1. < Blood Cancers & Disorders

Teardrop cells in manual smear.

Posted by esselltee @esselltee, Dec 29, 2023

Hi all,
I am not diagnosed with any blood-related issues yet, but I am feeling alone and scared and not getting anywhere fast with answers, so I wanted to see if anyone here might have experience with this particular thing. Thank you in advance for creating space for me. 🙂

So
 many many things precede this health wise that I have chalked up to poor luck, but now am wondering if they were signs or symptoms. That said, this mid-November I had woken up pre dawn to profuse forehead sweating and nausea. Discomfort in middle abdomen. Felt like I needed to vomit. Dizzy walking to bathroom. Sitting on toilet I lost hearing for a few seconds, dizzy felt like I would fall forward, sweating intensely. Induced bile to come up by sticking finger in throat (sorry for visual). Helped a bit/episode passed. Assumed I had stomach bug. Proceeded thru next day with no problems. Two weeks later same time of night and same symptoms. Did not induce vomiting this time. Episode passed on its own. Called pcp next day and they had me come in and ran bloodwork. CBC/CMP/and GFR and did an EKG in the office which apparently was fine. I was never told the results of my bloodwork, but could see them in the portal. For some reason - I assume because of the slightly high RBC (5.45) and wbc (11.80) ? - a manual smear was done. That saw >2 teardrop and >5 Burr cells along with slightly high RDW-CV.
Fast forward to the next night: same exact symptoms/episode. At this point I have not heard from my pcp about my blood etc. and now I am kind of wondering if this is what a “female heart attack” feels like. So I call the on call doc for my pcp as it’s after midnight. As soon as I mentioned fear of heart attack though she tells me to call an ambulance. Instead I had my husband drop me at the ED. They ran tests. Troponin or whatnot was just slightly high at 4 I think so they waited an hour or two and did it again. Was 3. Ruled out heart but had me put in a zio patch just in case for two weeks. No real answer for what happened, but it did leave me with some more bloodwork results. CBC and CMP again. Red blood cells still slightly high, white blood cells down a smidge to under high. No smear done on this one.

Because I read things online about teardrop cells AND I am having what seems to be severe anemia symptoms (the whites of my eyes are blue and currently I have around 20 or so bruises on my body) AND my pcp isn’t being responsive, I have done two iron panels thru private pay lab 10 days apart in the month of December. Can also give results of those but as far as I can tell I am not anemic as all of the iron marker things seem normal aside from percent saturation which is low. And red blood cells - while no longer high out of range like first result - have continued to be on high end. Most recent one showed high eosinophils as well. On both of these private labs, reticulocytes border on high.

As an aside: have within last year or two dealt with extremely heavy menstrual bleeding. Became anemic around that time and started iron supplements and obviously attributed it to menstrual. Had hysterectomy. Iron corrected. Came off iron. This past summer had either many UTIs or one that wouldn’t go away with many different antibiotics but in the middle of that I also had a strange onset of hives. Never had hives before. Lasted a couple of weeks. Saw allergist/immunologist who said it wasn’t from the antibiotics and also ran bloodwork. Have those results too. Since then my face has been flushed all the time. Not sure if connection. Additionally, off and on there is a sort of bruised feeling around bottom of my left rib cage. It comes and goes. Today when I bent leftward in shower, I felt it for example. Again, feels almost like if you were pressing on a bruise. Haven’t wanted to worry about it because I do know that I’ve read about the spleen location and thought “maybe I am imagining it bc I know what to look for?”

I eventually called my pcp and asked about the bloodwork and teardrop cells and the blue in the sclera of my eyes and she didn’t know what they were but told me I shouldn’t be concerned. When I pressed she said she would recheck my blood in 6 weeks and we will see. Seems odd to me, given the teardrop cells possible diagnoses and limited - if not no - differential diagnoses.

