Finally....a Diagnosis

As some of you already know, the problem with my low platelets did not resolve as quickly after my pregnancy with Sarah (as it did with Anna). Because of this and because they were so low by the day of the C-section, I was referred to a hematologist who I have been seeing on an outpatient basis. The week after I was released from the hospital, my platelets had rebounded to a very normal 208. This was encouraging news, but not a guarantee that there was not some underlying problem (since they had gotten so low). Anyways, I had another visit with them yesterday and they have dropped back down to 117. Normal is about 150-450. So, while they are not super low, they are not normal either. The hematologist has finally given a name to what he believes this is- Chronic Immune Thrombocytopenia. Basically it means that anytime my immune system is challenged (as happens during pregnancy, illness, stress) my body not only attacks the foreign cells but it also sees my platelets as foreign and attacks and kills them. It usually begins sometime in your 20s and is something that persists for the rest of your life. Fortunately (as he pointed out) I was able to keep my platelets over 50 through the whole pregnancy and pregnancy is one of the best immune challenges you can give your body so he was encouraged by that. I do need to be cautious though because it can go from a very stable condition to an acute condition in which you bleed very quickly. Because of this I am not allowed to do any "dangerous activities" (contact sports, skydiving, skiing to name a few). As my mom pointed out, "Well, you've never been very athletic so that shouldn't be a problem"- thanks mom :) Also, having anymore babies would not be something he would recommend (we are done anyways!). I feel fortunate after knowing all of this that I was able to have 3 normal, healthy kids and feel all the more blessed that things went so well considering. Anyways, I now to get have a platelet check about every 6 months (or more if they are low) for the rest of my life. Not the best news, but it is nice to know the "why" behind the problem sometimes. The hematologist thinks that this will just be an annoying part of my life, but not something that I will need to actively deal with. I guess if you have to have a chronic disease, this isn't the worst thing that it could be.

Enough about me! I know you've all logged on to hear the latest about Sarah. She continues to grow into her own little person. She is quite the little spitfire :) Here's some recent pictures.