It’s been 14 months since my last blood test update on the site, and I thought I’d share my latest test with you guys.
I had this test done because I’ve been feeling more fatigued than normal, and I’ve had a few instances where I’d get really shaky for no apparent reason.
It didn’t feel like anemia, but I’d say it felt close to when I’d do bowel prep and not eat for several days and just feel completely drained (physically).
Here are the results, which have been condensed to exclude certain tests like glucose, eGFR and urine tests:
Blood test comparison Nov 2012 - April 2015
Highlight = out of normal range| Test | Reference range | April 9, 2015 (fasting) | Feb 6, 2014 (fasting) | Nov 8, 2013 (pre-op, fasting) | Nov 22, 2012 (fasting) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Creatinine | 60-127 umol/L | 64 | 65 | 63 | 54 |
| Urate | 180-450 umol / L | 261 | 302 | n/a | 210 |
| Sodium | 135-146 mmol/L | 139 | 140 | 137 | 138 |
| Potassium | 3.5-5.2 mmol / L | 3.9 | 4.6 | 3.8 | 4.8 |
| Chloride | 95-108 mmol / L | 103 | 105 | 107 | 105 |
| Albumin | 35-50 g/L | 49 | 43 | n/a | 20 |
| Alt | 4-43 u/L | 27 | 26 | n/a | 3 |
| Cholesterol | <5.2 mmol / L | 3.6 | 2.96 | n/a | 1.78 |
| Triglycerides | <1.71 mmol / L | 1.25 | 1 | n/a | 0.5 |
| HDL cholesterol | >1.0 mmol / L | 1.2 | 1.38 | n/a | 0.83 |
| LDL Cholesterol | < 2.0mmol / L | 1.83 | 1.12 | n/a | <1.0 |
| Chol/HDL ratio | < 4.5 mmol/L | 3 | 2.1 | n/a | 2.15 |
| Vitamin B12 | >200 pmol/L | 126 | 196 | n/a | 202 |
| Vitamin D (25 hydroxy) | 75-200 nmol/L | 52 | 43 | n/a | 38 |
| Ferritin | 25-200 ug/L | 29 | 24 | n/a | 14 |
| Hemoglobin | 135 - 180 g / L | 148 | 117 | 83 | 91 |
| Hematocrit | 0.37 - 0.54 L/L | 0.438 | 0.36 | 0.267 | 0.296 |
| Wbc count | 4-11 x10 9/L | 6.7 | 6.2 | 9.53 | 6.6 |
| Rbc count | 4.5 - 6.5 x10 12/L | 5.02 | 4.62 | 3.2 | 4.21 |
| Mcv | 80-97 fl | 87 | 79 | 83.4 | 70.4 |
| MCH | 27-32 PG | 29.5 | 25 | 25.9 | 21.7 |
| MCHC | 320-360 G / L | 338 | 323 | 311 | 308 |
| RDW | 11-14.5 % | 13.2 | 19.7 | 16.5 | 19.7 |
| Platelet count | 150-400 x10 9 / L | 207 | 251 | 180 | 474 |
| Neutros | 2-7.5 x10 9 / L | 4.4 | 4.4 | 7.17 | 4 |
| Lymph | 1.1-3.3 x10 9 / L | 1.7 | 1.43 | 1.4 | 1.9 |
| Mono | 0-0.8 x10 9 / L | 0.5 | 0.31 | 0.95 | 0.6 |
| Eos | 0-0.5 x10 9 / L | 0.01 | 0.06 | 0 | 0.1 |
| ESR | 2-25 mm/h | 11 | 6 (March 2014) | n/a | 49 (Sept 2011) |
| hs-CRP | <1.0 mg/L | 3.7 | 3.5 (Mar 2014) | n/a | 40.8 |
I’ll be honest, I’m really happy with the look of things – nearly everything is normal except vitamin B12 and vitamin D, which are typical concerns for vegans, ostomates, IBDers and Canadians alike! But I will confess that I’ve been terrible in keeping up with supplementing those two. Since I don’t eat many fortified foods, supplementation is a must for those two vitamins.
The good news is that even without iron supplementation, my levels are now normal and I’m no longer anemic. I’m willing to bet that if my anal wound hasn’t been bleeding for the last year, the levels would be even better, but I’m not going to complain too much.
My electrolyte levels are also looking good, which is a relief. I know that electrolytes are a concern for ileostomates, so I’m glad that’s not an issue for me right now.
I am puzzled by the hs-CRP, which is an inflammatory marker, but considering that I still have an anal wound, this may not be too out of the ordinary. My GP wasn’t concerned, but I did say that I would follow up with my GI sometime in the summer when I schedule another ileoscopy.
I was also taken back by my weight, which is now 183lbs, and is probably the heaviest I’ve been – ever. I’m not happy about this, and will work to get that weight down to a healthier level. Inactivity + night-time binges + eating waaaaay too much at dinner time + “making up for lost meals” = uncontrolled weight gain.
The Game Plan
- I picked up a different type of B12 supplement to try. I was offered monthly injections, but I’d like to see if I can get my levels up through regular supplementation (my levels were always on the high end of normal). One difference with the new B12 is that they are tablets, not sub-lingual, so I don’t know if that’ll positively or negatively impact my levels. Also, because they don’t contain added folic acid, I feel more comfortable taking them more often.
- For vitamin D, I will make it a habit to take my supplements more regularly. I do have a vegan vitamin D3, which is supposed to absorb better than traditional vitamin D2, but that’s only if you take it! I also plan on getting natural vitamin D through sun exposure this spring/summer.
- I’m going to make an attempt to eat more regularly, which might help with the shaky feeling I was having, but will reduce the volume of food I eat at one time.
Question: Have you had your lab work done recently? How were the results?
wpDiscuz
Do you have to pay for those tests?
No. When I retired my son, an insurance broker, took on the task of setting up good medicare/Medicaid supplemental insurance. For the most part things have been pretty much paid for
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That’s a relief. I can’t imagine having to pay for one test over another.
It’s not even something we think about here in Canada.
Ya. That’s a blessing for you. Wish they would greet it right down here without all the blasted politics
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I have had blood work done quite a lot lately due to extensive hospital stays. Interesting my D3 and Vit. B12 were way low too. And am now on 6000 units of D3 and 500 microunits of B12 daily. I am now also on potassium and magnesium supplements which i understand is common for ostomates. There has been concern also about my Creatinin levels being high (hospital said stage 3 kidney disease when i checked out, but my Nefrologist says all is well and kidneys performed as expected in a lengthy hospital stay). In addition to the Ostomy and Rheumatoid Arthritis I have Type 1 Diabetes. I have had horrid night mares about kidney dialisis.