Blood Test Results

[I've had computer 'issues' so no blog for a couple of days.]

I got my blood test results back. The doc that ordered them wasn't my usual doc, as she wasn't on that day, so he didn't order iron tests. In the past, my ferritin (iron stores, I think) count has been down so I had to take supplements for a while. The blood bank notified me of this after I'd donated blood!

Amazingly, my fasting glucose test was 5.1 which is fine considering all the sugar I ate last week. Stew reminded me that we read that your body can cope for years, with sugar overload, and then...one day...it won't! So...no excuse to eat added sugar again! The normal range for fasting is 4.0 to 6.0 so I was pretty much in the middle. Of concern, was my liver enzyme ALP which was 151. The normal count for that is between 20 and 105 so I was quite above. (A few years back it was 134 so has gone up) She wants to test me again in April. I should ask for iron as well.

The doc weighed me and said that I was at least 12kgs overweight! And that was to take me to the upper range of fairly healthy for my height! Blah! I could do with losing 15-20kgs. Gillespie lost 40kgs. I don't need to lose that much, thank the Lord.

My blood pressure was 99 over 67. I'm usually on the low side (like 100/60 or 110/70) as I believe that 'normal' is 120/80 to 140/90 so nobody was worried.

I did some research on the Internet about liver enzyme high counts. I also told my sister who is interested in medical things and has done some studies in this area. She said it could be my gallbladder due to all the sugar/carbs that I've always eaten.

One site said:
As there could be a plethora of underlying medical conditions which may manifest themselves through a high liver enzyme count, the diagnosis is done by reviewing the medications taken by the patient, his signs and symptoms, including other kinds of abnormal liver function tests and procedures. Factors which have been fount to be the most common high liver enzymes causes include medical conditions like hepatitis A, hepatitis B and hepatitis C. Then comes obesity and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Liver enzymes level may shoot up in response of use of certain medications such as those used to control cholesterol, and pain. While these were the common causes of elevated liver enzymes, there are some more which are although not common but do occur in some cases. These may include Celiac disease, heart attack, liver cancer, Wilson's disease, underactive thyroid gland, and inflammation of the gallbladder. Alcoholic hepatitis and a condition known as hemochromatosis are also associated with high liver enzyme count.
I rarely drink. Only once or twice a year, if that, and only a glass or two. Don't think I have those hepatitis illnesses! Obesity - yes! Those other things sound nasty so don't want them. Hopefully, my results are better in April!