Hemotology

Dagney · 04-30-2003, 03:36 PM

I was wondering if anyone here has experience interpreting Hemotological test results and would be willing to answer a question for me? My mother has had some blood tests done, and her GP is being less than forthcoming with the results. Nurses have given her some explanation, but nothing more than a "we'll have the doctor look these over and give you a call". This has been 2 weeks, and the waddling quack of a doctor has yet to call. (She's busy protesting the price of insurance) To top it off, during the last visit, my mother was told - well, you may have leukemia, but it's not serious enough to worry about yet. (!)
If anyone could possibly give me an explanation as to possible causes for a 10% increase in reticulocytes in a CBC, I would be greatly appreciative. (I'm looking online, but am finding results only for horses....which obviously, my mother is not one of)

Thanks

Dagney

Jakeline · 04-30-2003, 03:51 PM

Here's what I found:

Greater-than-normal values may mean:

A high reticulocyte count may indicate increased production of red blood cells by the bone marrow, which can be caused by rapid blood loss, a move to high elevation, or certain types of anemia resulting in increased destruction of red blood cells (hemolysis).

The reticulocyte count usually rises after successful treatment for pernicious anemia, iron-deficiency anemia, or folic acid deficiency anemia.

Here's the link, but I'm not sure if it will work properly. Let me know if that jives. If not, I'll ask my mom for more detail. She's a lab tech, not a doctor, though.

Dagney · 04-30-2003, 03:58 PM

It's a start, and I'll be able to better do research on the site that you linked when I get home this evening. (Can't do a lot of research on this while I'm dealing with phone calls and tech support)

Any other info you may be able to dig up would be greatly appreciated.

Dagney

Jakeline · 04-30-2003, 11:15 PM

You know, I didn't mention it before, but I'm sorry you are having to go through all this. I'm sure that not knowing is absolutely awful. I'd certainly like to wring the doctor's neck if I was in your situation.

Anyhow, I chatted with my mom this evening, and her first comment is that an elevated reticulocyte count is common in people who have sickle cell anemia. This condition is almost exclusive to black folks, so I'm not sure if this is applicable or not.

Her other comment is that this is generally something is related to a sudden change or condition. It really isn't common to be elevated on an ongoing basis.

She's going to chat with the doctor she works with tomorrow, so I'll get you much more specific info tomorrow. I hope this helps, even just a little. Take care!

Dagney · 05-27-2003, 05:59 PM

Jakeline,

Thanks for your help on trying to figure out what was going on with my Mom's blood tests. We found out what's really going on right now, and are just waiting for all of the 'final' results in order to decide if we should worry or not.

I'll keep you posted with whatever we find out.

Thanks again.

Dagney

Dagney · 10-01-2003, 09:03 AM

I thought I'd resurrect this thread to give folks an update from what we talked about earlier....

Most of you know (and I can't remember who all I've told) that my mom has been pretty sick the past few months. We had a brief bit of a respite when they started her on her prednisone therapy in August, and thought that perhaps we had finally figured out what was going on and were beginning to treat it.

Last Sunday 9/21, she was complaining of severe pain in her right lung (where all the problems are) that was making it very difficult for her to breathe. We took her to Memorial Hospital in York, and they did all sorts of tests to figure out what was going on. What the CT scans and Xrays showed us, was that the damage in her lung was 2-3 times the size it was when she last had a scan done. The doctor at Memorial recommended that we get her to Hershey Med Center to see her doctors there as soon as possible.

On Monday, Dr. T (her pulmonary specialist) did another CT scan, as well as some blood work. He scheduled her to have a bronochoscopy on 9/23 in the AM, and tentatively scheduled a needle biopsy on Wednesday 9/24. He wanted to keep her on Monday evening, but my mom (ever the stubborn one) wanted to go home. Tuesday morning, she was back at the hospital for her test, and after looking at the results, they decided to admit her immediately. She was put in a private room, and put on IV Pain therapy to make her comfortable. On Wednesday, she had her needle biopsy, and was doing fairly well until late Wednesday afternoon when she was having severe pain and problems breathing. They did some in-room x-rays, and determined that her right lung had collapsed. Because of this, and the other problems that she had been having, they did an emergency procedure in her room that evening, and put tubes in her lung to help it reinflate. They then moved her into the Intermediate Care Unit.

Her diagnosis of sarcoidosis was pretty much thrown out the window for a while, because the things that were happening in her lung were not consistent with the disease. They started a 'shot gun' approach with tests, basically throwing everything at her to see what turned up. Tissue samples were sent to the Mayo Clinic again, and other departments were brought in. (Infectious and Tropical disease got involved as well). The whole week they were pretty much trying to determine exactly what was going on.

