Medical Lab Testing Dallas, TX

If you have been diagnosed with Diabetes Mellitus Type I or Type II you are probably wondering what it is and what the difference is between the two types. Diabetes Mellitus is a disease that affects that body’s ability to produce insulin and/or the body’s ability to use it. Insulin is a hormone that is made by the pancreas which helps the body store energy (glucose) for later use. Like all hormones our body needs to keep these levels balanced to prevent damage to other organs. Current acceptable blood glucose levels should be between 80 and 120 before meals. Unfortunately with untreated diabetes these levels can get out of balance and become life-threatening.

Diabetes Mellitus Type I is also known as Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (IDDM) or juvenile diabetes. The pancreas produces little to no insulin and the patient must take injections daily as well as use diet and exercise to control blood glucose levels. Oral medications are not effective in treating Type I Diabetes Mellitus. The onset of Type I diabetes is usually before the age of 30, but may happen at any age. The patient is usually thin but may be of normal weight. Onset is usually a sudden case of high blood glucose. The symptoms of DM Type I are frequent urination, often getting up a number of times during the night to urinate. Other symptoms are excessive thirst, constant hunger and fatigue.

Diabetes Mellitus Type II is also known as Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (NIDDM) or adult onset diabetes. 90% of people with diabetes fall into this category. The pancreas produces normal to high normal levels of insulin, but the body is not able to use it correctly. These patients are usually managed with diet, exercise and oral medications, a small number may need insulin especially in times of illness or stress. Patients with Type II diabetes are often obese (85%) with high carbohydrate diets, but may be of normal weight. This type of diabetes usually occurs after the age of 30. Symptoms may be mild to none as the body adapts to the slow rise in blood glucose levels.

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Have you or someone you know been told that you are anemic? Anemia is a condition that the body doesnt make enough blood or the cells are being destroyed.The cells look like donuts with the holes. The purpose of these cells is to carry oxygen through the body and remove carbon dioxide.

When you are have anemia your body doesnt get enough of the oxygen that it needs. As a result you could be tired. Long lasting or severe anemia that goes undetected could lead to damage to the heart, lungs and damage other organs of the body.

The causes of anemia are caused by blood loss, lack of production of the cells and a poor diet that lacks iron, folic acid and vitamin b-12. Also if there is damage to your bone marrow that could lead to anemia as well.Some other risk factors are blood loss from an injury,long term diseases such as caners, diabetes,liver disease. It could also be family inherited.

Anemia isnt restricted to just men or women or a certain race. Anemia has been found in older people mainly because they tend to have other health issues that could lead to anemia as well.

Some of the signs or symptoms are fatigue,shortness of breath, pale skin, chest pain. These signs can occur because your heart is having to work harder to pump more oxygen through your body.

There are several tests that your doctor can perform to diagnose you. They are a CBC, Hemoglobin electrophoresis, this looks at the different types of hemoglobin your body has. A reticulocyte, this measures the number of young red blood cells in your body.

There are so many different types of anemia, thereforeyou may be tested for a number of different things. Treatments could be as simple as changing your diet, to taking medications, as well as having infusions.

Anemia is a very treatable disease.Treating the underlying cause may be the best way of preventing anemia. Some dietary changes may help in this process as well, always talk to your doctor about any change you have.

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Thrombocytopenia, what is that you ask? Its the condition known as low platelet count. What are platelets, they are blood cells that help your blood clot when you are bleeding. This means that platelets cause clumps to form in the blood vessels to stop bleeding.

Some of the signs or symptoms are easy bruising,bleeding into the skin that appears as it may be a rash, prolonged bleeding from cuts, and blood in urine or stools.

The causes of thrombocytopenia is usually marked by an underlying problem. Such problems are leukemia and some anemias may cause your overall platelet count to be low. Also ITP, could be a factor. This is where your immune system mistakenly attacks the platelets. Blood poisoning is another cause of this condition. As well as Lupus or rheumatoid arthritis, these are autoimmune disorders that could destroy platelets as well.

