Posts by vividsailor7

Melissa Cooper61 said:Hi there!
I dealt with a brutal, irritating cough around New Year's Day (it lasted three weeks before I finally stopped taking Amoxicillin). Then, about two months ago, my joints started acting up—mostly my hands and knee—which also cleared up once I finished the Amoxicillin. Because I felt so physically drained, I had a CBC and a metabolic panel done.

01/26 02/02 02/13 Reference intervals
Sedimentation 52-104 (4-24)
RBC 4.3 4.2 4.2 (3.86-5.08)
Hemoglobin 109 L 108 L 115 L (119-157)
Htc 0.33 L 0.32 L 0.33 L (0.356-0.470)
MCV 76.3 L 76.4 L 77.8 L (83.0-97.2)
MCH 25.1 L 25.5 L 27.3 L (27.4-33.9)
MCHC 329 333 350 H (320-345)
RDW 14.0 14.8 17.0 H (9.0-15.0)
Platelets 200 188 164 (158-424)
MPV 9.7 9.1 9.0 (6.8- 10.4)
WBC 2.7 L 2.3 L 2.2 L (3.4-9.7)
Granulocytes seg.44.9 34.0 L 30.0 L (44.0-72.0)
Eosinophils 2.3 5.0 (0.0-7.0)
Monocytes 14.7 H 13.0 H 19.0 H (2.0-12.0)
Basophils 0.4 (0.0-1.0)
Lymphocytes 37.7 39.0 25.0 (20.0-46.0)
AST 17 (8-30)
ALT 13 (10-36)
CRP 2.3 (0.0-5.0)

Because of the morphology results showing "Atypical lymph. 9%. 3 blasts per 100 WBC" on Feb 2nd, I had an emergency bone marrow biopsy. Thankfully, the puncture findings, the myelogram, and the blood count all came back normal. My current diagnosis is R72—unspecified abnormal white blood cell count (leukopenia). I'm currently waiting on my EBV and CMV results. My doctors have suggested a battery of follow-up tests: abdominal, neck, breast, and axilla ultrasounds, plus ANA, AMA, ASMA, ANCA, anti-dsDNA, ENA, antiphospholipid antibodies, ACCP, Walker-Pink, Latex RF, Latex CRP, FT3, FT4, and TSH. My questions are:
1. How can a standard lab report show "Atypical lymph. 9%. 3 blasts per 100 WBC" (twice, no less!) when the actual biopsy and cytology completely debunked it?
2. Is there anything else I should be asking for? This low white cell count over the last month is starting to really get under my skin, especially since I'm only 36.
3. What kind of Alternative medicine could help boost my white cell count? I've been taking a Multivitamin for iron for three weeks now—would colloidal silver, noni, green tea, or tahaboo tea actually do anything?
Thanks in advance, and sorry for the long post.😉

You really ought to repeat the CBC as recommended, along with a full metabolic panel including CK, LDH, Iron, TIBC, and ferritin. They're looking for immunological markers too.
As for the other stuff, you should probably post that in the Alternative section.

cosmiclynx98 said:My mother is 82 years old, and for the last five years, she’s been dealing with this constant issue where her ESR levels come back elevated—somewhere between 40 and 50—every single time she gets bloodwork done.
The only actual issues she’s dealing with are aching joints—specifically her bones and knees. It's textbook osteoarthritis and degenerative changes. Other than that? Absolutely nothing else hurts.
Latest blood work results—here’s everything that came back outside the normal range:
SE 56 (ref. range 5-28)
My LKC came back at 12.4. The normal range is listed as 3.4 to 9.7. That’s quite a jump.
NEU 32 (44-72)
LYM 61 (Normal range: 20-46)
Since there aren't any other complaints regarding pain, the doctor is currently stuck in limbo—unsure whether to prescribe antibiotics or hold off. My question is this: can inflammatory processes in the joints actually trigger a blood panel like this? I’d really appreciate some insight from the doctors here. What exactly could we be looking at, and what should the next move be? Should we be booking an appointment with an internist immediately?

