Dodging a figurative bullet

Dodging a figurative bullet

It seems I dodged a bullet last month.

As a diabetic it’s routine for me to go in for blood work and talk to my endocrinologist about the results.  The last visit had her doing cartwheels over the continued decline in my A1C and my cholesterol numbers.  However, in the manner of all doctors she had to find something else to poke at, (my thought is it’s a secret doctor conspiracy to keep patients forking over more money, after all, they have to pay off those student loans somehow…) what she found was that my white blood cell count was falling, it had been low the visit before and it had fallen again.  She wanted me to go see a specialist, in this case a hematologist/oncologist. 

 

Being one who likes to be prepared for all situations I started googling low white blood cell count and started reading.  I didn’t really like what I was reading as bone marrow disorders, aka leukemia kept coming to the top of the lists.

However after a consult with the hematologist/oncologist they don’t think it’s a bone marrow issue.  The doctor’s best guess is either a sub-acute virus, or a low B-12 count.  With my father having a B-12 deficiency issue this could be the issue.  The sub-acute virus may also be in play also as last weekend saw me off the bike and sick all weekend.

Looking at my training performance for the April and May makes me wonder just how long I’ve had this issue.  I’ve not truly felt at the top of my performance level since March.  Other than last weekend, I’ve not felt 100% sick but just off.

Last night was the first ride I’ve had since the Muenster ride where I’ve really felt good.  Maybe I’ve kicked whatever this is and have turned that corner.  Hopefully that is the case as I’ve got to start ramping up my training in preparation for September’s 300K/double century ride.