Skip to main content

Keep on keepin' on

That's what Edie said when I asked her what she had decided to do about Chloe.

Chloe just does not seem to be getting better [at least not very fast], although except for the fact  she sleeps 22+ hours a day, and still won't eat on her own, she doesn't appear to be sick. So Edie has to force feed her every day, make sure she gets enough fluid, and give her all sorts of different medication.

I don't know how she does it. I know I wouldn't have the patience.

Anyways, at least Edie doesn't have to worry about me. My latest blood counts are essentially status quo. My lymphocyte count is back under a 100 thou/cumm (99.9) again, hemoglobin is maintaining at 12.4 g/dl (low average for a woman) and my LDH is normal at 141 IU/L.

The only thing of some concern is my platelets were under 200 at 196. That's still well within the normal range (130-400), and I have had at 6 readings below that number over the past two years, but when you plot a graph of the 6 month moving average, you can see a [very] slow, but steady decline.

[note]The main reason for concern over the platelets is, declining platelets are usually the first indication of bone marrow failure.[/note]

I just hope by the time my platelets get too low, I'll be too old to worry about it.

Comments

John Wagner said…
Sorry to read your new kitten doesn't seem to be getting better. It sure doesn't take long to bond with the little critters.

It is good to read your blood work is "status quo." Platelets really do still look good, but I know when we notice a trend in the wrong direction it does get worrisome.

Popular posts from this blog

The results are in

And I am iron deficient, big time. [Which would account for my low hemoglobin] Test Result Ref Range IRON 30 59-158 mcg/dL TOTAL IRON BINDING CAPACITY 231 250-420 mcg/dL IRON SAT 13 20-50 % My Ferritin levels were good, but that could be because Ferritin is also an "acute phase reactant", that is sometimes increased with acute or chronic disease. Folate and B12 levels were also within the normal range. The only problem now is determining what is causing the iron deficiency, which in the case of men, is [very] rare. My oncologist has given me a Globin Fecal test to perform, and has scheduled me for a consultation with a colorectal surgeon to discuss performing a colonoscopy, which could be problematic because of my large spleen. In the mean time, I've decided to start taking an iron supplement, it's only the quantity that is causing me some consternation. I've been told by a very knowledgeable person that to overcome an iron deficiency, I need to be taking 300 mg o...

Stop the stupidity!

Rural medical center (in Georgia) suspended from vaccination program after inoculating school district staff. Give me a break! Trying to get kids back to school, while protecting teachers, bus drivers and other staff, is exactly what school districts should be doing. If they have vaccines, give them out. We should be giving out vaccines to all who want them, whenever available. Trying to adhere to rigid guidelines will only result in fewer people getting vaccines, resulting in the discarding of precious vaccines, and less protection for everyone. Of course we should be giving first priority to healthcare workers, and any other essential public service employees, such as policeman, fireman, etc. first, but when they're not around to receive shots, or refuse shots, then give them to anyone willing to take them. What I would have objected to is the medical center trying to capitalize on the pandemic to make a profit, from giving vaccines to people far down the list of recipients, but ...

When is enough, enough?

Today I learned, Lance Armstrong, the most drug tested athlete in the history of sport, is being accused of doping, again . This time by the US Anti Doping Agency (USADA), who claim they have collected blood samples from him in 2009 and 2010 that were “fully consistent with blood manipulation including EPO use and/or blood transfusions.” Really! What took them so long? The French have been trying to make allegations of drug doping stick for years, ever since he won his first Tour d'France, but to no avail. And now the USADA claims to have evidence to support that claim, and they've waited almost 3 years before releasing this evidence. Needless to say, I am skeptical. Then there's this from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO): Increasing the federal excise tax on cigarettes by 50 cents per pack eventually would increase Medicare and Social Security spending, slightly. Eventually? What is the CBO suggesting here? That we should encourage smoking, because if we don't, in...