blood problems- help - Blood and Blood Vessel Message Board

myloathe · 08-01-2002, 07:20 PM

Hi. For 3 months, my mother has been very weak, sometimes almost fainting. She went to the doctors which said that her blood count was only a 4, where I guess normal blood count is a 12. Anyway, the doctor let her go home, gave her some iron pills along with others and told her that if her count didn't go up to normal, she would have to get a transfusion, which she is scared sick of. She went back and her count was still the same, 3 months later. Mind you, my mother does smoke and she doesn't eat "healthy". The doctor just sent her home with more pills, not insisting on the transfusion. Tell me, anyone who has had problems like this, does this sound normal? She has always been anemic but this seems ridiculous!! gretchen

SnowyLynne · 08-02-2002, 03:27 PM

Sorry Gal,I think she needs a better DR.

Jay Tor · 08-02-2002, 03:59 PM

There are several blood count numbers that are important. Saying she has a 4 or 3 instead of 12 doesn't really describe what your mother's problem might be. If she's 60+, a long-time smoker and doesn't eat a healthy diet, there's a good chance that her bone marrow is slowing down. The bone marrow is what actually makes blood.

This is an article on CBC [complete blood count]; it describes the different blood components with their normal ranges.
[url="http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003642.htm"]http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003642.htm[/url]

myloathe · 08-02-2002, 04:50 PM

Thanks for the info Jay.

forty · 03-28-2005, 10:18 AM

gretchen, be careful with blood tranfusions, I was give hespan rather than blood during surgery and it has destroyed my life. anyone out there has an experience with 'blood substitutes?