I am so very angry! Several weeks ago I had a renin test and aldosterone test done here at the clinic. Squirt called me Monday (yesterday) to tell me to lower my thyroid meds. I made the big mistake of telling him that I had these two tests done and that the renin came back high and the aldosterone came back low. Well Squirt called me just a few minutes ago. He had spent all day today tracking down those lab results. Squirt called the hospital were they were processed. Then Squirt called the clinic here in town where the tests were done and insisted they send him a copy of the renin and aldosterone lab results. The clinic faxed Squirt the results even though they DID NOT have my permission to send him copies of the results. Squirt was beside himself with joy. The whole purpose of his phone call was to tell me that the clinic here in town had made a mistake and that what looked like an above normal renin level really wasn’t. According to Squirt a renin level of 7 was considered high until a short time ago. Squirt told me that he had talked to the lab technician today and according to the hospital that processed the renin test a level of 7 was just fine for someone my age! (The same hospital lab included the normal renin levels of .4 to 2.3 on my copy of the lab results). If this is true why would the hospital that processed the tests have marked the renin HIGH? Squirt could hardly contain himself he was so pleased that he could call me again and tell me that my test result was normal.

It is clearly in Squirt’s best interest to dismiss the renin and aldosterone results. He is the one who insisted that I go to a sleep clinic. Squirt was the one who was absolutely sure I would be diagnosed with sleep apnea. In his letter to Squirt, the sleep clinic doctor noted that I did not have sleep apnea, that the adrenaline rushes had been documented at the sleep clinic and that I should have my renin and aldosterone checked ASAP. Squirt did not agree and refused to do the renin and aldosterone tests. After waiting for Squirt to change his mind from February 2002 to July 2002, I finally had the tests done at my community clinic.

I have called the clinic here in town and told them never again to fax anything to Squirt without my written permission. (They will never get my written permission).

Why would someone who is quitting his medical practice in the next two months and changing careers go to all this trouble to track down lab results that are, quite frankly, none of his business?

Squirt has taken all my abnormal lab results and dismissed them. Please don’t get me wrong – I am not on my hands and knees praying for high renin levels. However, I am very tired of being sick! I am very tired of passing out, very tired of the nausea, very tired of high and then very low blood pressures, very tired of being awakened at night by the diabolical adrenaline rushes, very tired of my weak arm and leg muscles and the list goes on. Last night I again got only 1 1/2 hours of sleep.

All I can say is that the phone call from Squirt has really upset me. What is wrong with me? Why does he not take into consideration abnormal lab results? Why does he not at least try to get to the bottom of my horrible symptoms? As I have said before, I must have an invisible tattoo on my forehead that only Squirt can see and that tattoo must say, “Please abuse me!”