My rheumatologist would only check labs once a year, at my appointment. ESR and CRP would come back “normal” even when I was completely flared, and I’d leave the clinic feeling like I was making it up. So I started asking my GP for monthly bloodwork. Just a simple panel: CRP, ESR, ANA, C3, C4.
After three months of data, the pattern was obvious. My C3 and C4 drop about two weeks before I flare. My ESR stays “normal” the whole time. Suddenly I have this two-week window where I know what’s coming instead of just feeling it blindside me.
When I showed my rheumatologist six months of data, she stopped pushing back. Now we do labs every 6-8 weeks. She actually uses the pattern now to adjust my meds, which was never happening before. The thing that gets me is nobody mentioned this was even possible.
I figured it out by accident. And I know I’m lucky my GP would order the tests. Not everyone’s doctor will. So does anyone else have to basically fight for this?
How did you get your doctor to agree to more frequent bloodwork? And what patterns did you actually find in your own labs?
ymmv.