Posts by Henry Wells72

These are the results from September 29th. I had an X-ray of my heart and lungs, plus an EKG, and everything looks totally fine. Liver tests came back normal too.
I should mention that a few days after getting my blood drawn, I ended up with a sinus and ear infection. Currently on Makcin antibiotics.

Maria Fisher46 said:Hi there,

Glucocorticoids typically bump up your white blood cell count by about 3 to 5 x 10^9/L. So, if you're on steroids, seeing a count up to 15 x 10^9/L is pretty expected. A level of 20 x 10^9/L isn't exactly standard, though it could just be a side effect of the medication. In cases like this, I'd suggest ruling out infections or other causes by checking your CRP, ESR, and procalcitonin, along with your regular stuff like urine tests...

Everything else in my routine labs looks fine—urine, ESR, and CRP are all okay. I've never actually had my procalcitonin checked, though. What does that actually show? My white cell counts have been tracked since 2013, and they've been slowly creeping up, so my hematologist thinks it's just the corticosteroids. Still, I'm a bit skeptical and I'm mostly asking here because I'm worried there might be something else going on under the surface. What do you think? Thanks.

Laura Morris16 said:Could someone help me make sense of these blood smear results? They were ordered because my leukocyte count is up at 20, while the normal limit is 10.
Results: Normochromic normocytic erythrocytes.
Moderate TRS.
White blood cell count shows mild leukocytosis without any pathological changes in leukocyte morphology or DKS.
DKS:
neseg: %
Seg: 72%
Ly: 22%
Eo: 3%
Bazo: %
Mono: 3%
No immature cells present.

Just a heads-up, I'm dealing with two autoimmune diseases, so I'm on painkillers, blood pressure meds, corticosteroids, and methotrexate.

Could someone help me make sense of these peripheral blood smear results? I had them done because my leukocyte count was up at 20, while the upper limit is usually 10.
Results: Normochromic normocytic erythrocytes.
TRS is moderately abundant.
White blood cell count shows mild leukocytosis, but there are no pathological changes in leukocyte morphology or the differential count.
Differential Count:
neseg: %
Seg: 72%
Ly: 22%
Eo: 3%
Bazo: %
Mono: 3%
No immature cells present.

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Cheers

Hey everyone!

I’ve been dealing with some brutal period cramps lately. I've had two kids, and after that, I was on birth control for almost 13 years, which kept the pain totally at bay. Now that I've hit 42, my OBGYN decided to pull me off it, saying I'm "too old" now—and honestly, the pain is back with a vengeance. It’s unbearable... intense lower abdominal cramping, bloating, and this constant pressure on my bowels. Of course, I went to see the doctor, but his big solution was just to suggest stronger meds like Voltaren Rapid or heading to the ER for an injection. To make matters worse, I’m already on daily corticosteroids and Diclo Duo for my RA, and even those aren't touching these menstrual pains. The only thing that actually works is Voltaren Rapid, but I can't even take that because of my other prescriptions. The pain lasts from the very first day until two or three days after my period ends, even though the bleeding itself only lasts about 4 or 5 days.

I'm at a total loss for what to take... I started taking magnesium to see if that helps, but I'm not holding my breath.

feralridge3 said:How could you not have that right?
Your primary care doctor issues the medical transport order.
If someone drives him a few times, they can give you a trip log to get those costs reimbursed. Just make sure they mark it as "with an escort," because then you get double coverage.

The only annoying thing about medical transport is that there are always extra people in the van, so you might end up waiting while everyone gets gathered up.
On the bright side, I actually met so many great people that way.
Based on my own experience, what I’d suggest is driving Dad yourself during that last week, depending on how he's feeling.
I had radiation for 7 weeks. Those last 6 or 7 sessions were brutal, and I was honestly so relieved whenever someone could just drive me those days.

Thanks so much for such a detailed reply.
Best,

Maria Fox said:I totally get what you were saying🙂

Don't even stress about not being his driver. Nobody expects you to quit your job just to play chauffeur, and from what I can see, the ambulance services are doing just fine. Usually, the whole crew just gets together and hangs out anyway.

As for everything else... maybe try convincing him to take them. Tell him doctors don't usually prescribe vitamins because they assume people just grab them on their own—doctors are there for the "heavy-duty" stuff.
Try slipping the uviti h in like it's just regular tea. As for the socks, I'm honestly stumped; I have no clue how to talk him into wearing those. 🤷

Hope things ease up a bit for you. Hang in there! 🙂

We'll see... I'll try to sort out the ambulance situation so he can get rides.
I still have two months to figure it all out.
Regarding the vitamins and supplements... I don't think it's going to happen. He’s relatively young at 66. He’s smart and knows what's going on, but when it comes to this stuff, he won't budge. He thinks vitamins will mess with his actual meds, but he'll take the uviti h tea since he's on antibiotics for a bacteria... and I just can't get through to him. We got into such a fight yesterday that I actually ended up in tears. I don't live with him, so I didn't even go see him today... I just called my mom to check in on him.
Once things settle down a little, I'll try again, but I really don't think it'll work... he's stubborn as a mule. 🙂

How did this message turn out? 🙂
Sorry, you'll get what I was trying to say.

