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My Experience With Dr. Kaufman at the Open Medicine Institute

AaroninOregon

AaroninOregon

noob
Messages
170
Location
Hippietown
I survived my trip to see Dr. Kaufman. If I had to do it again I would fly rather than drive...what an exhausting trip.

Dr. Kaufman is exactly as advertised. He's very thorough in his questioning...and he is very open minded. I only wish that his office was closer (don't we all).

People here weren't kidding when they said that OMI takes a lot of blood. I feel like I was in the chair for 1/2 an hour lol.


Overall, I'm glad I made the trip and look forward to the results. I still have a few tests to do here in town though (SIBO, bartonella and saliva cortisol).
 
SOC

SOC

Senior Member
Messages
7,849
AaroninOregon said:
People here weren't kidding when they said that OMI takes a lot of blood. I feel like I was in the chair for 1/2 an hour lol.
Click to expand...
It's like that when you finally get to a good ME/CFS specialist. :) One day I was sitting in the local lab waiting room when a phlebotomist walked through the room with the strip of paper that has the stickers they put on the tubes after they draw blood. There were so many tubes to be taken that the paper looped over her hand and both ends dragged on the floor. There was a collective gasp from the people waiting. "Gosh," someone said in hushed awe, "someone must be really sick."
:whistle:
 
P

perrier

Senior Member
Messages
1,254
SOC said:
It's like that when you finally get to a good ME/CFS specialist. :) One day I was sitting in the local lab waiting room when a phlebotomist walked through the room with the strip of paper that has the stickers they put on the tubes after they draw blood. There were so many tubes to be taken that the paper looped over her hand and both ends dragged on the floor. There was a collective gasp from the people waiting. "Gosh," someone said in hushed awe, "someone must be really sick."
:whistle:
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My daughter wouldn't survive this kind of blood draw. We once were at DeMeirleir office,he drew 11 bottles, in two draws, and we had to sit in a hotel for two months, in order for my daughter to make the flight home,and that with difficulty.

I understand they want thorough testing. But what happens to the poor soul who cannot sustain such draws.

This doctor interests me also.
 
SOC

SOC

Senior Member
Messages
7,849
perrier said:
But what happens to the poor soul who cannot sustain such draws.
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In some cases, the doctor can order a saline infusion after a large blood draw, but that wouldn't be done at an outpatient lab, I think. You'd need to be in a hospital lab or the office of a doctor prepared to give saline. They can also do the draws over the course of a several weeks if one is not up to a large one-time draw.

I'm surprised KDM didn't do something to compensate for the large blood draw if your daughter was already weak. o_O
 
AaroninOregon

AaroninOregon

noob
Messages
170
Location
Hippietown
@perrier with kaufman you can specifically ask to have some of the labs done through a satellite lab at a later date.

I got nervous when I saw how many tubes they were going to fill and asked them if we had to do all of them at that time. They were willing to let me do some of them after I got home, but I went ahead and did them all while I was there.
 
AaroninOregon

AaroninOregon

noob
Messages
170
Location
Hippietown
SOC said:
One stick, lots of vials. :p The 28 vials or so that they drew is only about half of what is given in a blood donation. So while it looks alarming to see all those vials, it's really not that much blood.
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Shoot, you have some good blood flow. They had to use 2 veins on me and I had less than 20 vials, I think.
 
P

perrier

Senior Member
Messages
1,254
AaroninOregon said:
@perrier with kaufman you can specifically ask to have some of the labs done through a satellite lab at a later date.

I got nervous when I saw how many tubes they were going to fill and asked them if we had to do all of them at that time. They were willing to let me do some of them after I got home, but I went ahead and did them all while I was there.
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Thanks. What did they do to help you?
 
P

perrier

Senior Member
Messages
1,254
SOC said:
In some cases, the doctor can order a saline infusion after a large blood draw, but that wouldn't be done at an outpatient lab, I think. You'd need to be in a hospital lab or the office of a doctor prepared to give saline. They can also do the draws over the course of a several weeks if one is not up to a large one-time draw.

I'm surprised KDM didn't do something to compensate for the large blood draw if your daughter was already weak. o_O
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There have only been two doctors who knew how to avoid a collapse, one was dr ali in New York,the man who knows IVs better than anyone. He knew what ingredients to put into the bag to mitigate the effects of the draw. KDM gave 500 ml saline which did not help, and was too late in coming. We told him what happens, but he had nothing else to offer
 
R

redaxe

Senior Member
Messages
230
If you're ever getting a blood draw it's a good idea to start hydrating yourself a few hours before your appointment.

Lol I remember a long time ago I had to go to a routine blood draw and I hadn't had breakfast in the morning (nor drank any fluids since the night before).
Since I was so dehydrated they had trouble getting the needle into my veins. It took them about 3 goes to get the needle in and it was quite painful.
 
AaroninOregon

AaroninOregon

noob
Messages
170
Location
Hippietown
perrier said:
Thanks. What did they do to help you?
Click to expand...

I don't think they did anything specific for me. They do have a nice recliner to lie back in while they draw blood.

I'm not "severely ill" so I was just making mountains out of mole hills (thinking ti would be worse that it actually was). :)


But, for someone who is severely ill and unable to give that much blood in one sitting, I think they would be willing to make whatever accommodations are necessary.
 
P

perrier

Senior Member
Messages
1,254
redaxe said:
If you're ever getting a blood draw it's a good idea to start hydrating yourself a few hours before your appointment.

Lol I remember a long time ago I had to go to a routine blood draw and I hadn't had breakfast in the morning (nor drank any fluids since the night before).
Since I was so dehydrated they had trouble getting the needle into my veins. It took them about 3 goes to get the needle in and it was quite painful.
Click to expand...
My daughter hydrated like mad before a draw. Two to three litres of liquid plus salt and potassium
 
L'engle

L'engle

moogle
Messages
3,227
Location
Canada
I assume they give you some say as to which tests you have done and how much blood is actually taken? One is paying after all. I can't read these painful needle stories.
 
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