Blood tests

[Guest guest]

Following the recent thread about searching in vein for blood samples (feel

free to groan!), can I make a few suggestions, as one who has experience on

both ends of the needle:

1. EMLA cream is a good local anaesthetic, but tends to make the veins

contract. Another product called Amitop causes them to dilate, making it

easier to get blood. It's a bit more expensive, but also works quicker.

2. Suggest that your doctor tries a blood pressure cuff inflated to around

diastolic pressure (thats the lower number in your blood pressure - the '80'

in 120/80) rather than a torniquet.

3. Soak the hand with the best (least bad) veins in hand-hot water for 10-15

minutes to dilate the veins (or use a hot flannel on the elbow) - note: only

remove the heat just before the needle goes in, as the effect wears off

quickly.

4. Try (I know it's very difficult when you're scared) to relax, and be

positive. Fear and anxiety cause veins to collapse as part of the

fight/flight response.

5. If possible, mention your " difficult veins " BEFORE the fifth or sixth

attempt, so that if there is a more senior doctor around (ideally an

anaesthetist or paediatrician) they can take over.

Phil

[Guest guest]

Hi Tara,

Do you mean the ANA(anti nucleur antibody)came back positive after being

negative?Positive ANA is an indication of Lupas but also JRA.Usualy pauci but

can

effect Poly and very rarely systemic.If this is the case then an appointment

with the Optho is nessesary ASAP.

Never heard of an anti-dna test before but I do know due to being in

the 3yr safety study for Enbrel he was tested for TNFa antibodies and will be

again at the end.Almost unheard of for Enbrel,because it's fully human but

Remicade must be given with MTX to avoid antibodies to the very small amount of

mouse protein.

Hugs

Becki and 6 systemic

[Guest guest]

HI Tara,

Stressed many of times over this and that.Will pray real hard that nothing is

wrong but please update us on this.There may be someone out there that has

heard of this but I sure haven't.

Many prayers for Tara and gentle hugs and kisses for and to her.

I hope you learn something soon.

Hugs

Becki and 6 systemic

[Guest guest]

Becki-

No not her ANA, she has not repeated that test again yet. The Rheumy ordered

an DNA Antibodies test, which is the " double strand " DNA test. That is the test

that was once negative and is now positive! I am not sure what it is exactly,

but I know they are doing a more conclusive test similar to an anti-smiths to

get to the bottom of this! I am stressing out!

Tara and 2 (poly)

Re: Blood Tests

Hi Tara,

Do you mean the ANA(anti nucleur antibody)came back positive after being

negative?Positive ANA is an indication of Lupas but also JRA.Usualy pauci but

can

effect Poly and very rarely systemic.If this is the case then an appointment

with the Optho is nessesary ASAP.

Never heard of an anti-dna test before but I do know due to being in

the 3yr safety study for Enbrel he was tested for TNFa antibodies and will be

again at the end.Almost unheard of for Enbrel,because it's fully human but

Remicade must be given with MTX to avoid antibodies to the very small amount

of

mouse protein.

Hugs

Becki and 6 systemic

[Guest guest]

Becki-

I will give lots of hugs and kisses from you. She is the bravest

little 2 year old I have ever met (and I am of course a little bias). Even her

pediatrician says she is like an angel from heaven. She is so strong and wise

beyond her years (literally). I am glad she is so young and won't remember

these turbulent years, unfortunately I will never forget.

Tara and 2 (poly)

Re: Blood Tests

HI Tara,

Stressed many of times over this and that.Will pray real hard that nothing is

wrong but please update us on this.There may be someone out there that has

heard of this but I sure haven't.

Many prayers for Tara and gentle hugs and kisses for and to her.

I hope you learn something soon.

Hugs

Becki and 6 systemic

[Guest guest]

Yes, blood can be placed on the plate on top of the box. You can do this instead of connecting someone to the QX. But to test the blood as a doctors office does, no. We are legally not able to do so, but we can look for frequency disturbances or stress factors. Will these problems show, yes. You can tell who has a stress to the cholesterol level and it will show as a very high or very low number under 40 or over 100. But these numbers do not match doctors numbers from their tests.

