View Single Post
  #3  
Old Sun Jun 14, 2015, 03:34 PM
Neil Cuadra Neil Cuadra is offline
Owner
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Los Angeles, California
Posts: 2,553
salsajas1,

I'm sorry that you're in this situation. Not knowing what's wrong and having all of these serious possibilities mentioned must be very frightening. Many of us have been in that type of situation, and worrying is natural when you don't have enough information to decide what to do or even what specifically to worry about. There are so many diseases with overlapping symptoms that there are many possibilities, including non-dire explanations like infections, as well as serious diseases. It's perfectly normal to be so apprehensive.

Symptoms of headaches, fatigue, and blood in urine can indicate PNH, so it's smart to test for it. I'm glad they used flow cytometry, which is more accurate than the sucrose hemolysis test and the Ham test that some labs use. If you have PNH, the doctor will judge the severity of your symptoms. Some patients need only folic acid and iron supplementation to increase red blood cell production. Patients with more severe cases need a stronger treatment approach.

People with leukemia often have abnormal levels of white blood cells or platelets, so it's a good sign that you have normal blood counts. Some lymphoma cases don't require treatment but, of course, many do. If these diseases are strongly suggested, they may ask you to have imaging tests (scans).

You may not have PNH or leukemia or lymphoma at all, and you really need a physician's diagnosis before you'll know what to do or what further questions to ask. How soon will you sit with your doctor to discuss your test results?
Reply With Quote