Long story short: many many odd things with many many labs that have months long trends of being abnormal (high platelets for two tests, for example, high absolute immature granulocytes for many tests, high wbc counts for multiple tests) and feel that something clearly is not right. Maybe hasn’t been for a while? At the very least, the teardrop cells aren’t normal. At least nothing I can find online says so. Has anyone ever dealt with teardrop cells? Or have knowledge of them? A story similar?
I appreciate your time,
🙂

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Blood Cancers & Disorders Support Group.

Mentor
Lori, Volunteer Mentor | @loribmt | Dec 30, 2023

Good morning, @esselltee. I’m so happy you found Mayo Connect. You just joined a big, welcoming family so I hope you will no longer feel so alone with what you’re going through.

Waking up not feeling well, repeatedly, is traumatic no matter what the diagnosis. It’s understandable that you’re concerned, given the symptoms you’ve been having. You know your body better than anyone else and if you’re feeling off, then of course you want to have your doctor verify nothing is amiss. I’m sorry you’re not getting much feedback from your doctor. Doesn’t mean you can’t be the squeaky wheel and keep gently prodding for answers.

Blood tests can reveal quite a bit about our health. A diagnosis can’t usually be given based on the values of just one lab. But given that you’ve had repeated labs, and they are trending in certain values, has raised a red flag in your eyes. You’ve also seen that some of your red blood cells have a tear drop shape and which can indicate a change in the health of your bone marrow and how your blood is being formed. They can be found in the presence of anemia but it’s good to know the underlying cause.

From my own experience, having an enlarged spleen does feel very similar to what you’re experiencing but this is also something that you need to bring to the attention of your doctor. It might be helpful to keep a little journal of these symptoms and any correlations you feel are relevant.

My other suggestion, would be to get a referral to a hematologist. This is a doctor who specializes in blood disorders and irregularities. I think for your peace of mind, you’d feel better getting answers for the changes you’re seeing in your health and blood result.

Do you need a referral or is can you see a specialist without a ‘note from your doctor’?

REPLY
1 reply
esselltee | @esselltee | Dec 30, 2023
In reply to @loribmt "Good morning, @esselltee. I’m so happy you found Mayo Connect. You just joined a big, welcoming..." + (show)
@loribmt

Good morning, @esselltee. I’m so happy you found Mayo Connect. You just joined a big, welcoming family so I hope you will no longer feel so alone with what you’re going through.

Waking up not feeling well, repeatedly, is traumatic no matter what the diagnosis. It’s understandable that you’re concerned, given the symptoms you’ve been having. You know your body better than anyone else and if you’re feeling off, then of course you want to have your doctor verify nothing is amiss. I’m sorry you’re not getting much feedback from your doctor. Doesn’t mean you can’t be the squeaky wheel and keep gently prodding for answers.

Blood tests can reveal quite a bit about our health. A diagnosis can’t usually be given based on the values of just one lab. But given that you’ve had repeated labs, and they are trending in certain values, has raised a red flag in your eyes. You’ve also seen that some of your red blood cells have a tear drop shape and which can indicate a change in the health of your bone marrow and how your blood is being formed. They can be found in the presence of anemia but it’s good to know the underlying cause.

From my own experience, having an enlarged spleen does feel very similar to what you’re experiencing but this is also something that you need to bring to the attention of your doctor. It might be helpful to keep a little journal of these symptoms and any correlations you feel are relevant.

My other suggestion, would be to get a referral to a hematologist. This is a doctor who specializes in blood disorders and irregularities. I think for your peace of mind, you’d feel better getting answers for the changes you’re seeing in your health and blood result.

Do you need a referral or is can you see a specialist without a ‘note from your doctor’?