Kathyclinic <diabfree@...> wrote:

Would QXCI users please share their thoughts on the use of the QXCI on blood examinations. Can patients blood samples be placed on the test trays (the small rectangular plates on the top of QXCI machine) and be used to test blood for Hb, blood glucose levels, RBC, WBC etc. So far after reading the manual there do not seem to be this possibility. If the QXCI can test viruses, bacteria, parasites then perhaps testing blood samples may also be a possibility. Kindly share your thoughts.

Dr Mathew Sebastian............................................

[Guest guest]

I tried doing the same but never got any readings. If there is any one who actually used this feature to test blood for glucose levels, Hb, RBC, WBC etc. please explain the procedure and steps used. Please let me know the type of readings obtained in frequencies and how you would interpret the frequencies in actual laboratory readings.

Regards

Dr Mathew Sebastian

Re: blood tests

Yes, blood can be placed on the plate on top of the box. You can do this instead of connecting someone to the QX. But to test the blood as a doctors office does, no. We are legally not able to do so, but we can look for frequency disturbances or stress factors. Will these problems show, yes. You can tell who has a stress to the cholesterol level and it will show as a very high or very low number under 40 or over 100. But these numbers do not match doctors numbers from their tests.

Kathyclinic <diabfree@...> wrote:

Would QXCI users please share their thoughts on the use of the QXCI on blood examinations. Can patients blood samples be placed on the test trays (the small rectangular plates on the top of QXCI machine) and be used to test blood for Hb, blood glucose levels, RBC, WBC etc. So far after reading the manual there do not seem to be this possibility. If the QXCI can test viruses, bacteria, parasites then perhaps testing blood samples may also be a possibility. Kindly share your thoughts.

Dr Mathew Sebastian............................................

[Guest guest]

This is not possible with the qxci.

You are better to do test the client: harness is best but with a good connection into the client fielsd subspace will give results

The blood, hair etc are just for belief system..if this helps either therapist or client the do. It is a choice.

remember that high score items are reactive and thus reflect an active condition.

chronic issues will hide in lower reactivity scores and you need to make causal links.

the QX is qualitative not quantitive

Kelsey PhDQXCI User Manual Author, Advanced TrainerVisit www.qxcisynergy.co.uk for tech infos

Re: blood tests

Yes, blood can be placed on the plate on top of the box. You can do this instead of connecting someone to the QX. But to test the blood as a doctors office does, no. We are legally not able to do so, but we can look for frequency disturbances or stress factors. Will these problems show, yes. You can tell who has a stress to the cholesterol level and it will show as a very high or very low number under 40 or over 100. But these numbers do not match doctors numbers from their tests.

Kathyclinic <diabfree@...> wrote:

Would QXCI users please share their thoughts on the use of the QXCI on blood examinations. Can patients blood samples be placed on the test trays (the small rectangular plates on the top of QXCI machine) and be used to test blood for Hb, blood glucose levels, RBC, WBC etc. So far after reading the manual there do not seem to be this possibility. If the QXCI can test viruses, bacteria, parasites then perhaps testing blood samples may also be a possibility. Kindly share your thoughts.

Dr Mathew Sebastian............................................

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 1/23/05 6:43:23 AM Mountain Standard Time,

SSRI medications writes:

>

> I had a test done by I believe it was blood test - they also took a

> urine specimen. It's done by a lab in NJ...Was told it's the only

> reputable place that does this kind of testing....

>

> I was told by some psychiatrists that it does not tell you what's

> going on in the brain

I have never heard that blood tests for neurotransmitters were in any way

reliable or a true indication of what is going on in your brain. No doubt the

test measures metabolites and not the actual amount of the neurotransmitters,

which can only be done by taking brain tissue post-mortem and putting it in a

blender. The next best " reliable " test is a spinal tap. I'm not sure I would

put too much faith in the other tests.

