Medical Lab Testing Dallas, TX

Question:  The lab tests I need are expensive and I have to get them regularly.  I do not have insurance.  How do I know I am getting the best price on a lab test?

Answer:  Healthcare is changing and I get asked this question all the time.  I have even had people try to barter with me for lab tests here in Dallas, TX.  The days of paying your doctor with a baby goat may be coming back.

Here is the answer to your question.  First to ensure that you are getting the best price for your lab tests you need to call around.  Quest Diagostics, LabCorp & Any Lab Test Now are three I will use in this example.  For the best price you will want to call your local store/lab.   If you call the national hotline you will get national pricing which may be higher than local prices. 

Next, get pricing not only for the tests individually, but also ask if those tests come in a panel.  A panel is a group of lab tests that are commonly ordered together.  Many times you get a large discount on lab tests by ordering the panel, even if you get more tests than you need. 

Finally, look for a coupon or discount/promo code online.  Lab testing is a competitive business and these guys really want you to use them.  If you can not find discounts online then you need to ask over the phone.  I know this may sound strange since we are often told what to pay by doctors/labs and pay without question.  Just last week a lady came into my lab and requested a discount for DNA paternity tests on her four children.  She was going through a divorce and the court ordered the tests.  A legal paternity test runs about $449 each so you can see why she was looking for a discount.  Needless to say, we gave her a buy 3 get one free discount and she was very happy.

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Question:  I get my thyroid tested regularly.  The test my doctor usually orders is called a Thyroid Panel and Quest Diagnostics costs about $279.   I do not have health insurance.  Is there a cheaper place to get a Thyroid Panel lab test? ~ Sherry L. Frisco, TX

Answer:  To get your answer I called Any Lab Test Now in Plano, TX and they sell the exact same thyroid panel for only $79.  They have locations nationwide so chances are there is one near you.  They do not accept insurance; however, you can pay with a credit card linked to a flexible spending account(FSA/HSA).

Speaking with Melodie at Any Lab Test Now, I discovered it is actually one of their most popular test panels.  The thyroid panel is often used to diagnose, treat and/or monitor thyroid diseases such as hypo-thyroidism and hyper-thyroidism.  The thyroid is a very important organ which regulates your metabolism. 

A underactive thyroid can be linked to a slow metabolism and weight gains.  If you feel this describes you then you can get your thyroid checked for $79 at Any Lab Test Now in Plano, TX.  The doctor’s order can be provided if needed.

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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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PSA (prostate-specific antigen) tests that test for the risk of prostate cancer in men are sensitive to many outside factors that can affect the results. Unfortunately, many physicians do not inform their patients of this fact. This may cause one to need several tests performed to get accurate results.

Get a PSA Test

Several factors may elevate the results of a PSA test. The higher the level, the more likely cancer is present. A result with high levels due to some other outside factor could cause a false positive result and a lot of unnecessary stress and fear. Many things can cause an elevated PSA level that should not be cause for concern. For example, age alone can cause a rise in levels. As a man ages, his PSA levels rise as well. Also, men should abstain from sex at least two days before being tested. Studies show that ejaculation within this period before a PSA test may increase PSA levels in the blood. Stimulation of the prostate from something such as a bike ride may also elevate the levels. Infections of the prostate that may produce no symptoms may also lead to elevated PSA levels. Also, a man with a larger than average prostate may get results with higher levels even if his prostate is healthy due to the fact that larger prostates produce more PSA in the blood.

On the other hand, some factors can artificially lower the PSA levels. This could lead a patient to believe they have no risk when in fact, they may have higher levels than the results show. Many medications can lower PSA levels in the blood. For example, over the counter herbal remedies such as saw palmetto can reduce levels by as much as 50%. Also, men who regularly use aspirin or other painkillers have levels 10% lower than those who do not.

One should always keep in mind that there is no “normal” number for PSA test results. Many different factors should be taken into account. Also, it is important to realize that one abnormal PSA test result does not necessarily mean one has cancer. It is important to be tested on a routine basis to watch the levels for fluctuations. The American Cancer Society (ACS) recommends that all men, beginning at age 50 and those at an increased risk of prostate cancer have a PSA test performed annually.

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Full Time Medical Assistant/Chief Phlebotomist-Any Lab Test Now

McKinney, TX

Reports To: ANY LAB TEST NOW Owner

The Medical Assistant will be responsible for all operations when the owner is not at the site.  It’s important that the MA has both strong people and clinical skills. 

If interested, email resume with references to plano@anylabtestnow.com.

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It is really amazing what advances we are making in science.  I read the other day that some scientists came up with a device used for early detection of lung cancer.  It seems that individuals with lung cancer excrete certain molecules in their breath that healthy individuals do not.  Detect these molecules and you got lung cancer.

I feel this deserves more attention than the news organizations are giving.  This is HUGE.  Early detection is the key to survival during a battle with lung cancer.  Chances are, each person reading this has known someone who has died from lung cancer.  It seems that molecule detection is too easy to get notoriety.  I wonder if the early detection of lung cancer involved stem cells in some way would it would get more media attention. 

I would like to note that scientists have isolated these identifying molecules with many forms of cancer.  They have also linked the presence of cancer to mutations of a particular piece of our DNA.  These molecules and bits of DNA are referred to as tumor markers.  Although it can be pricy ($699-$899) you can visit your local “Any Lab Test Now®” and get an entire tumor marker panel. 

The female version includes a breast tumor screen.  This test looks for a snippet of DNA that has been linked to breast cancer.  Having this marker does not mean you have breast cancer.  All it means is that having this snippet of DNA puts you in the high risk category.  This can be analogous to fair skinned people having an increased risk of skin cancer. 

You may ask yourself why get a test that isn’t definitive.  The reason is early detection of cancer.  If you have fair skin you will probably make more frequent visits to a dermatologist.  This is similar.  Knowing your DNA gives you an increased chance of getting breast cancer would encourage you to get checked more frequently and thereby creating the opportunity for early detection of breast cancer.

One of the tumor markers for men is our PSA.  There having many medical studies that suggest a high value on a PSA test greatly increases your chance of prostate cancer.  It only costs $49 if taken by itself at an Any Lab Test Now® location and monitoring your PSA can save your life. 

The fact that this early detection breathalyzer isn’t getting as much media follows in line with most individuals thought process.  People tend to stick their head in the sand and think it won’t happen to them.  Their lives are a constant rollercoaster and they are concerned more about their current hill and would rather handle the big loop coming up when they have no other choice.  Sadly, this mentality is a death sentence with cancer.

If you have a family history of cancer or illness it is your responsibility to monitor your health.  You owe it to your family and friends.

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