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Questions about Leukemia diagnosis
I just wish to know if someone can have Leukemia if their Neutrophil count is low and they are mildly anemic?
Platelets were normal, other white cells were well within normal, electrolytes normal. Liver function was normal. Thyroids were normal.
But neutrophils have been chronically low for a period of months as well as anemia. Person if chronically fatigued with tender lymph nodes intermittently (one day they hurt next day they're not tender or swollen, then days later they're up again).
Platelets were normal, other white cells were well within normal, electrolytes normal. Liver function was normal. Thyroids were normal.
But neutrophils have been chronically low for a period of months as well as anemia. Person if chronically fatigued with tender lymph nodes intermittently (one day they hurt next day they're not tender or swollen, then days later they're up again).
Hey, thanks for your reply. Well the my Hb was low for 3 months post birth then has been creeping back up to normal but ferritin remained low.
I actually love red meat ironically. I eat between two and three steaks a week, I also often eat mince in bolognese, lasagne etc, I eat fish a couple of times a week too, I drink plenty of milk, eat cheese, yoghurts, green veg. My diet is quite varied, though I tend to not eat much. I will snack in the daytime and have a big meal at night when all my work for the day is done.
I've had a whole host of strange symptoms since, well actually before I had my son 4 yrs ago but the Dr only looked 4 yrs back on my request. I actually started feeling ill post viral.
I was working at a construction company and one of the directors came back from Spain with a nasty case of mumps which three of us caught from him. Only one side of my face came up so I assumed it was my wisdom tooth as usual because that was always getting infected and playing me up, so the dentist gave me antibiotics wherein which I was REALLY knocked for six. 3 weeks later the mumps went and a gland under my ear lobe never went back down, it stayed up. I saw the Dr and he said it was a "sentinel gland" and sent me on my way.
About a year and a half after that I had experienced tingling down my legs on and off, vision problems, drops in blood pressure (dizziness on standing), I had vertigo, I felt tired and weak. Then I got pregnant with my first child and felt better. After the birth I got two infections and got sick again and my health got worse and worse. I developed an arrythmia and high blood pressure, lost over a stone in weight really fast, got pale, had my thyroids checked and they were fine. I was a "pin cushion for a good 6 months" placed on beta blockers for the arrythmia and bp. The Dr's then just told me it was psychological and started sending me to shrinks and putting me on anti-depressants. Nothing changed, I was still sick.
I stopped taking the anti-depressants, stopped seeing the "head doctor" and got on with my life as best I could. By this point I had lost custody of my son and my ex husband had him full time, this was because my ex husband said I was "trying to get attention through making up an illness" and he went round telling ppl that i was "mentally ill". The Dr's were also coming to the same conclusion. I kept going back demanding answers and they had me down as a hypochondriac.
I gave up and started drinking basically - for about a year I went out and "partied" almost daily just to take my mind off it all. Then I met my boyfriend, we moved in together, I fell pregnant, quit partying and started to feel somewhat normal again. Had my baby and then got poorly again. To the point where I would catch whatever was going round, numerous infections, I became sleepy, irritable and so saw my new Dr (as I had now left my former town), test results were that I was anemic and was put on iron pills. But I was still sleepy and catching things. My blood has been monitored for the past 5 occasions now since having my second child. I went to the Dr recently because I have what seems like oral thrush but antifungals are not clearing it. The Dr then pulled up my blood results and this is what started my finding out the truth.
She sat and said that I had neutropenia. And that I had it since i had my baby girl this year along with the anemia. The anemia was getting up to borderline from being low but I was still neutropenic. She then did a mono test (because I had spots in my throat), it came back negative. I then asked out of curiosity - just how long had my neutrophils been low. She called me back after two more days (today) and told me that they had been low since I had my son 4 years ago but she was unable to see results further back on her system.
She said to me that she wants me to have another CBC done in a couple of weeks which will make it 1 month since the last lot that's been done. Then from that she wants to test me for the cause. So naturally now I'm terrified because my grandmother died of Leukemia.
I actually love red meat ironically. I eat between two and three steaks a week, I also often eat mince in bolognese, lasagne etc, I eat fish a couple of times a week too, I drink plenty of milk, eat cheese, yoghurts, green veg. My diet is quite varied, though I tend to not eat much. I will snack in the daytime and have a big meal at night when all my work for the day is done.
I've had a whole host of strange symptoms since, well actually before I had my son 4 yrs ago but the Dr only looked 4 yrs back on my request. I actually started feeling ill post viral.
I was working at a construction company and one of the directors came back from Spain with a nasty case of mumps which three of us caught from him. Only one side of my face came up so I assumed it was my wisdom tooth as usual because that was always getting infected and playing me up, so the dentist gave me antibiotics wherein which I was REALLY knocked for six. 3 weeks later the mumps went and a gland under my ear lobe never went back down, it stayed up. I saw the Dr and he said it was a "sentinel gland" and sent me on my way.
About a year and a half after that I had experienced tingling down my legs on and off, vision problems, drops in blood pressure (dizziness on standing), I had vertigo, I felt tired and weak. Then I got pregnant with my first child and felt better. After the birth I got two infections and got sick again and my health got worse and worse. I developed an arrythmia and high blood pressure, lost over a stone in weight really fast, got pale, had my thyroids checked and they were fine. I was a "pin cushion for a good 6 months" placed on beta blockers for the arrythmia and bp. The Dr's then just told me it was psychological and started sending me to shrinks and putting me on anti-depressants. Nothing changed, I was still sick.
I stopped taking the anti-depressants, stopped seeing the "head doctor" and got on with my life as best I could. By this point I had lost custody of my son and my ex husband had him full time, this was because my ex husband said I was "trying to get attention through making up an illness" and he went round telling ppl that i was "mentally ill". The Dr's were also coming to the same conclusion. I kept going back demanding answers and they had me down as a hypochondriac.
