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wiredcanyon2 said:So, what’s the deal with your Erythrocytes? Are you dealing with anemia or maybe an iron deficiency? How did the rest of your blood work look??
Generally speaking, primary blood disorders aren't super common at your age; they’re usually secondary. Secondary basically means your platelet count is high because of some other non-hematological issue or condition. Things like various autoimmune diseases, inflammatory bowel disease, certain malabsorption issues like Celiac, or even some lymphomas can cause high platelets along with increased megakaryocytosis in the blood count. In those cases, the megakaryocytes look fine, there are just more of them. Infections can trigger thrombocytosis too, I guess.
I'm not anemic, my iron levels are totally normal, and everything else on my urine and blood tests looks completely fine.
It's just that whole thing with the platelets...
Thank you so much, you honestly just saved me from endless trips to the Hematologist clinics when it's clearly something else entirely.
I owe you one, because so far, none of my doctors have given me anything concrete besides just saying, "Oh, it's all just puberty."
Thanks a million!!! 🙂
Hey there, fellow forum members,
Honestly, I’m really hoping there’s someone in here who can finally help me navigate this whole tug-of-war situation. It's just... I don't know. I guess I'm just looking for some actual guidance.
Exactly one year ago—so, right in August—I was feeling absolutely exhausted all day, every day. It got to the point where my mom started getting worried, so she sent me in for some blood and urine tests just to see what was actually going on. And honestly? Total shock. Everything came back looking perfectly fine, except for my platelets. The normal range is usually between 178 and 420, but mine were... 482).
The doctor sent me straight to a Hematologist right away because she wasn't feeling great about my results. I guess she saw something that didn't sit right with her.
During that whole stretch, I was just constantly exhausted. I mean, seriously, I was sleeping through basically the entire day and couldn't even bring myself to eat anything. My appetite was just totally gone.
So, I was back at the Hematology department today—they pulled some more blood, which is weird because it’s only been about a month since they last did it. Anyway, my platelets were... 573Which actually caught me pretty off guard, I guess.
The doctor told me to head back in two months for a follow-up just to see how things are looking then. I originally went in for my checkup back in January 2011, and at that point, my condition was... 563.
So, they sent me in for an abdominal ultrasound, and honestly, everything came back totally normal—kidneys, liver, pancreas, you name it, all good. Then they had me do a chest X-ray, which was also fine. Everything seems okay so far, I guess.
After all that, my doctor sent me off for a sternal puncture. 😲
The heart biopsy didn't really show anything new—so, it's not like it was cancer or anything. I guess the only thing they actually pointed out was that there’s quite a bit of megakaryocyte thrombocytopoiesis going on, plus some granulocytopoiesis present. Maybe that matters, maybe it doesn't.
They told me I should probably head back in for a follow-up in about a month. I guess we'll see how things go by then.
So, it's been a week since my puncture, and now I've gone and caught chickenpox. Just my luck, I guess.
So, when I was little—like, four years old—my brother and sister both came down with chickenpox. Now, my family keeps insisting that I had them too, claiming they used to pamper me with that white cream and that everything cleared up for me just as fast as it did for my siblings. But honestly? I don't know. Anyway, I ended up at the infectious disease ward at the General Hospital because the doctor there was adamant that what I have is definitely chickenpox and not Herpes zoster, which is what I should be dealing with if this is actually my second time having it. They ran some tests and this is what they wrote down: So, I was looking at some stuff earlier—just browsing, you know—and I saw this mention of a rash that follows the pattern of water fleas in all their different stages. Honestly, that sounds like a total nightmare. I guess it’s one of those things where you think you know what's going on, but then it shifts and changes, making everything feel super unpredictable. Maybe it's just how some things work, though. It's kind of weird when a physical symptom acts like a biological cycle, isn't it? Just one thing after another. I don't know, maybe I'm overthinking it. Anyway, just something that crossed my mind. 😕
I guess I lost some weight over the two weeks I spent stuck in home quarantine.
Still dealing with those blisters on my shoulders today, though they seem a bit less intense than before. I've got an appointment scheduled with the dermatologist at the end of the month because she’s insisting they’re just acne. I guess we'll see. 😕
(I'm just putting this here in case it actually has something to do with my platelets, I guess.)
My mom spent all day today swearing that I had chickenpox when I was little.
No, seriously.
A month went by after that, and when I finally went back for my follow-up at the Hematologist's office, my platelet count was still high...561).
So, I went to see a neurologist, and honestly? They basically told me I couldn't possibly be any more "normal" if that were even a thing. I guess that's just how it goes sometimes.
The last time I went in for my checkup was at the beginning of July, right after I got back from that trip, and my platelets were... 573.
I've got my next checkup scheduled for October.
Throughout this whole year, I’ve just been feeling constantly exhausted. Like today, for instance—I slept for fourteen hours straight, but I still feel completely wiped out. I honestly just want to crawl back into bed and sleep some more.
Periods are pretty regular, I guess. They seem normal enough—usually lasting about five days. The first two days are heavy, then they just settle down into a normal flow after that.
I don't smoke, and I don't drink. I mean, sure, school is stressing me out a bit right now, but nothing too crazy, I guess.
I just don't have any appetite at all. I'm sitting at about 101 pounds and I'm 5'6". Even when I really try to force myself to eat, I still seem to be losing weight. It's frustrating, I guess.
On my last lab results, the doctor wrote, "If the thrombocytosis persists, we'll have to do a bone marrow biopsy." I guess we'll just see what happens. 😕😕😕😕
My parents are freaking out right now and they honestly have no clue what the next move should be. I guess it’s worth asking—is there any point in us heading down to New York City? Like, should we look into seeing someone at a private clinic or just do whatever it takes to get answers??
I'm only 18, and honestly, I have zero desire to spend the rest of my life constantly running from clinic to clinic.
I would be so grateful for any advice you guys might have!