Blackhawk
Member
Hey sorry, I misinterpreted. That's great that you are pursuing it as you are. I am truly glad to hear that.
They are not cheap shots. I perceived something wrongly, but be assured that my intention is for you to get the care you need, not attack you as such. My post comes of caring for your well being.
Please know I am eating some humble pie here, and thank you for calling me out/explaining. You are right, my assumptions about procrastination and denial were wrong, and I apologize.
You have to understand that 0.59 is a different way of expressing the Hematocrit. The difference in decimals is indeed 0.04 according to the number you received. But that is misleading. Hematocrit is a percent figure. 0.59 is 59%.
55% is the highest figure I have ever heard to be considered normal range. Again, don't look at this as 4% of 100%. Because of the non linear curve I mentioned before, every point higher is proportionally more than any point below when you pas about the 50% mark. The points themselves are not equal in terms of the increasing hazard. At 59, the risk is not 10% higher than at 49 in a linear fashion, it is greater. The rate of increase increases per point. I'll try to find a graph of this for you.
EDIT: here you go, from an article cited here on excelmale: High and Low Hematocrit Increase Cardiovascular Risks
Normal ranges vary depending on the lab/organization who is interpreting. Look, I have a blood cancer, you would not believe the number of labs I have had in the past few years. Seriously well over a thousand lab tests, hundreds in short periods during hospitalizations... I've worked with four hematologists and had CBCs run by many labs. The highest normal range I have seen has been 54, otherwise from 50 to 52. Labcorp's is 51. The 54 is my current Cancer center's normal range. I asked the doctor about why it is higher than any other. He said because the patients are so sick that such complications are secondary. i.e. he is concerned for treating the cancer foremost, and they've loosen the standards to not actually treat just about everything else, same for liver enzymes, EGFR , creatinine, electrolyte levels etc. I don't like this lower standard of care one bit man! My hormone doc was concerned when I was at 49 approaching 50. He had me get a phlebotomy before I even hit 50%. So make you assumptions and take your chances...
And I have been dealing with high hematocrit for reasons other than taking Testosterone. I have had over 25 phlebotomies in the last year. including one just this week.
So when you look at it as it's just .04, and that's very little... I am worried for you man.
EDIT, I found your post stating you are going to decrease to 150... I do not think that is enough to make a difference. I'll be impressed and pleased if it does.
And I don't know if you have knowledge about how hematocrit moves. The red blood cells live about 6 months, so natural decreases take a very long time. You have been talking about more rapid changes, but you should not expect rapid changes without blood letting.
I also have just been going through the sleep study, cpap thing. CPAP didn't work for me, I do not have obstructive apnea, but I do have sleep hypoxia and some central apnea. I've been put on oxygen while sleeping which has brought my SPO2 from mid 80's with drops into the 70's up to mid to upper 90's so there is some blessed progress. I know exactly what you are going through with this. There is such high demand and it takes forever. I had my initial consult in the beginning of August. I did not get a CPAP until late November, and did not get put on the appropriate treatment with O2 until January, all the while having frequent phlebotomies.
OK, I hope you get where I am coming from. I did not post out of disrespect. It was intended as a wake up call, but I misinterpreted, and again I apologize. We are in the same boat here.
Peace man.
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