" Blind Reason "

a novel of pharmaceutical intrigue

Think your antidepressant is safe? Think again. It's

Unsafe At Any Dose

[Guest guest]

michael_vandelaar wrote:

>

> All this talk on blood tests ...

> I'm getting a blood test done in a couple of weeks, my first in about

> 15 years I think. I'm a 47 year old male with no real health problems.

> I'd like to go to the doctor fully armed with as much info on blood

> tests as possible.

> What tests should I ask for? As in, what things should they be

> looking for?

,

Being really healthy, you don't need too many blood tests - no point

" looking for zebras " - looking for what's got almost no chance of being

there I mean.

I suggest some things are good to have a baseline, like kidney function,

liver function, blood glucose and protein, complete blood count, and

lipid profile, maybe thyroid.

This set is mostly to check for things that can sneak up on you unawares.

When you do the tests, sign a release to send a full copy of the results

to you (as well as the doctor). The tests will show what units are used,

and will also show what is considered a " normal range " at the lab you

use. What's normal may vary from lab to lab according to local

population variables, and according to the test used at the particular

lab. (Different labs use different tests for some things.)

Once you have your copy, you can google the relevance of each at your

leisure.

File the results so you have something to compare with next time to

determine trends.

That would be my suggestion.

> The reason I ask. My partner recently had a blood test. The doctor

> said there were " signs of inflammation " .

The complete blood count (CBC) and " differential " (diffs) will be what's

involved here. Blood has red cells and multiple kinds of white cells.

The CBC counts the total and proportion of each kind. Diff will

subdivide lymphocyte white cells which have many subdivisions.

" Inflammation " is a very vague word and can refer to several out of

whack white cell counts - two are the usual:

Too many lymphocytes - a major type of white cell - suggests bacterial

infection somewhere. Eosinophils in quantity suggests a different kind

of inflammation related to allergy.

So just saying " signs of inflammation " is rather meaningless.

If you compare your partner's actual values to the lab normal values for

the CBC and diffs - and both will be on the blood test report - you will

see what kind of cells are too high or too low, and be able to follow

up. So just get the lab report hot in your hands and look for results

not well centred with the " normal " - and it will be easy to decode it

from there.

Blood tests use some very cryptic abbreviations for what they measure -

you can find a list of what these are about via google as well.

Or ask here.

> Unfortunately, my partner

> was a bit overwhelmed and didn't ask that many questions of the

> doctor.

Doctors present results in a way to put people off asking too; saves

them time to make another fee within the hour :-)

I am very fortunate in my primary care person. She emails results to me

and then mails them as well and includes printouts of interpretation on

any abnormal values and follow-up options. Very civilized. But very rare

from the medical profession.

Hope that helps.

Namaste,

Irene

--

Irene de Villiers, B.Sc; AASCA; MCSSA; D.I.Hom.

P.O.Box 4703, Spokane, WA 99220-0703.

http://www.angelfire.com/fl/furryboots/clickhere.html

Veterinary Homeopath and Feline Information Counsellor.

[Guest guest]

Thanks Irene, you're a champion.

Cheers,

> >

> > All this talk on blood tests ...

> > I'm getting a blood test done in a couple of weeks, my first in

about

> > 15 years I think. I'm a 47 year old male with no real health

problems.

> > I'd like to go to the doctor fully armed with as much info on

blood

> > tests as possible.

> > What tests should I ask for? As in, what things should they be

> > looking for?

>

> ,

> Being really healthy, you don't need too many blood tests - no

point

> " looking for zebras " - looking for what's got almost no chance of

being

> there I mean.

>

> I suggest some things are good to have a baseline, like kidney

function,

> liver function, blood glucose and protein, complete blood count,

and

> lipid profile, maybe thyroid.

> This set is mostly to check for things that can sneak up on you

unawares.

>

> When you do the tests, sign a release to send a full copy of the

results

> to you (as well as the doctor). The tests will show what units are

used,

> and will also show what is considered a " normal range " at the lab

you

> use. What's normal may vary from lab to lab according to local

> population variables, and according to the test used at the

particular

> lab. (Different labs use different tests for some things.)

