Posts by wiredcanyon2

Benjamin Martin7 said:I'm in a bit of a rush so I've no clue which sub this belongs in. Basically, my right thigh has been acting up for three days now. There's this one specific spot where I'm getting constant, uncontrollable muscle twitches. Is this just a thing or should I be calling a doctor ASAP?

Look, involuntary twitching is pretty common. It’s called muscle fasciculation and it usually happens because of stuff like a magnesium deficiency. Stress can make it worse, too, and they tend to jump around to different parts of the body—it’s typical for something like Benign Fasciculation Syndrome. It'll probably just chill out on its own eventually. Obviously, you can always check in with your doctor if you're worried. You could try some effervescent magnesium tablets or just stick to some Dona mg for a bit and see if things settle down.

Ronald Anderson93 said:My dad dealt with TB a few years back, and about two months ago he ended up in the hospital with pneumonia and fears that the TB was resurfacing. They treated the infection with antibiotics, but the bronchoscopy showed this:

" ... finding a dark tumor in the third bronchus on the right. Pathologists can't provide a definitive answer regarding the specific type of tumor. I suggest a CT scan of the chest and upper abdomen."

CT results:

".....along the right bronchi, the posterior and anterior segments show solid tissue intermittently interspersed with calcifications of varying sizes, which most likely corresponds to post-specific cicatricial changes. Mildly dilated bronchi and an attracted horizontal interlobar fissure, all seemingly as a result of the described scarring. Similar changes in extent, location, and appearance are visible in the upper lobe on the left, along with slightly more pronounced bronchiectasis ...."

So, from what I can gather as a layman, the CT shows nothing but scarring from the old TB, yet the bronchoscopy flagged a tumor.

The pulmonologist is pushing for surgery, but we're hesitating because he's 64 and there are always risks involved with procedures like this.

Should we go ahead with the surgery, or should we redo the bronchoscopy or just get a second opinion?

Thanks and cheers!

What did the pathologists actually write down? They had to put something in writing for you to be able to transcribe it. Look, you can always redo the bronchoscopy with a different PhD, or you can hunt for a second opinion at a different hospital system. Bottom line: without a PhD, you don't have a diagnosis. A CT scan is basically useless when it comes to identifying the actual type of tumor. It’s just used to gauge how far things have spread once the process is already proven.

restlessranger9 said:Hey everyone,

Could someone please walk me through these blood test results for my kid? He’s 16 months old. For what it's worth, he seems totally fine—great mood, super active, zero issues on our end. Just trying to make sense of the numbers.
So, here’s what’s actually eating at my wife and me. We're dealing with this constant discharge—it looks like normal white discharge during the day, but once night rolls around, everything just thickens up and turns this nasty yellow-green color. On top of that, her temperature is all over the place; she’s mostly hitting around 101.8°F, though she did spike up to a brutal 103.3°F one night. Her doctor is basically brushing it off, saying everything looks fine and it's probably just some random bacterial thing.
Here’s the bloodwork:
Lab hematology.
Result Unit Reference Interval
Red blood cell count came back at 4.59 x10e12/L. Normal range is listed as 4.00-5.00. Looks like I'm sitting pretty right in the middle of the pack.
K-Hemoglobin 118 g/L (Normal range: 109-138)
K-Hematocrit 0.357 L/L (Ref: 0.320-0.404)
K-MCV 77.8 fL (Normal range: 73.8-89.4)
K-MCH: 25.6 pg (Normal range: 24.3-29.2)
K-MCHC 330 g/L (Normal range: 300-350)
K-RDW is sitting at 14.7%. The normal range is listed as 11.9 to 16.2, so we’re right in the sweet spot. No issues there.
Platelets: 421 x10e9/L (Normal range: 150-450)
K-MPV 10.3 fL (Ref range: 6.9-11.3)
White blood cell count came back at 10.3. Reference range is 6.0 to 16.0, so we’re sitting pretty right in the middle of the pack. Nothing to write home about.

Differential blood count.
Neutrophil count came back at 52.0%. Reference range says 23-66%, so looks like I'm sitting pretty right in the middle of the pack. Nothing to write home about.
K-Lymphocytes 28.0% (Ref: 18-60%)
K-reactive lymphocytosis. 3.0%. (0)
K-Monocytes: 17.0 Hey. % (5-13)

Clinical biochemistry.
S-CRP is sitting at 10.2. Hey. The levels are sitting right between 0.1 and 2.8 mg/L.

We just finished up the nasal swab. Results should be in by Monday, so I'll hit you guys up once we know what's what.

Could someone please break down what these elevated monocyte levels and high CRP actually mean? 😕
Is this actually something we need to be stressing about, or are we just overthinking it?

