What does this blood report mean? Normocytic Normochromic?

Hi @mansimanoj, members of Mayo Connect aren’t medical professionals, we’re people like you, who are here on the forum working together to share our experiences to help other members find answers, to offer suggestions and encourage each other. So we can’t look at lab reports and diagnose or offer treatment.
However I’ve had a lot of experience looking at blood results so I can at least ease your mind about what you’re finding alarming and explain some of the terms.
The term normocytic normochromic means that the red cells are normal in size and normal in color. In your lab report it says normocytic normochromic ovalacytes which basically says you have normal red cells but that a few of them are elongated. That in itself is not really concerning because there can be a small amount in the blood naturally occurring. From my understanding if your hemoglobin numbers are good, it doesn’t mean anything. Your hemoglobin is right on target. If there is an abundance of those cells it can indicate an iron deficient anemia.

The other flagged areas are so close to the normal ranges that they don’t appear to be an issue. Our blood value numbers fluctuate day to day and can even depend on the amount of hydration in our bodies.
From my experiences, your numbers all look pretty much in the norm.

What did your doctor have to say about your blood results? What were you being checked for, anything in particular?

Welcome @mansimanoj, this is something to discuss with your doctor. Mayo Clinic Connect is a social network connecting patients with patients. Blood test results can be complicated for us patients and best left to the doctors. I do think it's good to learn as much as you can so that you can be a better advocate for your health, ask better questions and make good choices. I know my doctors generally call and go over test results with me within 24 to 48 hours after a test. Here some information you may find helpful until you can discuss the test results with your doctor.

-- What Is Normocytic Anemia?: https://www.healthline.com/health/normocytic-anemia

Are you able to call your doctor to discuss the results and ask about the alert message?
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@loribmt your reply was right on and should be very helpful. I have worked in a hospital lab since 1965 usually in Hemo and Chem. I wished my CBC was as good as that. I need a better Hb and Hct. Thanks for the answer you sent to a friend on Clinic Connect. This sure help till they talk to their Dr. KLH

Thank you so much for this pat on the back. I always second guess myself afterwards because this isn’t my area of expertise at all. But I’ve had an education by immersion the past 3 years and learned a great deal about ‘some’ of the important markers and what raises eyebrows. ☺️. On that note, I was excited to see my own bloodwork this morning after not having a test in 3 months. That’s huge for me! Previously they were daily then gradually the leash was lengthened. Now I’m at 3 mo intervals. But the news was all good and my numbers had my my oncologist High-Five me this morning!
I wish you well on your blood numbers. Hopefully you’ll see some improvements. Are you anemic and in treatment?

@loribmt Glad to hear about your report. It always makes your day. I have had a low Hb since I was 21 and can not seem to gain weight. My Hb went up after I turned 50 and now since I have a low BP and had a bout with Afib, it is going down. Now I weigh about 98 and still can not gain. If anyone reading this has a suggestion for a weight gain diet, not losing weight one. I am open to any comments or recipes to help me gain weight.

Keep me posted with lots of good labs coming for you. KLH

You’re no stranger to the low Hb. Thirty years is a long time to be coping with that. Interesting that it started around 21. Did you have an illness, EBV or anything like that? Was it low enough to have you chronically fatigued?
Interesting about the weight. Usually as we age, it comes on whether we want it to or not! 😅
I found a couple of posts on Connect regarding people trying to gain weight. The site I’m giving you is actually entitle Weight Management; guidance on selecting proteins powders. But within the discussion are conversations with people wanting to gain for various health reasons. This is the link: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/blog/weight-management-1/newsfeed-post/guidance-on-selecting-protein-powders-shake-and-bars/?pg=2

I had issues early on during cancer and transplant recovery in trying to put some meat back on my bones. The dietician at the hospital was great with tips to fatten me up. What I found though is that I really had issues gaining weight for about 2.5 years until I was off all my meds! They must have had an impact on my ability to absorb or break down the food. Because no matter what I ate, I barely gained anything. Last October I was able to stop all meds and I’ve gained back 10 pounds with no diet change! So now I have to start cutting calories so I don’t go crazy in the other direction. LOL
Have you seen an endocrinologist about the inability to gain weight or a dietary counselor?

