DREADING upcoming appt and bloodwork

[honeybun44]

Hi...

I have severe---SEVERE---health anxiety. I do take medication (effexor) which is helping. This is such an ugly condition, it makes me incredibly selfish. I know people with stage 4 cancer who worry less about themselves than I do. I'm ashamed of that.

I have the kind of HA where I avoid doctors as much as I can...and when I have to go, I'm terrified. I'm changing family doctors, mainly for insurance reasons, but it's kind of a relief because my former doctor---while excellent---said and did things that triggered my anxiety.

I see my new doctor 2 weeks from today for a meet and greet and general physical. I'm terrified. I have MULTIPLE lumps and bumps, some of which I had had checked and they were diagnosed as lipomas. I have a few new ones and I'm afraid they'll "be" something.

My weight is up, and my cholesterol is probably through the roof.

I also will have to get bloodwork, which I haven't had done since February of 2015. Last February I wasn't sick, and they said my bloodwork was ok. But just recently, I reviewed it on line and noticed that during that time of NOT being sick, I had high WBC (10.3---they are usually around 6.4) and High Neutrophils (71.5---usually about 66). Also, I had low Lymphocites (21.9, usually around 25). I'm worried that they've done nothing but increase over the past year and I'm wondering why the doctor wasn't worried enough to re check me. Have I been carrying a growing disease around all year long?

Finally, I've had liver issues in the past. In 2012, my liver enzymes sky rocketed to almost 2000 (normal 30-40). Yes, you read that right. I was hospitalized, had every test known to man, and they eventually came down on their own. I have no gall bladder, but the doctors can only guess that I passed some kind of stone/sludge which made my liver work harder. They don't really know, but my liver enzymes have been normal ever since.

But I haven't had them tested for 2 years. And now we'll test them.

Waiting for blood work results is a horrible time for me. I just know the phone is going to ring with disastrous results.

sigh. Can anyone relate or offer support? :shades:

[Gary A]

Those readings of your blood work, while "high or low" on certain counts, are at levels not considered to be a potential signal for illness. Most people will have variations in certain counts, but there are limits which warrant further investigation, none of your results breach these limits.

[honeybun44]

^^^Thank you...I was hoping someone would know enough about reading bloodwork results to give me that information.

Do you have any idea or thoughts on why my WBC would have been at the high end of the range when I wasn't ill at the time?

[Gary A]

Most probably no reason at all. Just a standard fluctuation. You'd probably find if you were re-tested a few days later it would have been completely normal.

[androidz]

Most probably no reason at all. Just a standard fluctuation. You'd probably find if you were re-tested a few days later it would have been completely normal.

Just to add on top of what Gary said, these fluctuations also occur hourly every day, our WBC is constantly fluctuating and it is influenced by a lot of minor things.

[Fishmanpa]

Most probably no reason at all. Just a standard fluctuation. You'd probably find if you were re-tested a few days later it would have been completely normal.

Adding some more. It's a known fact that high stress/anxiety can cause a raise in white blood cell counts.

Positive thoughts

[honeybun44]

Thanks, Fishmanpa (and all of you)----

My stress and anxiety were out of control during that visit. Worse than it has EVER been. I had been on prozac for 15 years and it had just stopped working. So, yes, maybe that contributed.

I've been on a few different meds since and my latest is starting to make a dent....I'm feeling hopeful about it.

I appreciate the response!