>

> Once you have your copy, you can google the relevance of each at

your

> leisure.

> File the results so you have something to compare with next time to

> determine trends.

>

> That would be my suggestion.

>

> > The reason I ask. My partner recently had a blood test. The

doctor

> > said there were " signs of inflammation " .

>

> The complete blood count (CBC) and " differential " (diffs) will be

what's

> involved here. Blood has red cells and multiple kinds of white

cells.

> The CBC counts the total and proportion of each kind. Diff will

> subdivide lymphocyte white cells which have many subdivisions.

>

> " Inflammation " is a very vague word and can refer to several out of

> whack white cell counts - two are the usual:

> Too many lymphocytes - a major type of white cell - suggests

bacterial

> infection somewhere. Eosinophils in quantity suggests a different

kind

> of inflammation related to allergy.

> So just saying " signs of inflammation " is rather meaningless.

>

> If you compare your partner's actual values to the lab normal

values for

> the CBC and diffs - and both will be on the blood test report - you

will

> see what kind of cells are too high or too low, and be able to

follow

> up. So just get the lab report hot in your hands and look for

results

> not well centred with the " normal " - and it will be easy to decode

it

> from there.

>

> Blood tests use some very cryptic abbreviations for what they

measure -

> you can find a list of what these are about via google as well.

> Or ask here.

>

> > Unfortunately, my partner

> > was a bit overwhelmed and didn't ask that many questions of the

> > doctor.

>

> Doctors present results in a way to put people off asking too;

saves

> them time to make another fee within the hour :-)

> I am very fortunate in my primary care person. She emails results

to me

> and then mails them as well and includes printouts of

interpretation on

> any abnormal values and follow-up options. Very civilized. But very

rare

> from the medical profession.

>

> Hope that helps.

>

> Namaste,

> Irene

> --

> Irene de Villiers, B.Sc; AASCA; MCSSA; D.I.Hom.

> P.O.Box 4703, Spokane, WA 99220-0703.

> http://www.angelfire.com/fl/furryboots/clickhere.html

> Veterinary Homeopath and Feline Information Counsellor.

[Guest guest]

michael_vandelaar wrote:

>

> Thanks Irene, you're a champion.

Glad to be helpful :-))

...Irene

--

Irene de Villiers, B.Sc; AASCA; MCSSA; D.I.Hom.

[Guest guest]

I saw where Irene gave you some good info. Something to look at from

a BTD point of view is your serum albumen. It's best in the lower

range of normal. If I remember correctly it's best below 4. The

discussion is in Live Right for Your Type. In the higher end it can

be an indication of polyamine toxicity. So far as the inflammation,

C reactive protein is a fairly new marker for assessing cardiac risk

and it's based more on inflammation than the usual signs of increased

blood lipids. Your doctor might recommend that test if there are

indications from your white cell counts that there could be some

inflammation going on. You'll have to go with standard ranges there

since I don't thing there's any statement about BTD specific values

for C reactive protein. Also keep in mind that type O does quite

well with higher values for blood lipids than most, so long as you

have a nice high value for HDL, the good cholesterol.

I would also ask him what he saw in my bloodwork as an indication of

inflammation. These days you really have to take ownership of your

own health information, especially since we are frequently forced to

change doctors to fit our insurance plans. Very few doctors will

really read through your medical history. If you can point out the

key facts about your history that are a concern, you'll probably get

more out of the limited time you'll have with him.

>

> All this talk on blood tests ...

> I'm getting a blood test done in a couple of weeks, my first in

about

> 15 years I think. I'm a 47 year old male with no real health

problems.

> I'd like to go to the doctor fully armed with as much info on blood

> tests as possible.

> What tests should I ask for? As in, what things should they be

> looking for?

> What measurements are used? As in, Cholesterol is measured in blah,

> protein is measured in bluh.

> What do results mean? As in, Cholesterol of ding means holy dang.

