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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:
CryingMyselfToSleep · 20/09/2008 23:37

arrrhhh megakaryocytes are pretty funky cells.....

most cells only have 1 nucleus....but magakaryocytes have loads...they are pretty cool IMOGO

(G stands for Geeky BTW).

I am puzzled as to why you are on omeprazoel for low platelets though (unless that is for pre-exosting stuff)

Glad to see you back on your feet though.

BigGitDad · 20/09/2008 23:37

Hi Kew sorry to hear you have not been well, thoughts are with you.
I was at Northampton v Wasps and thought of you and ds.

Kewcumber · 20/09/2008 23:40

you may be interested to know that I'm on the AB's as they consulted some Professor Dracula who is UK expect in clotting who says some evidence of link wbtween ITP and helicobactor (sp?) so they're treaitng that too just in case.

Have nice discharge paper wth initial result of FBC sowing platelets = 0.

Am quite proud, may frame it as souvenir.

How much blood does it take to make 195 mls of immunoglobins (thats 39 bottles)? Think I need to thank a lot of people who gace blood!

Kewcumber · 20/09/2008 23:41

omaprazole is to counter side effects of steriods not to treat ITP.

thumbwitch · 20/09/2008 23:42

LOL at fecking stupid doc - as if you would do it deliberately!

Total sidetrack - I was on call one night and a GP sample came in on an old lady who was on warfarin (blood thinner, sure you know that) - and her clotting time was so long, her blood wasn't clotting at all. No clots in sample, seemed accurate - so had to phone emergency docs, community nurses, everyone I could think of to get this old lady of 92 into hospital before she sneezed as it would also have "not been a good thing" - achieved it after lots of ringing round the houses BUT forgot to phone the GP surgery and leave a message on their AP. 2 days later, when postal results arrived at GP surgery, there was a frantic phonecall from GP - he'd dashed round to old lady's house, only to get no answer - not good - phoned to find out which incompetent lab staff hadn't flagged the dangerous result, only to discover that said "incompetent" had ensured his patient was where she should be. Forgiveness all round. Happy ending, no terminal nosebleed. Hurrah!

CryingMyselfToSleep · 20/09/2008 23:43

Arrhhh I see the link now.....so you had 39 units of blood? Surely not?

Kewcumber · 20/09/2008 23:44

"I was at Northampton v Wasps and thought of you and ds" kind of you not to say you were watching Edinburgh v Llanelli!

CryingMyselfToSleep · 20/09/2008 23:45

omeprazole has nothing to do with steroids AFAIK...but helicobater pylori does cause stomach ulcers and stomach ulcers are treated with omeprazole...so some links to links to links I think there.

Kewcumber · 20/09/2008 23:47

no I had 39 bottles of immunoglobins each took half an hour overnight for two nights (ie every half an hour a machine went "BONG BOMG BONG" in my ear). There is 5mls of immunoglobins in each bottle - jusy wondering how much blood it take to make that.

had only two bags of platelets - which i pretty much frittered away willy nilly so they wouldnt let me have any more.

Kewcumber · 20/09/2008 23:49

thought side effect of high dose steriod was severe heart burn - have bben told I will be on it as long as I'm on the steriods?

I might be confused as I was origanlly in lots of other things which they've dropped now like iron and tranexamic acid and hydrocortisone

thumbwitch · 20/09/2008 23:50

Kew, I would think (it's been a while since I worked at a Blood Transfusion unit) that they pool non-specific immunoglobulins from a large number of donations and then dole it out into 5ml bottles. Nearly all donated blood is split into packed red cells, platelets and plasma, and the plasma can have all sorts removed from it, including the non-specific Igs. So probably 100s of donations.

S1ur · 20/09/2008 23:53

Oh only just seen this!

Sorry you've had a tough week Kew, hope you are good and clotty soon

Kewcumber · 20/09/2008 23:54

so how much blood do you need to produce 5mls of Ig's - can you remember? Just curious really

Kewcumber · 20/09/2008 23:54

Slur - have cleaned my teeth vigourously and blwon my nose just for the hell of it today and so far so clotty!

susiecutiebananas · 20/09/2008 23:55

Helicobacter pylori is treated with omeprazole Kew.

It would also be useful to help protect your stomach against the high does of prednisolone. So, it is helping you in a double whammy way!

So...make sure you take it

BigGitDad · 20/09/2008 23:55

Kew, I was watching the good stuff!!
Worse still, ESPN last night were showing Wales v England at Wembley when you beat us with Scott Gibb's winning try. And they showed the Ireland game when we lost to them as well a couple of days before that. What's Tv coming too?
Also Scott Gibbs played today at the Heros game at twickenham. (One of the few Welshmen I do like...)

Kewcumber · 20/09/2008 23:58

have checked omeprazole "Because of the immunosupressant drugs you will be more prone to getting stomach irritation and stomach ulcers"

Kewcumber · 21/09/2008 00:02

off to bed now to sleep - on my own bed

thumbwitch · 21/09/2008 00:04

sorry Kew, it's not so much a case of can't remember, we didn't do the extraction from the plasma, that was all done at the Blood Products Laboratory (BPL) and I'm pretty sure it's 100s of bags of plasma that are pooled together so that they extract lots in one go - couldn't really work out how much blood produces 5ml Ig. (Someone who works/worked at BPL probably could though!)

They fractionate the plasma, removing things like Factor 8, Igs, albumin, cryoprecipitate (lots of clotting factors) so it would need to be done on a large scale to make it practical and cost-effective.

Kewcumber · 21/09/2008 00:14

I thought sciency geeks knew EVERYTHING?!

thumbwitch · 21/09/2008 00:21

oh come come - I'm not doing bad there, surely?!

susiecutiebananas · 21/09/2008 00:32

re omeprazole- it is also used to eradicate H.pilori in conjunction with Ab's. We used to give a high does, IV post diagnoses and then orally for some time...At least it was the practice last time I was working.

MrsJohnCusack · 21/09/2008 02:03

I missed all of this too but am really glad you are out now!

Flower3554 · 21/09/2008 07:50

I missed this as well.

Sorry you've had a lousy time Kew. Must've been scary for you and DS. Glad you're on the mend now

tigermoth · 21/09/2008 08:12

What a week, kewcumber. How scary - glad you are home and on the mend.