Anaemia. One thing after another.

[Heaveho]

I had a blood test yesterday, having made an appointment to do so a while ago after realising how lacking in energy I had become. I'd also had a couple of blackouts, which I'd put down to either low blood sugar or low blood pressure.

I received a call this morning from the surgery receptionist asking if I was able to take a telephone call from a Dr. who was wanting to talk a short while later, agreed, then received another call saying a face to face discussion would be required, which I've just had.

The upshot of this was a discussion involving my red blood cells having dropped from 130 to 90, a urine sample test ( all ok ), a brief internal examination of the derriere, and another blood test scheduled for tomorrow, along with my having to make myself available in the next two weeks for cameras in at both ends.

I've had a 20 year history of passing blood, and had many examinations due to this, however the consensus has always been the cause to have been a blood vessel rather than anything sinister. I've also a more recent history of stomach ulcers, culminating in a camera examination followed by treatment to cure them a couple of years ago. I've noticed some very occasional mild stomach pain over the last week or so, hence the suggestion for the cameras going in again.

Not sure what to expect. I'd hoped to be able to experience a period of calm after the last few years of medical nonsense, but that's staring to seem naive. I guess there are others going through similar, If so, any thoughts as to what I should and shouldn't be doing in the interim period with regard to food, drink, work etc.

[Huzzah]

Interesting, I've been also having problems, fatigue, congestion, breathlessness. Heart failure clinic have changed some meds around and suggested low iron may be a problem.
Blood test next week.

[OIC]

With your medical history I'd be surprised if you've never had a red cell scan.

If you haven't had one then you should have one.

HHT is also a possible diagnosis here.

There are tests for that.

[Heaveho]

The game moves on, and quickly it seems. A letter arrived this morning telling me I'm in for cameras at both ends in 2 weeks, they've said directly they're looking for symptoms of cancer. Not my first time with this, so hopefully nothing to get stressed about. I've been getting abdominal discomfort for about a week, I suspect it to be another stomach ulcer, something else I've already had treatment for 3 years ago.

I'll admit to being a bit depressed about this, I had an extended period of illness reasonably recently that cost me two years off work and thousands in a lost contract that I had to forfeit. I could do without the possibility of all of it again but that's life.

[dobly]

Have you been prescribed iron tablets? If yes, are they improving your score?

[Heaveho]

dobly said:

Have you been prescribed iron tablets? If yes, are they improving your score?

Just had a fairly full day in hospital after a sudden referral from my GP this morning. He wasn't happy about the results of yesterday's blood test, going as far as to say that my red blood cell count was diminishing at a rate that might see me getting a transfusion today.

I've had another blood test, an ECG, an internal examination, waited for the results from the lab, of which nothing of note was relayed to me, other than my red blood cells were back up slightly from 90 to 95, and then was put on an IV iron drip for an hour.

I have a CT scan tomorrow evening, and am booked back in on the 9th, 10th and 11th for a consultation, a lower camera and an upper camera respectively. Worrying that they're taking it so seriously, but the rate of progress is impressive, and the hospital staff are endlessly cheerful and competent.

[Huzzah]

Fingers crossed

[Heaveho]

Huzzah said:

Fingers crossed

Thanks. Just another of life's curve balls. Can't decide whether the cheap Maserati I'm currently prevaricating over will help or hinder my current mood!

I saw your post relating to your situation, I hope you get a desirable outcome. I'm fortunately pretty chilled about the possibility of an actual illness, but being prevented from living a normal life because of it makes me annoyed. Everything I like to do with cars, the dog, socialising etc, or need to be able to do with regard to employment, relies on me not feeling like this.

Edited by Heaveho on Saturday 29th August 00:00

Edited by Heaveho on Saturday 29th August 00:02

[Huzzah]

Heaveho said:

Huzzah said:

Fingers crossed

Thanks. Just another of life's curve balls. Can't decide whether the cheap Maserati I'm currently prevaricating over will help or hinder my current mood!

I saw your post relating to your situation, I hope you get a desirable outcome. I'm fortunately pretty chilled about the possibility of an actual illness, but being prevented from living a normal life because of it makes me annoyed. Everything I like to do with cars, the dog, socialising etc, or need to be able to do with regard to employment, relies on me not feeling like this.

Edited by Heaveho on Saturday 29th August 00:00

Edited by Heaveho on Saturday 29th August 00:02

Yes frustrating. I'm normally pretty active, but had to slow right down.