And why on earth was she running those latest tests? Did she even bother checking her CRP levels? I need you to transcribe the full results—every single detail.

Chris Kelly50 said:To whom it may concern,

Could you please take another look at these results? I've been asked to go back in for more one-time urine tests. I’m currently 35 weeks pregnant, and it’s been two weeks since my last set of labs.

Urinalysis: Single Spot Sample

Creatinine, urine sample: result 16.97 (mmol/L).
Total Protein/Creatinine ratio: 0.015 (Units: g/mmol, Reference interval < 0.024).
Total protein levels from my urine sample came back at 0.260 g/L.

Thanks in advance.

From what I can see, everything looks perfectly normal.

Carol Price6 said:Doesn't Associate Professor Troskot work at Vinogradski Hospital?? Someone already recommended him to me... but honestly, I’ve become incredibly skeptical of doctors lately, especially when you're stuck using those Medicare referrals. Sorry everyone, but I just don't trust them one bit—not even 5%. And don't even get me started on how they won't even bother asking where it hurts or what's actually going on...

Doc. Branko Troskot practices at Vinogradski Hospital.
Dr. Rosana Troskot works at Holy Spirit Hospital.

Austin Jackson55 said:Thyroid ultrasound results: slight diffuse changes in a borderline enlarged thyroid, plus a hypoechoic nodule measuring 9x7 mm in the lower part of the right lobe (possibly a parathyroid?).
TSH and T4 hormone levels are normal and within the standard reference ranges.
Waiting on a fine-needle aspiration biopsy for further processing, along with a follow-up test for calcium and phosphorus levels.
The excessive sweating during the day, lack of energy, and tremors are still happening.
Joint pain and occasional discomfort on the right side of my neck vary from day to day.

What I really need to get done, alongside what’s already been recommended, is a full immunological and rheumatological workup—testing for RF, WR, ANA, ANCA, and anti-TPO antibodies. It’s also necessary to do a follow-up check on thyroid hormones once a year.

Amanda Mitchell60 said:Does anyone know where I can get tested for insulin resistance? How does it work if I use my insurance, and what kind of prices are we talking about if I go private? Any info at all would be hugely appreciated, thanks. 🙂

Your referral needs to specifically state OGTT + insulin twice.
You can head over to the Mayo Clinic, SK Vuk Vrhovac, or Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Nancy Mendoza17 said:Hey everyone,

The infectious disease specialist gave me a diagnosis: lymphadenopathy under observation, basically just recovering from tonsillitis. My labs showed monocytosis (mono at 18), CRP at 28, L 4.9, seg 37, ly 42, eos 2, baso 1.56, E 4.5, Hgb 125, and Platelets 239. Urine work: E 15-20, L 2-3.

After seeing the specialist, I went ahead and got a peripheral blood smear done, and here are the results:
Eosinophilic granulocyte 0.03
Segmented neutrophilic granulocyte 0.54
Lymphocyte 0.33
Monocyte 0.10.

They didn't list any reference ranges anywhere, so if anyone knows them, please let me know.

Microbiology test results (test performed: adenovirus in throat swab)
Paul-Bunnell antibodies negative
VCA IgM negative
VCA IgG +/-
EBNA IgG +/-
Latent, but a past infection
They recommend doing an ELISA test at the Mayo Clinic.

The CBC looks fine to me.