Jump to this post

Oh gosh! @loribmt Your words are so compassionate and I thank you for just responding- but even more so in such a calming way.
I have actually called three different hematologists in the area and got the same answer from them all: even though I do not need a referral from my doc per my insurance, they say they will not take self-referrals. My sweet husband actually got upset and called BC/BS (our insurance) and asked for help and they did say that that wasn’t allowed and that they were happy to be on the line with me if I want to call again and they’d advocate. I - being averse to conflict lol - have not taken them up on that.
A small light of hope for me is that I - by coincidence- had a telehealth appointment already scheduled for Jan 11 with a regional cancer specialist for a genetic risk assessment I qualified for (my maternal AND paternal grandmothers both passed from pancreatic cancer and I have had nearly 10 precancerous colon polyps thus far at 45 years of age). I have told the patient coordinator there about this recent discovery (teardrop cells) and my concern about them and she did say she would pass the information on to the nurse and genetic counseling team. So, maybe that is a start?
Thank you for sharing your experience with spleen pain. I guess I also keep questioning if it’s my spleen bc when I feel around under my ribs (I know
 I probably shouldn’t be pushing there just in case) I don’t FEEL anything enlarged. But, I am not a doc, don’t know what to look for, AND I am overweight and hold most of my weight in my midsection. So that probably doesn’t help.
It is crazy how we can “gaslight” our own self sometimes. I keep talking myself out of believing what I know I feel and what I know is likely (given not many other possibilities for teardrop cells). For example, my wbc counts back over the summer were June 23: 16.04; June 24: 18.14; June 29: 15.09; July 7: 12:84
 which were all high obviously, BUT it was also when I was having the repeat/stubborn UTIs. So, was THAT causing the wbc? Was the wbc causing the UTI? Was a blood cancer causing both?? Who knows?! These are things running through my head.
At the risk of making this post a novel (may be too late! Lol), thank you again for responding. It means a lot.
-Stacy

REPLY
1 reply
Mentor
Lori, Volunteer Mentor | @loribmt | Dec 30, 2023
In reply to @esselltee "Oh gosh! @loribmt Your words are so compassionate and I thank you for just responding- but..." + (show)
@esselltee

Oh gosh! @loribmt Your words are so compassionate and I thank you for just responding- but even more so in such a calming way.
I have actually called three different hematologists in the area and got the same answer from them all: even though I do not need a referral from my doc per my insurance, they say they will not take self-referrals. My sweet husband actually got upset and called BC/BS (our insurance) and asked for help and they did say that that wasn’t allowed and that they were happy to be on the line with me if I want to call again and they’d advocate. I - being averse to conflict lol - have not taken them up on that.
A small light of hope for me is that I - by coincidence- had a telehealth appointment already scheduled for Jan 11 with a regional cancer specialist for a genetic risk assessment I qualified for (my maternal AND paternal grandmothers both passed from pancreatic cancer and I have had nearly 10 precancerous colon polyps thus far at 45 years of age). I have told the patient coordinator there about this recent discovery (teardrop cells) and my concern about them and she did say she would pass the information on to the nurse and genetic counseling team. So, maybe that is a start?
Thank you for sharing your experience with spleen pain. I guess I also keep questioning if it’s my spleen bc when I feel around under my ribs (I know
 I probably shouldn’t be pushing there just in case) I don’t FEEL anything enlarged. But, I am not a doc, don’t know what to look for, AND I am overweight and hold most of my weight in my midsection. So that probably doesn’t help.
It is crazy how we can “gaslight” our own self sometimes. I keep talking myself out of believing what I know I feel and what I know is likely (given not many other possibilities for teardrop cells). For example, my wbc counts back over the summer were June 23: 16.04; June 24: 18.14; June 29: 15.09; July 7: 12:84
 which were all high obviously, BUT it was also when I was having the repeat/stubborn UTIs. So, was THAT causing the wbc? Was the wbc causing the UTI? Was a blood cancer causing both?? Who knows?! These are things running through my head.
At the risk of making this post a novel (may be too late! Lol), thank you again for responding. It means a lot.
-Stacy

Jump to this post

Hi Stacy, we’re our own worst enemy sometimes with the ‘story telling’ that goes on in our heads. Most are unfounded worst-case scenarios that can be such stress inducers and rob us of precious time. Been there!