@loribmt Thanks for the info on weight. In high school, I weighed around 120, and all through college about but when I got married in 1965 I only weighed 90. Before Feb. 2022 I was 106 and then all my body went into total fatigue and down went the pounds. Still down no matter what or how much I eat. I still have no energy to do what I need to. We eat out two meals a day because I can barely stand for long enough to cook, do dishes, or do housework. I have been able to keep up with laundry. I have asked but no one seems interested in my diet. I am just trying to keep going and improve a little each day. KLH

It has to be so incredibly frustrating for you to have this level of fatigue. I looked back on some older conversations because I remember having some chats with you in the “What’s outside your picture window?” group…then there was a lag. And I just realized that you had some event in February and that was the start of your tiredness and weight loss.
Have you had a second opinion? “Total Fatigue”, for me, would be a questionable diagnosis out of the blue. Were you checked for Lyme Disease? Any latent EBV or CMV? It’s weird that your life changed so abruptly without some cause, especially if your blood numbers are good. Though you did say your Hb is down. Did you have your ferritin level checked? There are a number of members in our Covid Vaccination group who have experienced drops in their RBC, Hb and ferritin levels. I’m just curious if you’ve had that checked?
I know your background is laboratory & blood analysis so my asking you is like a student asking the teacher. 😂. But this level of fatigue, I’d want to know more! And especially since you’ve lost so much weight too.
Too bad you’re not up where I live, there’s a Drive thru chain with Concrete Malts…if you want a guarantee to put on pounds…that’s your secret to success right there…and elastic waist pants! 😂

@loribmt Nice to hear from you again. I have no idea what happened but starting in Feb. 2022 I started to get a lack of O2 in my legs. They got really wobbly and weak. As time went on I was having a hard time just getting meals prepared. Then I was too tired and was not hungry so the pounds, I guess started melting away. I lost all my fat and some muscle tone. Some of it is because of my age. I was to have surgery on 4/18/2022 but that did not happen. The first week of March, I saw my OB. lung Dr., and PCP. I could hardly walk into my appts. without help walking. But none of them sent me to the ER. That was on Thursday and on Sunday I called 911 and had critical cardio labs and afib. Then my journey began, I went upstairs to the main hospital for three weeks, moved to the rehab hospital for three weeks, and then to extended care till May 5th when I finally returned home (gone almost 3 months). My house is a war zone, the other half did not do much inside but took care of the farm and cattle.
I was told that my body was in total, total fatigue mode. I have seen so many Drs., Cardio, PT, OT, ST, Resp, FNP, PA, Endo, and many more. I can not remember much, it is such a blur and still trying to put a timeline together. I finally see my PCP tomorrow and hope we can figure out, which drug was ordered by who and why. I have been having so many side effects from all the new meds. I would like to throw some in the trash. On another note, my Hb was 13.4 throughout all my journey. The only thing is last year my TSH started climbing and was not addressed until I was in extended care. Now going down toward normal.
Now my main problem is my BP which is running low and lower when I stand up. Cardio says I have CHF. I only afib once and nothing else in my life. I am so confused and told this is as good as it gets. I am trying to do a little more each day as I can. Last two nights I have gone out in the year to water a couple of trees that seem to be dying in this heat. It felt good to be outside in the fresh air at night. I did have an angio when I first went into the ER. I was told my heart was clean with problems from the good old country living. I do have an echo coming soon that may give a better idea of how I am progressing. I hope I have answered some or all of your questions. Thanks for being a good caring listener. Please keep me posted on how you are doing. Stay healthy. KLH
PS We do have an Andy's Custard and DQ for malts, they are 30 miles away from the farm.