Why on earth would you just sit there waiting? I mean, seriously, if you’re dealing with bleeding this heavy and this bright, you shouldn't be playing the waiting game at all—that's a straight-up trip to the ER or Planned Parenthood, not something you just put off until later.
Emily Ortiz27 said:Alright, I can finally share the full details now, so please let me know what you guys think. We're still waiting on the protein electrophoresis results, and we haven't been able to get some of the other tests they recommended yet.
I'm attaching the electrophoresis results here. Can anyone give me some advice? What's your take? Any suggestions on what to do next?
Emily Ortiz27 said:We went ahead and ran some of the lab tests we could manage on our end, and for the most part, things look fine. Eosinophils are a little high at 7.7 (normal range is 0-6), and ferritin is running low at 13 (normal is 28-365) The rest of the CBC—hemoglobin, hematocrit, MCV, MCH, MCHC, LDH, CRP, serum albumin, total protein—it’s all sitting right where it should be within the normal range.
Alright, now I can actually get into the weeds here, so I'd love to hear what you guys think. We're still waiting on the protein electrophoresis results, and there were a few other tests they recommended that we just weren't able to get done yet.
Sandra Vaughn50 said:Look, at the end of the day, we're talking about your kid here, right? It’s only natural that you’re feeling stressed out and worried sick. I mean, who wouldn't be?
I mean, I totally agree—you can't just stop there; you really need to beef up the whole process with some actual lab work and blood tests if you want the full picture. Would it actually make sense to run a full protein electrophoresis and immunoelectrophoresis, along with checking haptoglobin, beta 2 microglobulin, LDH, and ferritin? I mean, look, none of these markers are some silver bullet specifically for spotting a lymphoproliferative disease, but if everything comes back totally normal, wouldn't that be a decent little indicator that we're looking at a more benign situation?
Honestly, I have no clue why my hematologist is acting so skittish about doing a biopsy. Like, seriously, is it really that much more invasive than a simple needle aspiration, especially when we're just talking about peripheral nodes? It’s not like we're performing open-heart surgery here. And let's be real—isn't a biopsy way more useful for actually getting a solid diagnosis anyway? Why dodge the most effective tool in the kit?
Look, you’re always gonna have the option to go out and hunt down a second opinion. It’s not like there’s only one single hematologist working in the entire US, right? All the best to you!
We went ahead and ran the lab work we were actually able to get done over here, and honestly, for the most part, everything looks pretty decent. So, my eosinophil levels are sitting at 7.7, when they really should be somewhere between 0 and 6, so they're a little bit elevated. On top of that, my ferritin is looking pretty low at 13, even though the reference range is supposed to be 28 to 365. Just one thing after another, right? So, I just got my latest lab results back, and honestly? Everything looks solid. My CBC is totally fine—hemoglobin, hematocrit, MCV, MCH, MCHC—all checking out right where they should be. Even the LD, CRP, serum albumin, and total protein levels are all sitting perfectly within the normal range. It’s one of those rare moments where the numbers actually make sense, you know? Just a little bit of peace in the middle of all this chaos.
Sandra Vaughn50 said:The colleague, The Cat (😉), already pointed out that a lymph node biopsy is necessary because a fine-needle aspiration usually fails to provide an adequate sample for analysis and ends up being inconclusive most of the time. That’s what really needs to happen, especially given those enlarged mesenteric lymph nodes clumped together.
Thanks so much.
Things have calmed down quite a bit regarding the fever spikes. On a recent follow-up ultrasound, a different doctor didn't see anything going on in the abdomen, just a bunch of enlarged nodes in the neck.
The hematologist managing my kid refuses to do a biopsy; they just want to repeat the ultrasound and the puncture in two months, and honestly, we don't have any choice but to follow those orders since we don't have the option to just go see another doctor.
From everything I'm hearing from other sources, we really should be getting a plasma protein test done, and looking at the results—since there isn't a descriptive report—it seems like they haven't even performed a blood smear either. I think we can probably get both of those handled privately at some local clinics.
The kid hasn't had those temperature spikes for now, though the night sweats are still hanging around. Appetite is good, and his general condition is okay (except for when he suddenly broke out in hives all over his body, which required a corticosteroid injection).
