Follow Up Tests

[Adalaide]

So it has finally been a whole year. I am making an appointment because it is time to get a checkup on my liver. Because of all of the screwing around that was done, not in particular in putting off my surgery in general, but once I showed up at the ER a week before Christmas in 2011 in more pain than I had ever been in with elevated liver enzymes, I get to spend the rest of my life playing the how bad is my liver messed up game. I still get pain in my liver, but my doctor told me to give it a year. It has been a year, I can link the pain to no particular food, time of day, activity or anything else. It just comes and goes. It hasn't gone away since healing from surgery either. I am just crossing my fingers at this point and hoping I am not badly enough off that I'll need to be on a transplant list eventually. (This is what they were warning me about every time I ended up in the ER... but they wouldn't just take out my freaking stupid useless gallbladder!!! GAH!) Ok, done ranting.

Since I am going to be letting someone stick a needle in me anyway, I figure I may as well bring a laundry list of tests to do. I never came up positive on the celiac blood tests, although a full panel was run twice. I don't see the point running them again, waste of money, waste of a vial of blood. I do need a follow-up ANA, blah blah blah lupus. Whatever. I figure I should be tested for vitamin/mineral deficiencies. Should I be like... test for ALL the deficiencies!!!! Or do I need to bring a list in case the PA I get stuck with is a complete and total idiot. If I need a list, I have no clue what on earth I need on it. Is there anything else I should be giving up blood for while I've got a needle in me? I feel like there is something important that I know I know, but am forgetting. Old age and all that.

[GFreeMO]

Gosh I could have written that all myself. I have liver issues too and am going to the Dr. in a few weeks to be checked again for that. I am interested in reading these responses as I have the same questions you do about it all.

[shadowicewolf]

Eh, i generally get everything done at once because my viens are hard to get to (they are deep). On adveradge it takes the tecnition 3 or so times before they hit them.