How long for blood results | Arthritis Information

My GP was nice enough to draw my blood for my RD last Friday since I was there for a physical and was having her blood work done. I had called her a week before my appointment with her to see if she wanted her blood work drawn at the lab while I had his done at the lab. She said why not just have it done here the day of your visit-saves a trip to the lab and a co-pay.

Now I have an appt. with my RD tomorrow and the results did not come back.

Along with the regular arthritis markers he was re-running my RF, Anti-CCP, etc. to see how the disease is doing. She says that's why they are not back.

I don't remember how long it took during my diagnosis period- I didn't think it was more than a few of days. Does anybody know. I guess not that it matters what is - is.

I tried to postpone my RD appt. today but the office was closed. :(

It just seems like the visit will be a bust without the blood work.

Mine usually take about 5-7 days...

Sorry the results haven't come back yet...maybe your doctor can call you after he/she gets the results?

Gosh--I thought they get the results quickly. If I go to the labs associated with the dr and a huge hospital, they are all sharing a computer system. I believe the lab enters the results and the RA DR has them immediately. I know when I had a test that had to be re-done--they got back to me quickly--within just a couple of days. In today's world with faxes and e-mail--seems like one doctor could share with the other easily. Depends how long it takes to get to the lab, how much of a backlog they have, etc... most tests can be done locally but some must be sent off to centralized specialty labs. Your lab results could be in "the computer system" tomorrow, have your RA doc's staff check online. Sometimes I do my lab just a few days before my appt, the ofc won't have a hard copy in my file when I show up for my appt, but they'll go online and then print it out. Your doc sees patients on Saturday -- so does mine -- hmm, is he Dr. W?

Good Morning!

Just getting ready to leave for my appointment- Joie- I never thought of having him check the computer base- I will do that!

No it's not Dr. W but I am so thankful to have a doctor who has evening and Saturday appointments for us working people. I hate using up time to attend doctor appointments and it gets old for the boss as well!

I show up 45 minutes prior to my appointment, go to the lab, have my blood drawn, and when my name is called approx 45 minutes past my appointment time, my doctor discusses the results of my blood tests. They do their own lab work. Cool, huh?

LEV

That IS cool.

Well I'm confused. I explained the situation to the receptionist and when I saw the doctor he had the results of my ANA but no titers. It showed a low positive. Also had a low positive to RP... I think there was another letter. He said basically the ANA showed I have something autoimmune going on and the RP-was something that was supposed to point out more directly as to which autoimmune thing was going on but information was also missing there. It too was a low positive. He did not have the RF or Anti CCP results. I don't know if they didn't perform the tests right or they are just not back. He did not have the regular arthritis markers, MTX monitoring results at all which I though the GP office said were the only ones back.

He said he'll call their office Monday.

I was really anxious to see how my liver enzymes were. I was a bad girl from July all the way thru the third week in September with drinking martini's. I was having 2 a week.

Between wanting to have fun drinking poolside to stressful times I really jeapordized myself. Now I haven't had anything for a month. I wish I could find a study that was done on people who continue to drink while on MTX. All the doctor says is they really don't know- they just know that MTX is hard on your liver so we say no alcohol.

Surely I cannot be the only one who frigging wants to have a cocktail at night to unwind and has frigging RA.

Then I forgot to ask for a refill on my MTX. Subconscious desire not to have to take it maybe?

I'll bet the test was RNP Antibodies. I think it's a marker for MCTD (mixed connective tissue disease). yes kweenb that was it!

I hope you get your other tests back soon and find out they are o.k. - especially your liver enzymes! There's LOTS of times I feel I need to unwind too. When I was on MTX, my RD said that 2 drinks a week were o.k., but no more. Does your RD not want you drinking at all? If so, maybe he could give you some anti-anxiety meds to help you relax when you need to. My job can be so stressful that sometimes when I get home I'm so wound up that I feel like I'm going to explode. Literally. My hubby hates it when I get like that!

Really he said 2 drinks per week! Mine said a drink on an ocassional Saturday was OK. He is very vague. The last time I talked to him about it (I did fess up to what I had been doing) he said No one really knows and that's why we say don't drink at all.

My GP suggested the anti-anxiety med too when I talked to her about it. Problem is-it's just not the same. It's the social aspect to it as well...I always had a cocktail with my husband at 9 pm. I would sip it until about 10:30- just savoring it and the warmth and relaxation that it brings on gradually...It just seemed to wipe the slate clean.

Xanax makes me fall asleep. Unless I'm on the verge of a panic attack I generally won't take it until right before I go to bed.

I think about you and changing to Enbrel. Especially since you say that background noise pain is gone now too...still scared about my family history with cancer.

wantto.. since our lives since DX are nothing but compromises... could you have 1/3 of a cocktail/wine/beer each night instead ? I strongly feel that our well-being attributes to our health. If a glass (or a third) works to ease you into your night.. would it be too much? maybe just on weekends a half a glass? I'd ask specifically of your RD if that is something you truly miss and would enjoy. We have so little enjoyment at times... seems like something so small so simple so easy .. I miss my wine w/ great meals.. as a slowly sipped and breathed in pleasure.... I know exactly what you feel.

I feel I've given up so much and I understand your small "want" I hope there's a compromise for you...

Well I could live with having a third but I don't know what my RD would say about it. I didn't even talk to him about it yesterday because at my last visit we discussed it at great length and he was being very cautious. He said because we just don't know- we say none.

Prior to that when I asked at the beginning he said he saw nothing wrong with having a drink ocassionally on a Saturday night. OK which Saturday night? Every Saturday night? Once a month Saturday night.....?

I think I'm going to try googling "studies: MTX and drinking alcohol"

I can tell by the way you described your wine with dinner you know exactly what I mean!