You should see a doctor when you have abnormal bleeding or bruising. Also if you develop a rash of pin point sized spots on your body.

The tests for this disease are a blood test or a more extensive test called a bone marrow. They go in and pull a piece of bone and send it off to see where the platelets are going and to see if you are making enough of them.

Treatment of this disease vary, and here are a few of the solutions. They include the useof medications, but in the rare case that those dont work. then they remove the spleen.This is done of the meds dont respond or it gets worse. There is also the procedure of plasma transfusions. This is only done in the most severest of cases that have lost a great deal of blood.

In cases that your platelets are too low, they will ask that you stop taking any aspirins that you are taking. They will ask that you stay away from contact sports, this is done to reduce the risk of injury and or bleeding.

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Now this is not going to be about the disease and how it affects the person who is dealing with it. Rather it is going to be seen from the family and friend’s perspective.

When a loved one is diagnosed with this disease, it is devastating to hear those words and know that someone close to you is the biggest fight of their lives. I recently worked for an oncologist, this is a physician whose specialty is cancer. While working there you become attached to pts, like they are family. This is about my struggle with one special pts fight with this deadly battle.

Medical Lab Testing

In the summer of 2007, my best friend was killed in a horrible accident. I did my best go through the motions at work, but Ms. Maudie saw through the mask of deception and she knew something was wrong. When I explained to her what happened, she forgot about the pain that she was in and her maternal instincts took over. She helped me find answers, and not to question why God took him and focused on the things he did with his life. She gave me sense of direction after that tragedy. She became like a second mother to me, she always was checking in on me after that to see how things were going. She never complained about anything, she took all of the downfalls with the cancer in stride.

Even when she went into the hospital on several different occassions because she was having problems breathing, she was always asking her daughter who worked with me how I was doing. I have never seen someone be so strong when facing a battle like this. Most of the pts at one point or another give up. She never did, it hurt me like hell to go and see her in that hospital bed. I can remember times when we had to wheel in her into the office on a wheel chair because she didnt have the strength to walk.

The treatments began to take a bigger toll on her than what I was prepared for. There were days when she was so sick that she wouldnt get out of bed. We would have to carry her to the restroom, and have her daughter take over from there.We would have to go and eat with her at times to make sure that she did eat.

Now a couple of months ago we finally got her to agree to the surgery which could possibly have saved her life. It took some fighting because she was so determined to beat this disease on her own. We tried in vain for months to get her to see that she needed the surgery. Now after finally agreeing to it, I get the news today that she was given 4-6 months to live.This is a huge blow to me and the daughter because for the last 3 yrs she was always just a phone call away. Now I have to deal with the possibility that she could be gone in just a few months.

This story is designed to get those of you out there who are going through the same thing, to not wait until the last minute to try all of the medically possible scenarios. Had we gotten her to do the surgery when the doctor recommended it, who knows what we would be dealing with now. There is no guarantee that surgery would have cured her, but by it could have prolonged her life longer than what is being expected now. Like I said I pray that this helps any of you who are going through this to use every venue possible. Remember its not just your fight but that of those closest to you as well.

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Cancer

This is one of the scariest words a doctor can ever say to you or a loved one. When you first get the news, always get a second opinion. When and if its confirmed, always begin getting yourself aclimated with all of the knowledge that you can about your kind of cancer. There are just so many different ones that they all dont react the and they dont get treated the same.