Michelle Harris19 said:I’d love to get an opinion from any doctor available here—could you look at this ECG and give me your thoughts on this long post? For about a week now, I’ve had constant pain just to the left of my breastbone—right where my heart is. The pain or discomfort radiates upward toward my shoulder and into my shoulder blade, right between my spine and the scapula. It stays constant regardless of how I move. I also get palpitations occasionally, and my circulation feels terrible; my hands and feet are always freezing. 🙂Since I’m a massive worrier😁, I paid for a private Ultrasound heart, which came back normal. My doctor claims the pain is just rheumatic in nature because it gets worse when I press on the area. He barely even looked at my ECG, he just ran it and handed it back. My blood pressure is usually between 100/60 and 120/80, so that's fine, and my pulse is between 60 and 70 bpm. Also, they occasionally find respiratory sinus arrhythmia on my ECG, though they told me that's actually a normal, even desirable thing. A couple of weeks ago, I was hospitalized because they found two demyelinating lesions on an MRI of my brain. I had the scan due to headaches in the back of my head and neck (there was a suspicion of MS since my aunt has it), but while I was in the hospital, they did another MRI which showed the lesions were gone. The conclusion was that the headaches were also just a result of a high-stress period in my life. My blood work was mostly fine, except I noticed that over the last three tests—taken a month apart—my Creatine Kinase (CK) levels have been creeping up: first 70, then 80, and most recently 104. So, my question is: is it possible that stress and anxiety are causing all of this? Because honestly, that theory is starting to sound more and more plausible to me... I'll attach a photo of my discharge papers, which include all the lab results from the hospital stay.
ECG scan:
Discharge summary

My apologies if this turns into a novel; thanks for bearing with me.

The ECG looks a bit messy, but it appears to be sinus rhythm (maybe one of you colleagues can get a clearer look at it).
I’m not going to dive into the ophthalmology details from the discharge summary from St. Jude’s. I’ll just focus on the rest: there are signs of a urinary tract infection present, which I assume has been handled. All other lab results are normal. Brain MRI and cervical spine MRI were unremarkable. ECG and X-ray? Also unremarkable.

jadelynx16 said:she'll show up,,,

Anyway, blood pressure is extremely low, pulse is slow,,,,

Basically, she'll just have to wait and see what the anesthesiologist decides.

jadelynx16 said:Well, looks like we’re going to have to roll up our sleeves and work extra hard to get this sorted out...

Hemodynamically speaking? What on earth does that even mean in this context? You can't just throw around medical jargon like that without explaining what you're actually getting at!

It’s honestly disgusting. There’s no sign of epilepsy, but now they’re throwing around a suspected diagnosis of muscular dystrophy. All four of my sisters have EMG results that prove otherwise, but please, go ahead—just ignore the medical evidence. It’s just ridiculous.

Look, we're talking about the basics here—vital signs. I mean blood pressure, pulse, all that essential stuff. You can't just ignore them.
They need to go see a neurologist immediately. Seriously.

lonehawk924 said:What on earth is ABT? Is someone actually asking this? I feel like I’m losing my mind here. If you don't know what ABT stands for, we really need to have a serious talk about how much information is available at our fingertips these days. It's basic stuff!
USA, I’m assuming you mean a urine culture?

Antibiotic therapy. Let’s get into it.
You’re making some pretty solid assumptions there.

jadelynx16 said:She’s incredibly thirsty, drinking liters of fluids, but her kidney profile looks fine... except this all started when she began taking gabapentin.

But nobody will refer her anywhere! They just insist she didn't collect enough urine—as if she’s incompetent! The woman has a Master's degree!

I don't understand why they can't just issue the results exactly as they are,

My sister needs surgery for a deviated septum; is it recommended given these findings?

She needs to be sent to a nephrologist or even an endocrinologist. We can rule out diabetes mellitus for now, but you have to look into diabetes insipidus along with other potential issues involving the pituitary, kidneys, or adrenal glands.
If she is hemodynamically stable, then personally, I don't see any contraindications for the surgery.
And she should check in with a neurologist to adjust her epi. meds.

lonehawk924 said:hey there

If anyone can help me out, I would really appreciate it.
Ten days ago, I ended up in the ER with pain on my right side, vomiting, and headaches. The doctor at the ER prescribed Augmentin, Voltaren, and Buscopan.

Since then, at least once a day whenever I go to the bathroom to urinate, I automatically get a headache.

I did more urine tests today.
...............................................
Hoping for a quick response, and just so we're clear, I'm male.

Did you finish the antibiotic course?
If the answer is yes, then you need to pause for three days before doing the tests.
The results aren't quite right; she needs a urinalysis.

jadelynx16 said:No, no, no... this is ridiculous. The first time she had her tests done, they just tossed them out and claimed they were invalid. Then it happened twice more! Apparently, according to them, it’s "impossible" to drink five liters of fluid and still show results like hers. Just pure nonsense.

