So many bodily functions can be quantified
Normal values fall within a range, narrow or wide
The numeric value of a test result is compared
To the reference range to tell you how you have fared..
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With access to all the results instantly
All patients are now able to see
Their test results compared to normal limits
They get anxious when their values do not fit
Within those golden parameters, they want an explanation
From their health care teams, especially their physicians..
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It is hard to know where one lies on the spectrum of health and disease
Numbers with reference ranges can be understood with ease
But the human body is a dynamic machine
With processes working simultaneously but remaining unseen
An outlier can be close to the reference range or further away
Both have to be interpreted in very different ways
In either case, interpretation of any test is a skill acquired
After years of training, the health care professional is required
To interpret the overall result of every test
Not by itself, but in a specific disease context..
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Next time you see a number quite outside
The reference range, don’t get preoccupied
With the number itself, call your physician(s) instead
Let them interpret it for you, don’t let needless anxiety occupy your head..
Passion...unbridled 
This is a funny/not funny story. My husband had some tests done and was told to call within a week and ask for the results. He called and the nurse pulled up his chart and said, ‘Your tests are remarkable for your age.” Nurse had no idea what that meant but said she would check with the doctor. My husband saw his doctor the next day and was told the results were UNremarkable for his age. Doctor said ‘remarkable’ would not be a good thing.
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