Medical Report

I got a phone call today from our pediatrician about all of Bright's bloodwork. [Just love our doc!]

The BEST news is that Bright isn't anemic!!!! This is a true answer to prayer as our doctor felt sure that he had some form of chronic anemia that would require life-long therapy. Yea God!!!!

There's nothing to be acutely concerned about, but his entire panel is "just weird." Our doctor says that several types of cells are "stressed." His lymphocytes and monocytes are very high in number (which indicates infection), but there is no acute infection according to his "periferal smear."

Her feeling is that the odd bloodwork is a result of the acute malaria Bright had while in Ghana (before I ever met him in person). She thinks that everything will resolve itself in time. The periferal smear was negative for malaria parasite. If things don't resolve on their own she will refer us to a hemotologist. [My hunch is that there is still malaria parasite in a dormant state in his body, but I haven't mentioned that to our doc yet. Wait and see...]

Our doc's only other concern is the strider Bright has. It's the thing where it sounds like he's gasping for air when he laughs or cries. That in itself should be okay, but she was concerned when I told her Bright kind of grunts and moans all night when a cold is coming on. She said that if he does that again she wants him taking in immediately. She didn't say why this is serious but I guess it is (or could be).

All in all, a good report! Nothing too difficult. And much less to worry about than when we brought Samren home five years ago and he wouldn't eat!

Anita