Info Desk [Paperwork, ordering, wait times, procedures, booklets, prescriptions...]

For all you people out there who, just like me, spend way too much time wandering through random forums and staring at your phones hoping to stumble onto some kind of useful info🙂

So... after months of basically running myself ragged bouncing between hospitals (not even mentioning how some places wouldn't even let me through the door), I’m still totally lost on where to actually get my testing done.
I tried heading over to the local Vineyard hospital because I read online they handle stuff like LAC, antiphospholipid antibodies, and IgE 🙂, but obviously, they just kicked me out at the entrance because they're out of supplies for those specific tests and apparently only take "their" patients (and what even defines one of "their" patients anyway???)

Okay, people, help a girl out... where can I actually go to get LAC, antiphospholipid antibodies, IgE and total IgE, dsDNA, and ANA tests done???
Basically, Ribbon is a NO, Vineyard is a NO, Holy Spirit is a NO, and Oakwood is a NO.

If you guys actually need any of these tests done, I guess you could just order them through Ribbon and then deal with waiting at least a month for the results to even show up.
Basically:
anti-elforeza
IgA
IgG
IgM
c3, c4, and c1q
DNA

I’ve been thinking about this lately, and honestly? It’s nothing short of infuriating. We talk about "surpassing" expectations like it’s some noble pursuit, but in reality, it’s usually just a recipe for burnout and broken promises. People love to throw that word around in corporate boardrooms from New York to San Francisco. They act like hitting a goal isn't enough—no, you have to shatter it, leap over it, and somehow find a way to make the impossible look easy. It sounds great on a motivational poster at a Starbucks, but let’s be real: it’s exhausting. When you constantly aim to surpass, you aren't just moving the goalposts; you're tearing them down entirely. And don't even get me started on the people who claim they did it just to feel superior. That’s not ambition; that’s just ego masquerading as progress. True excellence shouldn't be about leaving everyone else in the dust just to prove a point. It should be about steady, meaningful growth. But in this country, if you aren't constantly sprinting toward some imaginary finish line, people act like you're standing still. It's a treadmill that never stops, and frankly, I'm tired of the hype. kaže:
Is it actually true that a primary care physician can't just prescribe something and send over an electronic referral online? I've been hearing this nonsense floating around, and frankly, it sounds ridiculous. In this day and age, you'd think the whole system would be streamlined by now. Is anyone else seeing this, or am I just losing my mind?
In my situation, I’m heading back to my hometown for the next three weeks, but my family doctor is all the way in the city where I go to school. Am I seriously expected to make that entire trip just to pick up one single referral in person?

It's the truth. Period.
You can just order them online.

Grace Booth5 said:So... here we go again. After months of absolutely exhausting myself running from one hospital to the next—not to mention the sheer frustration of being flat-out denied entry to some of them—I’m still stuck in the exact same position. I still have absolutely no clue where to actually get these tests done.
I headed over to the Vineyard because I’d seen people on the forums mentioning that they perform specialized testing there—things like LAC, antiphospholipid antibodies, and IgE. 🙂 Of course they kicked me right out the door! It’s unbelievable. They clearly don't have the resources or the staff to actually run these tests properly, and honestly? It feels like they only care about treating their own private patients. And let's be real—who exactly qualifies as "their" patient anyway? Typical bureaucracy at its finest.

Alright, people, I need some help here... Can I run tests for LAC, antiphospholipid antibodies, total IgE, IgE levels, dsDNA, and ANA?
Listen, let me be crystal clear about this: I am absolutely not talking about Ribbon, I am not talking about Vineyard, I am certainly not talking about the Holy Spirit, and I am definitely not talking about Oakwood!

I’ve got different information on this. My understanding is that they should be able to handle the LAC and antiphospholipid antibody testing over at Mayo Clinic, while the rest would go through the Cleveland Clinic—though, if you ask me, everything could probably be handled right there at Mayo Clinic.

I called my OB-GYN back on December 3rd, and she sent over an electronic referral for some blood work. I was wondering how long those orders stay valid? I guess between a few different commitments and feeling under the weather, I haven't been able to get to the lab yet, so I probably won't be able to make it in until sometime next week.

Someone told me that the 30-day period stays "in the system." That means it applies to both the printed version you get right there on-site and the e-manual.

Lisa Myers said:Someone told me the 30-day window stays "in the computer"—meaning you get both the hard copy right there and the digital version too.

I can back that up; that’s exactly what happened to me recently.🙂

Does anyone know if there are any 24/7 biochemistry labs open on weekends or holidays? If so, which ones cover the Greater Chicago area?

@Lisa Myers/">@@Lisa Myers, Elizabeth Fowler46, thanks so much!

I was wondering if I can actually sign up with a gynecologist in the city where I'm going to college? (I've never been registered with one before, so this would be my first time.) Also, do I need to get a referral from my primary care doctor back home in my hometown?

Jessica Lopez4 said:I was wondering if I can sign up with a gynecologist in the city where I'm going to college (I've never been registered with one before, so this would be my first time)? Also, do I need a referral from my primary care doctor back in my hometown?

You can, and no, you don't need a referral.
You just have to check which doctors are actually taking new patients right now, go meet them, and fill out some paperwork. Then take those papers over to Medicare, and once that's cleared, head back to the doctor—then you're officially on the books.
At least, that’s how the whole process went when I was trying to get set up with a doctor in Chicago.

I received a referral for a radiologist back in November. If I show up for the appointment now, is there any chance they'll reject the referral?
Thanks.

Lisa Myers said:Someone told me the 30-day window is "in the system"—meaning it applies to both the physical referral you get in person and the digital one.

So, if I book an appointment and end up waiting over a month for an opening, does that mean my referral is expired because the 30 days passed?

boldnomad45 said:So, if I put myself on the waiting list and end up waiting over a month, does that mean they won't accept the referral I used to sign up since it'll be older than thirty days?

I don't think so, because when I got my referral for the neurosurgeon back in September, they actually canceled my appointment twice already, and I have yet another one scheduled for tomorrow. Every single time, the nurse just assured me that my referral was still perfectly valid and that there was no need for me to go back and get a new one, so why would it be any different now?

That’s likely due to the strike right now; otherwise, it would be valid for 30 days..

So, my doctor actually gave me a referral for both physical therapy and follow-up checkups that’s good for an entire year—which, honestly, feels pretty recent! During my last appointment, they told me this covers my checkup in the spring too... plus, if I need to pop back in before then (since they were all like, "just let us know how you're feeling"), I'm covered for that as well.
I'm not totally sure if you can get a long-term referral like this for every single procedure or whatever, but hey, maybe someone else out there can snag one like this too... who knows?

The expiration date on your referral depends entirely on which type of referral you were issued.

I've dropped a link below so you can check out the details for yourself.

So, where am I even supposed to go for this—trying to get a fecal elastase test done on a stool sample?

I've already tried hitting up Oakland, Mercury, Rib, Holy Spirit, Infectious, and even the CDC—but none of them are doing it.

dustysurfer23 said:So, where can I actually go to get this done—specifically testing stool for fecal elastase?

I’ve already reached out to Oakland, Mercury, Rib, Holy Spirit, the Infectious Disease center, and even the CDC, but none of them are performing this particular test. It's a bit frustrating, isn't it?

Perhaps there's a private lab out there, maybe something along the lines of Breyer, Stella, or even Bonifarm???

I need to schedule an abdominal CT scan. Is that something I can get done over in Indianapolis?