Katie's BMT Updates

Life can really throw you a curve ball sometimes. Two days ago I celebrated my 1-year bone marrow transplant anniversary (my "other" birthday, if you will). Aside from the ankle and still being on crutches, I feel pretty good. I'm definitely looking forward and can smell the scent of long-term health like one might smell fresh baked bread. I haven't had a piece yet, but the aroma is wafting all around me. My mouth is watering.

Then, just like that ... Guess where I am? No, you'll never guess because I would've never guessed in a million years! I'm back at the hospital. GROAN.

After my ankle surgery, I noticed a small patch of red dots on the side of my right knee. And because I watch a lot of CSI, I recognized it immediately: Petechiae. In case you don't watch CSI or any other gory crime TV, Petechiae is a small round red or purple dot on the skin caused by small hemorrhages (capillaries, usually) in the body. At my next clinic appointment, I show it to the nurse practitioner. He agrees that it's petechiae, but doesn't know what it could mean or what to do about it. It's small, only one, we'll watch it.

Two weeks later, undressing to take my bath, I see that both of my legs are covered with the telltale patches and individual little dots the size of a pin prick. There are also some purple splotches, where it looks like the writer left the point of the marker on the page too long. I take my bath, examining myself for more peculiar dots. It turns out that there are a few wayward splotches: one on my back, one on my left arm, one on my left hipbone. But, aside from those, the petechiae seems to like my legs.

I get out of the bath and call the Clinic. I leave a message with my nurse practitioner, who usually always gets back to me by end of day. After dinner, I decide she must not have been to work today. Should I call the after hours line and ask about it?

I don't want to. I am seriously thinking that this is no big deal, that it's some GVHD thing that comes and goes, like the redness on my face. But I do call and, when the doctor calls me back, he says I should go to the emergency room for a blood test. "Just to make sure you're platelets are OK."

Platelets are the part of your blood that help with clotting. Without them, a minor cut will continue to bleed or capillaries will burst inside your body as you go about your daily business. A normal range of platelets falls between 150 and 145 thousand. I got mine tested and they were 9. I'm getting admitted.

I will probably be here through the weekend while they try to get my platelets up, stable and figure out the cause. As I type, I have had one infusion of platelets. Now they will test me every six hours to see if the platelets are holding. So far I have had two tests: 49 and then 40. The doctors are happy so far.

There could be many causes, but most likely this has nothing to do with my leukemia. Most likely, it's fallout from the transplant. Whatever turns out to be the cause, from what I understand, the treatment is the same. I get platelets when I need them and also some Rituxan (a monoclonal antibody chemotherapy that searches and destroys only bad cells). And it will stop, at some point my body will start making and retaining platelets on its own again.

As the doc says, "This is just another bump in the road."

I don't have to tell you how sick I am of these "bumps" in the road ... I don't have to tell you how sick I am of these "bumps" in the road ... I don't have to tell you how sick I am of these "bumps" in the road ... ... ...

much love,
Katie