So now we're stuck waiting for that check-up in two months and/or just praying those nodes spontaneously shrink back down.
I know I've started a whole thread just for simple questions and answers, but hey, I have to vent somewhere when the doctors "over there" won't actually listen to us. Thanks.
Maria Fisher46 said:Look, when you take everything into account—starting with how long these swollen lymph nodes have been hanging around (definitely more than a month!), their actual size (over 2 cm!), and the fact that all those blood tests so far haven't actually given us a final diagnosis or even a reason why they’re enlarged in the first place—this kid is basically a prime candidate for a needle biopsy, or maybe even a full surgical biopsy where they just take the whole node out for a pathology analysis. It’s pretty obvious too, considering the CBC and differential results haven't stayed normal for a single second during this entire stretch; there’s always something off. Without getting a sample from those nodes and running an actual analysis, there's no way to know what's driving this enlargement. Sure, you see atypical lymphocytes during viral infections, and normally you'd expect them to vanish once the body recovers, but if the infection isn't clearing up or turns chronic, those cells just stick around. That said, you have to remember that atypical lymphocytes can show up for reasons totally unrelated to a virus, which is exactly why this kid needs more follow-up work done.
Good luck.
Hey everyone, the biopsy results came back saying: 'Highly cellular aspirate - shows a large number of lymphatic cells in various stages of transformation, macrophages, lymphoglandular bodies, peripheral blood.' The nodes are still just as swollen as before. We don't have any new blood work yet because they don't want to run a pathology test. There's a follow-up in two months, and they might do another puncture then. Is this kind of approach even standard or okay? And does this result sound alright—does it just point toward reactive hyperplasia (but on what exactly?!)?
Maria Fisher46 said:It looks like this thread has been getting flooded with questions lately, but there just aren't enough answers floating around for everyone. 👎
I’m going to try to tackle the questions that have come up over the last month, mostly because I figure anyone asking the older stuff probably already got an answer or just doesn't care anymore.
Looking at everything laid out here—specifically how long these swollen lymph nodes have been hanging around (definitely more than a month!), how big they actually are (over 2 cm is no joke), and the fact that all the standard blood work hasn't actually nailed down a diagnosis or even why they're swollen in the first place—it’s pretty clear this kid needs a needle biopsy, or maybe even a full excision and pathology report to get a real answer. It's also super obvious that those CBC and differential counts haven't stayed in the normal range this whole time; there's always something being flagged. Without actually getting a sample from those nodes to analyze, how are we supposed to know what's actually driving this? Sure, you can see atypical lymphocytes during viral infections, and you'd expect them to disappear once the body recovers, but if the infection isn't clearing up or is turning into something chronic, those cells are going to stick around. That said, you have to remember that atypical lymphocytes can pop up for reasons that have nothing to do with a virus, which is exactly why this kid needs more testing.
Good luck!
Thanks a ton. We're heading in for the biopsy tomorrow, so we'll see what happens.
Just following up on my previous questions here...: How much longer should we realistically expect to see reactive lymphocytes popping up? My kid is still showing 8% reactive lymphocytes in their CBC, even though it’s been a full month since they first showed up.
Emily Ortiz27 said:We just did the follow-up check after the treatment, but the node is still just as swollen, and I can actually feel another one on the other side, slightly lower down. ALT 17 LD 303 CRP 0.2 RBC 4.66 Hemoglobin 114 Hematocrit 0.358 MCV 76.8 MCHC 24.5 MCHC 318 RDW 15.2 Platelets 332 MPV 11.2 leukocyte 10.1 neutrophilic Neutrophils 3.01 Lymphocytes 5.56 (H 1.40-5.00) Monocytes 0.67 Eosinophils 0.78 (H 0-0.7) Basophils 0.05 Neutrophils 39.9 (L 30-72) Lymphocytes 55.2 (H 15-55) Monocytes 6.7 Eosinophils 7.7 (H 0-6) Basophils 0.5 ------------- Bands % 3 (H 0-2) Segs % 31 Lymph % 39 Mono % 7 Eos % 11 (H 0-6) Baso % 1 Reactive lymphocytes % 8 (H 0)
What’s the verdict here?
