Hi I’ve been told By letter that I have borderline calcium levels .
Can any one help with what that means?
Feeling a bit lost and scared this is the start of something.
2 Likes
Hi @Yvonne1 and hello ,its alarming to get a letter and not know whats going on .I presume youre having regular blood test.
I have my calcium levels checked every 12 weeks on watch and wait for MGUS ,if my calcium levels rose it would need investigating so have you another appointment or can you ask your GP ?@Lauren or @GemmaBloodCancerUK BloodcancerUK could advise or call the BCUK helpline to talk it through.
Hope that helps a bit and All the best.
Bannanacake
2 Likes
Thank you for replying
Yes it is alarming.
I have MGUS and I’m on watch and wait.
I also have hypertension and I’m aware that can effect kidney function.
I phoned the helpline and they said to phone and ask for clarification.
So I guess that’s what Ill do.
2 Likes
Yes @Yvonne1thats great.I am sorry that its alarmed you I know only too well with the "watching and waiting"Hope that you get some clarification soon ,let us know how you get on and take care of yourself and keep posting .Bannanacake
1 Like
Hi @Yvonne1 I honestly do not think the medical profession realise how their wording and content can really upset, stress and make anxious and scared their patients.
My first nurse said to me if enough blood tests are taken something will be outside the parameters that are stated.
We don’t know what your results will mean as we are not medically trained.
It is no good us saying don’t worry as you are human.
You have been given great advice by the helpline, please let us know how you get on.
Look after yourself and be kind to yourself
2 Likes
Hello there @Yvonne1, just checking that you got to speak to someone either on our phoneline or at your GP surgery? Was this the only abnormaility in your blood counts? I know how worrying it must be to be made aware of an abnormal level but often it will settle, or is mildly abnormal and a repeat test will put your mind at rest. I have included a MGUS diary which I hope may be helpful: https://www.myeloma.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Myeloma-UK-MGUS-Diary.pdf. Please do take care, Gemma
3 Likes
Hi, just wondering if they followed up with your calcium, I had elevated calcium levels at my last blood test, hopefully only mildly though as I am having a follow up test in 6, weeks, then been told they will investigate if they are still elevated.
A little worried as I had to have a kidney removed a few years ago and am hoping this will not be a cause of problems for my remaining one. Honestly I think this MGUS is the gift that keeps on giving.
2 Likes
Hi @Hussyhemlock
I have had borderline calcium for sometime-usually the unadjusted Calcium is slightly above the normal range and the adjusted Calcium just within normal range. In January, the adjusted and unadjusted calcium were the same value(lab error?)and above normal and so the Haematology registrar decided to test my parathyroid hormone levels with my next bloods in May. This hormone controls serum calcium levels and is produced by the parathyroid glands. Since then fate has intervened, I was diagnosed with osteoporosis following a Dexa Scan and my GP tested the parathyroid hormone, as part of the exercise in excluding secondary causes of Osteoporosis . My calcium levels were also retested and were within normal range as were my parathyroid hormone levels.
I understand your concerns about your remaining kidney. Has your GP checked your Kidney function recently? If not, why not ask for it to tested at the same time as your calcium retest. I hope your retest results are ok.
Best wishes
Helen
1 Like
Thanks Helen, he did say it’s just a bit above normal, but I was just a little worried. After being diagnosed with MGUS you dread any deviation in blood tests. I’m having my next blood test next Thursday and have an appointment with the haematologist the following week. Your reply has given me hope that it can change and maybe for once I’ll have a normal test result. Hopefully they’ll check my kidney function at the same time. x
1 Like
They check mine (just checked)… My next haematology is 25th May.
I too have issues with my kidneys in that I have a benign tumour on my left kidney and hydronephrosis on the right, microhaematuria, but so far my kidney function has been good and urology justcwant to discharge me asap and I keep on saying 'no`, I want to be monitored a bit longer…
Here’s hoping for a normal blood calcium for you
Helen
2 Likes
How were your blood test results? I was thinking of you as I had just had my Vit D and Calcium levels rechecked after starting treatment for osteoporosis. My results were ok?
