results especially for thyroid

> function tests.

Wow, how I wish I knew how to convince the doctor of that!

> You also have a right to your lab results, and I have a feeling you may

know

> more about interpreting them than your doctor will. Best, Elaine

:-) Thanks! Yeah, I'm resting up for the fight when I want to get the

results NOW and not wait a few days till the doctor gets a chance to look at

them. And, of course, if my FT3 and FT4 are in the lower part of the

" normal " range, which is what I really expect, I am very doubtful that he'll

consider giving me any hormone.

Regards,

Jill