When bruising is an early warning signal of an ITP flare-up
Conditioned to not complain about my bruises, I've come to appreciate them
Written by |
Ow, that’s going to leave a bruise, I thought to myself as I rounded the table that day and caught my hip on the corner. I knew, though, that I’d soon forget how I got it.
That happened in 2018, and I’d been working myself to the bone. I was a newly divorced single mother running a preschool I owned. So when I started to feel run-down and tired, I didn’t think much of it. But results of blood work for an upcoming medical appointment concerned my doctor enough that she ordered further testing.
I remember thinking that going to the hospital wasn’t how I wanted to spend my day, but after more blood work and an interview with doctors, it became apparent that the nosebleeds, awful menstrual cycles, and extreme fatigue and exhaustion were something to be concerned about.
And the bruises? They were all over my body — my back, my left forearm, the back of my right hand, my hip where I’d hooked the table, my left knee, the top of my right foot, and two fingers on my right hand. I was literally covered in bruises that I hadn’t thought twice about before that day. I was just used to them.
I’d bruised all of my life, even as a child. I’d always assumed it was because I was anemic and other things. As a teen, I’d learned how to get really handy with makeup. It was easier to cover the worst ones than it was to explain where they came from. I’d been conditioned to not complain about them.
A bruising battle
Ultimately I was diagnosed with a rare bleeding disorder called immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). I had an insanely low number of platelets in my body because my immune system was destroying them faster then my body could create more. It was all news to me. I’d never had a doctor look at me so closely, so I could’ve been living with this for a long time.
Thankfully, bruises can be a very clear warning sign of an ITP flare-up coming, like the one I had in February.
An ITP flare-up is treated with a round of corticosteroids, blood and iron transfusions, and additional steroids at my biweekly Soliris (eculizumab) infusion, which I receive for atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome, another rare disease I have.
Even if it’s not an ITP flare, I still bruise easily — when I have blood work drawn, with my Soliris IV, when my blood pressure is taken, when my edema gets really bad on my feet and ankles, and of course, any time I bump into something.
Extreme bruising can also be a warning of a blood clot. I’ve had this happen before, too. I also have May-Thurner syndrome, so the left side of my body swells more than my right side, and when the swelling gets really bad, it can cause large, widespread bruising. If those bruises feel hot to the touch and it’s hard to walk on them, they could be from a blood clot.
I have to be vigilant of the bruises that form on me, and I need to keep track of what’s normal bruising and what’s not. But it’s nice having a disease symptom that’s obvious and easy to track. A lot of my other symptoms are internal and not so obvious. I call bruising one of my better symptoms.
Note: Bleeding Disorders News is strictly a news and information website about the syndrome. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Bleeding Disorders News or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to bleeding disorders.
Leave a comment
Fill in the required fields to post. Your email address will not be published.