7.19.2010

Now that was a weird day!

Hello all!
I'll type a good update soon, but I'll type a brief "medical update" now.

3 days ago, I started noticing lots of bruises all over my body - maybe about 12 or 13 of them.
"This is odd" I thought. Then I asked my doctor friend about it, and she said: "You really should see a doctor tomorrow morning."

So this morning I called and made an appointment.
At the appointment, they drew some blood and said: "If there's an emergency, we will call you."
An hour later, they called.
The lady said: "You only have 3000 platelets (actually ended up being 11,000) and an average person has 150,000 to 400,000. You need to go to the emergency room immediately. We will call the hospital and tell them you are coming. This is very serious. If you were to get hurt, you could bleed to death."

I panicked a bit, and then headed to the ER.
Some friends came for support, and my mom drove up from Iowa.
After about 2.5 hours, I got a room and they drew more blood.
They gave me a unit of platelets and some steroids.
The steroids will hopefully "shut-up" whatever antibody is eating up my platelets!
Silly antibodies! Stop eating my platelets! Can't they find something else to munch on?

I got to come home to sleep, and tomorrow I will go back and meet with the hematologists (blood docs).

It is a big miracle and I am praising God that I went to the doctor today. If a person runs out of platelets, it is bad news.

Hopefully more will get figured out tomorrow.
In the meantime, I am not in any eminent danger since I got the new platelets. Hopefully they will stick and multiply.

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers!

P.S. - Here's a link to what I have from the Mayo website. It's really helpful.: thrombocytopenia (low platelets).

5 comments:

  1. emily - many prayers coming your way! Hope todays follow up is helpful.

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  2. Oh my goodness! Emily, I am glad you are going to be okay! It is kind of neat to think that someone else's platelets are going to help you get better. Rest well and take good care of yourself. You are definitely in my prayers; love you!

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  3. I hope they figure out what is going on! We are thinking about you and praying for you!

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  4. Oh my goodness! Emily, I am glad you are going to be okay! It is kind of neat to think that someone else's platelets are going to help you get better. Rest well and take good care of yourself. You are definitely in my prayers; love you!

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  5. I hope they figure out what is going on! We are thinking about you and praying for you!

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