I went to the doctor today with this cold. I asked to have a serotyping panel so that I can find out my sub A stuff...and the doctor, looks at me like a deer caught in the headlights. "What is that?" She says..
Long story short, she called the lab and they told her she needed to check off specific tests on the panel. You just can't order a "Panel"  Who knew?  

So does anyone know what specific tests should be ordered?  I wanted secretor status , and the MM thingy ... Maybe I should just see a hematologist?  THEN, I aksed for a pylori test..Oh, no, I couldn't have that one done either. I have to go see a GI to have that done.    But they did do a celiac panel. Should be interesting to see the results of that one.  I also had my vitamin D levels done and serum ferritin.

When I wanted the serotype panel. I had the blood drawn locally and just sent the vial to

Southwest Naturopathic Medical Clinic in Scottsdale, AZ.  

http://www.scnm.edu/medcenter/laboratory.php
480-970-0000


Their "Serotype panel" told me my Lewis group
Whether subtype was A1 or A2  
as well as if I was MM, NN, or  MN.

My GP wrote on the normal lab form ( for the normal tests), the specific tests I asked for:  Serotyping including Lewis, A1-A2 and MN grouping.  The lab complied.  

For my son, the doctor just went by the codes on the lab form ticking the serotyping box, when we asked him, but will that do the Lewis, A1-A2 and MN groupings too? He assured us, yes, of course!!  a few days later the results came with just the Lewis info, but no A1-A2 or MN.  So my son missed out so far, now he is in Vegas, not done the other tests yet!!!  Each at their own pace!! Where did I hear that before?  

So, I learned to be specific, when we did DD, we got what we wanted!!  But then we knew how to talk their language ...

Quoted from C_sharp

Their "Serotype panel" told me my Lewis group
Whether subtype was A1 or A2  
as well as if I was MM, NN, or  MN.

Thanks Kent. Did they tell you if you are a secretor or not?

believe that SWcNM lab isn t  performing those tests anymore

Quoted from Mayflowers

Thanks Kent. Did they tell you if you are a secretor or not?

They based that on the Lewis group and gave me a nonsecreotr food list based on my Lewis group.

Oh! The lewis is the secretor test.  So, Lola, just an FYI, you can't just tell a doctor you want a serotyping panel done. You have to be specific.   So I'll have to remember next time to ask for "Lewis", A1-A2 and MN grouping. Thanks Cristina..   (this means I have to get stuck again..   )

At least that is the case in Australia ...  but it looks like you are having same issues over there.  I had same reaction from my doc first up, 'what do you want that for?', "blah, blah, blah",... but, at the end, he did comply  

Quoted from Lola

believe that SWcNM lab isn t  performing those tests anymore

If I have my blood drawn locally, Number 1) Will I be able to take the blood with me?  I would think a doctor's office would not even allow that.  Number 2) If SWcNM lab isn't performing these tests anymore, then who do I send it to?  Dr. D's office, maybe?

There are local labs that do bloodwork.
Do you have a doctor that could order it along with regular panel for your annual physical?
Our insurance covered the regular panel of tests then.

Here is the website I was sent to when I went to see Dr. D (from out of state).  http://www.questdiagnostics.com -- has a search function with it. Our insurance covered the Lewis test/typing Dr. D ordered but zero on the office visit.

My Lewis was at MidAmerica and they do their testing and send the reports to the doctor. My other standard test was at another local lab https://www.labcorp.com/wps/portal/. (I don't know if they do Lewis or not.)

My regular doc office just gave me a call and said things looked good and I asked to be mailed a copy. I think that's standard operating procedure. They also gave me a choice of labs (copied phone book pages) at the regular doctor because they said the prices vary tremendously and insurance may only cover a portion if their price is high.

You might call and see if they can just do a self-ordered test and give you the results directly if you are not in need of a physical or don't have insurance, etc.

I don't know if they do the "MM" thing referred to above. I did not have that on my lab order.
But MidAmerica did Lewis. I don't recall the charge since I had no copay. You can find elsewhere on this website about how Lewis relates to secretor/non to interpret results.

Thank you, AKArtlover.  

If anyone affiliated with Dr. D's clinic roams this forum, could he/she chime in and provide the name/website/phone# of a lab that will do all blood tests necessary for the SWAMI?  Thanks in advance.

Quoted from 10384

If I have my blood drawn locally, Number 1) Will I be able to take the blood with me?  I would think a doctor's office would not even allow that.  Number 2) If SWcNM lab isn't performing these tests anymore, then who do I send it to?  Dr. D's office, maybe?

The best way to get tested for secretor status and MN is to go to a blood donation center and donate blood. If you are a regular blood donor, the donor center may already have these phenotypes on file without you having to have them repeated. If not, you can tell them you are working on a special project, then you can specifically ask for a Lewis blood group phenotype and phenotyping for M and N antigens. If they are willing to perform the tests for you, then you will have to pay for them. Lewis and MN blood typing reagents are quite common and so costs should not be too prohibitive anyway unlike other typing serums such as anti Cellano which is much more rare and expensive.

Lewis phenotyping is one way to determine secretor status unless you happen to be Le(a-b-) then secretor status cannot be determined. Only 5-6% of the caucasian population is Lewis negative. So their is a 94-95% chance that you are either Le(a+b-) non-secretor or Le(a-b+) secretor.