ITP and me
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I was diagnosed with ITP in 2011. My platelet count at the time was 5,000. I learned this after months of feeling ill followed by weeks of having bleeding issues and many days of asking doctors to do a CBC because I knew something wasn’t right. When I finally did get lab work, the call I received told me to pack a bag, head to the local cancer center, and under no circumstances was I to drive myself. This platelet count meant that I was at high risk of internal bleeding that could be hard to stop even with medical intervention.
There is no test to determine the cause, and determining a treatment is often a process of trial and error once more common causes such as cancer have been eliminated. Receiving a diagnosis of a rare, potentially chronic, and not widely known illness can be scary even when not having symptoms or active bleeding. Finding others through awareness campaigns is key to learning about the illness and hearing stories of success is key to mental stability and not feeling alone.
This year I walk for Klayton and his family. Please consider a donation in his honor as he and his family forever navigate life with ITP.
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