So, basically, the kid's in preschool, which means we’re stuck dealing with this whole cycle every three weeks or so. It’s like a revolving door of germs.

Thanks in advance. 🙂

So, is he coughing? Any rain hitting the windows over there? And how long has this fever been hanging around?
Honestly, I don't think you need to sweat the monocyte count. It’s probably just reactive monocytosis—basically just your body reacting to some inflammation going on somewhere. The CRP points toward inflammation, sure, but it isn't high enough to be a major red flag. Since the total white blood cell count looks steady, I wouldn't jump to conclusions about a serious bacterial infection either. Most likely, you're just dealing with a virus.

Emily Miller73 said:Hey there.

First off, sorry I can't type out the full thyroid lab report here.

This is for a buddy of mine—male, 21 years old. He's basically looking for some advice on what his next move should be, or if you guys could just give him a heads-up on what to expect. His TSH came back at 7.19, but his T4 levels are sitting right within the normal range.

Thanks in advance!

It’s most likely subclinical hypothyroidism, or just a basic case of a "sluggish thyroid." He might end up needing hormone replacement therapy, basically just taking a daily pill to keep things balanced.

Chris Hayes9 said:Nah, I just had this done at the clinic in Newark a few days ago and the results look fine.

(S) lactate dehydrogenase : 217 U/L ref interval: (S) C reactive protein : 0.4 mg/L ref interval 0.0 - 5.0

Thanks for the info above. I was getting a little worked up because I’ve been trying to bounce back from an eating disorder, so I figured maybe there was some kind of anemia going on. But honestly, I’m mostly asking for my mom—she basically loses her mind whenever she sees the letter L on a lab report. 🙂

LDH stands for lactate dehydrogenase. Your numbers are totally normal, so that's good news. Just keep focusing on eating healthy and you'll be fine. Best of luck.

Chris Hayes9 said:Before I head in for my follow-up, I’d love a second opinion.🙂
- age - twenties
- reason for testing (symptoms) - routine check-up for Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
- brief medical history - prior to Non-Hodgkin's, had some febrile confusion,

WBC - 10 (4-24)
Erc - 5.52 H (3.86-5.08)
Hgb - 117 L (119 - 157)
Hct - 0.44 (0.36 - 0.47)
MCV - 81.0 L (83.0-97.2)
MCH - 21.3 L (24.3-33.9)
MCHC 264 L (304-346)
RDW - 12.8 (11.6 - 18.3)

Platelets - 353 (158-424)
MPV - 9.5 (6.1 - 10.4)
WBC count - 5.0 (3.4 - 9.7)
Granulocytes:
Segmented - 0.525 (0.340-0.720)
lymphocytes - 0.426 (0.190 - 0.520)
monocytes - 0.049 (0.020 - 0.130)
RBC - 12 (5-15)

Metabolites and substrates:
UREA 4.7 (2.8 - 8.3)
CREATININE 96 (63-107)
BILIRUBIN 11.9 (3.0- 20.0)

Enzymes:
AST - 24 (8 - 30)
ALT - 21 (10 - 36)
GGT - 15 (9 - 35)

Trace elements:

Fe - 8.7 (8.0 - 30.0)
UIBC - 66.5 H (26.0 - 59.0) TIBC - 75.2 H (49.0 - 75.0)

Thanks a bunch.

Honestly, looks pretty normal to me. That slightly low hemoglobin and MCV might point toward microcytic anemia—which is super common for women because of monthly cycles—but I wouldn't sweat it too much. Iron is sitting right at the bottom edge of the range, and TIBC is on the high side, which lines up with what I just said. Doesn't look related to the NHL at all. Have you guys checked your LDH or beta2-microglobulin yet? Cheers.

lonetiger98 said:I'm curious about what C-reactive protein actually indicates. Like, does having a fever automatically mean the CRP will be high, or is it possible to have a high temp but a totally normal CRP?

Look, CRP is an acute-phase reactant. Basically, if there's some kind of inflammatory process happening in your body, it’s going to spike. It's a protein produced by the liver. You'll usually see it climb during a bacterial infection, but it can also shoot up from other types of inflammation—viral stuff, autoimmune issues, whatever. That means it isn't specific to one exact thing. In fact, you can definitely have a fever without the CRP being elevated at all. The real question is *why* the temperature is up. If it's a bacterial infection, yeah, the CRP should follow suit. But if you're just dealing with a virus, the CRP might stay perfectly normal, and your sedimentation rate might too. You can't just look at one number; you have to weigh all the lab results against the actual clinical symptoms to make sense of it.

dustycobra96 said:Two days ago, the fever hit 102.2°F and then spiked up to 104.9°F. After some meds, we managed to get it down to 102.2°F, but it’s just hovering there. We got blood work done today. The headache started on the second day after the first fever spike. No coughing, no runny nose—nothing before or even now. The doctor checked his lungs, ears, and throat, but found absolutely nothing today. They switched him from Motrin syrup to Ibuprofen for the fever. We’ll be back at the doctor tomorrow with the results, but I was wondering if the blood work looks okay or not since waiting until tomorrow is killing me.

