Did anyone else see this in the Daily Mail today? Raises the ITP profile.

[scaryteacher]

dailymail.co.uk/health/arti...

[mags4743]

I didn't see it personally but when I got up this morning I had received 3 text messages telling me about it. Thank you for providing us with it - I won't need to go buy a paper now.

[scaryteacher in reply to mags4743]

It's shame they didn't use the right photo though - it looks like a skin condition that is shown rather than the ITP rash. I'm glad to know that someone else gets it on their feet and up their shins. That's how I know my count is low - I look like I'm wearing brownish/reddish socks.

[Topography52_- in reply to scaryteacher]

I have mine on my feet were I had my shingles shins too

[mags4743]

Apart from the final couple of paragraphs I found it a typical "press sensationalism" article, but as you say it has highlighted ITP. Shall we call you red socks from now on???

[scaryteacher]

You could do!! I have a mixture of what I assume is blood staining and the rash.

[healthissue]

i was mortified. blue lighted to hospital then stating blisters in mouth is an inament internal bleed. either theyve hyped it up or my treatment in the past was terrible i drove myself to hospital after phoning doc saying i had bruising and more in mouth and previous itp they said can it wait till Monday or drive in when you can!! my count was 2!!!! they knew my previous history of itp but still didnt see the urgency. im really annoyed and feel i might write to the paper with my story

what do others think

[NickyD]

I have been in hospital when they have had to blue light platelet transfusions across from another hospital. It happened more than once and it was not a pleasant experience.

[healthissue]

im sure it wasnt and wouldnt want that myself.but i do feel so lucky that nothing happened to me but im so angry that nothing was taken that serious with me.

[lindylou45]

Hi in reply to healthissue comment. i quite agree I think it was a reasonable enough story but I do feel the paper hyped it up a bit, myself and my family have been through a terrible year with my daughter going from 0 platelets and being refractory to a lot of treatments and having been admitted to 3 different hospitals to having a brain bleed, she is only 23. I know all ITP sufferers have their story to tell and like yourself I did feel like getting in touch with the paper. I know the first signs and diagnosis of ITP are scary though and you wonder why me! And in my case I wonder why my daughter!

[Hidden]

It sounded to me like the poor patient was being treated by doctors who know nothing about ITP and panicked. I was lucky not to encounter such doctors and after diagnosis, with a count of 4 was sent on my way and went to work on the bus.

[ITP_1992]

I feel the same as "healthissue". Two years ago I went to my local A&E with the same symptoms and had to wait for 6hrs before I got my blood test result, and even then the doctor I saw didn't know what ITP was when I told him about it. My platelets were 4 and was kept in hospital for 2weeks. Same thing happened just recently in September, had the rash first then a very very heavy period, went to hospital to see my doctor but he wasn't there, I explained everything to his secretary then she phoned him, came back and told me to come see him at his clinic on Monday (i came on Friday). I got so annoyed, ignored what she said and I just went down to the A&E, got my blood results & platelets were down to 3 so I was admitted straight away. I'm sure most of us here had just about the same experience with ITP but he was lucky he got that much attention. Camdentown, I don't think the doctors didn't know anything about ITP, on the article it said he was at a London hospital and one of the best Haematologists saw him so I think doctors around him knew exactly what ITP is.

[eveplate in reply to ITP_1992]

two weeks what a nightmare poor you

[squeaks]

Thought that the ambulance was a bit extreme. When I was called they said don't panic but make your way up to the hospital as soon as you can.

[bjcavite]

I almost had the same experience. I had the bruises all over and my daughter (who happens to be a nurse) and my wife were already making moves for me to go to the hospital even just for the blood chem test. All along I was preparing myself for the work where I had a Mancom meeting scheduled that morning. I did not feel anything unusual in me...I had no idea my platelet count has already dropped to 3.

The initial finding was dengue...but, my doctor nephew in another area of the country advised me to transfer to a bigger hospital with complete hema facilities. I did not know a thing about ITP until my assigned hema doctor discussed these things to me.

The next 5-days were spent in the hospital...and it was Christmas time. Christmas Eve gave me and my family more depth and meaning spending it with the hospital staff.

I responded well to a 4-day IVIG drip and my platelet count holds back to my normal 200+ level for more than a year now.

Thanks for sharing the post.

[bjcavite]

Reading through the other comments, I feel lucky to have a hema doc who understands so well about ITP. When dengue was ruled out in me, he started working his treatment on the basis of ITP. He gave me outright a 5 count dose of concentrated platelet. I was also placed on steroid injection, but both did not work out on me. That's when he discussed to me his third option - IVIG. But we are all weary of the cost. It was a very expensive option, but thanks Heaven that the 4-day drip process did the magic.