Yesterday, the pathology department at Hershey Med Center reported back that they had a result from the needle biopsy on Wednesday. Mom has been diagnosed with Large B Cell Lymphoma. They are currently doing "Typing" tests, to determine exactly which type of Lymphoma they're dealing with, as well as Staging tests to see if the cancer has spread outside her chest cavity. The doctor assured us last night, that if there is a 'good' side to having a lymphoma, it's that they're extremely repsonsive to chemotherapy and radiation treatment.

Mom is scheduled for lung surgery at 10:50 this morning. They will be looking at the damage the lymphoma has done to her lung, and removing the damaged portion, or if necessary, the entire lung. She'll be in intensive care for a few days after the surgery, and in the hospital for another 2 weeks, or more if there are any complications. Once she's strong enough, they will start her on radiation and chemotherapy.

I just wanted to take a little bit of time to thank everyone who's listened to me vent about this over the past few months. It's been a tough road for the whole family. Right now, I hope you understand that there may be times that I just don't want to talk about any of this. I am having a hard enough time dealing with it on my own and functioning at work, and I'm afraid if I think about it too much, I won't get anything accomplished. So, if I tell you I don't want to talk about it, it's nothing personal.

I'll keep everyone posted with how the surgery goes, and what happens afterwards.

It's a good thing to have friends around you when things get this rough. Ya'll help more than you know.

Elspode · 10-01-2003, 09:26 AM

Very sorry to hear this, Dagney, but it sounds as though the prognosis is optomistic. My mother in law had a partial lung removal a few years back, and she is still full of piss and vinegar.

Chemo is never fun, but it is good to hear that they are at least dealing with something that is highly responsive. Here's to a quick and successful course of therapy and a speedy recovery to your Mom.

warch · 10-01-2003, 11:31 AM

Take care, and all the best to you and your family during this tough time.

darclauz · 10-01-2003, 01:36 PM

Dagney -- I'll put your mom on all the good prayer lists that I know of. We just went thru a cancer thing with my mom, so I'm with ya. Take it one day at a time. (Sounds like a bumper sticker, I know.) Keep us posted.

daniwong · 10-01-2003, 01:55 PM

Dagney - thoughts and wishes of the good spirits to you and your family. I've been there and done that and heck - I think I even still have the tee shirt around somewhere.... I know it sucks. Be strong!

xoxoxoBruce · 10-01-2003, 09:44 PM

Quote:

but my mom (ever the stubborn one)

That's good. She won't quit and I'm sure you won't either. A team like that can't be beat.

OnyxCougar · 10-02-2003, 01:06 PM

My ex-husband's mom survived pretty advanced Breast Cancer. Your mom sounds like a fighter. I wish your family all the best and will send out good thoughts for you.

Dagney · 11-11-2003, 09:00 AM

Mom's home from her surgery (has been for about a month) and has started her chemotherapy. She's having good days, and bad days. She's battling the nausea right now (and losing more often than not unfortunately).

Her blood counts were way down before they started doing the chemotherapy - they say that her red blood cell count was at about an 8, when it should be in the 14-16 range. Those numbers will get worse before they get better, and she'll more than likely need to have blood transfusions.

It's a rough road for her right now, and unfortunately, it's not an easy road for me as well.

Would anyone have any advice on how to make it easier?

Dagney

r9703410 · 11-11-2003, 09:03 AM

Go to Yahoo type in HUMAN LEa....( can't spell) that may help. Good luck. I hope she gets better!

11-11-2003, 09:42 AM

Dagney, I have a super-helpful suggestion:

Go to www.google.com and type in "making it easier". That will definitely help.

04-30-2003, 03:36 PM	#1
Dagney The Prodigal Brat Returneth Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: North Cackalacky Posts: 1,107	Hemotology I was wondering if anyone here has experience interpreting Hemotological test results and would be willing to answer a question for me? My mother has had some blood tests done, and her GP is being less than forthcoming with the results. Nurses have given her some explanation, but nothing more than a "we'll have the doctor look these over and give you a call". This has been 2 weeks, and the waddling quack of a doctor has yet to call. (She's busy protesting the price of insurance) To top it off, during the last visit, my mother was told - well, you may have leukemia, but it's not serious enough to worry about yet. (!) If anyone could possibly give me an explanation as to possible causes for a 10% increase in reticulocytes in a CBC, I would be greatly appreciative. (I'm looking online, but am finding results only for horses....which obviously, my mother is not one of) Thanks Dagney __________________ The Constitution gives every American the right to make a total fool out of himself. But that doesn't mean you need to.