However, I’ve also been on the gaslighting side of a very serious and aggressive blood cancer and learned the value of following our guts (or brains
whatever is leading that particular day) and push for answers. You know when you’re not feeling right!
I love that you’ve got a wonderful support system with your husband taking the lead in getting answers from your insurance company. I did chuckle with your comment about being averse to conflict LOL Yep
my husband was my knight in shining armor too! Charge to the rescue!

However, I learned from my leukemia odyssey that, while I still don’t like conflict, now I face everything head on! Pretty much feel like Wonder Woman, sigh
without the body but my attitude wears shiny deflector cuffs! 😂

The uti link
yes, having any infection can naturally raise white blood counts as the body’s immune reaction is to respond with infection fighting cells
wbc. As for having a blood cancer
don’t wander there in your headspace. Avoid living with, “What If?” thoughts. Again, not productive
because what if everything turns out right??!! And if you do have anything amiss, then you can deal with it. But save the energy that would be lost with negative thinking. ☺️

It will be very informative having the genetic testing and counseling. With your history of polyps and family history it’s a valuable tool. I know it can be a double-edged sword with the results
like
do you want to know or not if you have a genetic predisposition to an illness. But from my experience, I feel knowledge is power. And if you know ahead of time you can keep tabs on diseases, any progression and ward off evil sprits. LOL.

I’m here for you anytime for a morale boost. ☺️ Let me know what you decide
if you’re going to ‘face that conflict’ and have an insurance agent be your liaison to get the appt or wait for the genetic testing. Though that can take a while to get results. Just nudging you. Hah, and don’t worry about writing a novel, as you can see I’m never economical with words! Let me know what transpires, ok?

REPLY
2 replies
esselltee | @esselltee | Dec 30, 2023
In reply to @loribmt "Hi Stacy, we’re our own worst enemy sometimes with the ‘story telling’ that goes on in..." + (show)
@loribmt

Hi Stacy, we’re our own worst enemy sometimes with the ‘story telling’ that goes on in our heads. Most are unfounded worst-case scenarios that can be such stress inducers and rob us of precious time. Been there!

However, I’ve also been on the gaslighting side of a very serious and aggressive blood cancer and learned the value of following our guts (or brains
whatever is leading that particular day) and push for answers. You know when you’re not feeling right!
I love that you’ve got a wonderful support system with your husband taking the lead in getting answers from your insurance company. I did chuckle with your comment about being averse to conflict LOL Yep
my husband was my knight in shining armor too! Charge to the rescue!

However, I learned from my leukemia odyssey that, while I still don’t like conflict, now I face everything head on! Pretty much feel like Wonder Woman, sigh
without the body but my attitude wears shiny deflector cuffs! 😂

The uti link
yes, having any infection can naturally raise white blood counts as the body’s immune reaction is to respond with infection fighting cells
wbc. As for having a blood cancer
don’t wander there in your headspace. Avoid living with, “What If?” thoughts. Again, not productive
because what if everything turns out right??!! And if you do have anything amiss, then you can deal with it. But save the energy that would be lost with negative thinking. ☺️

It will be very informative having the genetic testing and counseling. With your history of polyps and family history it’s a valuable tool. I know it can be a double-edged sword with the results
like
do you want to know or not if you have a genetic predisposition to an illness. But from my experience, I feel knowledge is power. And if you know ahead of time you can keep tabs on diseases, any progression and ward off evil sprits. LOL.

I’m here for you anytime for a morale boost. ☺️ Let me know what you decide
if you’re going to ‘face that conflict’ and have an insurance agent be your liaison to get the appt or wait for the genetic testing. Though that can take a while to get results. Just nudging you. Hah, and don’t worry about writing a novel, as you can see I’m never economical with words! Let me know what transpires, ok?

