Blood Problem.?!
Question: The White Blood Cells are made up of these:
Neutrophils
Eosinophils
Basophils
Monocytes
Lymphocytes
I have to many Lymphocytes-which indicates infection of some sort, I have had this for over two years and now all of the sudden my hematologist wants me to have a bone marrow biopsy...I am wondering if its even necessary or if he's just doing this because he can't figure anything else out, point is why go thru the pain of a biopsy if its really not needed...not sure whats going on here... any advice... I have asked to have a second opinion and my primary said it wasn't necessary at this time..
Answers: The White Blood Cells are made up of these:
Neutrophils
Eosinophils
Basophils
Monocytes
Lymphocytes
I have to many Lymphocytes-which indicates infection of some sort, I have had this for over two years and now all of the sudden my hematologist wants me to have a bone marrow biopsy...I am wondering if its even necessary or if he's just doing this because he can't figure anything else out, point is why go thru the pain of a biopsy if its really not needed...not sure whats going on here... any advice... I have asked to have a second opinion and my primary said it wasn't necessary at this time..
Chances are the hematologist wants the biopsy to help him make a diagnosis. He may NOT be able to figure out what is wrong and sometimes a more invasive test is needed to help them make a diagnosis. Medicine isn't all black and white, there is a lot of gray area and sometimes it is hard to make a diagnosis using the basic 1st tests.
Now your primary physician telling you not to get a second opinion is another thing. He/she shouldn't be telling you not to get a second opinion if that is what you want. He/she should be helping you to resolve the problem not making more problems. Check with your insurance if that is an issure and tell them the situation, many times they would prefer a second opinion over invasive more costly procedures. Get a second opinion if that is what you feel more comfortable with.
Personally a little discomfort is a small price to pay for peace of mind and relief of worry, but that is me. I went through something similar just a month ago and decided to have the more invasive test done. It came back negative and what a relief it was to have a definitive answer!
Good luck, whatever your decision is. I wish you the best.
That's your problem not mine...lol
if your hematologist is worried, you probably should get the biopsy. He did go to school and learn the ins and outs of blood
I would say the wouldn't do it for nothing, it is probably to rule something out.
Best advise is to do what doctor says, if not happy, get second opinion.
If your hematologist suggests it, I would probably go for it.
It seems like a lasting problem, so you might want to have it done just so you can either know what's wrong or rule out some serious issues that could be wrong.
I'd go with your primary's advise on this one. All hematologist love to look at bm, and quit often it's justified. But, if you are feeling ok and otherwise in good condition, I'd hold off.
On the otherhand, if all this is bothering you a lot, the procedure itself is usually not too bad. A few seconds of dull/sharp pain when the marrow is being extracted, and you'll be a little sore at the extraction point for a day or two. You might want to request a strong pain killer tab to take an hour before the procedure, or something else to relax you. They won't offer it. You'll have to sort of insist if you are one with a low pain threshold.
The marrow exam may or may not explain the reason for your lymphocyte predominance. But, it would rule out a lot of somewhat serious problems.
Good luck.