Here are some of the most common cancers. They are breast,lung,colon,prostate, rectum, skin, ovarian, and pancreatic. Now the detection for these can be as follows. Always get regular check ups, its best to catch cancer early if possible. Men, check your testicles for lumps, pain, swelling or tenderness that is new or unusual. Women, check you breasts for lumps, swelling or tenderness as well. Women should also begin Pap Smears when they turn 18 or become sexually active. Have yearly mammograms, as well as checking yourself in between check ups. Men, are recommended that after 40 you should get prostate exams regularily. With skin cancer just keep an eye on warts or moles that change color or become sensitive to the touch. As always have them check out with your physician if yo notice a change. Possible signs of cancer could be as follows.Changes in your bowel or bladder movements, a sore that doesnt heal, unusual bleeding, lump in the breast, and or a difficulty swallowing or a persistent couch that wont go away. These are signs that you need to go and see your doctor. Now for treatments options. They are chemotherapy, radiation therapy and biological therapy. Now some people are participating in studies and this is helping benefit the cancer research.Now before starting any treatment its best to get a second opinion.

When you are getting ready for your initail treatment, always do your homework so you can go in with questions to ask the doctor. This also helps you be better prepared so you are not caught in a state of shock when they explain to you how things are going to proceed from that point. When receiving treatment keep in mind that the treatment doesnt treat everyone the same. Depending on how long and how much of the treatment will also determine how you react to it.Just know that during treatment there is a team that monitors your treatment. That way if there is a problem it can be handled right away. Some of the side effects are that you are tired for longer than normal periods. You have no appetite, you dont want to get out of bed. You just feel run down all the time, which is normal because the treatment is desgined to kill off the cancer cells. So in turn you are getting better but also being sick for a while.You can also lose your hair, be nauseated and could possibly have mouth sores. If you experience any if this during treatment ask your doctor how you are able to combat some of it.One of the most important things during treatment is the ability to eat, by eating you can get your energy back and start to improve the way you feel as well. Never be afraid to ask for help. You are not the only one going through this, even though at time it feels like. Remember there are groups out there that can help you as far as suppport and financial aid, as well as other needs.  The biggest thing to remember here is that always check yourself or get check ups regularly and that diagnosis isnt the end of the world. We have come a long way in research, also early detection is always great as well. Never give up on yourself and we wont stop working for a cure.

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Blood clots, its a scary word, you dont know what it means. Hearing these words can be very devastating, you think of a clog in the sink. You realize that it cuts off the water supply. A blood clot, is basically the same thing, just in your body and can be a lot worse than you may realize.

Blood Clots

The early signs of a possible blood clot are swelling in the area, being warm, red and or painful to the touch.Other signs are the tissue may be white, or cool, and may also have a loss of sensation and or movement.You may also be in considerable amount of pain as well.

The complications that go along with clots can be very serious. They could lead to heart attack and possible stroke.Another problem could be that the clot could break off and then begin to move around the body.If this happens, you could lose use of the limb or could have problems with the lungs per say.

For the first year or so, you would have to have a test called PT test. What this measures is the thickness of the blood. Its a simple test, most offices just prick the end of the finger and get the sample that way. In the beginning the tests for this disorder can be very extensive. It can be a little scary because there are several tests that need to be run to determine the severity if any of the issues with the blood flow. Another test is called a bleeding time, basically this test involves maing a small incision in the fore arm and then timing how long it takes you to stop bleeding. This test takes the longest because you are sitting there anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes.
 
By not smoking, keeping your cholesterol low, keeping your blood pressure under control, this could prevent blood clots from forming. Now this is no gaurantee, but its a beginning.The are other things that could be done as well. The doctor could put you on a blood thinning medication. If this is the case follow the instructions as directed. Remember blood clots is a blood disorder that can be cured. It can be life threatening, but it’s also something that can be controlled.

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Flu Shots Availability

This morning on the local Dallas news it was reported that CVS, Walgreens and many physicians are sold out of seasonal flu shots.  They are attributing this to media attention on the flu as well as pharmaceuticals not providing as many seasonal flu vaccines this year.  A BDI Pharmaceuticals sales representative stated that less seasonal flu vaccines were produced this year in order to ramp up for H1N1 vaccine production.

Any Lab Test Now® North Dallas locations are reporting they still have plenty of seasonal flu shots available.  The cost is $20 when purchased individually or free with the purchase of any $49 or more lab test.  Therefore, men can get a $49 PSA test and a free flu shot.  Participating locations include Any Lab Test Now® Plano & Any Lab Test Now® McKinney. 