Honestly, if she hasn't already, she needs to go see a nephrologist immediately.
It's high time someone took a full medical history—looking at things like excessive thirst and other symptoms—and ran a proper, comprehensive workup.
And maybe, just maybe, the people over at the lab will actually learn how to coordinate with one another.

Peter Flores said:A while back, I dealt with a UTI—basically a bacterial infection in my urinary tract. It eventually cleared up, but the last time I had a urinalysis done, the doctor mentioned something about having "salad" in my urine. Obviously, they didn't mean literal lettuce, but some kind of components of a salad or something. Since then, I haven't bothered with any more tests because everything feels fine and I feel totally normal.

But I'm curious, what on earth does "salad" in your urine even mean? Does that have anything to do with those bacteria?

I have absolutely no clue what that means, but look—if the lab results come back normal, then they’re normal. Period.

jadelynx16 said:Dear Sirs,

I need some advice regarding my sister's 24-hour urine test results. Lately, she's been struggling with excessive urination (about 5 liters of urine a day).
She received the following results:
urinary albumin - 34, 4 (normal up to 30)
24-hour urine volume - 4300 (normal up to 1600)

Creatinine excretion 226 umol/kg/d...

Just to clarify, she collected the urine properly (one of the senior lab techs is her sister and supervised the whole thing), and this was done three times in a row. However, the report states the result is falsely elevated...

1. I don't get this "three days in a row" part—did everything go into one single container? Or how does that even work?
2. If these are the complete findings, then this entire workup is a total waste of time.
Check her blood pressure.
It is absolutely necessary to determine serum and 24-hour urine electrolytes, serum/urine aldosterone, cortisol, and a full metabolic panel.
Nephrology workup required.

Elizabeth Patel74 said:I realize Hirschsprung disease is basically the same thing as congenital megacolon, but I had no idea you could actually develop megacolon later in life. Thanks for clearing that up.

Don't mention it.

Alexander Thompson5 said:It didn't go back inside—I checked just a few hours ago. This whole thing started hurting the day before yesterday right after I had a bowel movement. I took a look yesterday morning and it was just sitting there. Today is the same deal; I'm resting, and the pain isn't quite as bad. Look, the pain I'm talking about isn't intense, it’s more of an uncomfortable sensation that shifts depending on how I move or how I'm positioned. When I'm staying still, it doesn't hurt much.

You really need to get this looked at. Honestly, your best bet is seeing a proctologist.

Karen Garcia6 said:These hemorrhoids have become a total nightmare. I've been applying Fact ointment and some Protect cream, but absolutely nothing is working. Now, whenever I go to the bathroom, I notice blood and it's incredibly itchy. What am I supposed to do? See a regular doctor? Go to a proctologist?

Yes. Go to a proctologist.

Brenda Mendoza4 said:Hi everyone,

I'm wondering if anyone else has dealt with this kind of thing. I've got this spot on my breast that feels like a subcutaneous sore—it really hurts when you touch it. It isn't raised or anything, it's flat against the skin, but the area around it is super red. I actually tried the old cabbage leaf trick (people swear by it for inflammation), but honestly, I don't see any improvement. If anything, the redness looks even worse now. What should I do?

Go see a dermatologist immediately for an exam! In the meantime, you might try applying some neutral creams like Johnson & Johnson, calendula ointment, or maybe some Walmart brand ointment.

Elizabeth Patel74 said:I’ve officially been diagnosed with colonic inertia and chronic constipation. During my colonoscopy, the gastroenterologist actually pointed out how wide my large intestine looks—he said it looks like a giant sac. And honestly, it looked massive. Another doctor told me the term for this is megacolon. I asked my mom about my digestion when I was a kid, and she said everything seemed totally normal back then. Is it even possible for Hirschsprung disease or this kind of megacolon to show up in adulthood? Can an intestine actually expand later in life, or was I just born this way and the symptoms finally decided to hit me now?

