Lab results - looking for opinions [PLEASE READ 1ST POST]

Susan Booth85 said:I’m looking for some input here. Are we looking at certain metastases? Where, how, what exactly is going on?

Reports:
http://www.pohrani.com/f/3Y/zv/sr7EjjC/nal1.jpg

http://www.pohrani.com/f/17/3D/2st4KWGD/nalaz2.jpg

Results:

http://www.pohrani.com/f/3s/rz/4NUMtwOn/nala3.jpg

http://www.pohrani.com/f/U/Bf/3BJf0Vys/nalaz5.jpg

I’ve just gone back through this, and something isn't adding up. In the summary (image number 1), it states: "bone scintigraphy showed clear evidence of metastasis (11/2011)."
But if the scintigraphy performed in November 2011 showed absolutely no changes compared to March 2011—meaning there were no signs of secondary spread on that scan—how can the doctor claim the results were clear for metastasis? On what basis is that conclusion being drawn if the scintigraphy itself didn't show it?

Megan Gray said:We also did lactate from venous blood, plasma carnitine, and serum amino acids, which all came back normal. The first Klan was done pre-op (for testicular surgery), and the others were ordered by the neuropediatrician because of delays in motor development and extremely low muscle tone. Otherwise, the child isn't prone to getting sick.
I haven't even thanked you yet for taking the time to look over these results 🙂

We aren't going to get anywhere like this.☕
1. List every single one of his diagnoses.
2. So, in addition to those previous tests you mentioned, are these the only ones you've actually had done?
The way you're presenting this makes zero sense—you're doing everything except what's actually necessary.
And unless it's some big secret, which hospital is managing this child's care?

So, I’m looking for some guidance here. I just had bloodwork done at my primary care physician's office—full panel, liver enzymes, the whole nine yards—but I have to wait a week to actually sit down and talk to the doctor about it. In the meantime, I’m trying to decipher the results myself to see if continuing my birth control pills is actually safe.
My red blood cell count is low—well, lower than it should be. What am I looking at there? My MCV is also high, exceeding the normal range. MCH and MCHC are sitting right on the upper limit, essentially elevated too... what does that signify? :S
My ALT is low—I assume that’s related to coagulation issues?
Basically, what is this bloodwork telling me?

Hannah Fox said:So, I was hoping for some help. I just had blood drawn at my primary care physician's office for a full CBC, liver function tests, and everything else, but I don't have my follow-up appointment to talk to the doctor for another week. In the meantime, I'm wondering what these results mean regarding how safe it is for me to stay on birth control pills...
My RBC count is low—way below the normal range. What does that even mean? My MCV is high, also above the normal limit. My MCH and MCHC are right on the upper edge of the border, so they are practically elevated too... what does that signify? :S
My S ALT is low, which I assume relates to coagulation...
And honestly, what does my blood work actually look like???

Seriously, did any of you actually bother to read the very first post? Do you honestly think a moderator posts stuff just because they have nothing better to do with their lives? It’s unbelievable. It is stated clearly right there: you MUST read the opening post.
I am completely lost as to what you people are thinking. Fine, here is the protocol for you:
Guidelines for posting questions in the Lab Results - Opinions thread:

To ensure you get the most accurate and precise answers regarding your lab interpretations, we strongly suggest you include the following when transcribing your results:

- Full results - many values cannot be correctly interpreted if they are listed in isolation without the rest of the data.
- Reference ranges - if your report includes reference ranges, please include them. Different labs use different standards, so a number means absolutely nothing without its specific reference range.
- Age - you don't need to give your exact age, but a general range like "early twenties" or "late forties" is vital, as standard values vary significantly across different age groups.
- Reason for testing (your symptoms) - this is the most critical part. No one can accurately interpret your results if they don't know why you were sent for testing in the first place.
- Brief medical history - if you have other underlying health conditions, list them. It provides a much more complete picture.
- Other factors - it's also important to mention if you are pregnant or dealing with similar circumstances, as that heavily influences the readings.

