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Persistent elevation of absolute immature granulocytes 7 months 0.04
Blood Cancers & Disorders | Last Active: Jun 16 4:25am | Replies (18)Comment receiving replies
@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?
Replies to "@lightgoddess! I totally misinterpreted what I read in an early post about visiting a cardiologist. I..."
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Thank you!
My latest CBC-DIFF showed normal but I will be doing a second check on this soon to be certain on that. Cardiology wise....found one and went in last week where he totally gaslit me the entire appointment. Told me my symptoms weren't cardiac related. 2 sentences later he asked me what my symptoms were (he didn't even know!) and when I went to tell him (intermittent shortness of breath, fainting, dizziness, lightheadedness, fatigue, nausea and cold sweats) I only got to the first 3 and he cut me off and said no, not cardiac related. Never asked me about earlier medical testing, family history, nothing. He said my persistent T wave inversions (over 8 months) in V1 and V2 (and now biphasic T Waves in V3 forming) with low voltage in limb leads are nothing unusual. Sure, if they were always inverted on the 2 MIGHT be normal variant for a young person (I am 61 and mostly sedentary but not obese) but new Biphasic waves too? Much less likely. I was so angry and upset that I was in tears on the way home. Now, the last couple weeks I have noted that every time I stretch out (leaning back on sofa with legs outstretched (only when very relaxed) or when waking my Blood Oxygen Sat drops very low. Typically drops between 88%-71%. I notified them on the 9th June. The nurse got back with me and asked (thru patient portal) if there was dizziness or shortness of breath when this happened, no. I then let them know that the latest drop was down to 64%. Then nothing till Friday, June 13. The nurse had him call me and he basically told me to sleep propped on pillows and set alarm clock every hour or 2 and sit upright till it gets normalized then I can go back to sleep. He said if it doesn't come right back up in a few minutes to go to ER (did that already on May 23 but, since it only happens when relaxed or during sleep (neither of which is possible in an ER setting) and I wasn't in the middle of a heart attack at that moment they just sent me home. So, he said "See you Thursday". and that was that. Talked to my insurance company and they aren't too pleased. They set me up for their 2nd Opinion option and they are supposed to call me Monday to go over all my history, etc and will pull my records and assess the case. They told me I need no referral and to set up an appointment Monday for a Cardiologist at another network that takes their coverage and see what mine says Wednesday and if he isn't being proactive with my case then to kick him to the curb. They also told me to change my PCP to one at another clinic network. We shall see where it goes next. Been Prodromal for Cardiac since mid January so clock is ticking and the wheels of the healthcare system move very slowly.