Hematologist/oncologist

[Ritterskoop]

Could they send you to a hematologist for follow-up for some bloodwork that was a little low, and that person just happen to also be an oncologist?

I'm sure one of the numbers was iron/anemia, for someone who is over 80. The other number that was low might have been a more basic CBC or red blood count or something like that. Again, dude is over 80, and very healthy, considering. I can get the numbers if anyone really knows WTH it all means.

Doc originally said he was going to work up a referral to a hematologist, but this doc is in an oncology office. So we are not much nervous, but if some of you could say, yeah, I know ten hematologists who are also oncologists because that's how they make a living, that would be excellent.

[jarnon]

My wife had to see a hematologist for iron deficiency, and he was also an oncologist. She got IV iron treatments sitting next to cancer patients getting chemotherapy.

[Ritterskoop]

Exactly what we wanted to hear! Thanks much.

[mellytu74]

My cousin had the same situation as jarnon's wife, including the IV iron treatment next to the chemo patient.

And now that I think about it, TLAF's hematologist was an oncologist, too.

[bazodee]

Ditto.. the hematologist I see (for clotting issues) works from an oncology practice. This seems to be the norm.

[themanintheseersuckersuit]

When i was treated for ITP, I had the same experience.

[Ritterskoop]

Thanks everyone. It sounds like a natural overlap.

He has no symptoms so we are sure it is just age-appropriate anemia or something like that. We find out next week.

[Beebs52]

Same here when I had regular bloodwork. I forget what was a weird reading but the hematologist was also an onc. I freaked initially. Oh, it was NOT during bc diagnosis just to clarify.

[Ritterskoop]

We saw new doc today. My diagnosis, based on her not-subtle hints: polyps are causing small, slow bleeding, which is the cause of the anemia and explains one other bathroom-related symptom we had attributed to a medication.

He has begun OTC iron and will see a GI doc soon. He hasn't had a colonoscopy in 8 years because he aged out of the group where they recommend it, but he had polyps every time before, and I bet all I have that's what's going on.

I get that as we age, our tissues thin, and we run a higher risk of perforation during the procedure. But doc said he could live another 20 years. The risk-benefit thing is different. He's not really 81, if that makes any sense.

I apologize for babbling but he doesn't want to talk about it yet, so you guys get to hear me working it out.

I am due for my own first screening since I turned 50 but my doc said it could wait a few months.

[ghostjmf]

For a colonoscopy the prep, which requires you to drink wretched stuff which hopefully cleans out your intestines, is far worse than the procedure. For your 81-year-old relative, for you, for anybody.

Good luck with the iron. I'm guessing because none of your relative's earlier polyps were cancerous, they're guessing these aren't either. But they really ought to have those blood tests going by now.