In a previous blog post I believe I researched and found that on average 30,000 people die every year from the regular seasonal flu.  It would be my guess that having less high risk individuals getting vaccinated this year will lead to a very high death rate.  Dallas talk radio (820am) this morning stated that more seasonal flu vaccines are in production; however, they will not be available until January 2010. 

Do you think H1N1 will cause even more deaths or grossly over-publicized?   A North Dallas physician who asked to remain nameless expressed his personal opinion.  He believes the H1N1 virus is similar in genetic makeup to a swine flu virus that swept the US in the 1970s.  Adults who fought this strain of the flu in the 70’s probably will have immunity to H1N1.  This theory could be a reason the H1N1 is not hitting the adult population very hard.  Reports are showing that children ages 4-18yrs are getting sore throat, stomach ache, diarrhea and nausea.  Adults however are only reporting stomach aches. 

The fact that most adults are not expressing all the symptoms may lead the virus to spread easier.  If an adult was hit hard this could limit them from being able to go to work thereby quarantining themselves.  I have also noticed every H1N1 related death I have researched occurred in an individual with a secondary infection.

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Mobile Drug Testing

Employers have many reasons why they decide to drug screen their employees.  Some businesses only drug test to lower their insurance premiums, while others regularly drug test any employee that handles money or heavy equipment.  This post focus on reasons to have your employees drug tested, what to expect from a drug screening company and where to get drug screening in Dallas, TX. 

Cutting costs is always a motivator for employers.  Sadly, not all employers recognize the need to drug screen to lower liability.  Regardless of what common sense tells you, if your employee does anything neglectful or illegal while on the clock you may be liable.  For example, a McDonalds employee accidently spilled a cup of coffee on a customer and a jury awarded the 81-year old plaintiff $2.9 million dollars.  Could your business absorb this cost?  No matter how successful your business you are only one lawsuit away from declaring bankrupcy.  If you can prove that as an employer you have done “due diligence” in providing a drug-free workforce then you are laying a good foundation you may need one day in a courtroom. 

I hear from time to time that small business owners must way the cost of drug testing their workforce against the chance of something bad happening.  There are a few ways to look at this.  First, always perform a new employee drug screen.  Any Lab Test Now® North Dallas locations offer this service to employees at $49 per test.  If you setup an account you can get $29 per drug screen.  This cost is minimal compared to the cost to fully train most employees.  Secondly, once you have an account setup you may also setup a random drug testing program.  Any Lab Test Now® will handle creating this policy all you have to provide is employee information and how often you want to drug screen.  I suggest for a business with 25 employees to random drug test 5 employees on a quarterly basis.  In order to save time Any Lab Test Now® provides on-site drug screening for $29 per drug screen when there are at least 5 employees to test. 

If your business is new to on-site drug screening then you may be curious about what to expect.  You can expect Any Lab Test Now® to show up on time and be ready to start testing within minutes of arrival.  You can prefer a specific method of drug screening or allow them to perform their standard method which is held to the same standard as government-regulated DOT drug screens.  Any Lab Test Now® will use a bathroom at your location to collect urine samples.  Should the need arise there are capable of performing a drug screen via hair sample.  The entire process should take about 5-10 minutes per employee and can be very discreet if that is your preference.

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Onsite Drug Screening

There are many reasons you may want to screen your employees for drug abuse.  Although some small businesses drug test only to lower their insurance premiums it is a good idea and very cost-effective to drug test any employee who handles money, interacts with customers or works with heavy equipment.

First let me introduce myself.  My name is Greg Johnson and I own Any Lab Test Now® locations in North Dallas.  Apart from DNA and medical lab tests we also perform on site drug screens for employers all over the North Texas and Oklahoma region. 

If you stumbled upon this blog then chances are you are researching mobile drug screening for your business.  Your first question will either be “can you do this…” or “how much do you charge” so I will address these two questions first.

