The facts

A Thursday and no dr today. This feels.... Weird. Of course I found bruising yesterday while in the shower. So now I'm worried. I just have to wait till next Thursday. If I really worry I'll call them Monday. 

This is going to be a long one. I'm going to explain a lot in this.... So here we go ... 

www.pdsa.org 

ITP IDIOPATHIC THROMBOCYTOPENIC PURPURA 

a disorder that can lead to easy or excessive bruising and bleeding. The bleeding results from unusually low levels of platelets — the cells that help your blood clot.

SYMPTOMS

• Easy or excessive bruising (purpura) — your skin naturally bruises and bleeds more easily as you age, but this shouldn't be confused with ITP
• Superficial bleeding into your skin that appears as a rash of pinpoint-sized reddish-purple spots (petechiae), usually on your lower legs
• Prolonged bleeding from cuts
• Spontaneous bleeding from nose
• Bleeding gums, especially after dental work
• Blood in urine or stools
• Unusually heavy menstrual flow
• Fatigue

Sometimes you may have no symptoms. 

TREATMENT 

Corticosteroids such as prednisone, are commonly used to treat ITP. These medicines, called steroids for short, help increase your platelet count. However, steroids have many side effects. Some people relapse when treatment ends.

IV treatment is also used if you do not respond to steroids. These include IVIG, Nplate, and Rituxan. Platelet transfusion can sometimes be used depending on the patient ( I can not do it. My body will destroy the new blood immediately). 

Usually as a last resort a splenectomy is done. This does not always 'work'. There are risks as there is with any surgery. 

For my particular case prednisone at 60mg was prescribed. I did not respond and was down from 80,000 to 50,000 platelets while on it. I then began rituxan and so far have gone back up, and slightly lower again. I will see how my level is next Thursday to see where we go next with treatment. 

 Yea that explains a lot ^ . I finally have tapered off of prednisone but man, I can't stop eating! And I tell myself no more and then I realized I got more food. It's horrible. Uncontrollable. And the worst part is I'm not just eating for the hell of it. I am seriously starving! Pretty sure rituxan is now adding to it.

 Marqui and I went to the Outback for dinner last night. Order of wings ( that was comped btw- great waitress/manager!) chicken and parmesan pasta and cheesecake to only go home and feel as if I haven't eaten in days. Seriously. Days. I made myself not eat again though. Which meant waking up this morning feeling sick I was so hungry. Can't win. 

But yes! Our wings were comped which was awesome. It seemed like we were waiting a little long and just as we noticed the manager brought them out apologized for the wait and told us it would be taken care of. When we got the check we saw it was taken off the bill. We really didn't even wait that long for them. Great service right there!

Well I guess that's enough for today... Can't remember what else I wanted to put on here .. Another lovely side effect going on in this mess of a body.