Hello!
Ready for a platelet update?
Well, guess what? I went back to Mayo today, and got some blood drawn.
Sadly, the unit of platelets didn't stick! Darn! Thankfully, there are lots of great blood doctors at Mayo, so I went to visit them this afternoon.
It turns out that something mysterious has caused my immune system to go a little wacky and start producing antibodies that are eating my platelets! WEIRD! So the antibodies ate up all those lovely little platelets that I got at the hospital yesterday. They said there was no need to give me new platelets today because my body would just eat them up.
So instead, I get to take lots of steroids! Watch out! One of the side effects is crankiness! Eeeeek. I hope I won't be Cranky Pastor Emily. The steroids' job is to make my immune system be quiet. Then, after the immune system is quiet, the platelets can grow again.
Then, on Friday I will go back and they will check my blood and my platelets.
Hopefully my platelets will have grown, grown, grown.
If not, then they will come up with a new plan. There are still lots more ideas for what they can do if this doesn't work. So, no need to fear.
Also, I feel really healthy and have felt healthy all along. No symptoms other than the bruises, and they just make me look really tough anyway.
In the meantime, I just need to be careful and avoid contact sports, scissors, razors, and any other situation that could lead to blood. I also need to be careful when flossing, brushing my teeth, and shaving. Since I don't have much of a way to clot my blood (without the platelets), I need to avoid getting hurt. I don't really use scissors that much anyway! So no problem there. :)
Thanks for the thoughts and prayers.
I'm trying to laugh a lot.
Someday I will write a funny memoir. It will be titled:
Blood: How I lost my platelets and found myself.
Dramatic, eh?
Have a good night! You might want to say a special thank you to your platelets before bed! Who knew they were so important!
I really appreciate you writing this update! I thought about you all day and hoped for good news. Get some rest, and avoid sharp things (and personalities with the crankiness). Hope you are better so I'll get to see you Saturday! Love
ReplyDeleteYour having to avoid contact sports and scissors made me laugh! I can just imagine your doctor advising you to "sit still and do quiet things". Isn't it funny how circumstance makes us re-examine what we need to be doing with our days?
ReplyDeleteBe well, my dear. I am looking forward to hearing good health news at the end of the week!
I really appreciate you writing this update! I thought about you all day and hoped for good news. Get some rest, and avoid sharp things (and personalities with the crankiness). Hope you are better so I'll get to see you Saturday! Love
ReplyDelete