This is the story of my journey to find out I had Beta Thalassemia Minor. I am still dubious about also having Iron Deficiency Anemia, but I will let my blood numbers do the talking there.
This journey began over one month ago looking into my cholesterol. I hit my two year anniversary of going on a vegan diet, and I wanted to just get my cholesterol read, to see how it was doing on this new diet. This proved to be a more difficult task than expected. I had to end up going to a doctor to order the blood work. I don’t have a doctor, don’t use them often, so I went to a health care clinic at the local mall that I visited once years ago for an injury at work.
So, upon requesting my cholesterol, I got a mini-physical and was sent to have my blood tests the next day, since I was not fasting.
The results of this first blood test are as follows:
(I am a 43 year old male, virgo(
), of Italian Descent, I am 6’2’ and weigh 160lbs).
Date: 10/01/2013
CBC With Differential/Platelet
WBC = 4.0
RBC = 5.91
Hemoglobin = 11.3
Hematocrit = 36.7
MCV = 62
MCH = 19.1
MCHC =30.8
RDW = 19.4
Platelets = 254
Neutrophils = 53
Lymphs = 33
Monocytes = 9
Eos = 4
Basos = 1
Neutrophils (Absolute) = 2.1
Lymphs (Absolute) = 1.3
Monocytes (Absolute) = 0.4
Eos (Absolute) = 0.2
Baso (Absolute) = 0.0
Immature Granulocytes = 0
Immature Grans (Abs) = 0
Comp. Metabolic Panel (14)
Glucose, Serum = 91
BUN = 11
Creatinine, Serum = .99
eGRF If NonAfrican = 93
eGRF If African Am =107
BUN/Creatinine Ratio= 11
Sodium, Serum = 138
Potassium, Serum = 4.5
Chloride, Serum = 103
Carbon Dioxide, Total = 20
Calcium, Serum = 9.4
Protein Total, Serum = 7.2
Albumin, Serum = 4.5
Globulin, Total = 2.7
A/G Ratio = 1.7
Bilirubin, Total 1.0
Alkaline Phosphatase, S = 50
AST (SGOT) = 28
ALT (SGPT) = 24
Lipid Panel (What I actually went for).
Cholesterol, Total = 171
Triglycerides = 67
HDL Cholesterol = 51
VLDL Cholesterol Cal = 13
LDL Cholesterol Calc = 107
Vitamin B12 and Folate
Vitamin B12 = 746
Folate, Serum = 19.2
TSH
1.760
Vitamin D, 25-Hydroxy
38.7
Uric Acid, Serum
Uric Acid, Serum = 5.2
Ferritin, Serum
12
___
That is the results of my blood test, remember I only wanted to find out about cholesterol. But I got a lot more info.
The Doctor suggested taking iron for the low ferritin of 12 and the RBC’s not in normal ranges. He did not know about Thalassemia, and at this point I did not know much either.
So I began researching, first with my family, I always knew my sister had Thalassemia, but never thought much of it. Then after some family history investigation, both of my parents and both of my sisters all have Beta Thalassemia Minor. I never thought much of it, since I have always been a healthy guy, I have been through the gamut of physicals for both the US Army and the US Navy when I had been in those services in my earlier years. Nothing in my blood work then prevented me from joining.
So, to determine if I had too had Thalassemia I returned to the health clinic doctor and asked him for the Hemoglobin Electrophoresis and an Iron and TIBC lab tests. He agreed.
I took these tests about 4 days later, and during that time I was taking the iron he suggested, 3 times a day, I was also NOT fasting when I had my blood drawn and had my breakfast with iron pill and molasses, not more than 2 hours before. He said I didn’t need to be fasting for these two tests. He was correct about that for the Hemoglobin Electrophoresis but later I found out was incorrect about that for the Iron tests.
Date: 10/05/2013
Hgb. Frac. Profile:
Hgb Solubility = Negative
Hgb F = .05
Hgb A = 94.7
Hgb S = 0
Hgb c = 0
Hgb A2 = 4.8
Iron and TIBC
Iron Bind.Cap. (TIBC) = 314
UIBC = 51
Iron, Serum = 263
Iron Saturation = 84
After seeing these numbers, and not yet realizing I had to be fasting for the Iron tests, I got worried. And thought, I better go to a Hematologist, this clinic doctor did not know how to interpret the results beyond saying you have Beta Thalassemia Minor (per the test results).
