Haematologist

[Concerned1001]

Also posted in General Health but thought I'd bet a better response here.

Today I was meant to have a face to face appointment with my GP to discuss my blood results. The surgery called me yesterday to say that I needed to see the GP and booked today's appointment.

When I got there the GP said that they wouldn't see me because they need to refer me to a haematologist so they can look at my results.

I'm really upset and worried that something is seriously wrong with me and the lady who would speak to me wasn't medically trained so she couldn't give me any answers as to why I was being referred other than "your inflammation levels are very high and it needs looking into further now we know you definitely don't have rheumatoid arthritis"

WTF. I asked for a copy of my blood results and have made the mistake of googling my results and it seems as though they are now trying to rule out myeloma.

Has anyone had a haematologist look at their results and it's been nothing to worry about? I don't know anybody who has been diagnosed with cancer but I would like to think that if my GP suspected that's what I have my appointment would have gone ahead?

Really hoping someone replies

Didn't want to read and run.

I don't have any personal experience with a haematologist but I do type a lot of results letters in my role. And many of them are for patients referred due to higher-than-normal XYorZ, which then settles and patient is discharged. So yes, it can turn out to be nothing.

Having said that, I am not medically trained so have no info at all to offer on your situation.

What I will say is that it is a good thing you're being referred to a specialist. They'll be able to explain things in more detail, and if there is anything, they'll be able to provide support.

Please try not to worry - I know this is hard. But it's better to wait for a real answer from your Haematologist than get a confusing response from a GP which will cause more worry. Stay strong x

Phone up on Monday and ask to speak to a GP. They're fairly good at being honest with you about concerns.

Sorry you are going through this. I think your GP has behaved really shoddily. I don’t think anyone can answer your question re seeing a hematologist as it’s such an individual thing. I hope you get clarity very soon. I’d be banging on the GPS door for an explanation on Monday to give you an idea of what to expect.

Honestly, "inflammation" , even high levels, can be caused by so many things.

It depends on your other symptoms, what they've already ruled out. You can get crazy levels from flu, what about diabetes, have you had a covid test recently?

There must be something specific that made the GP refer you, but it's always possible that they missed something with another patient, and are erring on the side of ridiculously cautious.

So difficult to find this out on a Friday, sorry your have a long wait.

Thank you all for replying.

Yes I'm annoyed at how the GP behaved yesterday, I was hoping to sit down and have a real chat about how poorly I'm actually feeling and was hoping to leave with a prescription for something to help me feel better. This has been going on since February

I already have T1 diabetes which is really well controlled so they've ruled that out, they've tested me for arthritis and it's not that & they've ruled out anaemia which is what I thought was wrong.

My symptoms are that I'm extremely fatigued, even loading and unloading the dishwasher wears me out and I need to sit down afterwards. I'm out of breath even when resting, I'm permanently cold and the last week or so I feel as though the bones in my hips and legs ache.

The most recent blood results have shown high inflammation and high protein levels.

I get tested for covid twice weekly due to work and I have had both of the vaccines too.

I'm 29 and I've got 2 young children to look after and I feel I'm not doing that properly because I'm not well enough. My son is only 11 months old.

I would wonder whether the high inflammation and high protein are actually one and the same, because CRP is an inflammatory marker, but also a protein. If it was another protein I think it would be related to a specific issue, ie raised liver markers etc..

Anyway, it was obviously high enough to make him think it's outside his comfort zone, which is fine, better he pass it on.

When you say it's not anaemia, the are still doctors who only take haemoglobin into account, ignoring stored iron/ ferritin which can have a huge effect.

So much to consider, but I hope I've reassured you there's a ton of other stuff before myeloma.

Finally, did you have the bloods in the days following your vaccinations, because they cause an inflammatory response...

Yeah I got a call from the GP asking where I was and saying I needed to go to haematology now (this was early evening)
Turned up to find the consultant waiting so was slightly freaked out! I'm fine, but I do have a rare blood disorder which I inject weekly for and see haematology every 12 weeks

Thank you both, that's reassuring.

The first blood test was 2 months after the first vaccine and the second was 1 week before the second one. The GP knows that I've had them done and the dates too. (I didn't have it at their surgery, I had them at work)

I'm really hoping that it'll come back as nothing serious. I just wish that the GP could have told me what she wants the haematologist to look at or give me an idea of what she thinks it could be. I hate not knowing these types of things.

Hello, I’m sorry you’re feeling so awful.

I’m T1 too and I immediately wondered if they screened your thyroid function and also B12 levels.

Hashimoto (auto-immune hypothyroidism) and Pernicious anemia (when your body can’t absorb B12) seem to be common companions to T1.