Hi @vero210, mom’s are notorious for ‘I’m fine, nothing’s wrong’… She’s lucky to have an attentive daughter who is proactive for her mom’s health. ☺️
If your mom is dealing with smudge cells, I think you’re already aware that this could be an indication of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL), though there are also some other occurrences where cells can be fragile and ‘smear’ when being tested.
I know the word leukemia puts fear in any heart. But CLL is generally very slow to develop and often patients don’t require any treatment for years. So take a deep breath and we’ll wait to find out what your mom’s bloodwork shows. I had a very serious and aggressive form of leukemia and now in a durable remission. (My daughter was in the same position of ‘fearing the worst’). I know the anxiety of bloodwork but it’s also beneficial to find things out early if there is an issue. And often, what we imagine is much worse than reality. 🙃
Is your mom having the peripheral blood smear done soon? Let me know what you find out, ok?
They haven’t set a date for that yet. I told her she needs to get on it asap and rush her pcp so hopefully this week she will get it done, she’s hid it for so long, I don’t understand why!! I told her that we are all here for what ever she needs so let’s do it sooner than later! I’m the bossy middle child 😩
They haven’t set a date for that yet. I told her she needs to get on it asap and rush her pcp so hopefully this week she will get it done, she’s hid it for so long, I don’t understand why!! I told her that we are all here for what ever she needs so let’s do it sooner than later! I’m the bossy middle child 😩
It’s ok…what’s in the past has passed! Your mom is getting the attention she needs now.
As a mom, I can tell you we tend to ‘spare’ our children because we expect whatever is going on will take care of itself. We don’t want to cause alarm for no reason. 🙄
I learned that from my mom and honestly, it drove me nuts when she would hide medical issues!! By the time she’d let me know about some things, they’d gone too far!
So, when I was diagnosed with AML, my daughter was in on it from day one, along with my husband. I don’t agree with hiding the details from the people who need to know the most…my family. It gave them time to prepare for any eventuality and also to help me make important decisions that would impact the family.
I applaud you for being the bossy middle child! Your mom may not admit this but having her situation out in the open has to be a relief for her. This way you can all pitch in to help ease her anxieties and also be there for each other. There may be nothing of concern but, until she has the tests, no one knows. And it’s important to find out early.
So stand your ground and be supported. Your mom has raised you to be thoughtful and caring. So this is a time she can see her adult kids being there for her! My daughter was 36 at the time of my diagnosis and I was so incredibly proud of how she handled everything. We moms tend to think of our kids as our kids no matter how old they are. But when we get the chance to see them adulting, it’s one of those moments of pride we never forget. So keep being the adult and help your mom make those decisions she’s dragging her heals about. 🙃
Keep me updated!
It’s ok…what’s in the past has passed! Your mom is getting the attention she needs now.
As a mom, I can tell you we tend to ‘spare’ our children because we expect whatever is going on will take care of itself. We don’t want to cause alarm for no reason. 🙄
I learned that from my mom and honestly, it drove me nuts when she would hide medical issues!! By the time she’d let me know about some things, they’d gone too far!
So, when I was diagnosed with AML, my daughter was in on it from day one, along with my husband. I don’t agree with hiding the details from the people who need to know the most…my family. It gave them time to prepare for any eventuality and also to help me make important decisions that would impact the family.
I applaud you for being the bossy middle child! Your mom may not admit this but having her situation out in the open has to be a relief for her. This way you can all pitch in to help ease her anxieties and also be there for each other. There may be nothing of concern but, until she has the tests, no one knows. And it’s important to find out early.
So stand your ground and be supported. Your mom has raised you to be thoughtful and caring. So this is a time she can see her adult kids being there for her! My daughter was 36 at the time of my diagnosis and I was so incredibly proud of how she handled everything. We moms tend to think of our kids as our kids no matter how old they are. But when we get the chance to see them adulting, it’s one of those moments of pride we never forget. So keep being the adult and help your mom make those decisions she’s dragging her heals about. 🙃
Keep me updated!
Thank you so much for all of your feed back it helps to get an understanding from an outsider!! It’s driving me crazy because I feel useless in this situation so hearing that from a mother makes me feel so much better I will keep you updated throughout this process
Hi @vero210, mom’s are notorious for ‘I’m fine, nothing’s wrong’… She’s lucky to have an attentive daughter who is proactive for her mom’s health. ☺️
If your mom is dealing with smudge cells, I think you’re already aware that this could be an indication of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL), though there are also some other occurrences where cells can be fragile and ‘smear’ when being tested.
I know the word leukemia puts fear in any heart. But CLL is generally very slow to develop and often patients don’t require any treatment for years. So take a deep breath and we’ll wait to find out what your mom’s bloodwork shows. I had a very serious and aggressive form of leukemia and now in a durable remission. (My daughter was in the same position of ‘fearing the worst’). I know the anxiety of bloodwork but it’s also beneficial to find things out early if there is an issue. And often, what we imagine is much worse than reality. 🙃
Is your mom having the peripheral blood smear done soon? Let me know what you find out, ok?
Those labs overall look good. The elevated leukocytes did bump up the WBC which is expected. Otherwise, everything else is normal As mentioned above, if CLL is indicated, it's slow moving and may not need any treatment at all or not for a while. I was diagnosed with CLL in 2020 on a routine lab draw. My PCP had noticed elevated lymphocytes (about4.5, which is not very elevated!) on an ongoing basis so he decided to do further testing. CLL was indicated in the smears, genetic testing, etc. Further record checking indicated that those elevated lymphocytes went back to 2014! Today I am still asymptomatic and don't require treatment. My WBC is normal and lymphos are 3,8. I am very fortunate so far. I am told that CLL is a good leukemia to have if you have to have leukemia.