Helen
2 Likes
Hi Helen, speaking to the Haematologist tomorrow, although had a letter today from my GP saying I had very low vitaminD levels (like most of the population) been given medication, so they must have been notified by haematology. Hope I have some good news tomorrow but will keep you updated x
1 Like
Hi @Hussyhemlock
How did you get on at your haematology appointment?
Best wishes
Helen
1 Like
My calcium results were a little lower, they’ve decided to put me on 3, monthly blood tests, the only thing is that my vitamin D is very low so I am on. 7, week accelerated course, which the haematologist said would increase my calcium 
they wanted to do another one in 6, weeks but not sure now as the vitamin d will give false results. I have to say been taking the tablets for just over 2, weeks and am feeling a bit more with it. As my daughter said at the very least if anything changes they will be on it, so feeling a bit more positive. How. are you getting on? Has your calcium levels changed? Liz
1 Like
Hi @Hussyhemlock,
my calcium levels were last measure a month ago by Rheumatology. The clinic letter just say they had “normalised”. I have a video appointment with Haematology tomorrow, hopefully they will be more forthcoming. I drop a note to the secretaries that I wanted talk about osteoporsis diagnosis and what it might mean in the context of mgus and a family history of myeloma. At the moment I am taking Aledronic Acid and Vitamin D but not the calcium supplementation. See what they say!..
Best wishes
Helen
1 Like
Hi @helenfwallace
Yes, I have previously been on Alendronic Acid and Vit D for Osteoporosis and scoliosis.
Pleas do ask all the questions you need to and I also educate every consultant about other conditions, medications, family history etc.
Please let us know how you get on.
Look after yourself
Hi@Erica,
Yes, I try to do this. This morning I had an ultrasound scan of urinary tract. I have a benign tumour on left kidney and hydronephrosis on the right. Recently I have had a mild ache, lower right rib-cage, which hasnt yet responded to volterol. Mostly bothers me when I rotate. So I mentioned it before I was scanned and that area was scanned twice. I also emailed Urology secretaries , told them about the pain, the diagnosis of osteoporosis, treatment and previous high/borderline high serum calcium levels and that the scan was today. Urology have been pretty rubbish on their watching and waiting forgetting to monitory Kidney function and serum calcium! As I have floated between consultants I have been monitored alternatively by CT and Ultrasound according to the consultants preference. I prefer the latter, but in the past all US reports have ended “further investigation warranted” which has meant I have ended up with a CT scan anyway. Fortunately my GFR has been monitored by my GP because I have hypertension and high cholesterol and I know it is normally good.
Haematology appointment tomorrow. GP booked for Wednesday and Physiotherapy for next week.
Best wishes
Helen
1 Like
Hi it’s one appointment after another I would be completely stressed and exhausted.
Be ever so kind to yourself
1 Like
Hi @Erica, well that appointment was rather a bruising affair with a tin pot dictator registrar. First of all he tried to force me into a telephone call when it was supposed to be a video consultation. I took my time connecting to the video call hoping to be connected to someone else but that was not to be. This man had one mission and that was to put me on annual appointments. He wasnt interested in me, how my health was etc. To him that was all irrelevant because my paraproteins were “too low to quantify” and couldnt possibly have anything to do with any issue I might be experiencing . His justification presented to me was factually incorrect and so we settled on six months. Now I am going to lick my wounds and go for a walk and be very grateful that my paraproteins are low!
Helen
1 Like
Oh @helenfwallace ‘bruising’ sounds a really good way of describing your feelings of your experience and occasional experiences that I have had in the past.
Good for you standing your ground on 6 mthy appointments.
I don’t feel that you need to lick your wounds as I think that you did really well, but going for your walk sounds the perfect way of ‘I’m gonna wash that man right outa my hair’ (South Pacific 1949) and being grateful that your paraproteins are low
Just going for a walk makes me feel grateful.
Enjoy you deserve it.