So 62 F here. Basic background is I’ve always have microscopic blood in urine most of my life, seen a nephrologist 3 times every time did basic work up and sent me home. I get abnormal blood tests from time to time but they don’t do additional work up. My dad died of leukemia not sure what one and my sibling got diagnosed with MM a few years back. I had a blood smear a year ago and it was mostly normal stating mostly normocytic normochromic rbc. But recently I did a urine test and itv showed negative for protein in dipstick but then the protien/creatine ratio was high at 316mg/g and my ALT for liver function was at 41. I’m a bit panicked cause I have 3 degenerative disc disease in my back that’s getting worse and worse. I did an mri. But I’m worried that the back pain and protein in urine is a sign of MM. my E.S.R levels was 60 though and it’s supposed to be 0-20 mm/hr but docs never did further work up.
@Jayjayy Welcome to the forum. I’m sorry to read you aren’t getting the support you need. I’m not a doctor so don’t know the significance of what you have written. If things are not being followed up though, you can always ask for a second opinion. I was only diagnosed (Polycythaemia vera ('PV')) after I pointed out that every blood test I had showed abnormally high platelet levels. The tests were each a year apart so the doctors were only looking at the current set. It was up to me to point out the bigger picture.
Hello there @Jayjayy, welcome to the forum. I’m sorry to read of your worries about blood cancer and abnormal blood test results, and especially sorry to learn of you losing your dad and sibling to blood cancers. No wonder you’re concerned, I would be too. I’m guessing that by “MM” you mean multiple myeloma.
We forum members can’t offer medical advice, and our test results are all so unique to each of us that really it needs to be our specialists advising us. From what you’ve shared it looks like you’ve had pretty regular and recent blood tests which you say were mostly normal.
Just a hunch from your spellings and test result measurements but if you’re in the US you might find Blood Cancer United helpful. They’re the American equivalent of BCUK and will have more specific information for how to seek further information. I note that it’s myeloma awareness month so perhaps BCU have some specific information that can help with your worries: https://bloodcancerunited.org
If you’re in the UK then I would suggest speaking with your specialist who requested the blood and other testing as they can explain why they haven’t referred you for further tests. Your GP should help you find a diagnosis for the symptoms you’re experiencing so I’d say do keep asking your doctor.
Something that I try to remember when my own blood test results are a bit out of the ordinary is that all sorts of other health-related reasons could be behind our blood cells being slightly off, not necessarily cancer. Infections are often a cause, I have read from others around the forum.
If you’d like to speak to the lovely specialist Blood Cancer UK nurses they can be called on 0808 2080 888 and try to help with medical queries and other ways to support you.
Hope that helps a little @Jayjayy, I hope you get some answers to your worries.
Hi @Jayjayy, welcome to the forum, though I’m so sorry it’s worry that’s brought you here.
With your dad having had leukaemia and your sibling living with myeloma, it’s understandable that you’re anxious and that you want answers.
@Lucky and @Duncan have both made such good points. As @Lucky’s own experience shows, sometimes it really does take patients connecting the dots and pushing for someone to look at the bigger picture. Raising your family history explicitly - and asking your doctor to document that your concerns haven’t been followed up - can sometimes shift the conversation.
If you are based in the US as @Duncan guessed, he’s spot on that Blood Cancer United will be better placed to help you navigate next steps there: https://bloodcancerunited.org
That’s not to say you aren’t welcome here - please keep posting whenever you need to. Many of the very human experiences of blood cancer aren’t geographically-confined, afterall.