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Original poster

Kewcumber's Been In Hospital - her blood isn't Clotting

217 replies

MrsRecycle · 19/09/2008 14:28

You may have missed Kewcumber around mumsnet for the past week, she has, sadly, been in hospital. They are trying to increase her platelets but it has been a long process. She is keeping her spirits up but missing her ds immensely although her dm has been bringing him to see her every day. For any of you that would like to see the side-effects of blood not clotting I've posted a couple of pictures of Kewcumbers arms on my profile (don't look at if you have a needle phobia!).

She is having the best treatment possible and is hoping that the double dose of everything (trust Kew!) that she is being given at the moment will ensure that she is home (and mumsneting!) very soon.

I'm sure she'll be updating you with all the gory details once she is online.

OP posts:
FabioHungoverNoShoutingPlease · 20/09/2008 22:56

Oh you poor thing! And poor ds, velcro boy.
Are you going to be off work recouperating running restfully around ds for a bit?

And please tell everyone that ll's link is some hideous photo shop creation.

And I am very sorry for biting you.

Are you bruised? Are yo utaking arnica?

foxinsocks · 20/09/2008 22:57

glad you are home Kew. Hope you are feeling ok now.

Saturn74 · 20/09/2008 22:59

Glad to hear you're home, Kew.
Hope you're back to full health soon.

MmeLindt · 20/09/2008 23:01

completly missed this, but I am glad that oyu are home, Kewcumber. Hope that you are ok now.

thumbwitch · 20/09/2008 23:02

So sorry to hear you've been in the wars Kew - hope your platelets continue to rise - have you a diagnosis on what's wrong? I hope it's nothing serious.
((((((hugs))))))) to you and your limpet DS (sorry if you don't "do" hugs) - get well soon!

Kewcumber · 20/09/2008 23:10

yes out of hspital at last. Advantage of being in a ward of properly sick people is that they have registrar on duty at all tiems and senior enough to discharge you over a weekend.

Janni - completely out of the blue - no previous symptoms, illness no warning. Cam eup in a meningitis tyoe rash last Sunday am, then gums started bleeding then starting bruising really badly. Felt absolutely fine though a bit uneasy about rash as I know rashes that don't go away when pressed against a glass are deemed "not a good thing". Discussed with a fellow MN'er (hello Stepford wife) who we were having coffee with that morning and it was decided that casualty would on balance perhaps be a good idea. Rang another MNer who I was suppsed to be having lunch with ( a rare socialiteday that day) and said "will probably be a little late for lunch"! Dropped D of at my mums and drove to Charing cross hospital.

After waiting hours to see doctor then hours to get results of blood tests, was informed there have been a problem with the quality of the tests that they were somehow contaminated and I needed more bloods done (cue two more hours waiting for results) at which point they realised that the zero platelet count was not a result of incompetant lab but due to me not having any platelets.

Was guided to a bed at that point and nurse detais to follow me around with a soft duvet and on no circumstances whatsoever was I to fall over or bump myself.

Apparently having no platelets is also "not a good thing" and nervous A&E staff prefer patients that have some.

Kewcumber · 20/09/2008 23:12

sorry Fabio but pmsl at arnica - would need to shovel the stuff in by the bucket load to make any differnt to me - will try to get some photos up so you can see what I mean!

misdee · 20/09/2008 23:13

bloody ell kew!

thats not good.

any idea on what caused it yet?

Kewcumber · 20/09/2008 23:16

thumbwith - I have been diagnosed with ITP = idiopathic thromocytopenia purpurea

idiopathic = who the hell knows what caused it
thromocytopenia = not enough platelets
purpurea = non blancing rash under skin caused by spontaneous sub-cutaneous haemorraging

They have no idea yet whether its a chronic case and will ned treating forever or an acute attack which may go away after this bout of treatment.

It could have been something much much nastier tough so feel very lucky tomight.

(Don't recommend bone marrow biopsy though if anyne is thinking of getting one for Xmas)

thumbwitch · 20/09/2008 23:16

LOL Kew - defo not a good thing! And, as an ex blood lab person, yes, the first thing we would have done is check the quality of the sample as our initial reaction to no platelets is always disbelief (btw, NOT usually incompetent lab staff, usually incompetent doc/phlebo/nurse taking the sample and not mixing it properly so it clots in the tube and gives false results )

Good job you didn't have a cold at the time - sneezing with no platelets is also "not a good thing"!

