After nearly four months without seeing a Hematologist, I FINALLY made it!!
For those new to reading, I have lived with ITP (Idio Thrombocyto Penia/Purpura = low platelet count) for the last nearly 15 years. Basically, it's an immunological disorder where my body fights itself - my white blood cells attack and destroy my platelets which help my blood clot.
When I was first diagnosed with this, I had about 8,000 platelets. The normal person has about 150,000 - 250,000.
I used to receive treatments by IV every 3-5 weeks of Gamma Globulin, which was to 'feed' the white blood cells and allow my platelets to reproduce into my normal range of about 60,000. Today, I still have a lower than normal range count of platelets, but I'm no longer in such danger of bleeding out. Yay me.
Now, add to this low platelet count a Factor 10 issue/Lupus anticoagulant.
What it breaks down to is I don't have a lot of platelets to start with, but the Factor 10/Lupus anticoagulant deficiency in my system tells my platelets to randomly make clots. Party time, anyone?
Soooo....I was diagnosed with that little nugget of joy after Alli was born nearly 6 years ago by my previous Hematologist, P.J. Flynn. Good doctor, just really freaking hard to get into see.
After this last trip I had to the hospital here back in October (I was out of work for a month with pneumonia), Dr. Weinshel from the same practice MOHPA (Minnesota Oncology/Hematology, PA.) came to see me at the hospital.
A rotund man with intelligent and eyes and a kind, pudgy face softened by spectacles, Dr. Weinshel is my current hero. He saw me today - squeezed me in really - and basically sat me down to tell me how things are going to be.
He said my leg most likely isn't a clot - I would KNOW if it was, and just to keep it rested as the muscles healed. He also said he is going to keep me on the Lovenox pre-conception, during the pregnancy (IF I ever get pregnant again! :) ), and for at least 2-3 months after baby is born. While on Lovenox, I don't need to come in every month for INR and Protime; but once I'm back on Coumadin after the birth, I'll have to go back to them every 2 weeks to a month for the standard INR and Protime checks.
He told me what I already knew though as far as I'm concerned: I'm a healthy person, in spite of any extra weight I carry, and there's no reason not to go ahead with purposefully trying to conceive and carry to term. :) It felt good to hear that from a physician.
And then he sent me to have labs drawn.
Keep in mind... again... this is a lab that draws blood from thousands of people a year that suffer through cancer, hemophilia, other blood disorders.
I get Brenda. Brenda uses a butterfly needle on an arm that has many battle scars, in a location I've never seen blood drawn from. I sit, zoning out, thinking she knows how to do her job. She gets one vial and stars the next. I look at the draw in the second vial and see two plops of blood fill it about an inch.
Brenda hisses out her breath and takes off the rubber band on my arm; "Well I guess I've blown it."
I look to my arm. Sure as hell, it's already puffy and turning bluish purple.
Brenda speaks again, "But I got what we needed. Thanks!"
Gathering up my purse and jacket, I wished her a good week.
On the bright side, at least she left a couple good veins for the people at MN Perinatology tomorrow.
But damn it hurts.
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