Posts by Nicholas Myers

Many thanks, Dr. Hrvoje, for the educational overview and your insights. 🙂

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Aaron Clark5 said:My iron levels hit 26. It’s barely above the ceiling, but since I usually hover well below the floor, it’s a bit unsettling. Then there's the sedimentation rate; the standard range is 0 to 22, yet mine is double that limit. I've never really had to deal with bloodwork before, and until now, everything was fine—aside from my usual struggle with anemia.

To whom it may concern,

Like my colleague mentioned, your results look fine to me. Regarding those iron levels you're worried about: keep in mind that serum iron isn't a static number. It fluctuates daily—even hourly—so it isn't necessarily a reliable snapshot of your actual iron stores.

Regarding your sedimentation levels, you mentioned a value of 22. That is NOT an elevated reading. Assuming your transcription is accurate, that result is perfectly normal.

vividsailor7 said:My dermatologist isn't making much sense, but honestly? Whatever. It is what it is.

Why is this the case? When dermatologists see allergic reactions, immune issues, or skin flares, they almost always start looking for an inflammatory focal point somewhere else in the body—often ordering tests for H. pylori. Is there a specific clinical reason for that, or is it part of some other standard protocol?

Chris Kelly50 said:I need an interpretation of these results. I’m currently 33 weeks pregnant and have gained 13 kg so far. I am on hypertension medication—taking Aldomet (Methyldopa) at 500 mg twice daily. Just as a side note, I’ve been managing my blood pressure long before this pregnancy, as I'm a chronic hypertensive. These tests were ordered by the transfusion department, including blood work and protein levels from a single urine sample.

vividsailor7 said:If you ask me, the results look fine.
Perhaps some of my colleagues have something to add.

I’m on the same page as my colleague here. The urine protein levels look clean. Regarding the coagulation profile, that D-dimer reading is a bit elevated, but we have to account for context. A reference value under 0.5 mg/L seems far too low for the third trimester, when D-dimer levels naturally climb due to physiological shifts. I can't recall the exact upper limit for the third trimester offhand—I think I saw something around 1.5 mg/L mentioned once, though I'd need to verify the source. Interpreting D-dimer elevations during pregnancy is always a moving target because these values rise naturally anyway; many experts argue that these specific markers lose much of their diagnostic weight during gestation. That said, the data shows that pregnant women dealing with hypertension generally trend higher than those without it.

The rest of the results fell within the standard range.

I'd suggest checking in with your gynecologist. Given your medical history and previous diagnoses, they might interpret these specific numbers through a different lens.

Aaron Clark5 said:......
Cholesterol gen 2 4.6
Triglycerides liquid 0.55
Glucose HK gen 3 4.4
IRON gen 2 26.6
TIBC 68.1
UIBC with BTS value 41.5
SE 22
E 4.48
Hgb 128
L 6.5

The iron and sedimentation levels are what have me concerned........

Hi there,

Just to be safe, please include the units and the reference ranges. Based on the standard values I have on hand, nothing looks out of line.

Have you checked your thyroid hormones (TSH, fT4, fT3) yet?

I already posted my thoughts over in the "Lab Results" thread, so there's no need for me to repeat myself. Everything looks within the normal range.

Hello,

I noticed you posted this question over on the Health subforum under the lab results thread. If you take a look at the guidelines in the original post for that topic, you'll find the answer there. To be blunt, we need more than just descriptions like "low," "high," or "within range" to provide a meaningful response. Please list your specific test results alongside their reference ranges. Additionally, include any existing diagnoses, current symptoms (like heavy periods), and your approximate age, as requested in the thread rules.

Roughly speaking, this could point toward anemia, though we’d need to see your actual red blood cell count and hemoglobin levels to say anything for sure. As for those low liver enzyme numbers (ALT, AST), they typically don't carry much clinical weight on their own.

To perform a dermographism test, grab a ballpoint pen and take the cap off—or just use one that’s out of ink. Have someone write a few words on your back with it. Wait a few minutes and see if you can feel any raised lettering with your fingers or actually see the marks on your skin.