Basically, looking at these labs, nothing looks catastrophic and there’s no sign of an infection (especially not bacterial). If I were the doc, I would've ordered a sedimentation rate and CRP too, just to check those inflammation markers. Let me know.

dustycobra96 said:Fever is sitting at 39-40.5 degrees, and honestly, even after giving meds, it won't budge. Kid's complaining about a headache and looks super pale. No coughing, no runny nose. Nothing else going on.

My bad on the previous comment, wasn't trying to be difficult about the thread being moved. 🙂
Looking at those lab results, the main takeaway is that the kid's dealing with anemia—most likely iron deficiency, which would explain why they look so washed out. Personally, if there isn't an obvious source of infection, you really need to rule out meningitis. They definitely need a full checkup from a pediatrician or a family doctor, and depending on what the doc thinks, maybe a consult with an infectious disease specialist.
Might be worth checking iron levels, TIBC, and ferritin too.
When did this all start? Was the fever and headache a sudden hit, or was there some light sniffing or coughing first? Any kind of skin rash?

dustycobra96 said:Can someone please help me make sense of my 6-year-old's blood work? Just tell me if everything looks normal or not.

leukocyte high ref interval 0 8.89
erythrocyte 4.07
hemoglobin 114g/L
hematocrit 0.330L/L
MCV 81.1FL
MCH 28.0pg
MCHC 345g/L
TROMBOCITI 281

RDW-SD 38.5fL
RDW-CV 13.3%
PDW 7.9fL
MPV 8.2fL
P-LCR 11.8%
PCT 0.23%

NEUT 51.7%
LYMPH 27.2%
MONO 20.7%
EO 0.1%
BASO 0.3%

Not happening. Go back and read the first post before you ask questions. Reading numbers is one thing, but actually interpreting them is a whole different ballgame—it requires looking at the clinical picture and the patient's history. In this case, at the very least, write down why the blood was drawn and what symptoms led you to see the doctor.

Melissa Ramirez70 said:My doctor wasn't exactly crystal clear about whether it's a brain tumor or a pituitary tumor! But it's one or the other.

Thrombocytopenia can definitely show up with certain tumors, usually stuff originating in the blood like lymphomas or leukemias. That said, there are a ton of reasons for low platelets besides anything malignant. Honestly, I think trying to link low platelets directly to a brain tumor is a massive stretch—in my opinion, those low numbers are probably just an incidental finding that doesn't have anything to do with whatever tumor might be there. Are you on any medications? Some drugs are notorious for causing thrombocytopenia. Anyway, I don't think you should obsess over the platelets right now; the priority is figuring out what's actually triggering those headaches and the vomiting.

Melissa Ramirez70 said:So there's actually a chance...
Alright, I'm not gonna freak out just yet. We'll wait for the next CBC and the ultrasound.
Thanks a million!

What kind of tumor are we talking about here? Like a brain tumor?

Melissa Ramirez70 said:So, here's the deal, wiredcanyon2:

....

That’s it. Thanks!

vividsailor7 replied. Honestly, it’s a good call to transcribe all the results like this instead of just cherry-picking the specific parameters that look important or fall outside the reference range. You definitely get a much better picture of what's actually going on that way. All the best. 🙂

dustylynx said:So, my GGT came back at 41, but the lab says the max should be 35. Is that actually bad news, or should I just chill out about it?🙂

Look, don't go taking everything at face value like some old wives' tale. There’s really no need to stress out. GGT is basically just an indicator for bile duct inflammation or someone overdoing it with the booze. At the end of the day, a single elevated number isn't the big deal everyone thinks it is; lab results always mean nothing unless you look at them alongside the actual clinical picture.

Melissa Ramirez70 said:Hey everyone!
I've been lurking here for a while now, and since my headaches have started bringing vomiting along for the ride, I figured it was time to actually jump in and ask for some advice...
I saw a doctor and, naturally, they're already throwing around theories about migraines or even tumors, so now I'm starting the whole testing marathon.
Got my first set of blood work back today, and I'm wondering if I should be panicking or not. My CBC isn't terrible, but these specific things are outside the normal range:
(vK) WBC - 3 (4 - 24)
Platelets - anisocytosis
(vK) Platelets - 128 (158 - 424)
(S) GGT - 7 (9-35)
(S) ALP - 46 (54 - 119)

Still waiting on the rest of the blood work, but since it's the holiday season, I won't be able to get any more tests done until after New Year's!

