Wednesday chatter

I already commented on Caline's post, but sending her tons of good thoughts! 

Thanks for all the nice words, everyone.  It's really starting to go fast (which is nice since I'm not entirely comfortable all the time now!).  I'm not used to lugging an extra 30 lbs around with me everywhere LOL. I know you're not all on FB but I do post pictures every few weeks as munchkin gets bigger in there.  One of the docs at work commented this morning "So, I guess you really are pregnant, huh?" -- clearly my belly is getting bigger!

I'm not such a fan of posting pics to the forum (since that means I have to use a real camera, download them, post them somewhere and then make a post.... just not my favorite pastime) whereas on FB I can just upload from my phone, but hopefully you guys can all see enough baby pictures from there :)  Or you can send me cell numbers and I can text them to you. I'm hoping once the baby is here, DH will set up something -- flickr, photobucket, whatever - so then I can just post a link and be done with it!  My mom doesn't "do" FB either but I might just have to make her if she wants more pictures!

Find it hard to keep up with posts and post besides. I usually read through things and plan on going back and commenting and then I don't have the time to do it. So Callie, glad to hear that you are feeling better and almost ready to go back to work. For others I've missed, my thoughts are always there wishing you well, just don't get to posting it. I guess I should probably comment as soon as I read something.

nymaureen

Find it hard to keep up with posts and post besides. I usually read through things and plan on going back and commenting and then I don't have the time to do it. 

Callie, I'm glad to hear that you're feeling well enough to get back to work a bit.  I agree that working from home would be tough.  I'd find way too many distractions, not to mention not having an ideal set-up for the most productive work and desk area.

Nicole, as everyone else has said, I can't believe your due date has approached so quickly!  Geesh, the time flies by.  I'm not on Facebook, so I hope you're able to post a link to a Flickr account or something like that.

Kitty -- during the week I have to get up before the sun for all but a few weeks in the summer when the sun rises early.  I swear, it's inhumane to have to drag one's self out of bed in the pitch dark.  Both DH and I have always had jobs that require early rising.  Pretty tough when my natural body clock prefers to stay up late and sleep until 8AM!  Anyway -- I hope you get used to it and that you enjoy your new job.

So, I heard back from my dr. on the low WBC counts and here's what he said -

Yes you likely have cyclic neutropenia so we need to watch it and if worsened may need Bone Marrow Biopsy
Thanks

Does anyone know anything about neutropenia or know anyone who has it? The information seems pretty confusing to me in terms of it being a big concern or nothing to worry about. The idea of a bone marrow biopsy is enough to make me skip getting any more bloodwork done

I'm not a doctor -- but here's my two cents.

Low neutrophils can be from either lack of production, or from destruction.  They would be treated differently and a bone marrow biopsy is one tool to help figure this out.  Something as simple as a B12 deficiency can cause decreased production. There's a list of a bunch of drugs that can effect neutrophil levels, or even something such as a viral infection that hasn't been caught (although over the past many years, maybe not so likely).  I think you said this was ongoing for a while, right?  Has it been getting any worse?

Sounds like from a quick glance that cyclic neutropenia can be treated with G-CSF -- I know it costs us a fortune to buy for research, but othewise should be a straightforward treatment. 

Long story short, there's a lot of things that could cause this but seems like you've been aware of it for a while and keeping an eye on it.  Unless it got drastically worse lately, I'm not sure I would worry about it.  Where are your levels in terms of the reference values?  You might just run a little lower than "normal" -- which is why it's a good idea to have routine labs done occassionally (human and canine!).

(((hugs))) Hope you can get some answers at some point just to have resolution!

Thanks Dr. Nicole . I've read some on it and I think you're right on. The low levels on WBC, Neutrophil, and Abs. Neutrophil (high Lymphocyte %) go back to 2006 but there are a few years I didn't have any labs done. Here's how they read this time and are similar or worse on the previous readings -

Neutrophil % - 36 (normal is 49-74)

Lymphocyte % - 48 (normal 26-46)

Abs. Neutrophil 1.3 (normal 2.0 - 8.0)

WBC 3.8 (normal 4-11)

I read one site that said to test for cyclical neutropenia, they draw blood 3x a week for 6 weeks. Can you even imagine? I'm over my needle phobia but still!!