Thank you so much for all of your feed back it helps to get an understanding from an outsider!! It’s driving me crazy because I feel useless in this situation so hearing that from a mother makes me feel so much better I will keep you updated throughout this process
Hello, not quite she has her follow up on Tuesday they did a bone marrow biopsy. chronic lymphoproliferative disorder of NK cells. That’s something of what she said
Hello, not quite she has her follow up on Tuesday they did a bone marrow biopsy. chronic lymphoproliferative disorder of NK cells. That’s something of what she said
Good morning, @vero210,
Lymphoproliferative disorders are a group of diseases characterized by the uncontrolled production of white blood cells called lymphocytes. They’re called Chronic (instead of acute) because they’re often ongoing but are generally slow to develop. Chronic lymphoproliferative disorders are a group of diseases involving T cells, B cells or natural killer (NK) cells which are all components of the white blood cell.
Clear as mud, right? If your mom has a chronic disorder of her Natural Killer cells that means it’s not aggressive but more of a sustained increase in mature natural killer cells for longer than 6 months without a clear cause.
You’ll learn about what this means and what your mom’s potential treatment options are after her biopsy report is read. Sometimes these blood disorders are separated by only small nuances so it can take time to get a firm diagnosis. When you find out we’ll see if there are other members here with the same diagnosis so you can Connect with them. So let me know, ok?
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They haven’t set a date for that yet. I told her she needs to get on it asap and rush her pcp so hopefully this week she will get it done, she’s hid it for so long, I don’t understand why!! I told her that we are all here for what ever she needs so let’s do it sooner than later! I’m the bossy middle child 😩
It’s ok…what’s in the past has passed! Your mom is getting the attention she needs now.
As a mom, I can tell you we tend to ‘spare’ our children because we expect whatever is going on will take care of itself. We don’t want to cause alarm for no reason. 🙄
I learned that from my mom and honestly, it drove me nuts when she would hide medical issues!! By the time she’d let me know about some things, they’d gone too far!
So, when I was diagnosed with AML, my daughter was in on it from day one, along with my husband. I don’t agree with hiding the details from the people who need to know the most…my family. It gave them time to prepare for any eventuality and also to help me make important decisions that would impact the family.
I applaud you for being the bossy middle child! Your mom may not admit this but having her situation out in the open has to be a relief for her. This way you can all pitch in to help ease her anxieties and also be there for each other. There may be nothing of concern but, until she has the tests, no one knows. And it’s important to find out early.
So stand your ground and be supported. Your mom has raised you to be thoughtful and caring. So this is a time she can see her adult kids being there for her! My daughter was 36 at the time of my diagnosis and I was so incredibly proud of how she handled everything. We moms tend to think of our kids as our kids no matter how old they are. But when we get the chance to see them adulting, it’s one of those moments of pride we never forget. So keep being the adult and help your mom make those decisions she’s dragging her heals about. 🙃
Keep me updated!
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1 ReactionThank you so much for all of your feed back it helps to get an understanding from an outsider!! It’s driving me crazy because I feel useless in this situation so hearing that from a mother makes me feel so much better I will keep you updated throughout this process
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Like -
Helpful -
Hug
3 ReactionsThose labs overall look good. The elevated leukocytes did bump up the WBC which is expected. Otherwise, everything else is normal As mentioned above, if CLL is indicated, it's slow moving and may not need any treatment at all or not for a while. I was diagnosed with CLL in 2020 on a routine lab draw. My PCP had noticed elevated lymphocytes (about4.5, which is not very elevated!) on an ongoing basis so he decided to do further testing. CLL was indicated in the smears, genetic testing, etc. Further record checking indicated that those elevated lymphocytes went back to 2014! Today I am still asymptomatic and don't require treatment. My WBC is normal and lymphos are 3,8. I am very fortunate so far. I am told that CLL is a good leukemia to have if you have to have leukemia.
Hi @vero210. How’s your mom doing? Has she gotten a clear diagnosis yet?
Hello, not quite she has her follow up on Tuesday they did a bone marrow biopsy. chronic lymphoproliferative disorder of NK cells. That’s something of what she said
But I have no idea what that means
Good morning, @vero210,
Lymphoproliferative disorders are a group of diseases characterized by the uncontrolled production of white blood cells called lymphocytes. They’re called Chronic (instead of acute) because they’re often ongoing but are generally slow to develop. Chronic lymphoproliferative disorders are a group of diseases involving T cells, B cells or natural killer (NK) cells which are all components of the white blood cell.
Clear as mud, right? If your mom has a chronic disorder of her Natural Killer cells that means it’s not aggressive but more of a sustained increase in mature natural killer cells for longer than 6 months without a clear cause.
I think this article gives fairly good and easier to understand information on proliferative diseases, how they’re diagnosed and potential treatments.
https://www.healthline.com/health/cancer/lymphoproliferative-disorder#overview
You’ll learn about what this means and what your mom’s potential treatment options are after her biopsy report is read. Sometimes these blood disorders are separated by only small nuances so it can take time to get a firm diagnosis. When you find out we’ll see if there are other members here with the same diagnosis so you can Connect with them. So let me know, ok?
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
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