What does a high platlet and low red blood cell count mean?

Laura, Shortness of breath or Dyspnea is an Anemia symptom, it happens with alot of illnesses and diseases. Its possible to have Anemia of Chronic Disease. Illness can supress the production of red blood cells and bone marrow can not utilize the stored iron, which explains why you have low hemoglobin / hematocrit with high storage / ferritin (provided they ran ferritin). In this situation taking iron does not seem to help. If you did not fast iron supplements 24 hours before testing your serum iron could have been artifically high. What worries me is the very low neutrophil count, normal is about 2500 +, 1000 you risk infection, 500 you need hospitalization. This needs to be monitored and if not a fluke one time reading your doctor needs to re-evalute your dx of ITP. Is it destruction or is there lack of production in the bone too. Actually all 3 low, rbc, wbc & chronic Thrombocytopenia, I would be questioning Pancytopenia. Check spleen, neutropenia/ leukopenia (mild neutropenia is 1000-1500), possible aplastic anemia. Run SLE again if it's been awhile. If you are feeling real bad go to the ER and get labs run. You are not only at risk for severe anemia, possible internal bleed and also sepsis. If you need to the ER trip will get you a specialist consult alot faster than 3 weeks. Take care of yourself.

Cancer!!!