Kinda Of A Rant....kind Of A Question....

[Gen]

I made the Dr's office give copies of my recent bloodwork. Of course they had told me that everything was normal except for my WBC was elevated. It has always been elevated...I have always been given the excuse that it was because I smoked...( dont lecture I quite a month ago). But they ive me a copy cause I have to go to the hemo Dr because I have been diagnosed with leiden factor 5. I start looking and my MCV is elevated among other things....After researching here and other places...it seems this points to a b-12 deficincency...

Why has everyone ignored this for years?

Since I expect my celiac panel to be negative because I went gluten free about 4 weeks prior to the tests, I was hoping this might help point them in the right direction. Either way I am staying gluten free. It's so nice to be rash free. Plus when I paniced about the bloodtest and tried to eat gluten for two days prior to the blood test I felt awful and had GI symptons I have never had before.

Sometime in the near future I will be having a scope and maybe that will show something...

[MaryJones2]

You can ask your doctor to run a b12 test and that'll answer your b12 deficiency question. If you are deficient then your doctor should also test for pernicious anemia.

[mushroom]

I start looking and my MCV is elevated among other things....After researching here and other places...it seems this points to a b-12 deficincency...

Why has everyone ignored this for years?

My MCV had also been elevated for years--I have had frequent blood tests because of my RA meds. Nobody was bothered by it. I finally looked it up and had them run B12 and folate (they were done once a year ago and were low normal at that time). B12 had dropped even further and folate was several points below. I told my PCP I needed B12 injections 'cos I can't do the sublinguals, and folate with a B complex. Then my rheumy sends a note to my PCP (she gets copies of all my bloods) telling her that I need B12 and folate supplements--at least she is hep. My PCP was quite smug, saying I'm already on to that, when she wouldn't have been without my prompting.

Why do they bother with the ranges if the docs continually ignore them and say because you are just a little bit over or under it doesn't count. From what I understood of what I read, the B12 reading is not all available to you at the time of the test; you are actually getting less than is tested out so you are more deficient than is shown.

[Gen]

I went home and checked....I should not be deficient in B-12. I take a multi plus eat plenty of healthy greens. And prior to going gluten free I at more than necessary of foritfied bread...

I just hate that they don't listen or concern themselves with any thing out of the ordinary.

[quietmorning01]

I made the Dr's office give copies of my recent bloodwork. Of course they had told me that everything was normal except for my WBC was elevated. It has always been elevated...I have always been given the excuse that it was because I smoked...( dont lecture I quite a month ago). But they ive me a copy cause I have to go to the hemo Dr because I have been diagnosed with leiden factor 5. I start looking and my MCV is elevated among other things....After researching here and other places...it seems this points to a b-12 deficincency...

Why has everyone ignored this for years?

Since I expect my celiac panel to be negative because I went gluten free about 4 weeks prior to the tests, I was hoping this might help point them in the right direction. Either way I am staying gluten free. It's so nice to be rash free. Plus when I paniced about the bloodtest and tried to eat gluten for two days prior to the blood test I felt awful and had GI symptons I have never had before.

Sometime in the near future I will be having a scope and maybe that will show something...

Some doc's send the lab work to me through the mail. All of my current doctors do except one - I've requested that this one start doing this routinely.

I think the reason they overlook things is because of their limited time and focus on looking for something specific. I've caught several things through out the year, bring it to their attention in form of a question - I saw this, what does this mean for me and what can I do to help myself with this. They rarely take offense if I pose it like that.

Diagnosis is difficult for just about anything - and sometimes those extra set of eyes coming from the body that has to live with it is necessary. They are, after all, only human - contrary to popular belief (theirs) **wink**

I also find that doc's have specialized SO MUCH that it's hard for them to really make a diagnosis in another discipline. So, I take the responsibility myself, research, and speak up. I have to live in this body, they don't. I have more invested in being well than they do with THIS body. They are GOING to miss stuff. Kudos to you for rechecking and getting the ball rolling on your needs!

I do refrain from diagnosing myself. Doctors often have to be quite definitive to me now to prove what they are telling me I have or don't have. I've been misdiagnosed too many times for me to just say 'ok'.

My WBC has been elevated since I was a young child. I've actually had doctors MAD at me for it!! **laughing** - like. . .what do they expect ME to do about it, huh? I think they get very frustrated when they can't figure out the puzzle. . .not everyone is HOUSE . . .and even HE kills patients every once in a while! What I don't stand for are docs telling me it's all in my head. Going there even for a moment gets them fired.

I hope you get the treatment you need. If your doc can't get over herself, I hope you are able to find a new one.