I was diagnosed with ITP as a very young baby, (0-1 years old) and up until the age of 12 my condition was quite stable - typically sitting between 50,000 and 100,000- letting me go into remission by the age 12 until 15.
Sadly at the age of 15 it came back and it came back HARD, my bruises were worse than ever, getting giant purple/black bruises from nothing and constant petichie along my arms, chest and feet. When I had a check-up at the hospital they had found that my platelets were at 1000... This was devastating news to me as it meant it was no longer going to be treated like a child's case but adults. I was constantly on and off different drips and pills before they tried steroids. To begin with I was worried about trying steroids as I knew the possible side effects but, I went ahead with it anyway. They put me straight on an adults dose of steroids knowing that I was only 15 and sadly it resulted in me finding out I had the gene for diabetes and it induced it. Also around the same time I was asked to travel to a bigger hospital more specialised in the area of immune conditions. When my platelets were checked here I was told I had 0. This was such a shock to me as it meant my body was fighting so much against my platelets that it had killed every last one.
From this point up until now the hospital has given me no new treatments, checking up on me every 4-9 months. Because of this I do not get out enough in fear that something potentially fatal will happen to me. I am also many days bed bound from just being to exhausted to do anything. The way I cope is to draw and paint. Drawing calms me and allows me to escape for just a few hours.
I just want people to know who suffer from low platelets like mine that you will be Okay! In the last 3 years of approximately 1000 platelets I have been able to accomplish so much even though I have my own restrictions - anything is possible you just have to find your own way around it.