Scared for mydaughter-- elevated white blood cells

[Rosered]

I took my daughter to the doctors yesterday. She had some vomiting in the morning and some stomach discomfort. The same thing had happened last month but it was only one day. The ran some blood work to rule out appendicitis and it turns out her white cells are elevated to 17000. They also did a urine test and a strep throat test although she has no signs of either. She did have a dry cough last Thursday and Friday and was a little hoarse Sunday but her throat doesn't hurt and is even red. They put her on 5 day antibiotics but want me to bring her in tomorrow to see her regular doctor. They told me to keep her home from school even though now she seems fine.

I am really freaking out and I rarely post but I was hoping someone can tell me what could be causing this besides the above mentioned infections or something worse like leukemia. Like I said she doesn't have any symptoms of a urine infection or throat infection so my mind is jumping to the worse case scenario.

I know I have to just wait and see what the test say but I don't know how I'm going to get through today and tomorrow morning.

Thanks for reading.

 

[Tantor]

Hoping the test are okay......hugs to both of you

 

[ukwildcat]

It's been a while since school, and this is not my area of expertise, but I think the white blood cell count has to be much higher in a case of leukemia. How old is your daughter. May be appendicitis, but also may be just an infection. Best of luck to you and your family.

 

[Rosered]

Thanks for your responses. She is 12 years old. She does seem to be getting a lot of colds and feeling run down lately. Does anyone know if someone can have strep yet not have symptoms?

 

[Ohiodislover]

Thanks for your responses. She is 12 years old. She does seem to be getting a lot of colds and feeling run down lately. Does anyone know if someone can have strep yet not have symptoms?

Most definitely! My DD has had years of one case of strep/sore throat after the other. We were at the ENT a couple of weeks ago, and she was put on a very strong antibiotic for chronic infection of her tonsils. She gets them out next month.

I agree w/ the PP. I too think that the WBCS are higher w/ leukemia. She could have an infection somewhere in her gut too.

Best wishes for good news. Can you call the Dr and ask them to call you if there is a cancellation today?

 

[Christine]

OP, I believe with leukemia the counts are somewhere around 40,000 or so. Your DD is not much over the norm (10,000) so I'd be looking at this as the body trying to fight something off.

Many years ago, my white cell count was high normal but my neutrophils (which is a part of the white blood cell count) were way off and too high. I freaked out over it and no doctor would comment really. This went on for a year. Then I went in for a colonoscopy and upper endoscopy and I was found to have gastritis (which I probably had for a long time). Once the gastritis was treated, my WBC and neutrophil count went way down.

 

[wdwmom2]

Most of the time when a CBC is done, so is a differential. Basically, looking at the different types of WBC's present. I would ask the doc if there is anything to be concerned about with the differential.

Hope this helps you!!!!

And yes, you can have strep with no throat pain.

Hope everything turns out OK!!!!

 

[Tuffcookie]

OP,



Prayers that it won't be anything too serious!

TC

 

[Erin1700]

Could she have mono?

 

[Rosered]

[

QUOTE=Ohiodislover;35264974]Most definitely! My DD has had years of one case of strep/sore throat after the other.

Thank you, it helps to know that others have had strep with no symptoms. Hopefully that's what it is.

 

[lovemygoofy]

Was she tested for mono? You can feel like crap and think it's strep and have no energy with mono. I had it in high school and was miserable sick with it.

 

[Rosered]

Again thank you all for your responses. They are helping me stay positive.
I'm not too good at multiple quoting so I'll try to answer everything here.

I can't go to see the doctor before tomorrow because she is suppose to see her regular doctor and that is when she is in. Her regular doctor is also a blood specialist, not that the doctor she saw yesterday mention that, but I know that she I think maybe that's why I have to see her specifically. By the way, she saw another doctor yesterday because her doctor was not in. I'm hoping that the antibiotics work. They put her on a 5 day antibiotic so when we go on Wednesday she would have had 2 dosages. Maybe they'll run the blood work again and it'll show that the antibiotics are working?

I don't think she has mono, she doesn't seem to have any of the symptoms but I don't know much about mono so don't know if it's a possibility.

 

[Rosered]

Just to clarify, she isn't feeling sick at all now. She vomited yesterday morning (sorry TMI) and had some stomach pains. After that she started feeling better, just tired, and is fine now. I actually think the vomiting may not be associated at all with the blood count. She had the same thing happen last month a few days after she got her period (again sorry too much TMI) and she is due to get it again this week, she had minor spotting Saturday but last month was only the 2nd time she's had her period, first time was October, so I think the vomiting may have been related to that. That's why I was so surprised to find out her blood work was anything but normal.

 

[CF'er]

17000 is higher than normal but not leukemia high. I would also ask for mono test. May I ask why she see's a blood specialist? Is it a regular pedi who also happens to specialize in this? Just curious.

 

[wdwfan16]

I hope she is getting better.

 

[Rosered]

Yes her regular pediatrician just happens to be a blood specialist. Each ped at this clinic has a speciality I believe.

 

[CF'er]

ok, just wondering. That is good then. Prob nothing to worry about. Maybe some gastritis going on as mentioned. Im sure they will find the cause and get her better quickly.

 

[Tinijocaro]

Thanks for your responses. She is 12 years old. She does seem to be getting a lot of colds and feeling run down lately. Does anyone know if someone can have strep yet not have symptoms?

Yes! You can have a very odd array of symptoms too-headache, leg pain, rash, or no symtoms at all. We've had them all.

 

[laurie31]

As others have said, 17,000 isn't severely elevated above normal. It probably indicates the presence of infection, but nothing more dire. The antibiotics should take care of it. I hope she's feeling better soon.

 

[VillageMama]

I tend to think appendicitis because of my family's experience. My son had vomiting, minor abdominal pain and then fatigue. His WBC count was 16,000 to start and went up to 40,000.

Good luck to you. I always advise CT scans because I am paranoid about appendicitis. (My son's ruptured before it was diagnosed.)