So, after finding a Hemotolgist and visiting with him, he drew 15 tubes of blood, I was fasting for these, and these tests were done 20 days after the last test with the high iron level. Now I STOPPED taking iron when I saw the very high levels of Serum Iron and Iron Saturation, it made me worried. The lab results had ALERT next to the numbers. He took 15 tubes of blood and did a load of tests because, as I realized, and too last, he too wasn’t so familiar with Beta Thalassemia Minor either, although he was more aware of it then the clinic doctor. He was not an expert on the condition.
The ironic and yet sad thing is he could not order another CHOLESTEROL TEST!!!! 15 Tubes of blood and he couldn’t do that, because he wasn’t a General Practitioner. Insane medical practices in this country. But I digress.
Here are the load of tests from this round: The total test results took 2 weeks to process.
Date: 10/25/2013
CBC With Differential/Platelet
WBC = 4.1
RBC = 5.59
Hemoglobin = 10.7
Hematocrit = 35.5
MCV = 63.4
MCH = 19.2
MCHC =30.2
RDW = 17.5
Platelets = 218
Lymphs = 27.3
Monocytes = 7.3
Eos = .1
Basos = 0.2
Lymphs (Absolute) = 1.1
Monocytes (Absolute) = 0.3
Eos (Absolute) = 0.1
Baso (Absolute) = 0.0
Immature Granulocytes = 0
Immature Grans (Abs) = 0
Hgb. Frac. Profile:
Hgb Solubility = Negative
Hgb F = 1.0
Hgb A = 94.1
Hgb S = 0
Hgb c = 0
Hgb A2 = 4.9
Iron and TIBC
Iron Bind.Cap. (TIBC) = 341
UIBC = 215
Iron, Serum = 126
Iron Saturation = 37
Immunofixation, Serum
Immunofixation Results, Serum = Apparent normal pattern
Immunoglobulin G, Qn, Serum = 1405
Immunoglobulin A, Qn, Serum = 201
Immunoglobulin M, Qn, Serum = 151
Folate, RBC
Folate, Hemolysate = 391
Hematocrit = 35.6
Folate, RBC = 1098
THS
1.1
Erythropoietin (EPO), Serum
23.4
Alpha-Thalassemia
Negative, alpha alpha/alpha alpha - no deletions were detected and negative for Hemoglobin Constant Spring mutation
Herd.Hemochromatosis, DNA
NO MUTATION IDENTIFIED
LDH
190
Sedimentation Rate-Westergren
5
Vitamin B12
760
Haptoglobin
26
Ferritin, Serum
11
Reticulocyte Count
1.3
Coombs’ Direct
Negative
C-Reactive Protein, Quant
1.1
CMP14+4AC+Mg
Glucose, Serum = 97
Uric Acid, Serum = 6.2
BUN = 14
Creatinine, Serum = .97
eGRF If NonAfrican = >60
eGRF If African Am = >60
Sodium, Serum = 139
Potassium, Serum = 4.6
Chloride, Serum = 103
Carbon Dioxide, Total = 26
Calcium, Serum = 9.7
Phosphorus, Serum = 3.7
Magnesium, Serum = 2.1
Protein Total, Serum = 7.4
Albumin, Serum = 4.8
Globulin, Total = 2.6
Bilirubin, Total 1.1
Bilirubin Direct = .2
Alkaline Phosphatase, S = 49
LDH = 196
AST (SGOT) = 26
ALT (SGPT) = 22
--
The Hematologist said the following:
“I have Beta Thalassemia Minor AND Iron Deficiency Anemia and to take iron for 6 weeks and come back for more tests to see if that helps raise the ferritin, serum level.”
What are your thoughts on that diagnosis?
Thanks for anyone who took the trouble to read through this and give me their opinion.
Thank you very much!
-Matthew