Addendum: neck and abdomen ultrasound results: one enlarged angular node at 36 mm, hypoechoic, plus several smaller enlarged nodes scattered throughout various neck regions; also enlarged mesenteric nodes that are partially clustering into conglomerates.
My husband just had an MRI done on his entire spine. He’s dealing with this constant shifting pain that runs all the way from his shoulders down to his legs. We would be incredibly grateful if someone could take a look at these results and help us make sense of what we're actually looking at here.
Emily Ortiz27 said:Hey there. Got a question about my four-year-old: The kid had a fever (staying under 100.4), so we went in for blood work because of a swollen lymph node—about 1.5 inches at the angle of the jaw—plus one tender node in the armpit and two near the tongue. Stomach looks fine, tonsils are enlarged but no white patches, just some throat irritation. CRP 7.0 E 4.41 Hbg 113 Hct 0.334 MCV 75.8 MCH 25.6 MCHC 338 RDW 15.3 Platelets 294 MPV 8.3 Leukocyte 12.7 NEUaps 6.97 LIMFOaps 3.83 MONOaps 1.37 EOaps 0.48 BAZOaps 0.01 NEUTRO% 55.1 LIMFO% 30.3 MONO% 10.8 EO% 3.8 BAZO% 0.1
That neck node was actually pretty huge about two months ago too, right after the little one finished a 10-day course of Augmentin. It shrank a bit then, but we didn't think much of it since the pediatrician gave us the all-clear at our follow-up. Now we're back on the exact same antibiotic regimen. We've started the meds, and the plan is to check back in once the course is done so the doctor can decide if we need more intensive testing. Is there any actual reason to stress out here? Why prescribe antibiotics with these specific lab numbers, and are these tiny deviations from the normal range really cause for alarm?
So, we did the follow-up after finishing the treatment, and honestly, that node hasn't budged an inch. I can even feel another one lower down on the other side now. ALT 17 LD 303 CRP 0.2 RBC 4.66 Hemoglobin 114 Hematocrit 0.358 MCV 76.8 MCHC 24.5 MCHC 318 RDW 15.2 Platelets 332 MPV 11.2 Leukocyte 10.1 Neutrophilic granulocytes 3.01 Lymphocytes 5.56 (High, ref 1.40-5.00) Monocytes 0.67 Eosinophilic granulocytes 0.78 (High, ref 0-0.7) Basophilic granulocytes 0.05 Neutrophilic granulocytes 39.9 (Low, ref 30-72) Lymphocytes 55.2 (High, ref 15-55) Monocytes 6.7 Eosinophilic granulocytes 7.7 (High, ref 0-6) Basophilic granulocytes 0.5 ------------- Unsegmented neutrophilic granulocytes % 3 (High, ref 0-2) Segmented neutrophilic granulocytes % 31 Lymphocytes % 39 Monocytes % 7
Hey there. Got a question about my four-year-old: The kid's running a bit of a fever (under 100.4°F), so we went in for some blood work because of a swollen lymph node near the jaw (about 1.2-1.5 inches) and one noticeable node under the arm, plus two near the tongue area. Abdomen looks fine, tonsils are enlarged but no exudate, just some catarrhal redness in the throat. CRP 7.0 E 4.41 Hbg 113 Hct 0.334 MCV 75.8 MCH 25.6 MCHC 338 RDW 15.3 Trc 294 MPV 8.3 Lkc 12.7 NEUaps 6.97 LIMFOaps 3.83 MONOaps 1.37 EOaps 0.48 BAZOaps 0.01 NEUTRO% 55.1 LIMFO% 30.3 MONO% 10.8 EO% 3.8 BAZO% 0.1
That neck node was actually pretty swollen about two months ago too, right around when the little one finished a ten-day course of Augmentin. It shrank a bit at first, but then we didn't really think much of it since everything seemed totally fine at the last check-up. Now we're back to the exact same treatment; we started the meds and have to follow up once the course is done so the doctor can decide if we need more testing or whatever. Is there any actual reason to be worried here? I mean, why go with antibiotics given these blood results, and are these tiny deviations from the normal range really something to freak out about?
