Hello, my name is Nicole. I am 37 years old, mother of three children, and I have chronic ITP.  I first discovered I had a problem with my platelets in 2007 when I was eight months pregnant with my youngest child. The doctors told me I had thrombocytopenia and it would go away after I had the baby.  They told me I would need a transfusion to have my C-section.  I had no idea what platelets did or what thrombocytopenia even was, but I remember thinking, “Okay, so I get my transfusion of blood, boost my platelets, have my C-section, and everything will be fine.”  Everything was “fine” for almost a year.

In 2008, I was admitted to the hospital with kidney stones.  The lab results came back and I discovered my platelets were at 17,000.  I didn’t realize initially how serious the situation was until the doctors started freaking me out by explaining what was possible when platelet levels are that low, namely that I could spontaneously hemorrhage.  I was terrified.  I had no idea that low platelet levels could be this dangerous.  I thought I was fine after the transfusion and to suddenly find out how not-fine I actually was scared me.  At that point in time I was a single mother to an 11 year old, 8 year old, and 1 year old and I was afraid of what would happen to me and my children if my platelets stayed this low.  The hospital started me on steroids but my platelet levels continued to drop to an alarming 7,000, but thankfully my platelet count then began to stabilize.

Although the steroids slowly began to raise my platelet levels, they also suppressed my immune system.   A short while later I ended up catching a cold that turned into pneumonia.  The illness caused my platelets to plummet again and the doctors started me on IVIG.  I then started a treatment regimen of two IVIG treatments a week and started to wean off the steroids.  Again, my body would respond to treatment initially but then my platelets would start to slide again.  I decided to change doctors due to the continuous state of flux my platelet numbers.  The new doctor ordered a bone marrow biopsy to rule out other causes (which it did).  The new doctor then decided that I should undergo a splenectomy to stop my platelets from dropping.  After my spleen was removed I was in remission for four years and felt great.  I did get sick a bit more frequently, but my platelets consistently stayed in a safe range.

In 2014, my platelet levels again started to bottom out.  I was diagnosed with chronic ITP and have undergone numerous IVIG treatments, seven rounds of rituxan promacta, and countless numbers of doctor appointments.  As I write this my platelets are holding steady at 55,000 which is still 100,000 less than normal.  I’m still working, still raising my now-not-so-little ones, and trying to live each day to its fullest.