My apologies—I was in quite a rush. I'm 17, and I ended up getting these labs done through my primary care physician because my gynecologist is frankly irresponsible—he didn't bother with any exams or even ordering blood work before suggesting I start birth control.
The first number represents my actual results, while the final two are the reference ranges.
red blood cell: 3.90 ---- 4.07-5.42
Hemoglobin: 122 ---118-149
Hematocrit --- 0.376 --- 0.354-0-450
MCV 96.4 --- 76.5-92.1
MCH 31.3 --- 24.3- 31.5
MCHC 324 --- 304-346
PLATELETS 206---178-420
WBC- 7.2 -- 4.4-11.6

iron: 11.1 --- 6-31
s UIBC 60.2--- 31-72
s TIBC 71.3--- 53-84
s AST 18 -- 14-32
s ALT 10 --- 10-29
s GGT 14 --- 10-24

PROTHROMBIN TIME- INR: 1.02

MCV just refers to the volume of a red blood cell—having it slightly elevated doesn't actually mean anything 🙂
while ALT is just a liver enzyme test, and prothrombin time is basically just checking your blood clotting
so, honestly? You're as healthy as a horse 😉

Hannah Fox said:Sorry, I was rushing earlier. I'm 17, and I just had some bloodwork done through my primary care physician because my gynecologist is incredibly irresponsible—he didn't even bother doing an exam or ordering labs before telling me to start birth control.
Here are my results; the first number is my value, and the last two are the reference ranges.
red blood cell: 3.90 ---- 4.07-5.42
Hemoglobin: 122 ---118-149
Hematocrit --- 0.376 --- 0.354-0.450
MCV 96.4 --- 76.5-92.1
MCH 31.3 --- 24.3- 31.5
MCHC 324 --- 304-346
PLATELETS 206---178-420
WBC- 7.2 -- 4.4-11.6

Iron: 11.1 --- 6-31
s UIBC 60.2--- 31-72
s TIBC 71.3--- 53-84
s AST 18 -- 14-32
s ALT 10 --- 10-29
s GGT 14 --- 10-24

PROTHROMBIN TIME- INR: 1.02

For macrocytic anemia, the MCV should be over 100, unless the red blood cell count is only very slightly low, in which case everything looks normal.

vividsailor7 said:For macrocytic anemia, the MCV should be over 100—unless those red blood cells are just barely low, in which case everything looks normal.

Thanks a lot. What’s the deal with these red blood cells, though?
I dealt with some ovarian and kidney inflammation previously—and I'm still dealing with frequent urination—could that be related?

Hannah Fox said:Thanks so much! But what’s the deal with my red blood cell count?
I dealt with some ovarian and kidney inflammation a while back, and I'm still running to the bathroom constantly—could that be related?

Are you even sure it was a kidney infection?? Do you have an actual lab report or a formal diagnosis from a doctor? Because your red blood cell count looks perfectly normal to me.

vividsailor7 said:Are you certain it’s a kidney infection? Do you have any actual lab results or a formal diagnosis? Your red blood cell count looks fine.

I don't have them handy right now—a year ago I dealt with an ovarian infection and the start of a right kidney issue, which antibiotics cleared up—but the frequent urination is back.
I'm not sure if they're normal; I noticed they're low, so...

Hey,

I finally got my thyroid bloodwork results back today:

TSH 3.34 ref 0.27 to 4.2
T3 4.8 ref 3.1 to 6.8
FT4 14 ref 12 to 22
prolactin 212.0 ref 71 to 566

Since we’ve been trying to conceive without any luck for two years now, it’s pretty obvious that this elevated TSH is the culprit, even if it technically sits within the "normal" range; apparently, the ideal level should be closer to 2 or even under 2 if you want things to actually work. Is that actually true?? I need someone to weigh in on these numbers because I know that T3 is sitting right at the top end of the scale too...

Chris Johnson88 said:Hey,

Got the thyroid lab results back today:

TSH 3.34 ref 0.27 to 4.2
T3 4.8 ref 3.1 to 6.8
FT4 14 ref 12 to 22
prolactin 212.0 ref 71 to 566

We've been trying to conceive for two years now without any luck. It seems obvious the issue is the elevated TSH—even though it’s technically within the normal range, they say it really should be 2 or lower if you want to get pregnant. Is that actually true? Can someone weigh in on these numbers? Also, my T3 is right at the top end of the scale...