Does anyone happen to know a solid dermatologist who actually knows what they're doing when it comes to dyshidrosis? Ideally, someone based in San Francisco, but honestly, I wouldn't mind making the trek out to Chicago if the specialist is actually worth the drive.
I honestly have no clue if I’m actually allergic to nickel or what. I’ve been dealing with dyshidrosis—or at least that's what my dermatologist and GP think, though let's be real, half the diagnoses online feel like guesswork—and I keep seeing data that says this condition is frequently linked to nickel sensitivities. Here's the thing: I've managed to live relatively well with this for years while following an LCHF diet, which includes a ton of the stuff people have mentioned here, so maybe I'm one of those outliers who isn't actually reacting to nickel, but... hey, it doesn't hurt to find out, right? But get this—my doctor is trying to send me all the way down to Rhode Island just to see a specialist. I am totally fed up with the approach there because she basically hands me a printed diagnosis before I've even stepped foot in the clinic, and it already lists corticosteroids. I try to avoid those like the plague for as long as humanly possible... I even asked her about visiting Šalat since some of my friends recommended them, but she's being incredibly stubborn about it...
So, bottom line—since I'm trying to do this through insurance—can anyone recommend a decent private dermatologist in Rhode Island, or even New York City? It's not like NYC is on the other side of the world. I just want to finally get some real guidance so I can stop this decade-long habit of "listening to my body" and actually get answers. Honestly, I'm losing my mind over this dyshidrosis. It's been getting progressively worse over the last year, blowing past every boundary I thought it had. It used to just be my palms and fingers, but now it's spread to both my forearms and the inside of my wrists. It's absolutely miserable! It has completely tanked my quality of life. My time in the garden, hanging out with my pets, even basic social stuff like shaking hands or just cleaning the house... everything is a struggle because of these constant, nagging sores.
Hey everyone, I wanted to pick your brains for a second...
I’ve been dealing with periods since I was twelve. Always heavy, always long cycles. Back in the day, I dealt with PCOS too. I have three kids—one was a miscarriage—but my cycle always drifted back to those long, heavy patterns. Then, last summer, I noticed things shifting; my cycles started hitting that 28-day mark, maybe dropping down to 25 or 26 days. So, come autumn, I decided to go with the Mirena. Big mistake. The bleeding just stretched out to 14, 15, maybe 16 days, and the whole cycle dropped to 20-25 days. Can you even imagine how much fun that was? To top it all off, I developed a massive ovarian cyst. So, I had the Mirena pulled out.
Okay, here’s what I actually need help with: My period started on June 14th, and then on the 19th, I had the device removed. My doctor told me it would cause minimal disruption to my cycle, right? Well, I bled for two weeks straight after it was out. I went in for a checkup a week after the removal, and they just gave me some "don't worry, this is normal" blah blah blah. The bleeding finally seemed to stop around Monday or Tuesday, but then yesterday, it’s fresh blood again. By this afternoon, it had dwindled down to just a tiny bit of brown discharge. Now I'm sitting here wondering—is this my actual period? Is it already? Or is this just more lingering fallout from the Mirena? Seriously, what am I even supposed to do?!
And of course, finding a gynecologist during peak vacation season in the States is basically impossible.
I’m starting to seriously wonder if my body is actually heading toward menopause. I’m turning 37 soon, and I’ve been dealing with periods since I was 12. I've had four pregnancies and three births under my belt.
Over the last year, my cycle has basically gone off the rails. For over 20 years, my cycles were always long—we're talking over 30 days—but lately, they've dropped to 26, then 24, and my last one was only 20 days.😳 I had a Mirena coil put in 7 years ago, so I can't say for sure what's happening with the heavy bleeding, though I will say the bleeding itself has lasted longer because of it, even if it's way lighter than before. Now I'm constantly stressing over whether I should just have it taken out or leave it alone.
And man, the symptoms are hitting me hard. I'm talking endless sleepless nights, night sweats, irritability, those insane mood swings, zero libido, struggling like crazy with weight gain, and my skin, nails, and hair are all looking pretty rough...
You know how it goes with gynecologists... it's such a hassle. I just want some actual answers. Is my reproductive system naturally shutting down (even if it feels a bit early) and heading down that one-way street, or is this just a temporary phase? Or is it something I actually need to monitor and get treated for?