04-30-2003, 03:58 PM	#3
Dagney The Prodigal Brat Returneth Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: North Cackalacky Posts: 1,107	Thanks... It's a start, and I'll be able to better do research on the site that you linked when I get home this evening. (Can't do a lot of research on this while I'm dealing with phone calls and tech support) Any other info you may be able to dig up would be greatly appreciated. Dagney

05-27-2003, 05:59 PM	#5
Dagney The Prodigal Brat Returneth Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: North Cackalacky Posts: 1,107	Results... Jakeline, Thanks for your help on trying to figure out what was going on with my Mom's blood tests. We found out what's really going on right now, and are just waiting for all of the 'final' results in order to decide if we should worry or not. I'll keep you posted with whatever we find out. Thanks again. Dagney

10-01-2003, 09:03 AM	#6
Dagney The Prodigal Brat Returneth Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: North Cackalacky Posts: 1,107	An update.... I thought I'd resurrect this thread to give folks an update from what we talked about earlier.... Most of you know (and I can't remember who all I've told) that my mom has been pretty sick the past few months. We had a brief bit of a respite when they started her on her prednisone therapy in August, and thought that perhaps we had finally figured out what was going on and were beginning to treat it. Last Sunday 9/21, she was complaining of severe pain in her right lung (where all the problems are) that was making it very difficult for her to breathe. We took her to Memorial Hospital in York, and they did all sorts of tests to figure out what was going on. What the CT scans and Xrays showed us, was that the damage in her lung was 2-3 times the size it was when she last had a scan done. The doctor at Memorial recommended that we get her to Hershey Med Center to see her doctors there as soon as possible. On Monday, Dr. T (her pulmonary specialist) did another CT scan, as well as some blood work. He scheduled her to have a bronochoscopy on 9/23 in the AM, and tentatively scheduled a needle biopsy on Wednesday 9/24. He wanted to keep her on Monday evening, but my mom (ever the stubborn one) wanted to go home. Tuesday morning, she was back at the hospital for her test, and after looking at the results, they decided to admit her immediately. She was put in a private room, and put on IV Pain therapy to make her comfortable. On Wednesday, she had her needle biopsy, and was doing fairly well until late Wednesday afternoon when she was having severe pain and problems breathing. They did some in-room x-rays, and determined that her right lung had collapsed. Because of this, and the other problems that she had been having, they did an emergency procedure in her room that evening, and put tubes in her lung to help it reinflate. They then moved her into the Intermediate Care Unit. Her diagnosis of sarcoidosis was pretty much thrown out the window for a while, because the things that were happening in her lung were not consistent with the disease. They started a 'shot gun' approach with tests, basically throwing everything at her to see what turned up. Tissue samples were sent to the Mayo Clinic again, and other departments were brought in. (Infectious and Tropical disease got involved as well). The whole week they were pretty much trying to determine exactly what was going on. Yesterday, the pathology department at Hershey Med Center reported back that they had a result from the needle biopsy on Wednesday. Mom has been diagnosed with Large B Cell Lymphoma. They are currently doing "Typing" tests, to determine exactly which type of Lymphoma they're dealing with, as well as Staging tests to see if the cancer has spread outside her chest cavity. The doctor assured us last night, that if there is a 'good' side to having a lymphoma, it's that they're extremely repsonsive to chemotherapy and radiation treatment. Mom is scheduled for lung surgery at 10:50 this morning. They will be looking at the damage the lymphoma has done to her lung, and removing the damaged portion, or if necessary, the entire lung. She'll be in intensive care for a few days after the surgery, and in the hospital for another 2 weeks, or more if there are any complications. Once she's strong enough, they will start her on radiation and chemotherapy. I just wanted to take a little bit of time to thank everyone who's listened to me vent about this over the past few months. It's been a tough road for the whole family. Right now, I hope you understand that there may be times that I just don't want to talk about any of this. I am having a hard enough time dealing with it on my own and functioning at work, and I'm afraid if I think about it too much, I won't get anything accomplished. So, if I tell you I don't want to talk about it, it's nothing personal. I'll keep everyone posted with how the surgery goes, and what happens afterwards. It's a good thing to have friends around you when things get this rough. Ya'll help more than you know. __________________ The Constitution gives every American the right to make a total fool out of himself. But that doesn't mean you need to. Last edited by Dagney; 10-01-2003 at 09:06 AM.

