I have not seen much of anything posted on this forum about self-testing over the past several years. Not so long ago, you could not even get a blood test without a prescription and that has all changed.
I do my own comprehensive diabetic and deep dive CardioIQ cholesterol testing once or twice a year and it is nice to see all the results in one place with clear explanations and graphs of my historic performance to get a quick overview of what is improving and what needs a little work. I wait to order when there is a promotion and my complete package of tests normally runs about $200. The following is the lab I use as they are national, produce accurate results, prompt, easy to deal with friendly staff. There are a couple of others that compete with them but this one uses Quest Diagnostics and the tests are usually less expensive through them than going directly to Quest Diagnostics.
If others here have had a good or better experience from a competing lab, please share.
They have weekly promotions and are having a diabetes test blowout sale going on now
I also experienced good service and value from Ulta Labs. When my endocrinologists refused to order a complete thyroid panel (TSH, FT3, FT4, RT3, and thyroid antibodies) and would only order TSH, I was forced to look at alternatives.
I was infuriated that the high priests of hormones (aka endocrinologists) showed little to no interest in the science of my hypothyroidism. I then sought help from Naturopathic Physicians but my prescription coverage would not pay for these tests.
I discovered that I could conveniently order the thyroid tests I sought. This whole process taught me that I am the ultimate authority of my health and that mainstream medical practitioners do not always act in my best interests. It also markedly diminished my respect for endocrinologists.
In fact, I learned that they produced no real value to me beyond their ability to write the essential prescriptions that I needed to treat my diabetes. If I was able to order my insulin, infusion pump supplies, test strips, and CGM supplies without their help and the subsequent remimbursement from payers, I would likely not seek their assistance.
I aslo learned that my knowledge of how to treat my diabetes dwarfed their professional knowledge. Their advice was often archaic, too general, and not individualized. How could any doctor who only sees a patient for 20 minutes four times per year be effective in helping treat a patient who must makes dozens of treatment decisions every day, 365 days per year.
The paucity of pertinent and timely treatment advice from diabetes doctors is one of the major reasons that our collective A1c’s are so poor. It’s much healthier to become an expert on your own glucose metabolism and then “smile and nod” to get the Rx’s you need to survive.
Sorry for this harsh assessment, but it’s my conclusion following 38 years of playing the game and attending these diabetes doctor visits four times per year since 1984. I’ve happily gotten over the anger and now neutrally view my diabetes doctor as someone who enables the flow of essential supplies to allow my survival. In fact, I feel sorry for their position and see them as stuck in a system that provides them with little professional satisfaction or meaning.
