Wednesday, July 22, 2015

My ITP story

Hello friends

I know it has been a while, I'm sorry for being absent all this time.  I simply lost my mojo and have just found it again.  I'll begin by warning you that this post will be long.
I am not one to complain, but the first half of this year has been one of the most challenging of my life.
Let me start at the begining.  Scrapbooking has been a big part of my life.  It has been a sanity saver for me as it helped me escape, be creative and made me focus on all the positives in my life.  Being a stay at home mom, scrapbooking has helped me connect with other women and being a consultant allowed me to scrapbook guilt free as it was also a job.  About 5 years ago, I hurt my wrist shoveling the driveway.  I was diagnosed with Carpal Tunnel Syndrom.  It was not bad a first, but I had to sleep with a brace and scrapbooking had become more challenging as using scissors and other tools started to hurt.  Last december I underwent Carpal Tunnel release surgery.  This was the start of my challenge.  Even though my surgery went well, and I healed from my surgery, it started a domino effect.
Shortly after the holidays, I had the stomach flu,  shortly after I had a cold that seem to be neverending.  In the middle of February I caught a sinus infections.   I was tired of being sick, but everyone around me had colds so I did not think much of it.  It was cold outside and we were getting snow storms after snow storms after all.  For the first time in months I woke up one Monday morning without a headach, able to breath from my nose.  The day went by as normal until I brushed my teeth that night and spit out blood.  I then noticed bruises on my arms that were not there earlier.  I knew I had to go to the hospital.
I was diagnosed with ITP (idiopathis thrombocytopenic purpura) in 2001, but I had not had any symptoms of the disease since I had a spleenectomy that same year.  I had forgotten I had it, but staring at my bruises and purple dots on my hands and feet, the memories of that year all came back.
I was not in the same place in my life.  I had no kids back then, Nobody depended on me like they do now. I was scared as I sat in the hospital waiting room waiting for my blood test results.  I knew when I heard my name though the intercom 30 minutes later that the results were not good. My platelet level were under 4000 ( a normal platelet count is between 150 000 and 400 000)   In the span of 2 weeks I had a platelet transfusion, immunoglobuline treatments, prednisone and iv steroid treatments and 3 blood transfusion.  I left the hospital with a platelet count of 175 000.  Feeling good, but tired with a weening schedule for my prednisone for 6 weeks.  I also had to go to weekly blood test to monitor my platelet levels.
Being on high level prednisone is no fun!  The worst is the jitters and the axious feeling that I had every day.  Then there comes the acne and weight gain and all the other side effects that comes with it.  In that 6 weeks, I gained 25 pounds.  I was going to bed  at the same time and sometimes even earlier than the kids.  I was tired, fatigued, anxious and just going though the motions everyday. Scrapbooking was not on the radar.  I walked past my scrapbooking table everyday on my way to bed and had no desire to even try to make a layout.  My mojo was not lost, it was hiding and I had no idea where to find it.
I was looking forward to the day I was done my prednisone, I was hoping that my life would get back to the way it was before my ITP flare up.  The day came and I did feel better for a few days.  Then came the withdrawls.  I was in bed with fever, nausea, headaches. It was awful!

All that said, I came over that hump, and I am feeling better everyday,  My last platelet count was normal and the doctor thinks that the chances I have another flare up is very low.  I still have to go for monthly bloodtests and will be monitored more closely to avoid another flare up.  I started watching what I eat and will start training for a 10k run next week.  It is frustrating that I have to lose that weight that I worked so hard to keep off for years but it has to be done and I know I will be proud when I attain my goal.
The first half or the year was bad, but I will make the second half make up for it.
All that to say, for the first time in a really really long time, I had not been excited about scrapbooking.  All that changed this morning.  Where was my mojo hiding?  I'll show you!
I received a lovely box of scrapbooking  products and hiding in the bottom among client's orders was these little gems!  I leafed though them while eating lunch and fell in love with scrapboking again.  I can't wait to sit down and create. I can't wait to place my consultant order on the first of August. Can't wait to order more idea books to share with my friends.
Who wants to scrap with me?  I'm scheduling a crop at my house soon, who's in?  I have a lot of catching up to do!