A little backstory, for those of you who don't know it: I have aplastic anemia, which is where your bone marrow shuts down and stops making all 3 kinds of blood cells. My psychiatrist discovered this by doing some bloodwork while trying to figure out why my mood was fine but I was spending 24/7 in bed, exhausted. When I was admitted to the hospital, I had 5,000 platelets (blood-clotting agent; normal is 50K+) and NO white cells (fight infection). During 5 weeks in the hospital, I had a heart attack, weeks of heavy, uncontrolled bleeding, was for quite awhile truly near death.

They sprung me from the hospital on Jan. 9 with a platelet count of 42K. Most of the time I had been there, it had been in the low 30s, and that was with a ton of transfusions, none of which stuck. But the dr. did a little experiment and it worked out to his satisfaction and he let me go home, and set me up at the outpatient clinic for twice a week visits.

Monday will mark the start of my third week out of the hospital. I've only had to go to the clinic once a week so far, because I've been relatively stable (so they say). Thursday is my clinic day.

Last week, my bloodwork showed that I was anemic, and I needed a blood transfusion. It also showed that my white count was low enough that they advised me to avoid public places and try not to touch things or eat anything that could transmit bacteria and viruses, like fresh fruit and vegetables.

This week, my red cell counts are fine. My white cell count is 17,000; dr. said 12,000 is considered "high," so I'm above normal on that.

Best of all -- in one week -- after nearly two months of my body destroying not only the few platelets it made, but the ones that were transfused -- my platelet count went from 42 to 71,000. Those are MINE, baby, my body made them all on its own, without any help, and it's 21,000 count over "NORMAL"!!!!!!!

My mother thinks I'm a pessimist for refusing to say I'm cured, but we won't know that for another 6 months. I say I'm a "cautious optimist." Maybe things will continue this way and I can get back to work and quit being supported by my family and friends. Maybe I'll backslide. Who knows. If it gets REALLY bad, I'll need a bone marrow transplant. But one of my sibs is a match, so even that's OK, even though it would mean another month in the hospital. And "bad," according to the dr., means platelets at 20K and white cells at 600. I have no intention of ever seeing those numbers again!

Thank you, PC family, for all your support and prayers and love. For the first time, I am almost convinced that I can beat this crap. I know it wouldn't have happened without my friends here wishing me well and sending cards and prayers and love.



Good news,huh?

Love, Candy