Thanks!

Come on, guys, please just type out all the blood results properly. Pretty sure you're missing some parameters here. What about white blood cells? Red blood cells?

lonetiger98 said:The only symptoms I'm seeing are a slight fever—maybe hitting 99 degrees max—and some loose stools. It’s not full-blown diarrhea, but it’s definitely not normal either.🙄 And this has been dragging on for at least 6 or 7 days now. Everything stays exactly the same. No getting worse, just... there.🤷 The fever drops, then crawls back up to around 98.7 in the evening.

Most likely just a stomach flu. Fevers usually tend to spike in the afternoon or evening, so that part isn't unusual. Just make sure to stay on top of fluids.

Sandra Jackson79 said:Just doing my routine CBC checkup (I've got an SLE diagnosis, 23 years old). I'm wondering if these deviations from the reference ranges mean things are getting worse or what:
Hgb 103 (119-157)
Hct 0.32 (0.356-0.47)
MCV 76 (83-97.2)
MCH 24 (27.4-33.9)
MCHC 319 (320-345)
RDW 15.6 (9-15)
neutrophils 41.3 (45-72)
lymphocytes 45.5 (19-45)
monocytes 10.8 (3-10)
Sed rate is within normal limits. Honestly, I'm tired of it always jumping around—my hemoglobin was low before too, but everything else was fine, so these specific numbers have me a little worried..
Thanks in advance!

I wouldn't say this shows the main condition is flaring up based on these numbers alone. What's your creatinine looking like? Your hemoglobin is down, which points toward microcytic anemia. Could totally be tied to your cycle (heavy periods, etc.). As for those tiny shifts in the differential, they're pretty much negligible. Also, you probably missed a chunk of the results—like the erythrocyte count, total WBC, iron, TIBC, or ferritin. If you have those, it’d be smart to just post everything, even if the rest looks perfectly fine.🙂

So, where exactly is this headache hitting you? Is it your whole head, just one side, your forehead, or the back? What’s the vibe of the pain? Are we talking a sharp, pulsing sensation, or does it feel more like someone is literally sitting on your neck—that heavy tension spreading from your neck right up into the base of your skull?

If you ask me, you're probably dealing with a spike in blood pressure from working out (which, let's be real, is a totally normal response to physical exertion), plus you've got cervicogenic headaches in the mix. When you combine those two factors...

Amy Rivera66 said:Nothing? Seriously? Has anyone even heard of a procedure like this? Give me something here, some info...

I haven’t heard of anything like that. We're talking about pelvic bones here—even if a surgery like that actually exists, it would be incredibly complicated. Since there's no medical necessity for it, it basically falls under elective or cosmetic surgery (assuming it's even a thing). Plus, if you could even find a surgeon to do it, you'd be footing the entire bill yourself because insurance won't touch it without a medical indication; it's just an "aesthetic" issue at that point. Major bone surgeries are reserved for severe malformations that actually interfere with someone being able to live a normal life.

Nicole Richardson92 said:Here’s a little pic of me and my guy..

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot...33154292_n.jpg

Hmm, doesn't look like rosacea to me. Looks more like an allergy situation. If it only lasts a few hours, just snap a high-res photo with a real camera—not some grainy phone shot—and take those pictures to a dermatologist. Could totally be a reaction to something you ate. Looks like hives to me, maybe cholinergic hives, which usually flare up when you're working out or getting stressed out. Either way, definitely go see a dermatologist.

Nicole Richardson92 said:For a few years now, I’ve been dealing with this weird thing where random breakouts or red patches just pop up on my face out of nowhere.
Every time I spot one, my first thought is always, "Eh, it's probably nothing."
Most often, the redness shows up right after I shower when I’m getting ready to head out. For a while, I actually convinced myself it was just nerves—you know, that sudden flush you get when you're anxious about making a good impression on someone.
...It’s also happened when I’ve been genuinely stressed, like during an argument, but since it doesn't happen every single time things get heated, I'm starting to think that might just be a coincidence.
As for my theory about insect bites, I'm having my doubts. If bugs were the culprit, why would the redness and bumps only show up on my face and chest instead of all over my body? Plus, there have been a couple of times where I felt a sharp stinging sensation right as a bump started forming, yet I didn't see or hear a single bug nearby.
I’m honestly at a loss here.
Does anyone have any ideas what this could be?
😕

Could be rosacea. Go see a dermatologist next time it flares up so they can take a look.