[dobly]

I had anaemia, which (now ex) GP put down to being vegetarian… iron tablets had no effect, had various tests & scans, admitted to hospital as an emergency, had a blood transfusion that afternoon then surgery the next morning to remove a 220mm section of bowel which contained a burst cancer-riddled tumour.
My only symptoms were a bit of light-headedness when travelling in the lift in the building I was working in, and a bit of an annoying cough which I couldn’t get rid of.
Hope your situation is resolved quickly.

[Heaveho]

dobly said:

I had anaemia, which (now ex) GP put down to being vegetarian iron tablets had no effect, had various tests & scans, admitted to hospital as an emergency, had a blood transfusion that afternoon then surgery the next morning to remove a 220mm section of bowel which contained a burst cancer-riddled tumour.
My only symptoms were a bit of light-headedness when travelling in the lift in the building I was working in, and a bit of an annoying cough which I couldn t get rid of.
Hope your situation is resolved quickly.

Thank you. My symptoms seem very different to yours, although I had an hours worth of iron IV last night that appears to have made little difference. I feel tired constantly now, my lower limbs ache, and as of today, I've started to get floaters in my left eye, all signs of advanced anaemia from what I'm told. I'm struggling to stay awake in the day at the moment. One benefit seems to be that I can now sleep like the dead through the night, something I previously struggled with, so every cloud and all that, but it's obviously not an ideal situation.

Good to hear you got sorted, although the solution itself sounds like a mare to endure.

[dobly]

^ it was 17 years ago - still here, just haven’t been able to sleep properly (without chemical assistance) since.

[Heaveho]

dobly said:

^ it was 17 years ago - still here, just haven t been able to sleep properly (without chemical assistance) since.

Poor sleep has long been a recurring theme in my life. I'd gladly settle for a return to that if it meant everything else went away.......good to read that you seem to have made a long term recovery generally.

[Heaveho]

CT scan results came back negative. One down, two to go, throat camera tomorrow morning, one in the other end on Thursday. Living the dream.

Other than having little energy or enthusiasm for anything, and feeling knackered all the time, I don't feel generally unwell.

[dobly]

^ I have had ~15 colonoscopies with another one due by xmas…. It’s a small price to pay to keep on top of what is trying to kill me off. Not pleasant, but essential.
Hope they find out what is going on with you.

[Heaveho]

dobly said:

^ I have had ~15 colonoscopies with another one due by xmas . It s a small price to pay to keep on top of what is trying to kill me off. Not pleasant, but essential.
Hope they find out what is going on with you.

Thanks. Your numbers beat mine hands down, sorry to read that. Not sure what happens if the cameras don’t find anything, just thought about that today,

[Heaveho]

Well, that's the first camera off the list today. For something I was dreading, it couldn't have been less of an issue. I was given sedation and a throat spray. An hour later, I woke up in recovery, with absolutely no memory of the procedure, having been as out of it as when I had a full general anaesthetic previously, so however unpleasant it might have been, I'm none the wiser..

A very brief discussion about the outcome suggests some damage to the stomach lining due to acid reflux, which corresponds with the recent onset of occasional indigestion I've been experiencing, the only solution to which has been to make myself physically sick in order to dislodge the cause, but the definitive results may take up to 20days to arrive. The longer the better, as in my experience you only get quick results if there's something wrong. I'm inclined to still think it's another ulcer.

Final internal exploration scheduled for this Thursday. I've had so many camera invasions over the past 20 years in that particular region that I'm inclined to apply for a job in Hollywood as an on set advisory expert now, so have no real concerns about that particular procedure.

[Heaveho]

So I had a colonoscopy today. In theory the last of the tests. Nothing found. So cancer appears to be off the menu, which is obviously a blessing.

Not sure what happens now. My red cell count is 98, some way down from the 130 it was a couple of months ago, although still better than a fortnight ago. I'm yet to be told if there's anything else I need to be ready for with regard to tests, but I think all of the unpleasant ones are done as of today.

Perhaps it's just a matter of accepting that it's become a natural iron deficiency, and the only way forward is to take more meds.

[dobly]

Great to rule out cancer. Have you been tested for iron malabsorption bacterial and other infections?

[Heaveho]

dobly said:

Great to rule out cancer. Have you been tested for iron malabsorption bacterial and other infections?

Hi, thanks.

No to the other tests you've mentioned, although I imagine that's coming, now they've got the serious stuff out of the way. I'm still waiting for the official confirmation of the results from the tests I've already had, but in my experience from these situations in the past, they are generally confident enough in what they tell you immediately after the tests that you can accept them as accurate.