“Interview with the Vampire,” “Dracula,” “Twilight,” “The Lost Boys,” and even “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” have romanticized vampires and the idea of drinking blood. But…
Columns
IMMUNE THROMBOCYTOPENIA
ColumnsITP is only one of the reasons I experience easy bruising
The back of my left hand, the top of my right knee, my left shin, left calf muscle, right thumb, the top of my left…
IMMUNE THROMBOCYTOPENIA
ColumnsEnd-of-life decisions should be made sooner rather than later
Advance directives, trusts, payable-on-death accounts, last wills, living wills, medical powers of attorney — just thinking about all of this provokes a feeling of existential…
IMMUNE THROMBOCYTOPENIA
ColumnsBeing evaluated for disability payments is always a tug-of-war
“Social Security Administration.” These three words on an envelope can make my heart drop. They’ve held me financially hostage for two and a half years,…
IMMUNE THROMBOCYTOPENIA
ColumnsMy shaky first experience with plasmapheresis treatment
I watched nervously as hospital staff rolled in a large machine that looked like something from “Doctor Who.” I giggled, thinking of those alien robots…
IMMUNE THROMBOCYTOPENIA
ColumnsYears later, I’m still dealing with the effects of an ITP crisis
I felt the warm sunlight bathing my face through the window. For a moment, it felt so nice, but then I remembered that the sun…
IMMUNE THROMBOCYTOPENIA
ColumnsNosebleeds are one of my most annoying symptoms of ITP
The sickening taste of metal spiraled down the back of my throat. I immediately gagged and ran to the sink to spit out what I…
IMMUNE THROMBOCYTOPENIA
ColumnsTaking prednisone for ITP can be both a godsend and a curse
Note: This column describes the author’s own experiences with prednisone. Not everyone will have the same response to treatment. Consult your doctor before starting…
IMMUNE THROMBOCYTOPENIA
ColumnsSometimes I feel like I need a PhD to understand my own body
Immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), thrombotic thrombocytopenia purpura (TTP), and atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS) can make for a confusing “word soup,” as…
IMMUNE THROMBOCYTOPENIA
ColumnsOld pennies, raw liver, and the taste of blood being transfused
The tastes of metal and a bloody organ swirled together in the back of my throat, similar to the smell of old pennies and raw…
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