AN ACR B757 FLC REQUESTED AN ALT CHANGE AND A HEADING CHANGE TO AVOID WX. THE DEP CTLR CLRED THEM 'AS REQUESTED;' BUT MISSED THE ALT CHANGE REQUEST. NO CONFLICT.

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WHILE DEPARTING AUSTIN; TX; ENRTE TO SAN ANTONIO; WHILE ON A 180 DEG VECTOR FOR WX; FO REQUESTED 20 DEGS MORE L TO AVOID FURTHER BUILD-UPS AND IN THE SAME SENTENCE REQUESTED 15000 FT MSL. ACFT HAD JUST LEVELED AT 10000 FT MSL. ACFT WAS IN MODERATE TURB WITH LIGHTNING IN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY. AUSTIN APCH RESPONDED WITH 'CLRED AS REQUESTED.' CAPT TURNED 20 DEGS L TO 160 DEGS AND FO PROGRAMMED THE FMC TO BEGIN CLB TO 15000 FT. PASSING APPROX 11500 FT MSL AUSTIN APCH QUERIED US AS TO WHY WE WERE NOT AT 10000 FT MSL. I ANSWERED THAT WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO 15000 FT AT THE SAME TIME SHE HAD CLRED US TO TURN 20 DEGS L. SHE RESPONDED THAT SHE HAD MISSED THE 15000 FT MSL PORTION OF THE REQUEST; AND THEN CLRED US TO 15000 FT. DURING THIS ENTIRE PORTION OF THE FLT WE WERE ENCOUNTERING HVY MODERATE TURB; LIGHTNING AND RAIN. WE HAD A FEW MOMENTS WHEN WE WERE UNABLE TO CONTACT AUS APCH FOR FURTHER DEVS. BUT; IN REF TO OUR REQUEST AND CLRNC FOR 20 DEG HDG CHANGE AND THE ALT CHANGE; THERE WAS NO APPARENT CONFUSION IN THE COCKPIT AS TO WHAT WE REQUESTED AND THE SUBSEQUENT CLRNC. FACTORS AFFECTING THIS POTENTIAL DEV WAS A HVY WORKLOAD BOTH IN APCH CTL AND THE COCKPIT DUE TO HVY WX.