After splenectomy questions

I was diagnosed with ITP in April 2013. Prednisone got my platelet count back to normal at that time. My second low count came on October 6th. Prednisone wasn't working. Then my spleen started to have pain. I had a splenectomy on December 2nd. I'm two weeks in recovery. Worries are 1. Platelet count is 712 (very high - left over from ramping it up for surgery ) 2. I have large bruises on my abdomen that seem to get worse when I move around. Should I be concern?

You should speak to your doctor about both of those things. High counts after splenectomy can be a concern if it lasts and the counts do not go down. Both ITP and splenectomy can be associated with blood clots. Chances are you'll be fine, but you should ask your doctor to be sure. Some people are told to take aspirin until the count goes down.

As for the bruises, I would think that is to be expected after surgery, but high platelets can also cause bruising. If they are not getting better, call your doctor.

I assume your splenectomy was laproscopic?

Do you remember getting blood thinner injections into your abdomen at all?,they can be used in OR and post op to prevent clotz and cause wicked bruises when injected..

As for the high platelets I would also ask surgeon in case you need asprin. I know my surgeon told me to expect it to take several weeks to "level out" and come down from a high level... Best.to check, especially if not on asprin already!


Celebrating the high numbers your getting and hope that is a great sign for you in the future!

Yes, the splenectomy was laparoscopic and it's been 2 months now.
Yes, I had blood thinner injection in the abdomin while in the hospital. I think that's what caused the bruising.
The bruises healed. As for my platelet count being high, that's still with me. I go to re-check in 3 days. On 1/1 it was 537.
Presently I am extreme fatigue, I drag my feet when I walk, low energy, tingling and numbness in my arms, side ache on my right side, I'm always cold even when it's 83 outside, blurred vision, and I have had water in my ear for 30 days now. I went off prednisone on Jan 1st so I don't know if these are lingering side effects of the medication or something else still wrong and yet not discovered.
What bothers me the most is that my hymotologist only cares about my platelet count and I have no primary doctor - so who's taking care of all these other symptoms and what do they mean?
My hemotologist just says "those aren't symptoms of ITP" and ignores me. Maybe they're not symptoms of ITP but of prednisone - the medication he prescribed.
If anyone has advice or the same symptoms, please let me know.

Kelly:

You need to find a primary doctor and tell him what is going on. The Hemo will not deal with things outside of his specialty. The primary doctor will then refer you to the right specialist if need be.

That is great your spleenectomy worked. If I new it would work for my son i'd do it tomorrow. Just too much uncertainty. I don't think you where on prednisone long enough to have those symptoms. Definitely go see a regular Dr. Soon!

Sandi recently linked at another thread to an article about antiphospholipid syndrome. One thing it said was:

Some people with APS develop a syndrome similar to multiple sclerosis. They can have:
Numbness
Double vision
Difficulty walking
Difficulty urinating
www.drugs.com/health-guide/antiphospholipid-antibody-syndrome.html

Kelly, you mentioned symptoms similar to the first three. I can imagine an elevated platelet count could exacerbate APS symptoms. You may want to ask your hematologist if this is a possibility, and ask to be tested for antiphospholipid antibodies.