lab results are back already

I was woken after 5am this morning by muscle cramp in my right calf. These occurrences were frequent back in the days before I learned about the gluten nerve damage. Staying gluten-free kept them away for the last decade or so. I'm really not a fan of pain. I don't know why it recurred today, because I haven't been crazy with the gluten in recent weeks.

It prompted me to check for blood test results from yesterday, even though that's a fast turnaround. Luckily, all the results are in.

See the 3 test results...

results	thoughts
I don't have hepatitis C.	The doctor said they try to check at least once in older adults. I assume because it's another permanent infection with consequences long after the initial disease is over. Yes, I'm looking at you, SARS-CoV-2.
My immune system is in good shape, except for "PMN % OP" which was high.	It barely exceeded the normal range this time while I was in good health, but tests when I was ill over the years showed much higher values, like 150% of the "high" rating. Various webpages mention high PMN numbers can be a sign of arthritis. I already know I have arthritis up and down my spine. It also seems to be happening in my left wrist/thumb area now too. I've nearly dropped stuff in the kitchen in recent weeks, when it suddenly bites me hard. So that always-high value doesn't concern me.
My iron and ferritin levels are in the normal range, but my transferrin levels exceed the "high" mark.	I've been taking low dose aspirin for years, since I chose to stop taking warfarin after the blood clot, and the doctor didn't try to talk me out of it. I know that the news these days says to stop taking low dose aspirin. Between hemochromatosis (which doctors have warned my mother and brother about, while I carry one copy of the gene for it) and blood clotting, though, it still seems like a good call... or at least a reasonable decision. Mild gastrointestinal bleeding from long aspirin use, however, would explain my body trying to raise iron levels by producing transferrin. High transferrin levels can result in "... irritability... headaches... brittle nails, and restless leg syndrome." Bingo. I've got all of those symptoms. That's why I've been so "off" lately, it seems. Maybe I can try alternating months of aspirin or non-aspirin use. I wonder if that would help my mind and sleep? Maybe strike a balance in my body between the extremes of high or low iron?

My results, however, are not exactly related to this morning's muscle cramp. My iron levels are at a healthy level. Gluten is my known antagonist for that problem, but I haven't been "bad" at that diet requirement in recent weeks. I'm not sure what to think of it.