Blood Test Today - Advice needed

[Leenie0811]

Morning Everyone,

I have another blood test today and wanted to ask if anyone has some advice for my next steps. This will be the 4th blood test to see in positive ANA are present but I think they are going to check inflammation levels too - is it okay to ask the nurse what she is testing for? I figured if I had it written down I could add it to my notes I have been making.

Since my last appointment I realised I have been seeing a locum doctor, from what I gather we only have 3x full time GPs at my surgery, do you think it would be best to book in with the locum again or go back to one of the usual practitioners? I feel like the locum doctor keeps asking about old conditions which are no longer relevant.

My previous conditions include:

IBS - for bloating - also food intolerances (dairy)

Endometriosis - corrected by surgery

Anaemia - controlled with Iron tablets

So the IBS has gone now I've conducted an extensive food elimination diet and found I am intolerant to dairy, now I have removed this I no longer have the symptoms but it wasn't until I did this they linked my continued bloating with endometriosis which was cleared with surgery nearly 2 years ago. I've had anaemia on and off over the last 5 years roughly so I have just put this one down to genetics. I feel like when I talk to the GP the focus is on these conditions when I know and I've said that the symptoms are not linked. Being asked questions like "is this linked to your monthly cycle, is it similar to your endometriosis pain" or "could this be something to do with your IBS?" really doesn't help when you have so little time in the appointment with them.

Any help would be great, thank you!

Leenie x

[whisperit]

Hello Leenie

Just quickly, before you head for your appointment;

- yes it's definitely OK to ask the nurse what they are testing for. In fact, ask the doctor you see to also give you a print-out of all the test results you've had recently (the 3 previous bloods and any others you had done). This is YOUR information, after all.

I dont have a thing against locums in general, but if you havent been finding yours helpful, why not swap? Same would apply for any GP.

Hope all goes well today x

[Leenie0811 in reply to whisperit]

Thanks for the help, I've just looked and the bloods are being taken by my usual asthma nurse so I'm definitely more comfortable asking her questions about the blood work. I will ask her if she can print out my bloods since September/October whilst I'm there too.

I don't have anything against the locum doctor I just find myself repeating about the different symptoms and how they are different to the other conditions what are on my record. It kind of feels like they read whats there and use that as a basis rather than what I'm explaining when I have to repeat each time it isn't like the IBS/Endometriosis etc.

The doctor I have gone to about my other issues I get on really well with and he seems to have more background knowledge, I used to have a really good relationship with a doctor until I was about 18 we had a family doctor. Unfortunately she retired and its been really difficult finding a doctor that understands as much as she did

Thanks for the well wishes, I will post an update on here once I've been x