[Marlene]

This is true for most. The equipment used to automatically count your platelets and red cells are calibrated to look at the size of the cell to include in the count. If the platelet is larger or smaller than what the machine counts, then those cells are excluded. However, the gap between labs should not be too wide. 5K is not a wide gap. But it is everything for someone with almost no platelets. Some labs automatically re-check low platelet counts manually when the machine count is below a certain number. That would be stated on the lab report.

What you need to do is to decide on just one lab to manage your transfusions and track your trends. And then take into account your symptoms. With John, we kept pushing the threshold. Instead of going by "standard threshold", we found the lowest level he could go without symptoms. So he would get platelet transfusions at 8K or at anytime where he was bleeding more than usual.

The other thing that can effect the count is how the specimen is handle either during the draw or at the lab.

Platelets fluctuate daily and it's not unusual for them to bounce around. So I wouldn't worry too much about the changes from one day to the next.

Managing this disease is as much an art as it is a science. You cannot go by test results exclusively.