Sandi, I'm pretty sure she's talking about cutting, as in self-injury. It's pretty common among teens, and is a way some of them try to cope with the pain of strong emotions, intense pressure, or relationship problems. They often feel like things are too much to bear, or are in a bad situation that they think can't change. Cutting might help them feel more in control or give them some relief from the pain.
Gwyn,
You aren't alone. There are a lot of other kids right around your age that have ITP, and, as Sandi said, many get over it in a short time. Not so many of the kids post here, but a lot of their moms do. Hopefully some of the kids will see your post and contact you. I think it does help to talk to someone else who's going through the same thing as you are.
And, I am certain that your cutting did not cause this. I am a homeopath, and I've worked with a number of adolescents that were also cutters, and not one of them got ITP. But, I do think it's quite possible that the underlying reasons for your cutting may have triggered it. It sounds like you've had a number of intense events to deal with. Those things are difficult to confront, even for adults. And, you're 13. let's face it, early adolescence, everyone's a little mixed up and emotional! It's just the way it is, but fortunately, you will get older, and it will get better--really! Feeling alone in whatever you're dealing with is almost a given at your age. And, of course I am sure it looks like everyone else is going through life smoothly. I guarantee that isn't the case. All of us adults have been there, believe me.
My daughter was 12 when she got ITP, and I do think it came on after she was also faced with a very traumatic event. She was caught at almost the center of one of the biggest wildfires in Southern California history. There was a firebreak around the house, so the kids were lucky to survive it. But, her friend's mom's house (about a mile away), was totally destroyed, along with all of her pets, that my daughter was really attached to. It was a harrowing experience, too, to be evacuated through the miles of completely charred land, with not a speck of green or life remaining, just to have to be evacuated a second time, when the fires threatened where they were taken to. My daughter never wanted to talk about it, and I thought she was handling it okay, because she never cried or seemed upset like some of the other kids had. But, that's when her behavior started becoming really awful. She wasn't easy to live with. I thought it was just puberty kicking in. Six months later she was diagnosed with ITP at 5k platelets, but looking back, we are fairly certain that she had had it for awhile.
My daughter did not respond to any of the treatments that we chose to try, and had severe reactions to the one's we did try, yet they still didn't bring up her platelets. I then treated her homeopathically, and she went from 11k to 411k in 4 days, and has been in normal range since then (6 1/2 years ago). But, I always said that even though ITP was a scary thing to have to go through, it was a blessing in disguise, because in treating her ITP, we also found an answer for her extreme sensitivity and bad behavior, as well as some longstanding health problems. That almost magically changed within the first day of giving her her remedy. I think you'll find that is a common symptom of ITP, too, that a lot of doctors don't acknowledge, but most ITP patients will--that of feeling very fatigued, depressed, crabby and emotional when your platelets are low. I am sure you'll start feeling better when yours come back up. I hope that maybe through dealing with the ITP, that you'll get the attention that you need to deal with all of these other things, too.
This is a good place to learn and read about ITP. You can read lots of people's different experiences, and the more knowledge you have, the less scary it will become. One thing to add: were you put on any kind of medication by a psychiatrist, because of your cutting? If you were, that should be investigated as to a possible cause of the ITP, as many of those drugs can have the effect of lowering platelets. Be sure and tell your hematologist this, if you haven't already. There are many, less dangerous and more effective ways of dealing with it, that won't give you side effects.
Please keep us updated, Gwyn
April
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