My battle with Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura - A Year On!

“When life tries to fuck your case, show your middle finger to it and say, ‘Fuck you, I ain’t going down without a fight!’”

Today, exactly a year ago, I was diagnosed with a condition called ITP - a condition of having a low platelet count. The days leading up to Mar 9, 2010, were crucial. Initially, I noticed some blood clots on my arms and legs and on my upper body (pale pink dots). And, the worst part was, it started spreading throughout my body, but I had not taken this seriously. A day or two later, I started bleeding through my nose and my teeth gums. By this time I realised that something is seriously not right. So, I went to a clinic to get a blood test done. My platelet count was very low at 11,000; the doctor advised me to get admitted immediately as my condition was potentially serious. But I was in no position to accept that as I felt great physically, and apart from the bleeding, I didn’t feel there was anything wrong with me. I was also adamant I needed to attend my 1st internals (of my 6th semester) no matter what the following day, so I declined to get admitted to a hospital. After much deliberation and insistence from my mom, I finally gave in and got admitted to Manipal Hospital (in a very dramatic fashion I might add) at around 4 AM on Mar 9th. A few hours ago, my platelet count was 11,000 but now in the hospital, it had reduced to 5,000 and was dangerously decreasing.

The next few months that followed were the toughest months of my life—mentally, physically and emotionally. My platelet count kept fluctuating below 10,000 for the next 40 days or so and no signs of recovery were in sight. At this time, due to all the side effects of the medication, I had gained a whole chunk of weight, (I had literally gained 15 kilograms in two days at one point). To top that, my bleeding hadn’t stopped. Apart from the gums and nose, I started bleeding through my motion as well (and every conceivable hole in my body). Well, I'm exaggerating a bit but it certainly felt that way. I had developed some petechial rashes throughout my upper body and face and some of the rashes exist even to this day.

It was more of a mental battle for me rather than a physical one. I kept fighting, never gave up. I used to feel frustrated because my condition was not improving, and also because I couldn’t do anything in my power to make it improve. A little nervousness kept creeping up in my heart every now and then, and I started hallucinating probably due to the medication, which made it very difficult for me to sleep every night (I really can’t explain those feelings in words).

Finally, after struggling for more than two months with this condition, which included almost a month in a hospital bed, I finally started showing some signs of recovery and my platelet count started improving. Today, my platelet count stands at a healthy and safe 326,000, and most importantly, it’s kept steady at that level for the past 6 months and will hopefully stay that way in the future. 

But what really kept me going was, I had the support of my wonderful family and my beloved friends who kept supporting me all the way through thick and thin. I will forever be indebted for their support and care. Every “How are you now?” or “Get well soon” or “Take care” or a Facebook comment or a call asking about my health—meant everything to me. It made me a lot stronger and gave me the strength to carry on. I will never ever forget it. Thank you.