Connect
Persistent elevation of absolute immature granulocytes 7 months 0.04
Blood (CBC-Diff) test at ER in October 2024 and again in May 2025 show 0.04 elevation in absolute immature granulocytes. Lab note says: "Immature granulocytes are left-shifted granulocytes and do not equal blasts. They are composed of metamyelocytes, myelocytes, and promyelocytes. Their presence can be seen in infection, inflammation, certain medication effects, or other bone marrow stimuli. Occasionally, persistent increase in immature granulocytes may be part of myeloid neoplastic process. Correlation with clinical findings is recommended for complete interpretation of this parameter. Please also note that peripheral blood with immature granulocytes >5% will be manually reviewed by lab personnel and/or pathologists." My Dr is dismissing this persistent elevation and says it is of no concerns without any further diagnostics....just wants to ignore it. What should I do?
Like
Helpful
HugInterested in more discussions like this? Go to the Blood Cancers & Disorders Support Group.
Connect
@lightgoddess! I totally misinterpreted what I read in an early post about visiting a cardiologist. I thought you’d already gone through the waiting period and that you’d finally be seeing a PA from that office…my apologies.
So, what I’d suggest when visiting your PA-C for primary care, is to be polite but assertive in telling them that you want/need a cardiac referral. Let them know that you’re concerned with ongoing symptoms! Those symptoms, combined with an extensive familial history of heart conditions, are cause for concern and delaying isn’t getting you the answers.
In no way should they make the decision to keep you waiting for a referral!
Another option: When you’re having the dizziness, racing heart or fainting episodes, get to an ED. You’ll get checked out in a hurry for heart issues and often a referral for a cardiac consult. You still may be instructed to check in with your PCP but that you should have a Cardi-consult.
Keep notes, either in a little journal or your phone about your symptoms and what you’d like to say to the provider.
You can also tell them that you’d like some labs run to help assess the level of inflammation present in your system and maybe find the underlying cause. That you’re concerned about the continued higher IG reading which can suggest elevated inflammation.
And now that you mentioned the 65 pound, unintentional weight loss, that should also warrant attention. You might request orders for a CBC with differential and a metabolic panel. These are standard labs but give a provider more detailed information of the blood, along with liver and kidney functions. Have you had your thyroid checked?
None of these are over-the-top requests and it shouldn’t matter anyway! You have a right to be an advocate for your health. You know your body better than anyone. When something is ‘off’, you know it and should trust your gut.
Your doctor should be working for you and taking your concerns seriously. If not, then it may be time to change providers. I know you said your insurance may not allow for a change of clinics but you may have the option of another doctor in the same clinic. I just did a similar switch. After 3 years with my PCP, we were still not on the same page. He was prickly, dismissive, and wasn’t able to be a team player with my oncology partners. So I changed to another provider. She’s fantastic and works collaboratively with my transplant team and local hematologist oncologists.
You have a right to be heard. Do you have the option of switching a PCP?