Jump to this post

I sure will let you know what happens. And once again, I appreciate you. Thank you for being kind.
Update soon,
Stacy

REPLY
esselltee | @esselltee | Jan 4 1:30pm
In reply to @loribmt "Hi Stacy, we’re our own worst enemy sometimes with the ‘story telling’ that goes on in..." + (show)
@loribmt

Hi Stacy, we’re our own worst enemy sometimes with the ‘story telling’ that goes on in our heads. Most are unfounded worst-case scenarios that can be such stress inducers and rob us of precious time. Been there!

However, I’ve also been on the gaslighting side of a very serious and aggressive blood cancer and learned the value of following our guts (or brains
whatever is leading that particular day) and push for answers. You know when you’re not feeling right!
I love that you’ve got a wonderful support system with your husband taking the lead in getting answers from your insurance company. I did chuckle with your comment about being averse to conflict LOL Yep
my husband was my knight in shining armor too! Charge to the rescue!

However, I learned from my leukemia odyssey that, while I still don’t like conflict, now I face everything head on! Pretty much feel like Wonder Woman, sigh
without the body but my attitude wears shiny deflector cuffs! 😂

The uti link
yes, having any infection can naturally raise white blood counts as the body’s immune reaction is to respond with infection fighting cells
wbc. As for having a blood cancer
don’t wander there in your headspace. Avoid living with, “What If?” thoughts. Again, not productive
because what if everything turns out right??!! And if you do have anything amiss, then you can deal with it. But save the energy that would be lost with negative thinking. ☺️

It will be very informative having the genetic testing and counseling. With your history of polyps and family history it’s a valuable tool. I know it can be a double-edged sword with the results
like
do you want to know or not if you have a genetic predisposition to an illness. But from my experience, I feel knowledge is power. And if you know ahead of time you can keep tabs on diseases, any progression and ward off evil sprits. LOL.

I’m here for you anytime for a morale boost. ☺️ Let me know what you decide
if you’re going to ‘face that conflict’ and have an insurance agent be your liaison to get the appt or wait for the genetic testing. Though that can take a while to get results. Just nudging you. Hah, and don’t worry about writing a novel, as you can see I’m never economical with words! Let me know what transpires, ok?

Jump to this post

Good afternoon!
Dropping in with an update: having a repeat CBC with diff and peripheral smear next week. Have also started the process of a referral to a hematologist. I suppose if the repeat smear doesn’t show teardrop cells, I could stop the referral process. Although, given the moderate amount of teardrop cells and the fact that they were even there at all ever, might be nice to know why even if they are somehow gone.
Anyhow, will continue to update after Wednesday when report is in.
Have a wonderful weekend. 🙂
-Stacy

REPLY
1 reply
Mentor
Lori, Volunteer Mentor | @loribmt | Jan 5 8:47am
In reply to @esselltee "Good afternoon! Dropping in with an update: having a repeat CBC with diff and peripheral smear..." + (show)
@esselltee

Good afternoon!
Dropping in with an update: having a repeat CBC with diff and peripheral smear next week. Have also started the process of a referral to a hematologist. I suppose if the repeat smear doesn’t show teardrop cells, I could stop the referral process. Although, given the moderate amount of teardrop cells and the fact that they were even there at all ever, might be nice to know why even if they are somehow gone.
Anyhow, will continue to update after Wednesday when report is in.
Have a wonderful weekend. 🙂
-Stacy

Jump to this post

Good morning, Stacy! Thanks for the update
I’d been thinking about you! I’m glad to hear you’ve pushed to get your blood work moved up. You have so many uncomfortable symptoms going on and frankly, your PCP sounded really dismissive about what you’re experiencing and the results of your last tests. So a recheck is good and keep going with that hematology referral. You can always cancel if there’s nothing that shows up on your CBC with Diff and the blood smear. But you’d still like some clarification as to your symptoms so this is a good place to start!
You have the tele-health visit with the genetics team Jan 11th. It’s nice that you’ll have the bloodwork back before you talk to them. Do you have a list of questions for the team?

REPLY
Please sign in or register to post a reply.