>

> The reason I ask. My partner recently had a blood test. The doctor

> said there were " signs of inflammation " . Unfortunately, my partner

> was a bit overwhelmed and didn't ask that many questions of the

> doctor. What does " signs of inflammation " mean? What would the

blood

> test looked for?

>

> Any help would be much appreciated.

>

> Cheers,

>

[Guest guest]

> These days you really have to take ownership of your

> own health information, especially since we are frequently forced

to

> change doctors to fit our insurance plans. Very few doctors will

> really read through your medical history. If you can point out the

> key facts about your history that are a concern, you'll probably

get

> more out of the limited time you'll have with him.

>

Thanks Cheryl.

The thing is I have no health concerns except for the fact that I'm

47 :-)

I'm doing the blood test as an indication for all those invisible

things.

My father had his first heart attack at 48 and I'm also at the age

for the onset of prostate problems so I'd like to check for those

things.

What is the serum albumen test for?

Cheers,

[Guest guest]

Serum albumin is an indicator of liver and kidney health. From a BTD

perspective, you'd like it to be in the lower range of normal,

between 3.4 and 4.0. Dr. D'Adamo says that high normal or high is an

indication of polyamine toxicity which is one form of gut toxicity.

I keep an eye on that value since it's hard not to eat some frozen

meats. Frozen fish especially is high in polyamines. You can

counteract those by eating foods like cherries, walnuts and several

other things that inhibit polyamine formation. Much of alternative

medicine is aimed at keeping the digestive tract healthy. The

polyamine toxicity is just a part of that. Glad to hear that you

only have invisible problems at this point. My father also had his

first heart attack at 47, and died of it. My blood lipids are in

good shape, but I'm always looking for other indicators of heart

disease risk since I know it is in my family.

Take care,

Cheryl

> > These days you really have to take ownership of your

> > own health information, especially since we are frequently forced

> to

> > change doctors to fit our insurance plans. Very few doctors will

> > really read through your medical history. If you can point out

the

> > key facts about your history that are a concern, you'll probably

> get

> > more out of the limited time you'll have with him.

> >

>

>

> Thanks Cheryl.

> The thing is I have no health concerns except for the fact that I'm

> 47 :-)

> I'm doing the blood test as an indication for all those invisible

> things.

> My father had his first heart attack at 48 and I'm also at the age

> for the onset of prostate problems so I'd like to check for those

> things.

> What is the serum albumen test for?

>

> Cheers,

>

[Guest guest]

cherylhcmba wrote:

>

> Serum albumin is an indicator of liver and kidney health.

Hi Cheryl,

In what way do you feel albumin level indicates liver or kidney health

issues?

I also would not want it to be low. A low albumin results from a low

protein diet :-))

Namaste,

Irene

--

Irene de Villiers, B.Sc; AASCA; MCSSA; D.I.Hom.

P.O.Box 4703, Spokane, WA 99220-0703.

http://www.angelfire.com/fl/furryboots/clickhere.html

Veterinary Homeopath and Feline Information Counsellor.

[Guest guest]

Below the normal range may be associated with a low protein diet,

indicate poor liver function since the liver makes albumin or

indicate poor kidney function, albumen spills to the urine in that

case. Dr. D'Adamo has suggested not a low albumen but the low end of

the normal range. He believes that high normal albumen indicates

polyamine toxicity.

I have also observed low serum albumen in my own results when I was

on a low fat diet that was in fact pretty high in protein. That one

really puzzled me, but adding fat back to my diet did return it to

the normal range.

> >

> > Serum albumin is an indicator of liver and kidney health.

>

> Hi Cheryl,

> In what way do you feel albumin level indicates liver or kidney

health

> issues?

> I also would not want it to be low. A low albumin results from a

low

> protein diet :-))

> Namaste,

> Irene

> --

> Irene de Villiers, B.Sc; AASCA; MCSSA; D.I.Hom.

> P.O.Box 4703, Spokane, WA 99220-0703.

> http://www.angelfire.com/fl/furryboots/clickhere.html

> Veterinary Homeopath and Feline Information Counsellor.