Well, Hirschsprung is essentially the same thing as congenital megacolon. Personally, I highly doubt that's what you're dealing with, because if it were, you would have seen much more severe symptoms or other congenital issues by now.
In your case, it's most likely acquired megacolon.
The cause could be anything unknown, or it might be linked to diabetes, scleroderma, or endocrine issues—think things like porphyria or hypoparathyroidism.
It could also be intestinal pseudo-obstruction and so on.
Treatment usually requires surgery.

Elizabeth Patel74 said:Thanks for the support, honey. Honestly, my time in the GI department was pure hell... In just one month, I must have been in for X-rays at least 40 times. Everything was constantly shifting—one minute it was extreme bloating, the next they were seeing air-fluid levels and intestinal loops spread out by 5 cm on the scans. Then came the CT scans, color transit studies, small bowel transit tests (which usually take about 2 hours for a healthy person, but for me? A staggering 36 hours!), three colonoscopies, a gastroscopy, and two rounds of anal manometry. On top of all that medical torture, I was mostly fasting and could barely walk ten feet without needing to stop. At one point, the pain was so blinding I actually blacked out; I woke up a day and a half later. I was literally praying to God to just let me die... and now, the symptoms are back.

If I were in your shoes, I’d be hunting down a second opinion immediately. But honestly? It looks like surgery is going to be unavoidable.

Alexander Thompson5 said:Thanks for getting back to me. I know it’s probably a bit silly to be asking stuff like this on a forum, but I’m seeing my doctor next week anyway. I’ve been diagnosed with internal hemorrhoids—they sting and burn sometimes, but they’ve never actually prolapsed before, so I haven't really done any deep diving on Google until now. Now that I am looking, everything I read says it's Stage 4 and surgery is the only way out, which honestly freaked me out a bit. I've been resting all day yesterday and today, applying some Fact, and I was wondering—is it even possible for them to shrink back inside? (Not necessarily asking about my specific situation right now since nobody can see what's going on with me, just asking generally). I'm terrified of surgery, but what's even worse is that I start a new job this Monday after a massive struggle to find work, and there's no way I can afford to take medical leave. From what I've been reading, the recovery time for these procedures is pretty brutal.

Look, let's be real: you're basically making things worse for yourself when you already know the drill. You admitted you've had the diagnosis for a while, you've got a poor diet, and you're dealing with hard stools.
So, did it "go back in," or is it still sticking out?

Alexander Thompson5 said:Nobody actually knows if this is an surgical emergency or if there's some kind of alternative approach you can try first.

How am I supposed to know from all the way over here?
Most likely, it isn't urgent.
Apply some Fact, stay hydrated, and maybe take some Dulcolax or Portalak if things are feeling particularly backed up.
Just get in touch with your primary doctor.

Brenda Alvarez said:My doctor didn't even bother ordering a urine culture
should I go back and ask for a referral?
She just handed me some Keflex
now I'm stuck drinking tea, cranberry juice, and taking those cranberry supplements plus Vitamin C.
I actually went ahead and got these tests done on my own because the pain was getting unbearable.
The lower pelvic pain is driving me crazy—a few nights ago, I actually woke up in agony,
it felt like everything down there was just going to explode.
And yeah, it hurts like hell to pee, and there was blood on the toilet
paper.

Look, you did the right thing by testing, though personally, I always prefer having a clear urine culture result before starting any antibiotic therapy. Just stick to what was prescribed, then once you finish the full course of ABT, take a three-day break and then get that urine culture done.

Brenda Alvarez said:Can someone help me make sense of these urinalysis results?

WBC 100 /μl; ++
RBC 50 /μl; +++
bilirubin neg.
ketones neg.
glucose normal
nitrites neg.
urobilinogen normal
protein neg.

urine sediment:

RBC 5-7
WBC 20-25
casts /
crystals /
squamous epithelial cells 2-4
1-2 small epithelial cells
some bacteria
some mucus

thanks!

The most important thing here is knowing *why* these tests were ordered in the first place.
On their own, these numbers look like a classic urinary tract infection. You really need to get a urine culture done to be sure.