Mom & Me Two Archive

    When I initially saw this on the lab report below the name and fax number of Mom's PCP I thought it was a typo or perhaps the name of the person who performed the lab tests preceded with a typo. Just in case, though, I looked it up in my new medical books and found nothing. So I left a message for MCS about a strange entry on the report. When she called back she told me that this was, indeed, a lab finding. As she explained it, imagine you've stacked some pennies and gently pushed them over. The arrangement they make is called "rouleaux" and is applied to a blood sample when the blood cells look as though they've been stacked up and gently pushed over. Blood cells should be separate, so any indication of Rouleaux is a sign that the cells are sticky. She also explained that it is not uncommon for this to occur because of a sticky slide or a sample that's too dry. At any rate, a reading of 1+ isn't anything to worry about, she assured me, especially since this is the only time it's occurred.
    While she was talking I got to thinking. Mom's been off aspirin since 6/9/04. I also took her off vitamin E, then garlic, within the last month because they have anticoagulant properties. I decided that Mom's Rouleaux may have something to do with the complete lack of anticoagulants, especially since her mysterious mini-stroke a few years ago indicates that she could probably use a little anticoagulation. So I added vitamin E and garlic back to her morning supplements. I didn't reinstate the aspirin, in deference to her PCP. But if what I think is happening within her body proves itself over the next few weeks then I'll be convinced that Mom's anemia is connected to her metformin use, not internal bleeding and I'll put 81 mg aspirin back on her breakfast supplement list.