Maria Fox said:When my mom went in for radiation (over at the MD Anderson Cancer Center), people from the neighborhood used to drop by too, and medical transport would drive them 😉
You should ask his primary care doctor about the protocol, but they should be able to provide transport.

I'll look into it...

Oh, and just so you know, the actual radiation session only lasts about 2-3 minutes 🙂

I know... but it drags on way longer because of all the waiting in line.
It’s not even hard for me to drive him those 62 miles every day, but I just can't... I work 12-hour shifts... so afternoons are out for me... and there's nobody else to step in.
Anyway, if I may vent... my dad refuses to take any vitamins unless his doctor specifically prescribes them... he won't let me try to help him stay strong...
He has a urinary tract infection... he's on two antibiotics, but he won't even touch cranberry juice, which would really help clear things out... he won't do it because "the doctor didn't say so"... I even bought him compression stockings because he dealt with a blood clot... he won't even try them... claims they're too tight and aren't his size... but the sizing follows shoe sizes, and I actually bought a size up because I could see they were snug, just so they wouldn't squeeze him too hard.
He's so stubborn, I feel like I'm hitting a brick wall with him... I'm just scared he's going to get even weaker... and he still has radiation ahead of him.
It's tough on me 🙂

We're heading out tomorrow (well, Mom is) for chest and heart X-rays, and she was scheduled for a CT at the MD Anderson Cancer Center this Wednesday, but they called this morning to say the machine is down. Poor Mom was a total wreck 😢
Apparently, it's a major breakdown, so they don't even know when it'll be fixed.
After that, I started looking up every possible clinic in Washington, D.C. that might have a CT scanner. The first one we found was over on Nemetova. They said she could come in as early as Thursday, and she can use her insurance.
I honestly thought we'd be waiting forever if we used insurance, or that we'd have to pay out of pocket.
Either way, it worked out great.🙂

We have access to all the imaging, CTs and MRIs, right here. He actually went to a private facility once to get things sorted quickly so he could move forward with surgery.
Best,

shadowmason6 said:At MD Anderson Cancer Center, they told my mom she’s actually entitled to ambulance transport for her chemo sessions! I’m honestly not sure what the exact process is—like, does someone (maybe Dad's oncologist or his primary care doctor?) need to sign off on a referral first? Maybe some folks from the Non-profit organization would know?
When it comes to vitamins or supplements, there's a ton of stuff out there. Everything from Beta-glucan to Native Propolis (you can find both at most pharmacies)... Noni, Aloa... and that Imunomax you mentioned...
My mom started on Beta-glucan and then moved on to BioBran and Green Magma Pro (which you can usually find in health food stores or specialty herbal shops). Apparently, you can take BioBran indefinitely, and I really think it helped her get through her treatments more easily. Her blood work definitely improved... and honestly, I'm convinced it was because of the supplements. I don't think anything can hurt, even though I doubt any doctor is going to officially recommend taking extra supplements.

Thanks for the reply! I’ll check in with his primary doctor about the transport situation.
Though, chemo is one thing, and radiation is another. Chemo is just once a week... but with radiation, you have to go every single day, and the actual treatment only lasts about two minutes... or so I've heard, since I'm still pretty new to all this.
I already ordered some vitamins from Germany—specifically Orthomol Flavon m, since those are designed specifically for prostate cancer—but I can pick up the other stuff locally here.

Thanks so much!

Jason Torres5 said:Basically, we made it through the worst. He’s doing better, they cleared out most of it, and now it's just chemo to mop up whatever traces or cells are left behind.
He’s bouncing from total depression to pure optimism, and she’s stuck somewhere between panic, relief, and going crazy... I’m holding it together okay, mostly because nobody can see the chaos happening inside me. I’m honestly right on the edge. Every single day it’s him, then her, then what this doctor says, then what that specialist says—I’m constantly buying books, digging through the internet looking for any optimistic prognosis I can find, and staying upbeat just because I have to.
Not to vent too much, though; it honestly helps just being able to write this all down somewhere where people actually get what I'm going through. 🙏

I’m in the exact same boat. My dad is recovering from prostate surgery. They said they got everything out... that he won't need chemo, just radiation. Still, I’m scouring the web... looking for vitamins to help him regain his strength, improve his blood work, and get him ready for the radiation sessions.

Hey everyone!
My dad had surgery for malignant prostate cancer three weeks ago. He’s recovering okay... a little slow, but he's getting there.
He was discharged from the hospital yesterday and will get his discharge papers tomorrow, so I have no clue what medications the doctor is going to prescribe. Like anyone else after surgery, he’s lost some weight and feels pretty weak.
I'm wondering if any of you know which vitamins are best for boosting the immune system after an operation like this. He needs to get his strength back up before he starts radiation therapy.
I did some digging online and found: AHCC (which you can find in US pharmacies) and Orthomol Flavon m (available in German pharmacies). Does anyone here
have experience using these vitamins?

Once he's recovered, Dad will need to go to a hospital in Washington, D.C. for radiation, so I was wondering—do patients like him have access to ambulance transport, or do they have to drive themselves into Washington, D.C. every day from out of town?

I'm totally new to all of this, so I'm just trying to figure things out.

Thanks!
Best,