Soooo....
I've only just got my brains together in the last few days to tackle the three elements involved in getting a methylation panel test done - a UK hospital to draw the blood, a courier, and the lab in the Netherlands. Oh :headache:.
I've already made a lot of phone calls/emails, sometimes asking the same question in different ways hoping for a clear answer but getting nowhere! Can anyone help me with these questions:
1. The lab instructions say you have to put your blood in the fridge at 4-6 degrees within 2 minutes of the draw and send your blood samples with an ice pack and to ship overnight using 24 hour shipping. I asked the hospital about this and they said they can provide an ice pack but it won't be enough to keep the samples cold for 24 hours. If 2 minutes above 6 degrees is an issue, I'm worried my blood is going to be fried by the time it gets to the lab, ice-pack or not. What should I do? I canna change the laws o' physics, Cap'n!
2. FedEx will carry blood but their local drop-off offices won't accept parcels containing it so I will need to arrange a pick-up, presumably from my house. They've said they can only guarantee 6pm next-day delivery to Bunnik, where the lab is, though the lab says it will be by 2pm (I don't know how they know). I have had several stunningly incomprehensible conversations with FedEx about how to arrange a pick-up. I think they were trying to tell me that I can phone on the day and there'll be a pick-up within a few hours. Is that right? Should I be trying to get as late a slot as possible so that the blood has less time to deteriorate?
3. Will my continuing to take 75mg/day Pregabalin (Lyrica) affect the test results? I think I read on one of the bits of paper that you're supposed to ask your doctor about discontinuing meds.
I've only just got my brains together in the last few days to tackle the three elements involved in getting a methylation panel test done - a UK hospital to draw the blood, a courier, and the lab in the Netherlands. Oh :headache:.
I've already made a lot of phone calls/emails, sometimes asking the same question in different ways hoping for a clear answer but getting nowhere! Can anyone help me with these questions:
1. The lab instructions say you have to put your blood in the fridge at 4-6 degrees within 2 minutes of the draw and send your blood samples with an ice pack and to ship overnight using 24 hour shipping. I asked the hospital about this and they said they can provide an ice pack but it won't be enough to keep the samples cold for 24 hours. If 2 minutes above 6 degrees is an issue, I'm worried my blood is going to be fried by the time it gets to the lab, ice-pack or not. What should I do? I canna change the laws o' physics, Cap'n!
2. FedEx will carry blood but their local drop-off offices won't accept parcels containing it so I will need to arrange a pick-up, presumably from my house. They've said they can only guarantee 6pm next-day delivery to Bunnik, where the lab is, though the lab says it will be by 2pm (I don't know how they know). I have had several stunningly incomprehensible conversations with FedEx about how to arrange a pick-up. I think they were trying to tell me that I can phone on the day and there'll be a pick-up within a few hours. Is that right? Should I be trying to get as late a slot as possible so that the blood has less time to deteriorate?
3. Will my continuing to take 75mg/day Pregabalin (Lyrica) affect the test results? I think I read on one of the bits of paper that you're supposed to ask your doctor about discontinuing meds.