Hope it's ITP - relatively simple to fix...

foxinsocks · 20/09/2008 23:17

oh kew, I am wincing. You poor poor thing. Hope you don't have to see a needle again for a while.

FabioHungoverNoShoutingPlease · 20/09/2008 23:18

omg

you are Beyond The Hope Of Arnica - are you sure you will survive the night?
all that I know about mn may well be wrong
I thought arnica cured everything, along with that bum cream and Elizabeth Arden 8 hour cream and manuka honey!
alas.

someone did put up a photo of your arm complete with canula and a bruise the size of the rest of your arm.

arnica obviously useless suggestion, am buffoon.

what about a plaster or a lemsip?

am glad to see you do not have samson like weakness and your sense of humour was not contained in your platelets.

Kewcumber · 20/09/2008 23:18

one theory misdee is it may be drug indiced (strated on a new rug 3 weeks ago) or possibly that I am prone to it and drug just pushed me over the edge into severe attack. Apparently is not common for people with ITP to turn up in A&E with no platelets and have to be hospitlaise for a week - I do like to do things in style though

BoysAreLikeDogs · 20/09/2008 23:20

Glad you are home kew

WendyWeber · 20/09/2008 23:22

Oh Kewc! Glad you are home safely (not half as glad as D though, obv)

Don't know whether to or [thud] at the "problem with the quality of the tests"!

littlelapin · 20/09/2008 23:22

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Kewcumber · 20/09/2008 23:24

thimbwitch - thats so funny - I did hear a few muttered comments about incompetant doctor (GP took bloods)

I was a bit of a stubborn case - had 195 ml immunoglobins asfast as they could push over two days, coule of bags of platelets and hydrocortisone to no real effect. Got transferred in the middle to hameotology unit in Hammesmith hospitla where thankfully large doses of prednisolone seems to have done the trick (had 140mg in 12 hours) but now on 70 mg daily, with amoxycillin and metronidazole and omaprazole. Weekly outpateint treatment and hopefully steriods to come down if I stabilise at least where I am - currentl proud possessor of 77 gazzilion of my expected 150 gaz platelets which is more than enough - and frankly I missed them.

thumbwitch · 20/09/2008 23:25

oops. xpost, Kew. "glad" to see that it was ITP though - alternatives are less "pleasant".

It might just go away on its own; or you might need some further intervention - a friend of mine had it as a response to some antibiotics (some kind of drug anyway), I think it was, and she ended up having a splenectomy but is fine and has been without a spleen for about 20 years now no worries. She had it done keyhole as well, so it wasn't a huge trauma.

Let's hope your platelets start to build up again naturally - I assume you have stopped the new drug you started 3 weeks ago, just in case that caused it?

Kewcumber · 20/09/2008 23:26

bone marrow biopsy might not have been so bad perhaps if they hadn't had three attempts - eventually succeded using lumbar puncture needle.

FabioHungoverNoShoutingPlease · 20/09/2008 23:27

Welcome back Kew's platelets!
Blimey.
You are a walking haematology unit.

How are you feeling?

Kewcumber · 20/09/2008 23:30

yes stopped it that day - there are alternaitves I can take so will switch to them. There has been another case of ITP on this drug so possible but much much less dramatic. I'm hoping "drug induced" may mean it is a rare "acute" adult case. THough no-one said so I knew resporting to the BMB when I didn;t respond wasn't a great sign. Very relieved to discover I have plenty of megokaryocytes (sp?)

Kewcumber · 20/09/2008 23:32

I was very popular with medical students at Charing cross - I think one was charging her friends for access to me...

Oh and I know all about the sneezing/nose bleeds with the mountain of washing to prove it. And I won't go into the unfortunate effects of a period at the same time because that would just be TMI!

Kewcumber · 20/09/2008 23:33

one doctor cpme to see me and just said "I am on call tongiht, please don't fall over whilst I'm on duty"

thumbwitch · 20/09/2008 23:34

megakaryocytes (or megalokaryocytes) - translates (loosely) as big buggers what make platelets.

If there has been another case then quite possible that it is that drug and you are just sensitive to it. If the steroids are working, excellent - should hopefully mean no need for surgical intervention.

OUCH about the biopsy - fecking painful enough as it is without having 3 goes at it!!

FabioHungoverNoShoutingPlease · 20/09/2008 23:35

I would've immediately slumped out of the bed to spite him
What an arse.