Low blood counts and low oxygen after a medical procedure: Why?

@rosalinda Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. I see you have been a long-time member, and this is your first post!

Having posted in the blood cancer support group, I am wondering if you are living with a blood cancer? Having a bit more information about your health conditions, may help me give you some more guided information. After the CT, were the doctors able to give you any insight to the cause of your symptoms?
Ginger

@rosalinda Normally, I'm not posting in the blood cancer group, and it sounds like your imaging hasn't been finding anything. What concerns me is that bending forward brings on mid chest pain. There may be a lot depending on your posture that may happen. Bending forward will move your spinal cord within the spinal canal, and if there are any problems in there that could touch or squeeze the spinal cord, it could produce a pain. You also mentioned issues moving your neck side to side, and weakness in calves and pain in forearms.

The issues I have had that can produce symptoms similar to this were caused by a spine problem compressing the spinal cord in my neck and by thoracic outlet syndrome. TOS can cause difficulty breathing, and when I have trouble when allergies cause congestion, I use my neck muscles involuntarily to yank up on the first rib trying to expand my rib cage for more air. My rib cage gets very tight and is tighter on one side because the TOS is worse on that side. My therapist will use myosfascial release to stretch out the tight fascia to let my chest expand again, and work on my neck to get the first rib back where it should be.

Here is a discussion where you can learn about myofascial release:

Myofascial Release Therapy (MFR) for treating compression and pain: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/myofascial-release-therapy-mfr-for-treating-compression-and-pain/

I do get aching in my forearms from TOS, and they have been blotchy, and especially my hands used to turn purple or bluish and get blotchy and be cool to the touch. Spinal cord compression can affect any part of he body below a level where there is a problem, and often can cause weakness in legs, uneven gait and difficulty walking. TOS can happen right alongside a spine injury from something like a whiplash. A spine problem may takes years to develop. For me, it took about 20 years after a whiplash for a disc in my neck to rupture and begin to cause the formation of bone spurs that were pressing into my spinal cord. I had spine surgery at Mayo which resolved all of that. I still have TOS, and that is very much affected by posture. Any forward slouching posture will compress nerves in the brachial plexus that go to the arms. Good posture, core strength, and physical therapy helps alleviate symptoms.

Has there been any mention on any of your reports about any spine issues?

TOS is misunderstood by most doctors, so to get a proper diagnosis, a patient should seek a multidisciplinary medical center that treats the condition. Mayo does diagnose this and I was seen there in the vascular lab where they tested me with blood pressure cuffs on my fingers and moved my arm into different positions and in certain positions, my circulation is cut off and pressure drops. My TOS diagnosis was missed by my doctors for several years and missed by a hand surgeon who didn't understand why his carpal tunnel surgery didn't take away all the symptoms. Having TOS adds some confusion when diagnosing exactly where pain could be generated from the spine when there is a spine condition.

Here is some extensive information about thoracic outlet syndrome or TOS:

This is a facebook post about breathing difficulties with TOS also from MSK Neurology
https://www.facebook.com/mskneurology1/posts/breathing-difficulty-in-tos-and-radiculopathyweakness-of-the-c7-and-c8-myotomes-/1269617656772480/

On TOS and respiratory function
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32829949/

Have you had an injury to your neck or a whiplash in your past? From your description, it sounds like your neck is very tight. Have you had physical therapy for your neck and shoulders?

Jennifer

Hello, thank you. I have anemia, iron deficiency, and vitamin d defiency. I suffer from heavy menstrual cycles due to fibroids. The medical procedure I had was a hysteroscopy with myosure and suction. It failed and made me bleed out 2 weeks after the procedure that required 2 blood transfusions. This past Wednesday, I had to get another blood transfusion. I also am fused from L2-S1 with hardware. I have some herniated discs in neck and CT scan of neck showed at C2 a likely vertebral hemangiona and a hypoattenuating nodule measuring at least 6mm in left thyroid lobe. Lower extremity DVT showed no evidence of clots in leg. CT of chest pulmonary embolism with IV contrast is next.

@rosalinda Like you, I suffered mightily from uterine fibroids tumors. In January 1999 I had surgery to remove them. Prior to that, I had the heavy menstrual periods, anemia, and iron deficiency.

No longer having the fibroid issues, I have anemia and iron storage issues due to other health concerns, including a blood cancer. It is important that your doctors work with you and treat you accurately. If you do not feel like that is happening, please seek a second opinion at a major teaching hospital or clinic like Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, John Hopkins University, etc.

Having the back fusion areas and cervical concerns, I can see why your neck may be feeling like it is not stable, and you try to get a position that is sustainable for you! From your original post, "Also when I lean forward I get mid chest pain. What can be causing these episodes of low oxygen, fast heart rate, with weakness in calves and posterior forearms and pain" might well be attributed to the anemia and low iron issue.

How are you feeling today?
Ginger

Could it have been caused by the anesthesia? I had half my thyroid removed. Before surgery my blood work was normal. After I was told I had cll and anemia. I felt weak probably due to low oxygen for months. The doctors blew it off at Metro Health Center in Cleveland. I asked for the surgery report and the anesthesia report. I agree with the previous post to go to a teaching hospital if you can.

I don't know if it was from the anesthesia but I still feel awful. I am losing weight and can't seem to keep it on. The more I eat the more I am losing. The drs tested my thyroid and PTH is at 81 but endocrinologist says it's secondary hyperparathyroidism because I am low on vitamin d. Dr's ordered ultrasound and I have 3 nodules on thyroid and Dr said nothing suspicious and would repeat ultrasound in a year, so no help. My throat has been real sore since the ultra sound with burning mouth and tongue and it hurts in back of neck down to my chest and esophagus. I am at 104 pds and feel I am slowly depleting. I have also been depleting potassium, magnesium, and phosphorus in my urine and notice my Glucose levels up and down. Got tested for diabetes and it came back normal. I lost weight but seems whatever this is eating my muscles. I have a lot of pain and weakness in arms and legs. I don't know what else to ask for or do. Hospitals can't seem to find nothing and have done several xrays and ct scans and nothing. Hospitals give me iv fluids, potassium and magnesium and send me home. Not sure what to do anymore.

I live in San Antonio, Texas and getting care from University Health Hospital. Do you all recommend a better hospital here in San Antonio, Texas or should I travel to a different city and state?

Is it possible that you could have a telehealth visit at Mayo Clinic and email them your lab tests? Or perhaps some other top medical facility. I was given the brush off when I was terribly sick after thyroid surgery. (I did eventually recover but it really took months and months). I think they were reluctant to admit anything went wrong. It was Metrohealth Medical in Cleveland, Ohio. I hope you can get some help soon. Do the infusions help you feel better?