Blood results.

[Newcastle1962]

Should i be worried? Had recent blood test - looked online for tesults and my GP has sent a letter to hospital marked urgent - as my WBC has risen from 18 in june to 23, neutrophil from 3.89 to 2.89. Last october they were WBC 17 and neurophils 5.4. My lymphocytes have gone from 10.9 last october to 23! Have i cause for concern?

[johnl]

I'm not a doctor, but nothing looks urgent to me. Lots of times the labs will see high blood counts like we have and freak out a little bit. It's kind of a joke with my doctor he says I always get your labs back so quickly because the lab freaks out.

john

[Newcastle1962 in reply to johnl]

Thanks. I was freaked out as i got the results online and saw the urget referral. No one spoke to me and i didnt think that the jump over the year was anything significant! I guess ill wait to receive a letter!

[devonrr]

First of all be thankful that the GP is referring you to a hospital haematology clinic. I have learned that few GPs understand the disease. You say urgent. Don't worry it will get you into capable hands quicker. Our disease normally goes slow. You say that your lympocyctes have doubled in a year the criteria for treatment is doubling in 6 months. But there are other variables to be taken into account by the experts.

Try not to worry it is all part of our journey that many have been on before and they are now enjoying life to the full.

[AussieNeil Administrator in reply to devonrr]

Further, the doubling calculation only becomes relevant once your lymphocyte count exceeds 30. I agree Newcastle, that you are just being followed up because your GP isn't familiar with CLL (that's why we have specialists!). Below 30, your lymphocyte count can jump around considerably; mine dropped from 20 to 12 between blood tests at one stage.

Nothing to worry about in my non-medical opinion

[Newcastle1962 in reply to AussieNeil]

Thanks. I thought that but was shocked to see the letter. She is a new young GP.

[AussieNeil Administrator in reply to Newcastle1962]

You now have an opportunity to educate her

[Psmithuk in reply to Newcastle1962]

I like the 'new, young' doctors, as they are not as blasé about things as the older ones! Also more inclined to get things investigated......

[peas50 in reply to Psmithuk]

I agree. My son, while still studying medicine at university and home for Xmas holidays, urged me to see my doctor about my swollen lymph nodes. My 'older doctor' had consistently dismissed my swollen lymphs nodes and tiredness as 'hormonal' ....for three damned years. I have a new GP now...and a haemotologist/CLL/SLL expert.

[yoniboi in reply to peas50]

Yup... they told me I had mono (glandular fever) for more than 4 months in a row. I'd go back ever 6 weeks or so and they'd say "It's a virus so there's nothing we can do."

I left it another 5 months and then went back and asked them if they thought I was the first person in history to have mono for 9 months.

Then they took my fatigue and swollen lymph nodes seriously.

It's all a bit sad really, that GPs are still stuck in the 1950s while the hospitals are trying to push forward into the 21st century.

[Newcastle1962]

Thank you. I was only diagnsed last October so sill new. I was just shocked that the referral was marked urgent - and i spotted it purely as i have access to my online records otherwise i would be in the dark! Not really sure what to expect or even if its an over reaction by GP as due to have CLL bloods taken in 2 weeks and follow up appt!

[Newdawn Administrator]

Hi Newcastle,

Nothing there to cause undue alarm unless there's other issues not described. Your WBC is relatively low and an increase in 5 in a couple of months is frankly pretty inconsequential and could be due to so many factors including lab variations or an underlying infection that didn't come to anything. Your ALC would need to double in 6 months and be over 30 to get any experienced haematologist excited but in honesty mine wouldn't flinch at those increases unless my platelets or RBC/haemoglobin were showing a decline. My ALC jumped more in 3 months.

I suspect it's your ANC (neutrophils) she's more interested in because neutrophils are produced in the bone marrow at the center of larger bones. Anything that disrupts this process can cause neutropenia.

In adults, a count of 1,500 neutrophils per microliter of blood or less is considered to be neutropenia, with any count below 500 per microliter of blood regarded as a severe case.

At 2.89 you're not anywhere near neutropenic but your GP sounds to be watching the declining numbers which is a very good thing.

GP's tend to get more excited and nervy about increasing numbers which is pro-active but sometimes generates unnecessary alarm. Are you not under the care of a haematologist?

Best wishes,

Newdawn

[Newcastle1962]

Thanks for feedback. Yes these bloods were taken for my chlosterol and thyroid and they did a FBC hence the letter sent to my CLL consultant. I am due to go in 2 weeks for 3 monthly check so i will know more then. I saw the letter on my online GP case record sent this am and panicked.

[Newdawn Administrator in reply to Newcastle1962]

I'm sure your CLL Consultant will be able to reassure you Newcastle. GP's don't see many lab results from people like us so they cause dispropriate levels of alarm. I can recall a young registrar going white when he saw my WBC levels especially when I told him they were better than normal!

Best wishes,

Newdawn

[Newcastle1962]

I can imagine his face. Thanks for your reassurance.

[UK-Sparky]

Newcastle. welcome! Hope my club mates have helped reassure you. I support the educate GPS point, I was lucky mine started tracking WBC increasing over 3 years in the annual Wellman checkup. When it hit 7 he referred me to my local Haematologist specialist Dr Moez Dungarwalla who I discovered is a CLL expert. Having spoken to many others I understand some GPs have not been so aware so education is a good idea.

Milton Keynes Marc

[Hidden]

My WBC count has been over 90,000 and my Lymph count over 70,000 with no worries. I have heard that some have counts much higher with no worries. But I certainly understand your GP's response to your results. Seems to me he/she is willing to go the extra mile to make sure you are in the right hands.