[Guest guest]

> The report comments that this indicates mild thrombocytopenia.

After

> a cursory look around the medical websites, I don't see that I show

> any of the symptoms which are mainly excessive bleeding and

bruising.

> So, if anyone has any info they can share with me, that would be

> great.

>

I found this page at dadamo.com on thrombocytopenia

http://www.dadamo.com/ask/ask2.pl?20040510.txt

......

" As far as treatment is concerned, I've always seen rewarding results

when the patients have stuck to the right diet for their blood type.

I've also used the herb Berberis vulgaris (Barberry) as a front-line

treatment.

In one study, the authors recommend berberine bisulfate (the active

ingredient in Barberry) for use as a thrombocytopoiesis (platelet

growth) stimulator in thrombocytopenias as they have found secondary

therapeutic property of this drug--to increase platelet count in

patients with primary and secondary thrombocytopenia. The drug was

given as 3 times a day for 15 days in a dose 5 mg 20 min before

meals. (3)

I've also found moderate doses of the anti-oxidant selenium (100-

200mcg daily) to be effective as well (4)

......

(3) Chekalina SI, Umurzakova RZ, Saliev KK, Abdurakhmanov TR. [Effect

of berberine bisulfate on platelet hemostasis in thrombocytopenia

patients]. Gematol Transfuziol. 1994 Sep-Oct;39(5):33-5. Russian.

(4) Hampel G, Schaller KH, Rosenmuller M, Oefele C. Selenium-

deficiency as contributing factor to anemia and thrombocytopenia in

dialysis patients. Life Support Syst. 1985;3 Suppl 1:36-40.

[Guest guest]

Essiac Tea -- platelets

Moducare -- immune system (white cells)

michael_vandelaar <mike_vandelaar@...> wrote:

A few weeks ago, I posted that I was going for a blood test and asked

what I should be tested for. Thanks for all the input.

Anyway, the results came in today and, for the most part, they are

excellent.

I was actually worried that my cholesterol would be high. The last

time it was tested, almost 20 years ago, it was 5.8 mmol/L. I was on

an almost vegetarian diet at the time, only occasionally eating meat.

Because there was nothing in my diet that would contribute to that

reading, it was assumed that it was high for genetic reasons.

I've now been on the BTD for just over a year. I now eat 3 eggs at

breakfast, venison at lunch and usually a steak for dinner. I don't

cut off any excess fat. And my cholesterol now:

Total cholesterol : 4.0 mmol/L

Triglyceride: 0.8 mmol/L

HDL cholesterol : 2.0 mmol/L

LDL cholesterol : 1.6 mmol/L

I couldn't believe it. The reading couldn't be much better!!!!

Cheryl, you said I should get a reading of my serum albumin and that

it should be less than 4. I guess they do things differently in

Australia. Serum albumin was 47 g/L. According to the lab, normal is

35 - 50.

Glucose was 4.8 mmol/L

T.Protein 71 g/L

Calcium 2.39 mmol/L

Thyroid Stimulating Hormone 2.11 mIU /L

The only thing I am worried about is that my platelet and lymphocytes

counts were low. I'm not sure what the readings mean so I am copying

it straight from the report.

White Cell Count 4.1 x 10 ^9 /L

Neutrophils (67%) 2.7 x 10 ^9 /L

Lymphocytes (23%) 0.9 x 10 ^9 /L

Monocytes (6%) 0.3 x 10 ^9 /L

Eosinophils (4%) 0.2 x 10 ^9 /L

Platelets 134 x 10 ^9 /L

According to the lab report, normal lymphocytes are 1.0 - 4.0 and

platelets are 150 - 450, so they aren't terribly low.

The report comments that this indicates mild thrombocytopenia. After

a cursory look around the medical websites, I don't see that I show

any of the symptoms which are mainly excessive bleeding and bruising.

So, if anyone has any info they can share with me, that would be

great.

Otherwise, it all looks good. I have never felt healthier than since

I've been on the BTD and the readings seem to prove it.

Now, if could only increase my white blood count :-)

Cheers,

[Guest guest]

That is really excellent !

