Getting back to preventative health – and ready for a new year

The start of a new year is a great time to do a stock take on your health and well being – especially post-lockdown.

Getting ready to review your health with your Naturopath starts by getting an up-to-date set of blood tests.

Often your doctor has already done preliminary tests – so you don’t need another hole in your arm.  You can save yourself and the system some money and just get copies.

There is also often lots more information in the standard tests than your GP uses – so again, make the most of the data you have.

Sounds simple, doesn’t it?

But while it’s straightforward, it IS  a process – including your interactions with the GP who needs to authorise those tests (so you get the Medicare rebate).

So let’s go through the process:

1. Ring your medical clinic and ask the receptionist to print out a copy of all your previous blood test results and other investigations (urine tests, ultrasounds, etc).
2. You don’t have to say “for my Naturopath” – just say “for my own records”. *
3. Be aware that “the rules” are that your doctor must sight the results and if necessary discuss the results with you – so if you’re after test results that fell off your “around to it” list, you might need to have a consult.
4. Some receptionists need convincing – so make a confident request (don’t ask “can I” – say “I would like my records”).
5. Drop your previous results off with your Naturopath (before your consult)  so they can  review and understand them.
6. Do the consult with your Naturopath.
7. There are often extra tests that could provide additional insight – so be ready for your Naturopath to suggest them.
8. Make an appointment with your doctor to request any extra tests.  Make sure that you are clear on what extra information they can provide – especially if they’re outside “medical normal” your doctor will want to know their benefits.
9. Get the test results (with a medical consult if required) and take them to your Naturopath.

This will give us a strong foundation to maximise your health going forward.

As a Naturopath, I often end up investigating subtle, complex conditions that don’t fit the mainstream medical mindset.   That means I’m looking at different things and considering a whole range of less common possibilities.  (I don’t quite wear a deerstalker hat like Sherlock Holmes – but I am a health detective.)

So start your new year with maximum information to maximise your health.

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*  Because it’s your information; because it’s useful for talking to all sorts of other practitioners; because you might change doctors