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Good visit with gp

Posted , 6 users are following.

Anhaga
Anhaga

There is light at the end of the tunnel.  Nice visit with my GP today.  My blood sugar level is now well within normal limits.  Ferritin still low but tending in  right direction.  Inflammation marker hasn't moved.  I should have written it down, but I think it is something in the mid 20s and she said that hadn't changed from previous reading.  (Don't think that is a good sign.)  But she said several times that we treat the symptoms and don't worry about the reading.  (These are all results from three months ago.)  She also agreed to add Vitamin D to the next bloodwork.  We had another conversation about osteoporosis.  I told her I'd managed to get my t-score and it was osteopenia, so she was pleased about that (the report to the doctors doesn't include t-score any more, just a descriptive label, in my case "low bone mass").  She also said she was happy with my being at 4 mg.  confused

1 like, 6 replies

6 Replies

  • Mrs_CJ
    Mrs_CJ Anhaga

    Posted

    Sounds like nice positive news.  Glad you will be able to get the Vit D test.  I had to pay $65 for mine but it was worth it for peace of mind. 

    I wonder how doctors are supposed to figure out which direction your bone readings are going if they don't have access to the actual numbers?!?!  Good thing you are able to get them. 

    • Anhaga
      Anhaga Mrs_CJ

      Posted

      It was pretty funny, really.  Back in November after getting an "osteoporosis" diagnosis I signed up for a special clinic at the hospital.  (They still haven't called me for a session.)  Apparently at the session you get to see your whole report, the images and everything.  So I was desperate to find out how bad things really were.  I got the name of the correct person, and I'm asking her for my T-score and she is saying something about confidentiality and the two of us are laughing while I say, but it's MY report.  But she still had to get authorization to release it.  When she phoned back a few hours later and my scores were withing osteopenia range I have to say that I was so relieved.  I felt lighter and lighter, quite literally, and all these months later I believe my mood has still remained much more positive.  Why it was so hard to get the numbers, why I had to be in the dark for several weeks and really suffering emotionally beats me.
    • nick67069
      nick67069 Anhaga

      Posted

      sometimes they hav concern about interpretation of the numbers and preffer to release them by doctor, not directly ( at least that is what I have heard). More cynical explanation is that if doctor is involved, you get charged smile.

      Anyway, glad that you got good results... another win against PMR.

    • Anhaga
      Anhaga nick67069

      Posted

      Nick, The odd thing is that I got a photocopy of the report my doctor received, and while it went into some detail so it's clear that because of three separate risk factors I'm considered at high risk for fracture within next ten years, it did not give the t-scores.  The t-score is one of the risk factors, the others being on prednisone and having a previous fracture within a certain length of time.  The t-score is obviously the only one I have any control over so it was particularly stressful not knowing exactly how bad things were.  I could have been ready to break every bone in my body for all I (or my GP) knew.  Because we have what passes for universal health care here I would not have been liable for any charges.

      I do have to say that learning things weren't so bad actually turned my life around.  Had been in a very bad place, and even relief of pain through pred wasn't enough to make everything right again.  The mistaken statement that I had osteoporosis was another blow.  But being given a chance to proactively work towards improving my condition has been a godsend.

  • Anhaga
    Anhaga

    Posted

    Two down, one to go.  Eye doctor says my eye pressure is nearly back to what it was pre-pred, i.e., perfectly healthy. confused  Next will be DXA scan, but not until September.  So for me it's been worth steadily reducing to this level, which I hope is enough (so far so good), as it's a relief not to have the concern of diabetes or glaucoma.  Now we hold tight and hope for healthy activity of the adrenal glands before reducing further.  wink
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