Deep down inside, I had a feeling something was wrong. I had gone to several different doctors telling them that I did not feel like myself. I had migraines, very heavy periods, no energy, probably some depression and small bruises on my lower legs. A few of the doctors I went to just wrote more prescriptions for more medications. The Doctors continually said it was Peri-Menopause or stress from keeping up with my kids. Finally, after having some very heavy unusual periods, I went to my OB/GYN, she pretty much saved me. Before I had seen her, my neurologist suggested I go on birth control pills for my migraines. I then went to my OB/GYN who said, “NO”, she wanted to take blood work before I started to take the pill. My OB/GYN had known me for several years and through 2 pregnancies, she knew the symptoms I was having was not “normal” for me. So I did the blood work. I went about my week, my husband and I were out on our date night when the doctor called my cell phone. Immediately my heart raced, why was she calling me on a Friday night when she was packing her family to go on a Spring Break vacation. Over the phone she delivered the news that she thought I had ITP, because my blood test showed that my platelets were at 19,000. Blood platelets should normally range from 150,000 to 450,000. Immediately I thought I had cancer, my doctor reassured me it was not cancer. I remember standing in a Border’s Bookstore reading medical books to learn about ITP. I had NEVER heard of the disorder before. I immediately had to go to the hospital for more blood work. I was placed on prednisone the next morning and then into a hematologist on Monday morning. I cried and anxiety overcame me so much that I started to shake. My first thoughts were about our children. How would this affect them? Anxiety controlled my life. The prednisone raised my platelets temporarily then my platelets slowly drifted back down. My hematologist tried to reassure me that I had an acute case & the steroids would work. I tried another round of steroids, I tried vitamins, changing my diet, anything to get my platelets up to a normal range. Turns out my ITP was chronic. I had a bone marrow biopsy to make sure that I did not have a cancer that could cause ITP. My doctors do not know why it happened. They did say either a bacteria or a virus, which my kids were constantly sick that Winter, triggered my platelets to drop. After a year of the ups and downs and having to be a good, responsible mother to my children, I chose to have a splenectomy. I had come to the point in my treatment where I had to make a choice. Endure infusions of drugs I had never heard of or ultimately have my spleen removed. Long story short, I had my spleen removed. My splenectomy thankfully put me into remission. I am not cured, just in remission. I am fortunate. I have friends who have struggled with ITP for years, they try everything to keep their platelets up. I feel for them and need to be thankful for everyday my platelets stay in a normal range. After my Splenectomy, my husband and I decided to relocate our family to live closer to my parents and family. During my this past year and a 1/2 of remission I have made the decision to not be a victim of ITP anymore. I decided to take my negative experience and change it into a positive experience. I started to tell people about ITP. When I was sick, I could not tell anyone except those very close to me. Mentally I struggled. Now I am at a point in my life where I am committed to bring awareness and share information about ITP. When I tell others about ITP, the response I usually hear is that they have never heard of ITP. So guess what, people are going to hear about it from me and from others who struggle daily with ITP. This past Summer, my family and I attended the 2013 ITP Conference in the Washington DC area, organized by thePDSA- Platelet Disorder Support Association. It was a wonderful experience to meet people and learn from some of the top medical doctors in the country who research and treat ITP. I do continue to worry for my children. I want to be here for them for a very long time. Every time my children get unexplained bruises on their legs or a nose bleed that won’t stop, immediately I think of ITP. The pediatricians reassure me, but I just can’t take the chance, I demand CBC blood work for my children no matter how crazy the doctor thinks I am
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