On one of my last tests (I've had so many since getting preggers I lost track!) there was a column next to all the numbers, the normal ranges and such that was for notes and the code for that column was "high" "low" and "panic" -- Thankfully I never had test results come back with the label "panic" on them!  That was scary that they label it that way, but it makes sense.  There is high and low, and then there is something to worry about.  We have a rule of thumb for us in research -- unless it's 3x off or more, it's not a real difference.  So if you wanted 50, getting 40 as your result doesn't mean much of anything.  You have to hit 17 before it gets interesting.  I'm not sure the exact same thing applies to blood results, but I do know that every time something in my own labs comes back only a little off no one seems to worry about it. 

 Your doc is aware, and other than the % of neutrophils you are pretty close on the values.  I would definitely keep an eye on it, but not sure I'd run straight in for blood work 3x a week unless your doc thinks it's worthwhile.  Man, I can't imagine the hassle in getting to a lab that many times let alone all the holes in your arm if they draw it that much! 

Oh yeah, I'm not doing anything more than I absolutely have too and at this point, he just wants me to repeat the test in a month. Hopefully it won't lead to anything more than continued watching. Nothing has really changed over the last several yrs with it, so if it's not a concern, I'm happy about that.

cakana

The idea of a bone marrow biopsy is enough to make me skip getting any more bloodwork done

Cathy I know NUFFIN about the human stuff like this.  I know for a dog a bone marrow aspirate/biopsy is painful.  But you too are on my good thtos and prayers list now.  Gosh - when it rains it pours, huh?

calliecritturs

cakana

The idea of a bone marrow biopsy is enough to make me skip getting any more bloodwork done

Cathy I know NUFFIN about the human stuff like this.  I know for a dog a bone marrow aspirate/biopsy is painful.  But you too are on my good thtos and prayers list now.  Gosh - when it rains it pours, huh?

I did read that it's usually done under general anesthesia or local with sedation. I'm a wuss, so I'd ask them to knock me out cold. Hopefully it won't ever come to that.

cakana

he just wants me to repeat the test in a month. Hopefully it won't lead to anything more than continued watching. Nothing has really changed over the last several yrs with it, so if it's not a concern, I'm happy about that.

I would try and focus on this type of thinking.  Why worry about a possible bone marrow biopsy at this point?  Even if it's recommended at some point down the road, any pain is short and not severe for the majority of people. I hope you don't have to worry about it and it's only a matter of checking on it as your doc advises.

cakana

I did read that it's usually done under general anesthesia or local with sedation. I'm a wuss, so I'd ask them to knock me out cold. Hopefully it won't ever come to that.

They have to go into bone to do that Cathy -- you probably would be sufficiently knocked out cos they gotta completely immobilize you.  You'd prolly get your wish. 

Let's hope it does NOT come to that.

JackieG

cakana

he just wants me to repeat the test in a month. Hopefully it won't lead to anything more than continued watching. Nothing has really changed over the last several yrs with it, so if it's not a concern, I'm happy about that.

I would try and focus on this type of thinking. Why worry about a possible bone marrow biopsy at this point? Even if it's recommended at some point down the road, any pain is short and not severe for the majority of people. I hope you don't have to worry about it and it's only a matter of checking on it as your doc advises.

WISE WORDS from Jackie!!

calliecritturs

cakana

The idea of a bone marrow biopsy is enough to make me skip getting any more bloodwork done

Cathy I know NUFFIN about the human stuff like this.  I know for a dog a bone marrow aspirate/biopsy is painful.  But you too are on my good thtos and prayers list now.  Gosh - when it rains it pours, huh?

 I had to have a bone marrow biopsy done when I was pregnant with my 19 year old, they only used a local. it was painful but not excruciating. I found out my bone marrow doesnt store iron while I am pregnant.