Blood test results and DR visit update.

[LittleDragon]

Hi everyone,

Thanks for all you help on my previous post. Just got back from Dr, she seems very nice. Went with a possitive attitude this time. Got a printout of my last blood test results, did a lot of chatting and before she refers me to anybody she want's some more bloods taken first, so have to get them done on Tuesday. When results come back she wan't me to book a double appointment so she can do a full checkup and history with me before she desides what steps need to be taken.

Anyway here are my blood results from last time.(just the hi and Low ones)

Mean corpusc. haemoglobin (MCH) 32.4 (26.5-31.5 u)

Lymphocyte count 1.4 1.5 - 4.00 u)

Rheumatoid factor <15 (0.20 u)

Serum urea level 1.5 (2.5-7.8 u)

Thanks.

Peta

[Hidden]

Hi Little Dragon Petra - I'm glad your doctor appoinment went well. It sounds as if you've got a really good GP which is pretty important.

Regarding the blood results to date I think you are meant to read the numbers in the brackets as being the level over or below which it's above or below normal range for all of these but I could be wrong. The only one of these I know to be within normal range for certain is the Rheumatoid Factor because over 20 is a positive reading. However just to complicate matters about 25-30% of people who have RA are sero-negative which means they don't have a positive Rheumatoid Factor. So if you have symptoms of RA and a positive RF it helps to make a diagnosis but you can't rule it out just because you are in normal range/ negative. Tough to get to grips with I know!

The tests that are missing from these are the ESR and CRP which are your infammatory markers which are probably the ones that will be taken on Tuesday. They are important as again they indicate if you have inflammation in your system. If they are low then that may mean that there is not an inflammatory dimension to your condition which again helps to lessen the chances that it is RA - but doesn't rule it out.

The results should come back on the day or very soon after taking so you can probably make your double appointment with her for this coming week. Take care, Tilda x