immune thrombocytic purpura

frigging kids. always with the drama.

over the weekend, ry developed a weird rash all over his body, these little reddish purple dots under the skin (which I later learned was called petechiae), and bruises all over his legs and arms (purpura). It came on very suddenly, so today we took him to the doctor, just to make sure he was okay. You expect for the doctor to tell you he’s fine and it was some sort of reaction to laundry detergent or something, maybe give him some benadryl and send you home.

You don’t expect them to tell you he’s got some weird blood disorder and send you to the ER for treatment.

Don’t worry don’t worry, Ry is okay, and this thing he has, called ITP, isn’t life-threatening in itself. basically, ITP means his blood isn’t clotting. Should he suffer some sort of trauma, especially to the head, well then I need to start losing my shit, but right now? it’s all cool.

We spent most of the day and evening in the ER, where he was given special medicine and observed for any reaction. When we were finally released, his discharge papers said, “patient tolerated the transfusion well.”

So see? he’s going to be fine. he’s perfectly healthy and active in all respects (albeit with a cough and some congestion due to his cold). he’s just got some low platelets. no biggie.

He has some follow-ups with his doctor but the pediatric hematologist at Mass General was confident his condition would improve. She was concerned, but not overly alarmed or frantic, and since there was no House-style drama or complications, I’m feeling much better about everything.

I was pretty freaked out at first, of course, because I’m a mom and he’s my kid and that’s what happens when they say words to you like “blood disorder” and “transfusions” and “emergency room” and “dangerously low blood count”. they shouldn’t say things to you like that. they should say “he’s fine, he’s got some angry little antibodies in there, but we’re going to calm them down and everything is fine. Here have some cake.”

ry’s lousy blood disorder made me miss my work christmas party though. frigging kids.

this might be the universe repaying me for my joke the other day. in an email chain with some co-workers, there was a joke about bethlehem and if that’s where santa was born and I said no that was where santa’s virgin baby was born and someone said santa is a virgin? and I said no not santa, but his baby, jebus. santa’s baby jebus is a virgin and was born in bethlehem and then someone else said but aren’t all babies virgins and then I went too far, as I always do, and said not my baby. he’s banging the chicks in daycare and spreading STDs like it’s frosting on a cake.

ry’s blood did not take kindly to such jokes, I think.

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