Well done - it's great and very encouraging to hear things like this.

thanks

)

http://www.freewebs.com/inspire/

[Guest guest]

>

Thanks, Kathy

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

Values are reported in g/dL in the U.S., so basically a tenfold

difference. The U.S. normal range in g/L would be 34 to 54. For BTD

you'd aim to be below 40 in your system. Interesting that the range

in the U.K.? or wherever you are is actually a little closer to what

Dr. D recommends. Really not bad, but just probably means to watch

out for the frozen fish, dairy and other foods that could contribute

to polyamine toxicity and maybe bump up the walnuts, blueberries,

green tea and a few other things that help control this. I think

cherries are on that list too. As Irene has pointed out, you don't

want the serum albumen too low either, just keep an eye on it and

don't let it creep up further.

>

> A few weeks ago, I posted that I was going for a blood test and

asked

> what I should be tested for. Thanks for all the input.

>

> Anyway, the results came in today and, for the most part, they are

> excellent.

> I was actually worried that my cholesterol would be high. The last

> time it was tested, almost 20 years ago, it was 5.8 mmol/L. I was

on

> an almost vegetarian diet at the time, only occasionally eating

meat.

> Because there was nothing in my diet that would contribute to that

> reading, it was assumed that it was high for genetic reasons.

>

> I've now been on the BTD for just over a year. I now eat 3 eggs at

> breakfast, venison at lunch and usually a steak for dinner. I don't

> cut off any excess fat. And my cholesterol now:

> Total cholesterol : 4.0 mmol/L

> Triglyceride: 0.8 mmol/L

> HDL cholesterol : 2.0 mmol/L

> LDL cholesterol : 1.6 mmol/L

>

> I couldn't believe it. The reading couldn't be much better!!!!

>

> Cheryl, you said I should get a reading of my serum albumin and

that

> it should be less than 4. I guess they do things differently in

> Australia. Serum albumin was 47 g/L. According to the lab, normal

is

> 35 - 50.

> Glucose was 4.8 mmol/L

> T.Protein 71 g/L

> Calcium 2.39 mmol/L

> Thyroid Stimulating Hormone 2.11 mIU /L

>

> The only thing I am worried about is that my platelet and

lymphocytes

> counts were low. I'm not sure what the readings mean so I am

copying

> it straight from the report.

> White Cell Count 4.1 x 10 ^9 /L

> Neutrophils (67%) 2.7 x 10 ^9 /L

> Lymphocytes (23%) 0.9 x 10 ^9 /L

> Monocytes (6%) 0.3 x 10 ^9 /L

> Eosinophils (4%) 0.2 x 10 ^9 /L

> Platelets 134 x 10 ^9 /L

>

> According to the lab report, normal lymphocytes are 1.0 - 4.0 and

> platelets are 150 - 450, so they aren't terribly low.

> The report comments that this indicates mild thrombocytopenia.

After

> a cursory look around the medical websites, I don't see that I show

> any of the symptoms which are mainly excessive bleeding and

bruising.

> So, if anyone has any info they can share with me, that would be

> great.

>

> Otherwise, it all looks good. I have never felt healthier than

since

> I've been on the BTD and the readings seem to prove it.

> Now, if could only increase my white blood count :-)

>

> Cheers,

>

[Guest guest]

>

> Hi ,

> Values are reported in g/dL in the U.S., so basically a tenfold

> difference. The U.S. normal range in g/L would be 34 to 54. For

BTD

> you'd aim to be below 40 in your system. Interesting that the

range

> in the U.K.? or wherever you are is actually a little closer to

what

> Dr. D recommends. Really not bad, but just probably means to watch

> out for the frozen fish, dairy and other foods that could

contribute

> to polyamine toxicity and maybe bump up the walnuts, blueberries,

> green tea and a few other things that help control this. I think

> cherries are on that list too. As Irene has pointed out, you don't

> want the serum albumen too low either, just keep an eye on it and

> don't let it creep up further.

That's interesting, Cheryl.