As for testing sensitivity to temperature, you can try it yourself. Run some cold water, or perhaps warm water similar to what you'd use in a standard shower, over a small patch of your forearm for a few minutes. Watch closely for any skin reactions. If the reaction looks intense, stop immediately.

Look, these DIY tests aren't a substitute for a professional medical consultation. However, they can be useful tools when you sit down with a dermatologist; having specific observations helps point them in the right direction.

Also, snap some photos of any changes that occur after you shower and bring those to your appointment.

edit: Regarding the comment about the thread disappearing and reappearing, it’s likely because we merged your original thread into this one since the topics overlap. Please post here from now on. Hopefully, everything is visible now.

A dermatologist will provide the final word, but your own observations are critical for an accurate diagnosis. Do these skin changes trigger specifically when you shower with hot or cold water, or does temperature not seem to matter at all? You might try a little self-experiment: test a small patch of skin with cooler water first, then try warmer water later. If the reaction occurs regardless of the temperature, you could be looking at aquagenic urticaria. Another way to test this is to see if any changes occur during activities that cause sweating, like a set of crunches or some light cardio.

Since the symptoms fade so quickly, it would be wise to take photos to show your dermatologist during your appointment.

Additionally, check for dermographism—essentially, seeing if you can "write" on your skin by lightly tracing it with a pencil.

edit: There is no need to reopen this thread. 😉

And certainly make sure to loop in your primary care physician about what you're experiencing.

It’s possible you’re dealing with some form of physical urticaria, though I can't say for certain without more data.

Essentially, we're looking at a cluster of allergic conditions triggered by external physical stressors—think cold, pressure, heat, or even sunlight and UV exposure. There is also aquagenic urticaria, which is triggered by water contact, and cholinergic urticaria, where the skin reacts to a rise in body temperature from things like hot showers, overheating, or intense exercise.

Aquagenic urticaria tends to show up more frequently in younger women.

You really ought to have this looked into to confirm if that's actually what's happening.

Betty Ramos3 said:My guess is that if you go to Rockefeller Boulevard—you know, where they actually pay you—they don't give you that official signature for your volunteer record. But over at Petrov 3, they’ll give you the signature in the book to count toward your voluntary hours, even though there's no payout. Am I hitting the nail on the head there, Nicholas Myers? Thanks.

Since you called me out—not necessarily to confirm your point, but to highlight my misunderstanding of how plasma donation logistics work, which was fair—I’ll respond this way.

Given that I was moderating during my shift with limited time, I didn't mean to imply that the question had been answered outside of those specific posts (which focus on Rockefeller Boulevard). An answer was partially provided in this post as well, which is part of this thread.

To be fair, there isn't an explicit answer regarding the record-keeping in the donor booklet here, and the post I suggested looking at pertains specifically to Rockefeller Boulevard. So, you were right to call me out; the information in my recommendation doesn't actually address the core question asked.

And frankly, I don't personally know what gets recorded or where, so let me be clear: I'm not using my moderator duties as an excuse. I simply don't have the answer to that question.

My apologies to velvetangler3, my mistake!

Regardless, I ask that we avoid repetitive posts raising the exact same issue in such short succession. Please exercise some patience and wait for a response. In my view, waiting a few days for an inquiry to be addressed is a reasonable timeframe.

Well, that question has already been answered right here (post #61). Please take a moment to actually read through the thread. 😉

Olivia Howard45 said:Hello, thanks for getting back to me.
But I'm still a bit confused. My sister, who actually ran this test for me, told me everything was fine, but after digging around online, I've fallen down quite a rabbit hole. 🤷 Is there any actual reason to be worried about these results or not?

The assumption here is that this result stems from a poorly collected urine sample, so there shouldn't be cause for alarm. However, since you are pregnant, it would be wise to coordinate with your OB-GYN to have the test repeated.

With pregnancy, we always aim for perfectly clean results.