Many clients come to us after seeing their GP or fertility specialist and subsequently having a screed of lab tests. When discussing the results with the GP or specialist, it is important to ask for copies of the results.
Lab results, scans and any other investigations: we love them so bring them in. Whenever you have more lab work done bring those results in too. These results have the potential to allow the practitioner to fine tune treatment for each client.
There are 2 different ways of looking at lab results. Often if your blood results fall within the provided reference range your doctor will tell you “everything is fine”. This reference range is indicating absence of disease and has been formulated by looking at a healthy population, not specifically a population of women wanting to conceive.
What we like to see, is where your blood results fit in relation to the IDEAL RANGE. This is usually a smaller range and often folks who report feeling “off balance, but the blood test all came back OK” will have results within the normal reference range but outside the ideal range.
We want all the tests, not only those related to reproductive hormones such as oestrogen, progesterone, lutenising hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH). All our body systems impact fertility and Chinese Traditional Medicine (TCM) offers us a totally different way of making sense of symptoms or disorders you may be experiencing.
On your first visit we will ask the obvious questions about your menstrual cycle but be just as curious about your bowel habits and sleep patterns. All these questions look at the health and function of the bodies organs from a TCM perspective. The questions also help to narrow down our focus and provides the basis for a Chinese Medical Diagnosis which under pins any treatment that follows.
Ultimately, the availability of lab results just allows us as practitioners to refine our diagnosis and treatments.
Louise Bennett