10-01-2003, 09:26 AM	#7
Elspode When Do I Get Virtual Unreality? Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Raytown, Missouri Posts: 12,719	Very sorry to hear this, Dagney, but it sounds as though the prognosis is optomistic. My mother in law had a partial lung removal a few years back, and she is still full of piss and vinegar. Chemo is never fun, but it is good to hear that they are at least dealing with something that is highly responsive. Here's to a quick and successful course of therapy and a speedy recovery to your Mom. __________________ "To those of you who are wearing ties, I think my dad would appreciate it if you took them off." - Robert Moog

04-30-2003, 03:51 PM	#2
Jakeline Disorderly Orderly Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Southern California Posts: 54	Here's what I found: Greater-than-normal values may mean: A high reticulocyte count may indicate increased production of red blood cells by the bone marrow, which can be caused by rapid blood loss, a move to high elevation, or certain types of anemia resulting in increased destruction of red blood cells (hemolysis). The reticulocyte count usually rises after successful treatment for pernicious anemia, iron-deficiency anemia, or folic acid deficiency anemia. Here's the link, but I'm not sure if it will work properly. Let me know if that jives. If not, I'll ask my mom for more detail. She's a lab tech, not a doctor, though.

04-30-2003, 11:15 PM	#4
Jakeline Disorderly Orderly Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Southern California Posts: 54	You know, I didn't mention it before, but I'm sorry you are having to go through all this. I'm sure that not knowing is absolutely awful. I'd certainly like to wring the doctor's neck if I was in your situation. Anyhow, I chatted with my mom this evening, and her first comment is that an elevated reticulocyte count is common in people who have sickle cell anemia. This condition is almost exclusive to black folks, so I'm not sure if this is applicable or not. Her other comment is that this is generally something is related to a sudden change or condition. It really isn't common to be elevated on an ongoing basis. She's going to chat with the doctor she works with tomorrow, so I'll get you much more specific info tomorrow. I hope this helps, even just a little. Take care!

10-01-2003, 11:31 AM	#8
warch lurkin old school Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Minnesota Posts: 2,796	Take care, and all the best to you and your family during this tough time.

10-01-2003, 01:36 PM	#9
darclauz Breathing into a paper bag Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Ohio Posts: 334	Dagney -- I'll put your mom on all the good prayer lists that I know of. We just went thru a cancer thing with my mom, so I'm with ya. Take it one day at a time. (Sounds like a bumper sticker, I know.) Keep us posted. __________________ Taking up smoking to lose weight.

10-01-2003, 01:55 PM	#10
daniwong Vice-President of Resentment Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 196	Dagney - thoughts and wishes of the good spirits to you and your family. I've been there and done that and heck - I think I even still have the tee shirt around somewhere.... I know it sucks. Be strong! __________________ Mistress of all that is claim related.

10-02-2003, 01:06 PM	#12
OnyxCougar Junior Master Dwellar Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Kingdom of Atlantia Posts: 2,979	My ex-husband's mom survived pretty advanced Breast Cancer. Your mom sounds like a fighter. I wish your family all the best and will send out good thoughts for you. __________________ Impotentes defendere libertatem non possunt. "Repetition does not transform a lie into a truth." ~Franklin D. Roosevelt

11-11-2003, 09:00 AM	#13
Dagney The Prodigal Brat Returneth Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: North Cackalacky Posts: 1,107	An Update... Mom's home from her surgery (has been for about a month) and has started her chemotherapy. She's having good days, and bad days. She's battling the nausea right now (and losing more often than not unfortunately). Her blood counts were way down before they started doing the chemotherapy - they say that her red blood cell count was at about an 8, when it should be in the 14-16 range. Those numbers will get worse before they get better, and she'll more than likely need to have blood transfusions. It's a rough road for her right now, and unfortunately, it's not an easy road for me as well. Would anyone have any advice on how to make it easier? Dagney __________________ The Constitution gives every American the right to make a total fool out of himself. But that doesn't mean you need to.

11-11-2003, 09:03 AM	#14
r9703410 Coronation Incarnate Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: houston, texas Posts: 91	Go to Yahoo type in HUMAN LEa....( can't spell) that may help. Good luck. I hope she gets better! __________________ You know you love me!

11-11-2003, 09:42 AM	#15
dave Guest Posts: n/a	Dagney, I have a super-helpful suggestion: Go to www.google.com and type in "making it easier". That will definitely help.

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