Quest Diagnostics
I had such a wonderful experience with my one year labs (which were delayed because I had such a horrible six month lab experience), that I started a new thread.
I went to Quest Labs, and they have locations all across the US. They have a wonderful website which I probably cant link here, but if you google Quest Diagnostics you will find it.
You can schedule all your lab appointments on line instead of waiting IN line at the lab.
They have a section called "for physicians and hospitals" where you can select "find a test" and get all the information you need about whatever tests you need. For example, if you type in B12, you will find all the types of B12 tests they offer. I was able to combine my B12 and folate into one test, even though the doctor had ordered them as individual tests. I did the same with my two Vitamin D labs.
There is a tremendous amount of information about how to store each test (freezing, etc). I don't get too involved with that. I do assume that since the handling instructions are so easy for me to see and follow, it has to be much easier to follow for the lab person who is drawing the blood.
Quest has a smart phone app called Gazelle. I can order all my results thru the app and they will send them to me on my iphone. There is a lot of security setting it up. Each test is graphed, so that as I get more tests in the future, I will have a history easy to see. It easily identifies where my labs are off (I had high B levels). Each result is linked to a description of the test and a possible reason of what might have cause the high/low result.
It stores my physician info (if I choose) and I can easily email the results to any or all of the physicians I choose.
After a horrible 6 month experience at a different lab and hearing so many horror stories about lab draws, I had put off my labs knowing I had to do a lot more research on what to get tested, etc. I can't explain how happy I have been with Quest. AND 13 vials of blood and I never felt even the slightest poke. I could go on and on.....
Just an FYI/ This was what I had drawn on my first annual lab. I got the list from searching this site and looking at what Vitalday suggested. Some of the tests, such as the thyroid panel are personal to me (I have hypothyroid), and a couple are unique to what my surgeon ordered.
CBC with Differential, Comprehensive Metabolic Panel, Fasting Lipid Panel, Iron TIBC and Ferritin Panel, Vitamin B12 and Folate Panel, Phosphorus, PTH, Thyroid Panel with TSH, Vitamin A, Vitamin D 25-Hydroxy and 1,25-Dihydroxy, Zinc, Magnesium, Uric Acid, GGT, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B6, Vitamin K
My surgeon actually emailed me the listing of tests and I had asked him to add the Bs. I then compared what he requested to the labs that Quest draws. I did this on my own because the first lab I used "didn't like" the form he used and screwed up the tests. I wasn't going to let that happen again.
I find myself just opening up the app and looking at my results because I am so happy with my experience after putting it off for four months! I was really excited about the results too, so that helps. I hope you all have as great an experience as I had.
