Recently Diagnosed 75yr old Mother

Hello everyone, I'm in need of some sincere advice in dealing with an elderly mother with ITP. My mother was diagnosed in May 2015 with ITP with platelets counts as low as 11 and now her doctor recommends splenectomy. We have tried IV steroids and IVIG without any improvement. Now on Nplate at the max dose and prednisone 50 mg daily and platelets level only at 29. Its seems to my mother and I that we are being rush into surgery and we need some advice. At this time we are considering a second opinion or, waiting 6 months before having surgery just to see if therapy will increase counts. My mother medical history includes COPD, hyperlipidemia, GERD, and anxiety.

Thanks,
Angela

Hi Angela. Sorry to hear about your Mom. How long has your Mom been on N-Plate? It can take some time to begin to work. She seems to be on the right treatment at the moment, but probably needs more time with it. Doctors often give up on it too fast without giving it enough time. N-Plate has a pretty good success rate.

How are your Mom's symptoms? That is important. ITP can be more serious in elderly patients because they have weaker blood vessels and can bleed more than a younger person, so symptoms are important to consider.

As far as splenectomy, it does not always work and statistics show that the success rates drop as a person ages. You do not have to go through with it and yes, a second opinion would not be a bad idea if you are being pushed into it.

Has your Mom had a bone marrow biopsy? It is usually recommended for patients over 60 to rule out other disorders that can affect the bone marrow.