A real Update

Well hello all! I guess you feel like you want to know a little about me, if you have taken the time to click on the link! HELLO! To give a quick update here we go.....I was diagnosed with ITP right before I turned 21, in 2004. ITP is not only an autoimmune disease, but an idiopathic one, which means the docs know little of why it shows up. At the time my body was just producing weak antibodies against my platelets. Platelets are the things in your blood that help you clot. With out them you can't stop bleeding, internally or externally.

I was placed on some meds, and had my blood levels watched closely. A normal person has 200,000 platelets. My regular doc found my blood to be thin at a regular checkup, and sent me to a hematologist. After weeks of tests they found that I had about 30,000 platelets. As my health steadily declined my doc in K-Zoo made a quick decision for a bone marrow biopsy, which proved that my body in fact was making enough platelets. Then we had to find out where my platelets were going. Normally the spleen eats them, but I have a normal spleen. So after being tested for every disease known to the docs, only to come up negative, I was diagnosed with ITP. Nothing much happened for the first 2 1/2 years. I was on iron pills and changed my lifestyle to make sure I was sleeping enough.

Jacob and I moved to Atlanta and everything just seemed so great. Around Oct. I started feeling tired, and more exhausted than normal. I went into the docs and she took a blood sample. I came back with only 37,000 platelets, and she gave me some new meds to try. Over the holidays I started have complications again. Like nose bleeds, bleeding gums, and feeling very VERY tired. Back into the docs, more tests, and she says I need to see an oncologist.

I am now seeing my new doc, Dr. S, who is amazing! The whole facility is top notch, and they really know their stuff! When I first went in the big thing he was most upset about was that I did not have a medical bracelet. I am laughing about it now, because I had gotten away without it for so long, but he was so upset he made a guy at Walgreens fax him a note saying I went to purchase one. HAHA!

Anywho what has happened in my body is that my antibodies are too strong. I no longer can just take meds/steroids orally. My body is not reacting to them anymore. Right now I am on a HIGH dosage of my last oral steroid. We are trying to zap my blood into some kind of a reaction. If this does not work, we will have to do steroids through IV, going right into the blood stream - think chemo. This of course is a scary thought, as I just think to myself, I have never smoked, never done drugs, I can't drink alcohol, I mean what did I do to deserve this.....

Any who the biggest thing right now is that I really need prayers for this drug to work "wonders" as a friend put it. If we can get some kind of a reaction I might be able to put off this IV deal. I don't want to take time away from my classroom, as I love teaching. I go back to Dr. S on Monday at 11:15. I am nervous, scared, worried, I guess everything. I thank you all for taking the time to read this, and hope I will be able keep people updated! I will add pics eventually too!