Gonna ask for a little juice from everyone........

[RedRonin]

Hello everyone;

Been some stuff going on for the past few months.  Getting to be a little much to carry around on our own, so I'm going to ask for some healing/coping/whatever from the assembled masses.

For 17 years I was a blood/plasma/platelet donor for Red Cross with over 250 total donations. My last donation was in late July. When I went in mid-August the next time, I was told my counts were too low and that I'd have to come back for a new pre-count before I could donate again. No big, it's happened before in the past.

So a couple weeks later I'm teaching my martial arts class and working with one of our female students. She's in her late 20s and was throwing kicks in our workout that I'd best describe as lollipops. I chastized her a bit and told her to lay them into me and "BAM" she blasts one into my ribs like she's supposed to do.

Now I've been training over 30 years and teaching this class for the last 12. We're defense oriented, so there's no pads or gloves or any of that silliness and we take semi-full shots and a lot of throws, etc. Suffice to say, my body was used to the abuse.

So the next morning I notice that I have a very deep purple, softball-sized bruise where the kick landed. The next class I congratulate the student on what a properly applied kick should do.

A few days later, the little pinpoint bruises started showing up. Then when doing a long run at the track that weekend, I "voided" some sinus gunk and notice it was full of blood.

OK......time to see the MD.

I've been given the full lab rat series of tests and come back completely asymptomatic other than the blasted low counts. It seems my body is a mobile medical journal for this kind of silliness. I spent roughly 15 years dealing with random body parts swelling to several times their normal size. I went away about 6 years ago just as mysteriously as it appeared. Since I have a family history of really funky LDL numbers, I've been on cholesterol meds for several years and experienced the "rare but serious side effects" that came close to costing me the use of my legs last year. Now this. Sometimes I wonder if I cheezed off some vengeful gypsy or something, but I digress.........

The current diagnosis is called "Ideopathic Thrombocytopenia".  Translation, I have virtually no platelets and they don't know why.

A short series of prednisone over 8 weeks didn't do jack. The MD did a consult with a hemo and oncologist who both agreed with the course of treatment but told him it probably didn't last long enough. I began a second run with 80mg prednisone eight weeks ago and have probably two weeks to go before I start my taper. It's gotten my counts up into the 80s and given me the facial features of Jobba The Hut but there's already the talk of the splenectomy should I have the same results after the taper.

To be perfectly honest, I wouldn't mind if they remove a lung right now if it means getting off this crap.  Not sure if the results will be worth squat but I've acheived the full battery of crappy side-effects.  I've lost 25 lbs of lean mass, am b****ier than normal (for those of you that know me that's quite a leap), have taken on the physical characteristics of the Stay Puff Marshmallow Man, have no wind, no legs and my heart goes off like a triphammer from just climbing the stairs.  This is not fun.

Not sure where I'm going with any of this, other than I'm sorta tired of keeping it to ourselves here.

Any "get your platelets back and off the pink pills" juice would be appreciated.

Thanks, folks.

[Ara]

You've got it  Hope you get over this.  A b****ier than normal Red is a little scary.

<3 Ara

[Zenon]

Hope you get better and avoid the splenectomy.

Sending you some batteries.

[Gryphon]

Be glad you don't live here.  

Seriously, he had a doctor note to take to work to excuse his temper....

[RedRonin]

Yeah.......... had a sentence that stated "Mr Martin is not normally irritable."

Horse laughs echoed throughout the whole friggin building.

Told the MD he should start doing standup at the clubs.

[danae]

Sending you some 'juice.'  Being mysteriously ill is no fun, especially when it comes with all the weirdo side effects.

[NachtSorcier]

Consider it done. *hugs*

[Fillionous]

I only have orange juice... but I'll send the lot if it gets rid of the pink pills and the low platlet count

All good vibes in your direction (Hugs)

Be bright, be bold
Fillionous

[Shadow]

Well, you know you got any support we can you. Make sure you check your PM's, I kinda got a feeling a certain genious acupuncturist sent you something.

Get better, and try not kill anyone. If you do though, call me, I'll help you hide the body.

[BlackCat Moon]

My goodness, Red!!!  Absolutely you get juice from me.

Keep us posted on what happens.  Try not to kill anyone, but if you do I'll send some invisibility magic as well.

Blessings,

BCM

[RedRonin]

It keeps getting better........

Got new counts.

After 8 weeks of the little pink pills, my counts have actually dropped by a third.  Down to 59,000.

Tra friggin la.

MD is punting me to a hemotologist.

At least it'll be a change of scenery.........

[Kaguya]

More juice on the way...

I hope they can figure out what the problem is and fix it.  

Chris

[Shadow]

MD should have punted you to a hemotologist as soon as you got a diagnosis of ITP. Maybe someone should punt the MD, Can i do it? :twisted:

Of course everyone knows how much I just love doctors.

[mermdotcom]

Juice on the way, Red!  Hang in there, it's gonna get better...

...and Gryphon, you have my sympathies!

[Gryphon]

...and Gryphon, you have my sympathies!

I'm tough, I can take it. The Rabbit on the other hand...