Just got blood tests back...
Posted , 4 users are following.
Hey,
I'd been having a lot of nosebleeds so asked for some blood tests. Apparently they all came back normal except for my Thyroid (because I have hypothyroidism) & indicaters that I might be anaemic. They asked me to go for another test next week. I don't know why. Is this to check the levels and make sure or to check what kind of anaemia it is?
I always knew I was lacking in folic acid, and I'm not too worried because I know it's treatable, and I can change my diet further and be aware and careful.
I'm only worried because of sickle-cell anaemia. I read about that when looking it up and I don't know if that's what this next test is checking for. The doctor didn't mention it at all... just spoke about deficencies. But she knows I have anxiety, especially around illness, so...
I'm not sure which tests were done exactly. I asked for just General blood tests but I know he didn't do clotting. Other than that I don't know. Would they have to tell me if it was sickle-cell or they suspected that? Or would it show on other blood tests?
I'm worried about it because I've been feeling odd sensations in my left chest/abdomen, that leave me a bit breathless & feeling like my lung isn't working, and I don't know if they're just stress, wind or connected to this. I told the doctor this but she said to just wait til after the next blood test.
Thanks.
0 likes, 7 replies
jenny19687 Pandacake
Posted
A general blood type FBC or CBC will have platelets which test for clotting.
It sounds like you may have anaemia due to b12 or folic acid deficiency. No need to worry
Pandacake jenny19687
Posted
Thank you so much for setting me straight with this.
I'm not sure. I only know I had to see an ENT after and she said on the phone that they hadn't done clotting tests. But apparently my white blood cell count etc was fine so---I'm not sure what went on there.
sanya11314 Pandacake
Posted
Sickle cells -as it says- is a shape of red blood cell, instead of a disc with a dint can be a cresent, a sickle shape, distorted shape due to a genetic hemoglobin making disorder, they don't live as long as usual red blood cells, hence the anemia risk.
You are born with it. It depends how severe, some are asymptomatic.
When an automated hematology analyzer for full blood count reaches its performance limits, manual smear reviews are done
or labs set their own anemia limits (so results of automate are valid, but very low or high hence checked manually under microscope) when to do a manual smear review under the microscope.
Usually when white blood cell distribuition is far out, in a manual white blood cell counting the surrounding red cells are always looked at, too and described.
Look at your red cell distribution width (RDW),
this is increased in anemias,
but usually very increased in symptomatic sickle cell anemias because of their shape and hemolysis leaving fragments, tiny bits around as well, big cells and fragments = big size/width difference.
Usually sickle cell anemias are picked up without a special note to look for them due to the automated analyzer spitting out limits, that needed to be checked manually.
(as mentioned the RDW for example)
There are other deformities resulting in anemia like thalassemia minor major.
They usually have a low MCV, which many with iron deficiency have, too.
A thalassemia will not respond to iron treatment therefore unless they have iron deficieny as well.
If in doubt, the hemoglobin can be easily looked at its composition, but needs a request by doc, if indicated. = A hemoglobin electrophoresis is not a routine test, but that's the first step to see, if the hemoglobin is normal in its building blocks or if a hemoglobin deformity is reason for anemia.
Also a reticulocyte count is a good indirect clue in an anemia
(not a routine test)
tells,
how fast the production of red cells is to keep up with the red blood cell numbers. Reticulocytes are very freshly released red blood cells, young baby red blood cells, fresh from the bone marrow (hence still have some left overs of the ribosomal RNA, only for 2 days and this can be stained with new methylene blue or brilliant cresyl blue. I loved to look at them and count my babies, but so time consuming if 100 other things needed to be done)
This webpage even has some info you might to read through without getting too technical.
https://patient.info/doctor/sickle-cell-disease-and-sickle-cell-anaemia-pro
(Btw screening for HbS (Sickle cell Hemoglobin) is mandatory in the US for newborns. But HbS is a great protection against malaria, hence the survival of that mutation as it has its benefits, too)
A FBC is always a good start giving hints, but it is not a foolprove method, hence needs repeats if indicated and your doc knows to interpret those values and mathematical indexes/ranges and what to do from there.
All the best!
sanya11314
Posted
PS:
in contrary to a small MCV (small red blood cells) like in iron deficiency, blood loss or genetic hemoglobin disorders etc,
the red blood cells are big In folate- deficiency anemia (big MCV).
So you would need to look at your routine results in which direction your anemia goes, as said 'RDW' and 'MCV' and cell count, hemoglobin in total.
but your doc sure did interpret the severity of any 'too big' or 'too small' or 'too large number' 'too little count' of routine test.
Pandacake sanya11314
Posted
Hey!
Thank you. I sure don't understand half of those words but I'll be sure to ask for the results of the blood test I do on the 26th so I can interprit them better.
I think I'm in the midst of a budding panic attack. Something about feeling like you have less oxygen avalible in your blood is scaring me. I've been feeling like I can't breath unless I really focus on it.
sanya11314 Pandacake
Posted
It is very common to order more tests later after initial 'touch base' tests.
No one wants to pay more than needed, hence never 'everything' is tested in first go, no one privately, no public system does that.
If you have hypothyroidism, they might have just checked the TSH level, but not FT3, FT4 or autoimmunantibodies against thyroid, which is kind of standard to look, once TSH is out of range, but is not done in first go usually. Hence the later testing. A fully normal process.
You need to ask very specific questions to your doc which kind of tests will be ordered and why.
Regarding anemia, if the basic blood counts were that much out of range regarding anemia,
they woudn't have let you go without an instant solution. (blood transfusion)
So I don't believe you had very abnormal red blood results.
I know many women who needed a blood transfusion because they were highly anemic, values you would think could not exist or be livable with, but yet they still did, they didn't die or fall into coma, but were very very tired and went on like this for months and months prior getting blood transfusions finally, when the cause could not be treated fast enough and iron infusions not helping either (if that was the cause in the first place).
Your results seem well within range of not severe as they didn't act on the spot.
This just to calm you a bit.
An anemia is more showing in being tired, or easily out of breath when climbing stairs
(I had anemia induced by giving 3 times blood donations 500ml/a bit more than a pint each time within 2 weeks),
I didn't need to focus on breathing, I simply ran out of breath in any physical activity and found that very fascinating.
I had to focus on breathing when I had an allergic reaction to a beta blocker, especially breathing in, yet, I could sleep and woke up....so my focus was not really needed apparently. It took days until a medicine rash appeared and stopped taking it and gone was the forced breathing.
You need to mention again on 26th about your breathing problems, it's a very awkward feeling, I would ask if that had to do with the red blood count values of anemia or any other reason.
And yes, getting a printed out version of results is always handy, also if you needed to change docs or to explain, what exactly was out of range and by how much (please always add parameter units and lab reference range as comparison worldwide with plain numbers is impossible)
Best of luck! Soon is the 26th and if something is found explaining symptoms, I always welcome that since it can be tackled then. Nothing is worse not knowning what is going on and suffering.
All all the best!
Pandacake sanya11314
Posted
The breathing has calmed down a little bit over the last few days so I feel calmer and part of that was thanks to your comments, so thank you. I'll ask about the results and then hopefully I can bring them here & it'll shed more light with your help. Thank you!
Now I'm just worried about all the nosebleeds I had... And if every time I get a nosebleed now it'll bleed for days again. I honestly think my problem is just as much mental: when I stop worrying about one thing, I find another.
Thanks for talking me through though!