The labs look fine. But since I've seen your posts on another thread and know you guys are doing IVF, it might be worth having her see an endocrinologist just to get a professional opinion. They might suggest a tiny dose of Synthroid just to nudge that TSH down a bit, purely because you've been struggling for so long and you'd want to rule this out as a factor.

Again, emphasizing that these results are medically "normal." If you have more specific questions about thyroid issues, there’s a massive dedicated thread over in the health section where you can ask anything.

Good luck with the baby. 🙂

melloworca6 said:The results look fine, but since I’ve seen you posting on another thread and I know you guys are planning for IVF, it might be worth having her see an endocrinologist just to get a professional opinion on this. It's entirely possible they’ll put her on a tiny dose of Synthroid just to nudge that TSH down a bit, especially since you've been trying for so long and you really want to rule this out as a factor.

Like I said, the labs are technically within range. If you have more questions about thyroid issues, there’s a massive dedicated thread about it over in the Health section, so feel free to go there and ask everything you need to know.

Good luck with the baby. 🙂

On another forum, melloworca6 mentioned that TSH should actually be at 2 or lower and that anything higher could be an issue... so I honestly don't know. 🤷

thanks...

Chris Johnson88 said:melloworca6 mentioned on another forum that TSH should be at 2 or lower and that anything else might be an issue... So I'm not really sure.... 🤷

thanks...

Look, I'm telling you, this is a normal result by standard measures, but since you're trying to conceive, it's probably a bit high.

We've already gone over this thyroid stuff before; every endocrinologist seems to have their own little theory. One doctor tells you it's fine, while another insists it needs to be between 1 and 2 if you're planning a pregnancy. Then you get some doctors who ignore the TSH and just look at the T4, deciding on treatment based solely on that. It's all a mess 😵

That's why I'm saying, just go see an endocrinologist. Bring all her lab results, tell them you're doing IVF or trying naturally, and ask for their take. Personally, I think they'll put her on medication just to rule out the thyroid being the reason things aren't working.

For example, when I'm ready to have a baby, I’m going to push my TSH down to that 1-2 range. For those of us with thyroid issues, levels tend to spike fast during pregnancy, and I don't want to deal with that headache. Even though I'm functioning pretty normally right now with a 3.5.

If you have more questions about this, just head over to the thyroid thread. We can hash it out there; this place is getting a bit off-topic. 🙂

So, here’s the deal... I need someone who actually knows what they're doing to help me make sense of my younger son's test results. The doctor refused to tell me a single thing over the phone. It's ridiculous. I’m going to lose my mind waiting until tomorrow at 4:00 PM for an appointment.

My little guy has been stuck in this endless loop since he was six months old. Every single month, without fail, he hits a fever that spikes up to 104. It’s relentless. Now he’s 14 months old, and here we go again—he’s caught another virus and the fever is back. Just constant.

My RBC count came back at 4.37. Nothing crazy, just a number on a page. I’m not a doctor, obviously, but looking at the range, it seems fine. Everything else looks steady too. Just one more data point in the pile.
HGB 113.
HCT 0.339. Not great. Definitely low.
MCV 77.5. Low. Just saying.
MCH 25.8.
MCHC 332. That’s the number. No fluff, no filler. Just the facts.
My RDW is sitting at 16.3. That’s high. It means my red blood cells are all different sizes instead of being uniform. Not ideal. I need to figure out if this is a deficiency issue or something else entirely before I lose my mind.

IGG 7.03
The IGA is sitting at 0.54. That’s the number. No fluff, just the data.
IGE 133.4
IGM 0.61.

Thanks.

neongardener6 said:Can someone please help me make sense of my little boy's lab results? My pediatrician refused to give me any details over the phone, and I am honestly going to lose my mind waiting until her office opens at 4 PM tomorrow.

He was only 6 months old last year and kept running 104-degree fevers almost every single month... and now he’s caught another virus and is back to running a fever. He's 14 months old now.

