Preparing for an appointment

Your doctor may refer you to a specialist in genetic disorders (geneticist) or a specialist in blood disorders (hematologist) for testing to determine whether the cause of your blood clots is genetic and, specifically, whether you have factor V Leiden.

Here's some information to help you prepare for your appointment.

• List any symptoms you're experiencing, including any that may seem unrelated to the reason for which you scheduled the appointment.
• List your health history, including your history of blood clots. Include any family history of blood clots or known family members with factor V Leiden.
• Make a list of all medications, vitamins or supplements you're taking, along with the dose for each.
• List questions to ask your doctor.

For factor V Leiden, some basic questions to ask your doctor include:

• What kinds of tests do I need?
• Do I need to see a specialist?
• Does my factor V Leiden need to be treated?
• Do I need to take medication to prevent additional blood clots?
• What types of side effects can I expect from the medication?
• Do I need to limit my activity in any way?
• If I have children, do they need to be tested?
• Do you have any brochures or other printed material that I can take with me? What websites do you recommend?

If your doctor recommends genetic testing, some questions you might want to ask the genetic specialist include:

• How accurate is this test?
• What are the risks of the test?
• What information will come out of the test?
• What will a positive or negative result tell me?
• Can the results of the test affect my ability to obtain health insurance?
• Is an uncertain result possible, and what would that mean?
• What are my treatment options if a mutation is found?
• Could other family members be affected?
• Should my children be tested?
• What measures are in place to protect my privacy?
• How experienced is the lab at performing this test?
• How long will it take to get results back?