July 30, 2013

Essential Thrombocythemia Update & Platelet Counts

It's been a really long time since I updated my blog.  It's been a busy time for our family.

Essential Thrombocythemia Update:  At my doctor visit two months ago, my platelet counts went down to around 500,000 so the doctor said I could reduce my Hydrea dose from 5 pills/2,500 mg to 4 pills/2,000 mg every day.  It was not a big reduction but I was excited. The break didn't last long, at my next months doctor appointment my numbers went back up to 650,000!  UGH!  So my dose was put back to  5 pills/2,500 mg of Hydrea everyday and two baby aspirins everyday (it really helps with the pins and needles I experience from the E.T.)!

Overall, I am okay, my main side effects are fatigue and paresthesia (pins and needles).  Most of the time I don't even think about my illness.  It only hits me when I take my medications at night and at my monthly doctor appointments.  It really never gets any easier being stuck with a needle.

Next week we are taking a family vacation to Hilton Head, South Carolina.  We are all very excited to have some quality family time!  We're meeting up with my husband's side of the family for a family reunion.  The kids are very excited to see everyone. Packing everyone and driving for many, many, many hours with five kids, my husband and I are not so excited about but it will be well worth it.

The kids are keeping us busy, we are gearing up for a new school year in a couple of weeks.  We will have a high school student, middle school student, two elementary school students, and a Pre-K student at three different schools!  Also, I am going back to college in the fall, it's been a long time but I am very excited to further my education.  It will be a busy year but I really will try to do a better job at keeping up with this blog.

The best thing about my blog, is that while I wish E.T. on no one, I am grateful to feel not so alone with my illness.

Thank you for reading and I hope everyone is doing well.

Take Care -
Shayna

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