bloodwork questions WBC specifically

Hi Stacey,
Sorry things are not getting any better, be patient, it has to come soon. Regarding the blood work, is there any other infection, like a cold? Hqve you mentioned to the doc that you are having trouble healing at the biopsy site? Has he given you any antibiotics? What is the docs take on the wbc count? Keep us posted!
Dawn

Hi Stacey, sorry to hear you’re going through so much. Maybe your sisters will regain their sanity.

My wbc count is normal but Im taking Imuran which should be lowering my monocyte count but its fine. Now my RBC is low!!!!! I just had more bloodwork done this morning so when I find out the results, if they are still off Im going to talk to my neurologist since this Imuran isn’t doing anything for me.

Sorry to hear you are going through so much. Thoughts and prayers are with you.

Stacy – Yes stress can affect your #’s. Then any meds can too. Some up, some down, some skewed when on meds that ‘up’ and others ‘down’ certain aspects. I’ve been wrestling with this for years now, I am not any clearer. I do know that in the last year, I’d noticed some numbers sliding into the ‘abnormal’ too hi or low ranges and kept bringing up my concern to my ‘herd’ of doctors over the last year. They are finally paying attention, tho over-racting in my opinion. I’m about to have biopsies and more tests and feel like a lab rat.
Soo, yes, stress can do things to you, so can your meds. In combination they can do a real number on you? Thing to do is just chill and go with it. To worry [tho very hard not to?] only makes things worse.
IF you don’t get that letter with the test results? CALL. One of the most frustrating things about docs is when they call you and rattle off numbers about frabizle and zorfnitz and you have absolutely no frame of reference. I don’t know about you, but I truly need to see and hold that piece of paper to grasp it all that they are talking about.
Going through all that you have been going through IS stressful and exhausting. I hope you can find some good frustration outlet for all that’s been going on with YOU so that you can first take care of YOU then all who you take care of. I wish I could send you a heap of cyber-strength!

Hi Stacey,
In answer to your statement about things getting easier, It does in some ways but not for quite a while, and sometimes it gets worse before it gets better. It is not a straight line process. As for the wbc, ask questions. And get answers. Worry only makes things worse. Hang in.
Linda

Hi Stacey,

The process of grieving will be different for all of us. All I can tell you is that you need to take your time and let yourself grieve at your own pace. My thoughts are that your mom must have been a very special woman to have a daughter who misses her so dearly each and every day. To me that is the utmost tribute to your mom. As for your sisters, the behaviour you allude to is often a way of grieving for some people. Perhaps they are also missing your mom tremendously, but don’t have the skills or tools to deal with the emotional impact of what they are experiencing. Be patient with them and yourself.

Please take care and know we are all thinking of you and sending you a warm hug!:)

Stacey,
If you still haven’t healed from your breast biopsy then that could certainly account for higher white blood cell counts – definately you should mention it. Just because it looks OK and feels OK doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have someone check it out as the most obvious source of infection. My WBCs have been all over the board but never super high or super low – however, running a constantly elevated temperature in conjunction makes the docs go nutty looking for infection or cancer. Despite a high WBC and elevated temp. there has never been any infection or cancer detected in the last two years. I’m starting to worry more about all the MRIs causing cancer than actually having it now… nonetheless having been thoroughly tested gives me some peace of mind when I get test results back that are skewed off the norm for me. I also keep a spreadsheet of all my blood tests and their results so I can look back several years and say “oh yeah, it was this high/low before but the next time back to normal.”

As for the grieving, I agree with Jan, couldn’t have said it better if I’d spent a year at it. People do go on the attack when they are feeling cornered and defenseless, it’s one of the ways we’ve survived as a species, and you have all lost a major source of support and comfort in your mother. As Jan said, just give them a little more time and a lot more patience, growth does not happen overnight.

I’ll be thinking of you – take care of yourself,

Julie