update on Danica Braithwaite

:woohoo: Hey guys - it has been so long since I last wrote. Ali - I see you are still very much involved in this website.

Danica just had hter 50th IVIg - who would have ever thunk that it would end up this way.

She started the Rituximab on November 29, and did four treatments. Things have not really changed that much. (She has had IVIg 4 times since we started the Rituximab). We were hoping that the Rituximab would raise her count and keep her there (my God, I would even be happy if she would stay at 20!!!!) On one occasion, her count went up more than it normally would, which we thought was a glimmer of hope. She was actually able to go for more than 14 days without IVIg on that occasion. However, things have not improved since then. She is still falling back to conts of 1 and 2 within the two weeks.

I was wondering if anyone else out there had kids that required IVIG so often???

Her ped hemo said that we should wait and see what happens in the three months after the last infusion of Rituximab. (Thank goodness we did not have to pay for that -- $4550.00 each time!!!) WE only had to pay $15.00 each time. Whew!!!

Thats weird - I was thinking about Danica the other day, wondering how she was doing! I think its with it coming up to the two year mark, and I remember that Danica was diagnosed about the same time as Dougie. Ever the optimist, I keep working on the theory that he will stop having ITP at some point, but no, things seem to be getting worse again at the moment, not better. However, I think he's still in the teens and twenties, not in single digits, and he still hasn't had treatment, so we are doing OK. I am sorry to hear that Danica is still in the land of no platelets with him though. I'd really hoped that she might have responded to the rituxan stuff. I will keep my fingers crossed for a very late response for her! (it can't do any harm!. I hope you are all OK otherwise.

Ali