what do i ask my doctor regarding getting blood work?

[harbour seal]

hello everyone,

i am new to freediving and only been training for the last two months.

i wanted to get some blood work done to check for possible anemia but also for a baseline regarding hematocryte (sp?) levels.

what specifically should i ask for when getting the blood work?

cheers,
sean


ps. i have read numerous previous threads where people talk about getting blood work done but i cannot find mention of what specifically to ask the doctor.

 

[maytag]

Hi Harbor Seal,
[Caveat: I'm not a doctor nor do I play one on TV.] I think it would be best to communicate to your physician your concerns/reasons for why you want the bloodwork done. Having said that, a complete blood count (CBC) will get you differentials incl. hematocrit. If you/your MD suspects iron-deficiency anemia, you can also get tests to assess the level of iron in your blood, as well as the level of other things in your blood that would affect your body's iron storage and transport capacity. Why do you suspect iron-deficiency anemia? Is the primary symptom fatigue? There are other issues that can also produce similar symptoms - you might, for example, want a complete electrolyte panel to check levels of potassium. If it has been a while since you got a complete physical, it might not be a bad idea to get a thorough assessment.
Cheers,
Maytag

 

[harbour seal]

thanks for the reply maytag.

i am not really concerned about being sick or seriously aneamic but i have been vegetarian for the last 7 years and i have noticed some general fatigue occasionally in the last couple of weeks.

additionally, i have been doing 6 weeks of apnea training (for the first time) and i am interested to see what effect it is having on my body.

ideally, i would like to spot any issues and be able to adjust my diet/training accordingly (e.g., anemia).

basically, i would like to make sure that the blood lab performs all the necessary tests to give me a full spectrum of information from which to work.

cheers,

sean
vancouver, canada

 

[efattah]

I have been in an identical situation and here is what I did.

I went to my doctor and explained that I had been off meat for years, and that apnea training has been well established to stress the iron stores by increasing hemoglobin and myoglobin. I then scared my doctor by saying that I had taken pre-emptive action by taking LOTS of iron supplements, but I was still uncertain if I was in iron deficiency or iron overload.

He then recommended exactly what I wanted, a CBC (complete blood count) with an additional test for ferritin (which reflects your iron storage).

However, if your doctor still won't recommend it, you can actually pay for the test yourself, as long as your doctor still authorizes the test. So if he feels the test shouldn't be paid for by the government, you can still have the test done if you pay for it yourself.

 

[cigarlung]

Just a thought might be to ask for a tsh stands for thyroid stimulateing hormone often people are suffering from hypothroidism however are not showing classic signs slugish thryroid will increase your level of fatigue you also might have low b12 this can be checked by the doc ordering a b12 level or ask for cmp which is comprehesive metabolic profile how but being tested for lymes disease any joint pain with your fatigue are takeing any medication this also may be the culprit or perhaps weather is a factor. I remember at times in petersburg alaska weather mainly the rain could cause fatigue or perhaps you have nothing wrong and are just needing lab work for peace of mind good luck on yor tests. rob

 

[harbour seal]

wow, thanks for all the info guys!

cigarlung--definately info i hope my doc will take into consideration.

eric -- exactly the type of info i was looking for-thank you for sharing your experience.

once i see my doc i will report back with a trip report.

thanks again for the help.

cheers,

sean
vancouver, canada

ps. maytag--personally, i think you would make a fine tv doctor

 

[maytag]

Safe, healthy and happy diving to you, Harbor Seal! Let us know how things go. Cheers,

 

[harbour seal]

---thanks fro the well wishes maytag---

i wanted to report back after a visiting my doctor.

i essentially followed eric's excellent advice and my doctor recommended the following: a ferritin test and a "hematology profile".


i have still been intermittently experiencing some days of general fatigue--although this could simply be due to training.

proactively, i added clams and spirulina into my diet the last couple of weeks as well as cauliflower with most evening meals. i also recently bought a cast iron fry pan and spent the evening seasoning the pan by covieringng it with solid vegetable shortening and baking in the oven (had to keep the appartment door open due to it smoking a bit).

i will be happy to have the results from the blood work so i can see what is going on and whether more serious measures regarding iron intake are required.

cheers and thanks guys,
sean
vancouver, canada

ps. when i get the actual report back from my doctor i will post again

 

[harbour seal]

blood test results are in---everything was fine, nothing to worry about.

thanks for all the info everyone.

cheers,
sean
vancouver, canada

 

[Waterysmile]

Glad to hear that. Do you know what your hematocrit percentage was?

 

[harbour seal]

Glad to hear that. Do you know what your hematocrit percentage was?

just back from the doc's ----- hematocrit = 0.43



sean

vancouver, canada