RBC 4.37
HGB 113
HCT 0.339
MCV 77.5
MCH 25.8
MCHC 332
RDW 16.3

IGG 7.03
IGA 0.54
IGE 133.4
IGM 0.61

Thanks.

This isn't how this works. You need to type out the full results including the units of measurement.
It's the same thing every single time.🙂

vividsailor7 said:This isn't working. Re-type the entire lab report including all units.
It's the same thing every single time.🙂

Stop banging your head against a wall unless you want a headache.😉

IGG 7.03 g/L
IGA 0.54 g/L
IGE 133.40 kIU/L
IGM 0.61 g/L

RBC 4.37 10^12/L
HGB 113 g/L
HCT 0.339 L/L
MCV 77.5 fL
MCH 25.8 pg
MCHC 332 g/L
RDW 16.3%
PLT 143 10^9/L
MPV 7.7 fL
WBC 10.8 10^9/L
NE% 72.4 H%
LY % 18.8 L%
MO% 8.4 %
EO% 0.4 L%
BA% 0.0 %
NE# 7.9 H 10^9/L
LY# 2.0 10^9/L
MO# 0.9 10^9/L
EO# 0.0 L 10^9/L
BA# 0.0 10^9/L

Is this better?

I’d appreciate some thoughts on this finding: We stimulated each ear using an acoustic "click" stimulus at an intensity of 85 dB HL. Responses were detected via electrodes placed over the CZ position. For the stimulation of both ears, we observed early acoustic potentials with regular latencies, but there was a reduction in the amplitudes of waves I through V bilaterally. This result suggests a neural lesion affecting both auditory pathways.

This is just one of the many tests I’ve undergone while trying to pin down a diagnosis for these abnormal involuntary movements in my arms, legs, and torso. It’s been quite a while since then, but maybe some of you remember me, vividsailor7.

So, as it stands, they've identified a hypersensitivity to electrical currents (I couldn't complete the IEEE testing because it triggered my involuntary movements) and now the AEP results (though I wasn't able to actually "hear" the maximum volume in the headphones).

A definitive diagnosis still hasn't been reached. I'm honestly at a loss as to what other tests I should even consider doing.

neongardener6 said:Don't go banging your head against a brick wall; you're just going to end up with a massive headache. 😉

IGG 7.03 g/L
IGA 0.54 g/L
IGE 133.40 kIU/L
IGM 0.61 g/L

RBC 4.37 10^12/L
HGB 113 L g/L
HCT 0.339 L L/L
MCV 77.5 L fL
MCH 25.8 L pg
MCHC 332 g/L
RDW 16.3%
PLT 143 10^9/L
MPV 7.7 fL
WBC 10.8 10^9/L
NE% 72.4 H%
LY % 18.8 L%
MO% 8.4 %
EO% 0.4 L%
BA% 0.0 %
NE# 7.9 H 10^9/L
LY# 2.0 10^9/L
MO# 0.9 10^9/L
EO# 0.0 L 10^9/L
BA# 0.0 10^9/L

Is this better?

Well, if we're talking about headaches, it's a little late for that now.😉 Obviously, things look much better this time around.
Does anyone in the family have atopic dermatitis or allergies?
Those mildly elevated neutrophils suggest there was some inflammation present. The immunoglobulins are fine, except for that high IgE which points straight toward an allergy; nothing too crazy here, but it would be worth checking his iron levels.
Everything else looks normal.

vividsailor7 said:It’s a little late to be worrying about the headache now.😉 Obviously, things look better now.
Did he have atopic dermatitis? Any family history of allergies?
Those slightly elevated neutrophils suggest there was some inflammation going on. Immunoglobulins are normal, except for that high IgE which points toward an allergy. It wouldn't hurt to check his iron levels, too.
Everything else looks fine.

No allergies in our family. He had dermatitis when he was a baby—we had to use Mustela products because his face and eyebrows were covered in crusty patches...

I'll let you know about the iron once the doctor gives us the referral...

Can an allergy actually cause a kid to run a fever every three or four weeks?

We're athletes—we deal with dystonia, or we used to be hypotonic, and we've got some level of cerebral hypoxia... staying healthy is everything if we want to keep training...

That's why I'm obsessed with finding out what's causing these fevers.