I don't eat frozen fish or dairy.

I eat walnuts and blueberries everyday :-) Unfortuantely, the

blueberry season is over in Australia, so the local organic farm is

out of them now.

As for drinks, I only drink green tea & water with the occasional

grape juice & seltzer every couple of days.

Thanks for the info.

I'll keep a track of the serum albumin as you say.

Cheers,

[Guest guest]

Dave, the HLA B27 doesn't have anything to do with white blood counts. It is

just a genetic marker which they discovered is connected to the

spondyloarthropathies. Here is a page which describes what this marker can mean

in some

people with the gene. I was under the impression that the marker was

discovered a few years before 1972....as my brother was Dx about this time.

However,

the following article states differently. Here is the article that explains

what this marker means:

_eMedicine - HLA-B27 Syndromes : Article by A a Di Lorenzo, MBBCh_

(http://www.emedicine.com/oph/topic721.htm)

Best regards and welcome to the new members. Joan, many of us had

fibromyalgia symptoms before we were Dx with a Spondy disease. Doctors knew very

little about women having AS or Reiter's 20-30 years ago. They thought it was

limited to males. Now they know that it is just a prevalent with women. My

maternal aunt was Dx with " Rheumatoid arthritis of the spine " ....in the 1940's!

We

are certain she was suffering with Ankylosing Spondylitis as all 3 of my

siblings have spondy and many of my own children do, too. . She also had eyes

that " bled. " That is how she described what we now think was uveitis/iritis. She

took Prednisone or (cortisone as they called it), like you for many years.

That was about all they had back then. She took asprin daily until she had

terrible bleed from her stomach and they removed most of it. They even gave her

gold salts, which, today, we know does not help with the spondy diseases. We

have a lot of medicines that they did not have back then. This is why I

appreciate the meds we do have....even though they can have bad side effects.

At

least, the last 20 or 15 years we have some new medicines to choose from. My

aunt was wheel chair bound...when she was able to get out of bed. If I didn't

have the drugs we have today, I'm positive, I would have been in the same

position she was. Indocin came into existence during late 60's or early 70's. I

took that drug for many years and since I've been off the anti-TNF drugs, I'm

back on it. It has helped me very much over the years. Better than any other

NSAID.

[Guest guest]

Greetings Dave from UK.

After reading a previous post that you sent to the group, I believe your

doctor's might be treating you for " infectious " arthritis, which is a little

different from Reiter's Syndrome. You mentioned they gave you Penicillin and

one

of your tests came back having to do with elevations of white blood cells.

There are over 100 types of arthritis and sometimes it is difficult to get a

correct diagnosis.

Reiter's syndrome usually has a triad of symptoms and " infectious " arthritis

has different set of symptoms.

Since you are seeing your doctor tomorrow, I would ask him what kind of

arthritis you have and what the results of your tests actually were. You are

entitled to know all the results of your tests .Please let us know what the

doctor says tomorrow...and whether or not you have another type arthritis other

than Reiter's...we are here for you. The test for the HLA B27 gene doesn't

necessarily mean you have Reiter's, but it helps the doctor when he thinks you

may have Reiter's Syndrome. They don't usually test for the genetic marker

unless you have other signs and symptoms of a spondyloarthropathy disease and

have tested negative for other types of arthritis. From what you have stated in

previous posts...I'm making a guess that your doctor probably is leaning

towards the " infectious " arthritis instead of Reiter's Syndrome.Of course, I'm

not a doctor and you could very well have Reiter's Syndrome, but most patients

of Reiter's have a couple of other symptoms and they are treated with a

different antibiotic other than Penicillin. Here are two web sites explaining

what

" infectious " arthritis is:

_Infectious Arthritis_

(http://www.arthritis.ca/types%20of%20arthritis/infectious/default.asp?s=1)

_About.com: http://healthlink.mcw.edu/article/1021053502.html_

(http://arthritis.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ & sdn=arthritis & zu=http\

://healthli

nk.mcw.edu/article/1021053502.html)

Best regards, Connie