I gave up and started drinking basically - for about a year I went out and "partied" almost daily just to take my mind off it all. Then I met my boyfriend, we moved in together, I fell pregnant, quit partying and started to feel somewhat normal again. Had my baby and then got poorly again. To the point where I would catch whatever was going round, numerous infections, I became sleepy, irritable and so saw my new Dr (as I had now left my former town), test results were that I was anemic and was put on iron pills. But I was still sleepy and catching things. My blood has been monitored for the past 5 occasions now since having my second child. I went to the Dr recently because I have what seems like oral thrush but antifungals are not clearing it. The Dr then pulled up my blood results and this is what started my finding out the truth.
She sat and said that I had neutropenia. And that I had it since i had my baby girl this year along with the anemia. The anemia was getting up to borderline from being low but I was still neutropenic. She then did a mono test (because I had spots in my throat), it came back negative. I then asked out of curiosity - just how long had my neutrophils been low. She called me back after two more days (today) and told me that they had been low since I had my son 4 years ago but she was unable to see results further back on her system.
She said to me that she wants me to have another CBC done in a couple of weeks which will make it 1 month since the last lot that's been done. Then from that she wants to test me for the cause. So naturally now I'm terrified because my grandmother died of Leukemia.
COMMUNITY LEADER
oops, I quoted that but left out the quotes:
"Low ferritin is considered to be a a sensitive test for iron deficiency anemia. Iron deficiency anemia is a very common diagnosis, particularly in younger women. It's estimated that up to seven percent of women in this country have iron deficiency anemia."
"Low ferritin is considered to be a a sensitive test for iron deficiency anemia. Iron deficiency anemia is a very common diagnosis, particularly in younger women. It's estimated that up to seven percent of women in this country have iron deficiency anemia."
COMMUNITY LEADER
Okay, if it's been years then I'd guess that would be classified as Chronic Neutropenia. But is it severe? I just looked and 1.0 to 1.5 is mild, while <.5 is severe.
That is: absolute neutrophil count (ANC) measured in cells per microliter of blood.
Neutrophils normally attack bacteria and fungus, but they in turn can be attacked by a virus - and that is a common cause of mild neutropenia.
Meanwhile, anemia can cause an increased RDW. Anemia of course makes you tired, as can a mild infection. Low ferritin is considered to be a a sensitive test for iron deficiency anemia. Iron deficiency anemia is a very common diagnosis, particularly in younger women. It's estimated that up to seven percent of women in this country have iron deficiency anemia.
From what I've seen, many (or most) doctors will say that a person can't have a virus infection for years. My personal but strongly held opinion is that you can, but it's rare.
The question then seems to be: what is causing your iron deficiency? Do you have low vit C or B12? Are you a vegetarian? Do you avoid red meat? Do you know if your thyroid is okay?
As far as the timing, happening after childbirth? How do hormones affect all this? Sorry, I don't know.
Does that clear it up at all? Or did I miss your particular concern? I'd suppose that low cell counts from leukemia would have gotten worse and worse over time. Did your doctor suggest leukemia?
That is: absolute neutrophil count (ANC) measured in cells per microliter of blood.
Neutrophils normally attack bacteria and fungus, but they in turn can be attacked by a virus - and that is a common cause of mild neutropenia.
Meanwhile, anemia can cause an increased RDW. Anemia of course makes you tired, as can a mild infection. Low ferritin is considered to be a a sensitive test for iron deficiency anemia. Iron deficiency anemia is a very common diagnosis, particularly in younger women. It's estimated that up to seven percent of women in this country have iron deficiency anemia.
From what I've seen, many (or most) doctors will say that a person can't have a virus infection for years. My personal but strongly held opinion is that you can, but it's rare.
The question then seems to be: what is causing your iron deficiency? Do you have low vit C or B12? Are you a vegetarian? Do you avoid red meat? Do you know if your thyroid is okay?
As far as the timing, happening after childbirth? How do hormones affect all this? Sorry, I don't know.
Does that clear it up at all? Or did I miss your particular concern? I'd suppose that low cell counts from leukemia would have gotten worse and worse over time. Did your doctor suggest leukemia?
Thanks Ken. I had a call from my Dr who was looking into my history. I got some more information but I'm still quite confused. She told me that I have had neutropenia for at least 4 years. I asked her to check my history because after I had my first child 4 years ago I began to feel very poorly but the Dr's back then kept telling me that all my ranges were normal.
Turns out in July 2007 my neutrophil count was 1.1 which is really low. I also had a high RDW (Red Cell Distribution width). I also at the moment have had normal Haemoglobin/borderline Heamoglobin levels over the past three months worth of tests but my Ferritin level is really low at 5.
Turns out in July 2007 my neutrophil count was 1.1 which is really low. I also had a high RDW (Red Cell Distribution width). I also at the moment have had normal Haemoglobin/borderline Heamoglobin levels over the past three months worth of tests but my Ferritin level is really low at 5.
COMMUNITY LEADER
Hi, cell counts generally go low from leukemia/lymphoma because the bad cells crowd out the good cells in the marrow where blood cells are created. So production of good cells is reduced. Usually, all blood cell counts go down together - but it is possible for some to go down and others not.
Another way for cell counts to be reduced is when they get destroyed. That can happen during an infection, or from some autoimmune condition. Infection is more likely than cancer. The fact that your nodes get tender also points more to infection.
Another way for cell counts to be reduced is when they get destroyed. That can happen during an infection, or from some autoimmune condition. Infection is more likely than cancer. The fact that your nodes get tender also points more to infection.
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