“How much do you charge for onsite drug screening?”

We start at $39 per drug screen for employers testing 5 or more people.  There is no travel charge, collection fee or additional fees.  If you are testing about 25 people we charge $29 per drug screen. 

“Can you do [insert question here]?”

Yes we can.  I have received all sorts of questions and special instructions from employers from time to time.  I can perform an onsite drug screen anywhere in North Texas/Oklahoma in practically any situation.  One employer asked us to meet five of their truck drivers at a mile marker outside Denton on highway 380 between 2am and 5am in the morning and perform a DOT drug screen.

“What mobile employer drug screens are available?”

We perform either a 5-panel or 10-panel rapid drug screen.  The difference in the panels is that the 10-panel includes prescription meds.  Most employers find the 5-panel drug screens fit their needs.  There is no difference in cost between the two panels.

“How soon will I know the results of a mobile drug screen?

We can provide the employer with negative and non-negative results within 5 minutes of collection.  Employers wanting confirmation can have all non-negatives sent to the lab and results are usually ready within 24-48hrs.

We also are asked favors by employees from time to time; however, I assure you that we work for the employer.  All our collectors are certified in DOT collections and unless asked by the employer otherwise we use that standard for every single collection to ensure accuracy.  Most often, employers are not only drug testing their employees for piece of mind, but also to lower liability.  Performing each and every onsite drug test to this standard creates fool proof evidence should a legal matter arise.

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Sexuality involves both physical and emotional intimacy. A healthy sex life can positively affect all aspects of your life. It can improve your physical health, how you feel about yourself, how you work and play, and your dealing with family and friends. Certain things can negatively affect your sexuality. Having a satisfying sex life is a challenge in all relationships. The most common problem for women is dyspareunia, or painful intercourse. When sex becomes painful, it can cause problems in a sexual relationship, as well as having a negative emotional effect.

The most common cause of painful intercourse is an insufficient amount of vaginal lubrication. Of all the possible causes, it is also the easiest to resolve. It is common to have fears and concerns about sex and intimacy when you are in pain. The woman needs to focus on relaxing while her partner focuses on more foreplay, and take your time. If that doesn’t work, then you can move on to lubricant. Make sure it is water based. If the lack of vaginal lubrication is due to hormones or menopause, then you can try a water based lubricant. If that doesn’t help, then you will need to talk to your physician about using a prescription estrogen cream of hormone replacement therapy.

Another very common condition that can cause painful intercourse is vaginal infections, like a yeast infection or bacterial vaginosis. Both infections can irritate the vaginal walls and also cause inflammation inside the vagina. Once the vaginal walls become inflamed, the friction from intercourse can be extremely painful. You can use an over the counter treatment for a yeast infection, but you will need to get prescription antibiotics for bacterial vaginosis.

Many sexually transmitted diseases can be painful. Syphilis, Genital Herpes and Genital Warts can all cause sores in the vaginal area. These sores are extremely painful just to touch. If you have an STD or suspect that you have been exposed to an STD, you need to get tested immediately.

After giving birth, you should not have intercourse for at least 6 weeks. Your body needs time to heal. During delivery, you can experience an injury to the vulva or the vagina. If your doctor performed an episiotomy prior to delivery, it will require stitches, and having sex too soon may require you to need additional stitches.

Some women experience spasms of the vaginal muscles, called vaginismus. This is usually caused by a fear of being hurt. This is most common in women that have been sexually abused or raped. Her partner can try gentleness and patience, but more than likely you will need some sexual therapy. When looking for a counselor, make sure they are a certified sexual counselor.

You should seek immediate attention if intercourse suddenly becomes painful when it hasn’t been before, or if you suspect an STD or any other infection. You should also let your partner know immediately if you have an unusual reaction to sexual intercourse. An unusual reaction would be a headache, chest pain or pain throughout the body. If you experience painful intercourse, talk to your partner.

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