WHERE do you begin?!
Ironically, before my position here at Virtual Clinic, I was in the same place that perhaps you are…I would look at my client’s lab results and silently pull my hair out. I knew there was really important information in there, but where do I begin and what DO all the numbers mean?
I would attend doctor’s appointments with my parents, I’d watch their doctor glance down the list in two seconds flat and smile, hand it back to us and say, “You look great!” or “All normal!” I even remember sitting in a specialist’s office with my husband one day who looked at ONE line (marker) and said with fear and trepidation on his face, “oh dear! You are in thyroid failure!” (by the way, his speciality was NOT thyroid or endocrinology.)
Years ago, I vowed that I WOULD conquer this looming mountain of numbers. I can now tell you that I’m still not an expert, but they no longer scare me.
In a previous blog, we talked about the importance of understanding the definition of ranges. In today’s blog, I thought it might be helpful to share with you a few resources that I have found to be helpful in my own journey to learn to not fear numbers. I actually walked through my own journey backwards from what I’ve outlined below, so you may find it easier to take it in the steps below.
If you have no or minimal experience in blood work, there are a couple reference books that I have on my shelf:
- Blood Never Lies by James LaValle – this was the first book recommended by me by one of my mentors
- Why are my labs Normal? [note, this is written for the individual, but great place for a Clinician to start]
The next step to consider is then looking into a certification geared to you as a Clinician. I have gone through two courses and found both very beneficial for different reasons.
If you are newer to tackling blood work, I would suggest investigating the Functional Blood Work Specialist certification with Dr. Kylie Burton. She does a phenomenal job at breaking it down to an easy to understand and therefore easy to use and teach model.
When you are ready to take it up a level, the ODX Functional Blood Chemistry Analyst Mastery certification with Dr. Dicken Weatherby is amazing as well.
Happy learning. You no longer need to be fearful of numbers! Jump in, order a few basic tests and begin your learning journey to help your patient/clients and build your practice.