Hello, my 13 year old son is undergoing some bloods and scans at the moment to identify the cause of a swollen lymph node in the neck (prosterior cervical gland) and some blood markers below
Would anyone share their results or similar patterns in their blood work?
He is going through a big growth spurt at the moment and has no other symptoms of blood cancer apart from the swollen lymph node.
I am worrying constantly, this has been going on for a few weeks, the paediatric referral is this fri thank goodness.
We are also awaiting an ultrasound scan
Thank you for reading
Hi@Hlm213,I am sorry to hear that you are going through this with your son and thats really good you have an appointment on Friday and awaiting a scan, I am sure everything will be done to find a cause for the low blood readings.@GemmaBCUK is the one to advise on blood readings or call the support line just to talk through your concerns .Constant worrying is a usual thing when you are waiting for tests and results and its hard not to think the worst.I hope he is feeling ok in himself and can you find something to help you take your mind off it so that he doesnt pick up on your anxiety,(I know easier said than done )there are some good meditations on the BCUK website which I use .As a Mum and Grandma I wish you all the best and keep posting.
Bannanacake
Morning @Hlm213 and welcome to the forum. @Bannanacake has given some really good advice and @GemmaBloodCancerUK is the best one to advise on the bloods.
I can imagine it’s a very worrying time for you. Waiting is often the worst part in any diagnosis. I’m glad your appointment is soon. Please keep us updated. Sending lots of special wishes x
My son was 14 years old and feeling very poorly. Always an active lad with boundless energy it was very hard to take. They were convinced that glandular fever was the cause but blood test after blood test came up negative. Then a blood cancer was tested for but thankfully negative but his bloods were awry like your son. A viral test , after three months of him being poorly and off school, showed the answer. He had caught two different flu viruses and another virus which had depleted his system. He and I were not aware he had been ill but I think he just loved being a busy lad and did not stop which did not give his body time to heal from one illness to the next until his body was really depleted. A couple more months of managing gentle exercise and eating, little and often, restored my lively boy back to us and he never looked back. Sometimes little things can add up to make a more serious illness seem the only diagnosis. Swollen glands, anaemia and poor neutrophils etc were his indicators and a total depletion of energy as a result.
I do hope this helps you. It can take such a time to investigate when a teen is poorly and they do not have the experience to explain how they feel and recognise symptoms as they occur. They have such busy minds and lives.
Thank you so much for replying, this makes sense to me as he had covid 8 weeks ago and I’m hoping it’s still the knock of it. Dr seems to think his glands and bloods should be back to normal by now but no one knows enough about covid.
Luckily He had already had one vaccine before he caught it so I believe that helped him, but he was more poorly than the rest of us in the house but not enough to be hospitalised. He texted positive for a longer period as well.
He is like your son a very bouncy healthy boy so this has all come as a shock to see the bloods the way they are. He has had a repeat blood test yesterday for FBC so I am awaiting the results, hopefully today
It’s just so worrying, he has no idea what I’m thinking and said it’s ok mum I’ll just take the iron medication and be fine. I obviously hope he is 100% right!
little does he know that I am on blood cancer forums asking advice!
Thank you so much for replying, I have messaged the lady you advised me of. I really appreciate it. The drs do t have time/ appointments available to have lengthy discussions with me so I am having to find out what it all means myself. I know googling is a bad idea, I like to say I’m researching! but still it always seems to point to blood cancer.
I am a born worrier
Hi@HIm213,thanks for your reply and @GrandmaJo reminded me of similar what one of my Daughters went through at a similar age and was always off school with swollen glands as she had rapid growth spurts and happily eventually grew out of it ,her GP at the time said to eat kiwi fruit and rest ,and as you say he had covid . I dont think you are alone in the" worry "department and Im glad you have contacted @GemmaBloodCancerUK and that the Drs give you time and listen .Yes best not to google too much and BCUK is best one for support as you can actually talk on the phone as well to put things in perspective.Look after yourselves and keep posting
So sorry you’re going through this worrying time @Hlm213. I know @GemmaBloodCancerUK has been tagged but also tagging @LauranBloodCancerUK who is also a Blood Cancer UK Nurse Advisor. Really good to hear your son has paediatric referral this Friday so hopefully you can start getting some answers very soon.
Hi@Hlm213 your Son sounds lovely and sensible about taking his iron medication but as I read he was hospitalised because of covid you have already been through a lot.I hope the latest FBC results are favourable meantime try and do something nice for yourself,its so important .
Bannanacake
Hi he wasn’t hospitalised, maybe I mis typed sorry. He had mild symptoms but come off worse out of our whole household and tested positive for the longest
Hi @Hlm213, Obviously you are so worried about your son, you are a mum, it’s you job description.
I had to chuckle at your ’ I know googling is a bad idea, I like to say I’m researching!’
Unfortunately your ‘researching’ has come at a time when blood cancer charities have worked very hard to highlight and promote the main symptoms of blood cancers to improve early diagnosis. A lot of those symptoms can mean other diagnosis as well.
We always say on here that awaiting appointments, tests and results are the worst times, there is just nothing you can do but probably worry.
Please update us as you get further information and in the mean time as @Bannanacake says try and do nice things.
Look after yourselves
Hi @Hlm213,
Thanks so much for sharing this with us all and I’m really pleased you have found our forum. I am so sorry to hear that you are going through such a worrying time with your son.
Please do know that we have a confidential support phone line should you ever want to talk things through-0808 2080 888.
You are so very right about ‘Dr Google’ it can often be brilliant but also with ill health and often blood related worries it can send us down a rabbit warren of further worry.
As others have mentioned also- enlarged lymph glands can be a response to viral infections, incl covid and often in children do appear more obvious and can take longer to settle down.
However, It is reassuring to hear that the Doctors are repeating bloods and also carrying out an ultrasound, as this will help towards a diagnosis or indeed a process of elimination to better understand why his lymph gland has been reactive.
In reference to your sons blood results, it can be normal that a blood result is lower or higher than the reference range. We know that this sometimes along with a persons symptoms, might indicate a particular health issue. However, around 1 in 20 healthy people have results outside the reference range.
It is important to be aware that if you have a blood test result that is not within the reference range, it does not necessarily mean you have a health issue. Your medical team look at your son’s individual circumstances to decide whether or not your blood test result is a cause for concern. They may be able to explain what the results mean further after his ultra sound & any other investigations they may send him for.
In saying all of this we really do appreciate how worrying and uncertain waiting for his paediatric appointment will be for you all and please do note down any questions that you may have for them & remember we are only ever a phone call away should you need to talk anything through.
Do Take Care and please do come back to us for any updates you wish to share,
Lauran
,and as you say he had covid . I dont think you are alone in the" worry "department and Im glad you have contacted 