Today I went for my monthly blood test, and I was pleasantly surprised. My absolute lymphocyte count dropped to 67 thou/cumm from 92 thou/cumm, which is the lowest it's been since November 2005.
Under normal circumstances, I would consider this drop merely a fluke, as a result of technician error or some other reason, such as the fact I did a relatively intensive bike ride this morning (40 miles and 1500 feet of climbing), but in the latter case, I would have expected all my numbers to be up, rather than down, due to dehydration, including my lymphocyte count.
Instead everything was up, except for my lymphocytes. My hemoglobin was up to 12.8 g/dl from 11.9 g/dl last month, the highest it's been since July of last year, and my absolute neutrophils were also up to 10 thou/cumm which is the highest they've been since I've been keeping track over 5 years ago.
And what I think is the most significant factor is, the percent lymphocytes dropped to 81%, which is the lowest it's been since September 2004. So it appears my bone marrow is functioning somewhat adequately.
In any event, I'm not sure what to make of these results just yet. I still have to wait for next months test before drawing any conclusions (remember, one test does not a trend make).
But at least for the time being, I can take solace in the fact my MCL may not be progressing as fast as I have been fearing, and treatment time might not be approaching as quickly either.
Under normal circumstances, I would consider this drop merely a fluke, as a result of technician error or some other reason, such as the fact I did a relatively intensive bike ride this morning (40 miles and 1500 feet of climbing), but in the latter case, I would have expected all my numbers to be up, rather than down, due to dehydration, including my lymphocyte count.
Instead everything was up, except for my lymphocytes. My hemoglobin was up to 12.8 g/dl from 11.9 g/dl last month, the highest it's been since July of last year, and my absolute neutrophils were also up to 10 thou/cumm which is the highest they've been since I've been keeping track over 5 years ago.
And what I think is the most significant factor is, the percent lymphocytes dropped to 81%, which is the lowest it's been since September 2004. So it appears my bone marrow is functioning somewhat adequately.
In any event, I'm not sure what to make of these results just yet. I still have to wait for next months test before drawing any conclusions (remember, one test does not a trend make).
But at least for the time being, I can take solace in the fact my MCL may not be progressing as fast as I have been fearing, and treatment time might not be approaching as quickly either.
Comments
I am so glad you got this good news and I hope it isn't a fluke and the trend continues. I find it amazing how much we are tied to our blood tests and the impact they have on our mood. Often my results just confuse me. Enjoy the good news.