Got test results back, kind of sad. :(

[skyisblue]

Hi guys, I am a 24 year old male, 184 pounds, 5'11. I don't know exactly how to feel right now. I just came from the family doctors office for my general blood work. This was brought in because I had high BP readings in her clinic (130/70, sometimes 140/70). So finally, I got the results and...

CBC with differentials: Everything single item, normal
ALT (liver): Normal
Creatinine: Normal
Fasting blood sugar: Normal
Urinalysis: Normal (Was really scared about this one!)
Cholesterol: 513! (Normal should be 500 below) :(
Uric acid: 550 (Normal should be 400 something) :(
ESR (inflammation): 16 (normal should be 15 only) :(

So basically, the doctor said that I should just modify my diet and continue with my exercise. She said she won't give me any meds right now because she believes it can be brought down by my lifestyle changes. She didn't mention anything about the elevated ERS. She just said it could be brought by a minor infection I had/have or by stress (of course I don't believe her). She said that I can come back in 3 months and see if my cholesterol and uric acid levels will go down. She said I could still lose some weight.

Okay, I know the numbers aren't that off, but as a sufferer of HA I am really really really really really really really really obsessing with them especially with the ESR. I Googled stuff (stupid!) and I am scared of having some kind of big C or some major auto immune diseases. :( I am kinda scared about the cholesterol too because my BP has been higher in her recent readings although she said my worry could play a big part in it.

I've been trying to work out (I was 195 2 months back) to lose some weight but my cholesterol and uric acid levels are still up there. :( I know I may be overreacting, but what really scares me is that I have these numbers at my age. :( I know I wouldn't bother with these if I were 40 years old and above. The doctor said I may be ageing too quickly because I worry too much and she said that I should just take this as a wake up call to change my diet and stuff. She knows that I worry a lot and said that I am too young to worry about sinister things.

I just need someone to slap some sense to me to put these obsessions behind me so I can focus on addressing my lifestyle and move past the anxiety. Help, please. :(

[Gary A]

You've been given good news and bad news here. The thing is though, the "bad" news should be used exactly as the doctor said, as a wake up call. We're fortunate enough to live in an age were signs of future illness can be spotted early and addressed before it ever becomes an issue. So do that. Keep a sensible diet, exercise regularly and relax more often as well. The numbers are far from catastrophic, they're just a little kick in the right direction. If they were that bad the doctor would have put you on medication, but she hasn't, she's given you some stern advice and sent you on your way. You're fine, you could obviously be a little better but it's only going to take a little effort to get you there.

[skyisblue]

Thank you, Gary.

Yes, I am really going to continue my lifestyle changes. I must admit, I get really blown away when I am presented with food, especially the "sinful" ones.

It just makes me worried that hypertension runs in the family. My parents must have had it when they were already older, but I am still young, why am I dealing with this already. Ugh, I hate HA.

[Fishmanpa]

It's sad because for all intents and purposes you're physically fine? Only in the mind of a HA sufferer would this be perceived as bad :(

Cholesterol, is easily corrected by proper diet and exercise and at your age, you've been given a gift! Use this fear that you have as motivation to get on it and get it fixed.

Positive thoughts

[Gotagetthroughthis]

"I know I wouldn't bother with these if I were 40 years old and above" How do you mean? As in if you were 40 you wouldn't care if you cholesterol was high? And you wouldn't bother trying to exercise/get healthy? Or did you mean something else?

If that is what you meant then surely if you were 40 these things should be more worrying as you would be more likely to have some sort of Cardiac problem at an older age.

Take it as a blessing that you have been informed of this early and you can sort it out through exercise and diet. Rather than finding out that you had these issues when you were 40 and could have unknowingly has them for years and done damage to yourself.

Anyway there is a lot of conflicting information on Cholesterol and whether it being high is really as bad as first thought but still better to keep it in the recommended levels just to be safe.

[skyisblue]

Thank you for your replies fish and goagetthroughthis.

Fish, I know in general I look good from the medical tests but the numbers being tipped off makes me worry a little. I know this is hard to accept, but HA is really just making me blind and stopping me from moving past this. :( Been trying hard for the past few hours to get rid of all these negative thoughts!

gotagetthrougthis, I meant I wouldn't mind having these results when I am 40 or above. Of course, I will exercise and do proper changes when I have those even when I am older, but it's just sad that as early as now (age 24), I already have these numbers. :s

Yes, I will still try to see this as a blessing to make the necessary changes in my life.

[Cariad1]

Hi Skyisblue

I went through similar concerns myself when i had a raised ESR reading last year, My first test came in at 31 and my second at 25 ( if you search my posts you can find them!)

CBC came back all within normal range but this one, ofcourse i was freaking out so made an appointment to speak to my DR after the second one came back as raised, infact i spoke to two GP's at my surgery and neither was concerned at all.

Both told me is was very mildly elevated and they dont begin to worry until the reading is into the hundreds and even then its more than likely down to a virus or an injury. Im pretty convinced in my case its down to lifestyle choices, i have read a mildly raised esr reading can happen in overweight people and i am overweight so i have changed my lifestyle and now watching what i eat and trying to take more excerise too.

My GP did not want to re test me either, Both of them said it is a very non specific test and the readings didn't raise any concerns and it sounds like your GP feels the same about yours too, But it was a little wake up call for me and i used it to motivate me to get myself back into some sort of decent shape!

xx

[skyisblue]

Hi cariad thank you for replying.

I am glad that the doctors did not find anything concerning in your tests. I did not know being overweight could elevate it as well. May i know how are you doing now?

[Cariad1]

Im doing good thank you Skyisblue.

Been on a health kick since January and have lost 20lbs, Still a long way to go but im moving in the right direction!

[skyisblue]

That's great to hear, cariad.

I know you're going to get through this too.

[Davit]

Wish my numbers were that good, except for the cholesterol of course but you can do something about that. My white cell count is high for each type. Chronic staph. My ESR is 28 to 75 . Arthritis. My cholesterol is mid scale and my PSA is very low. I'm on blood pressure meds. I was 5'11 but now between artificial knees and collapsed and fused vertebrae i'm 5'6. A candidate for HA which I don't have at all, go figure.