Leukemia ??

[sherrifortier]

So, I have been getting the run-around for nearly 3 years now.
I am 39 years old. Complete hysterectomy 14 years ago. No estrogen therapy as I have fibrous breast tissue.
My recent blood work platelets 559,000 wbc 13.9 and have a swollen lymph node. I am consistently tired and achy as if I have a chronic flu. Low grade fever that comes and goes and extreme nausea (taking Zofran, Maxeran & gravol for this).
I also have tiny red pin sized spots all over my body. They are not itchy, or raised, but more appear all the time. (They look similar to beauty spots/freckles but are red)
I tested positive for H.Pylori back in Novemeber, but as my alergies prevent any antibiotic treatment, I could only take Tecta & Pepto Bismol for treatment.
I have a gastroscopy consult this month.
Any suggestions as to the cause and treatments or exams to pursue would be greatly appreciated.

[mkh9]

Wow, maybe you can go to the ER?  It can't hurt to try? Can you afford to pay cash to see the doctor for just the opinion?
mkh9

[sherrifortier]

As I live in Canada, paying cash wouldn't help, lol

[mkh9]

Yes I saw that on your home page. What if you go back to the same doctor and tell him that the treatment made you a lot worse? Would he listen to you?What about going to the states for a second opinion? Is it too costly? My husbands mother is from Edmonton but has lived here in California since 1952. But his aunt still lives there her husband had chronic lympocytic leukemia and was also Canadian and he thought he had gone out of remission but they wouldn't let him have an MRI. So, he paid cash and they let him have the MRI and he was out of remission so then he got treated. So I don't know how to help here. But you need to see someone soon.
take care,
mkh9

[sherrifortier]

Unfortunately, it is much too costly to go to the US for a second opinion, or any testing. As it stands, my only options are to either sit & wait to see this new Hematologist for a second opinion, or I kick & scream in an Emergency room until I am taken immediately. I'm completely frustrated & fed up with this. My mom just came from a funeral of an RCMP Constable that had similar complaints & symptoms of mine, and all the doctors missed a tumor in his colon.
I know there is something wrong with me, that's obvious. What it is I'm not sure, but I know it's pointing in the Leukemia direction. A definitive answer is what I'm after. So, that treatment can begin before it's too damn late.
If it's not Leukemia, then there is certainly a better diagnosis other than "let's just see what your blood work shows in two weeks". This is completely unacceptable.
I feel like because I'm not an infant, or a senior citizen, that I'm just being brushed off. Eventually, whatever this is, is going to get to the "too late' stage, and I''' still be sitting here waiting for an answer.
Unfair and heartbreaking.

[mkh9]

Firstly, I'm not a doctor so I can't really diagnose you, but I can advise you like everyone else does on here. Well, I talked to my mother in law and her brother lived in Canada (Edmonton) with his wife, and he had Chronic Lymphocytic leukemia and they tried to put him on the waiting list too. He knew he had gone out of remission by his symptoms and would had died. He paid cash to get his MRI done and he was positive for being out of remission. So he got treated and he lived a long time after that. He didn't go to the ER he just paid for the test and/or the doctor. I don't know if you can afford it but yes I definitely know you need it. I think the platelet count that high you could  have several things but I think they are all treatable if they have the right drugs up there. If they do then I think you will have a normal life span. I think you are probably right in your own diagnosis but I think you may need a bone marrow test to confirm it and the blood tests like the CBC and liver and kidney tests repeated to see where you are now. But you do need treatment and it needs to be taken care of soon. I would take the baby aspirin if you haven't yet because the platelet count is so high that you could get a blood clot or stroke etc. But I know you have the H. pylori . I assume you have an ulcer which probably makes it hard to take aspirin. So, that is another things to consider. If you can I would just try to go in. It can be other things as well. There was a list of things on Wikipedia so it is hard to know until they do more testing. I'm sorry you are going through all this and that they are treating you so poorly when you need the most help.
mkh9

[mkh9]

Hi Sherrifortier,
Hope you are doing ok after we last chatted. I was wanting to make sure that on your lab results you had your units the same as what I was thinking. So for the platelet count you had 559,000  is that X 10 to the 9th ? The reference range is somewhere around 150-450 x10 to the 9th/L? just checking. Also the white count should be 13.9 X10 to the 9/L normal range around 3.8-10.6 x 10 to the 9/L . The ranges are somewhat different from lab to lab depending on the lab equipment used. Did you say your liver enzymes were normal? Do you have any pain in your upper left side near the spleen area or abdominal pain?

Thanks,
mkh9