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I feel like everytime I shave my legs I am taking my life into my own hands!
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TOPIC: I feel like everytime I shave my legs I am taking my life into my own hands!

I feel like everytime I shave my legs I am taking my life into my own hands! 1 year 2 weeks ago #62731

  • Antsonparade
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  • I was diagnosed with ITP in May 2017 after being rushed to the ER with a hemoglobin level of 4 in April. I had surgery to stop the bleeding and received 5 units of blood and 3 units of platelets. I had my platelets monitored weekly and in May I dropped t
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I am fairly new to TIP (it will be a year in May). I am not so new to being clumsy and accident prone. So, everytime i shave my legs I feel like i am putting myself at risk. I need to shave my legs...this is not for my husband but for me. I refuse to give in to TIP and let it change my way of life. I hate for my legs to not be smooth but I am looking for some alternatives. I tried waxing but it created bruising and I tried very and gave myself minor chemical burns (remember I said I am accident prone). I am open to any and all suggestions! Thank You! God Bless!
Mandy
-Mandy Diagnosed May 2017, IVIG in May 2017, Rituxan Aug. & Sept. 2017, lowest 10, highest 461 after IVIG "You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think..." Christopher Robin

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I feel like everytime I shave my legs I am taking my life into my own hands! 1 year 2 weeks ago #62733

  • meredithjane
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Hi Mandy, no doubt you will receive several replies.
I've had ITP for 13 years and tried several shaving options. As an older woman my legs aren't as smooth as they once were and nicks result in an awful mess! So . . . eventually I tried using my Dad's old electric shaver and while not a perfect result, it certainly makes the maintenance job easier and stress free. Hairy forearms are tidied with a hair trimmer.
Best wishes, mj

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I feel like everytime I shave my legs I am taking my life into my own hands! 1 year 2 weeks ago #62734

  • Antsonparade
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  • I was diagnosed with ITP in May 2017 after being rushed to the ER with a hemoglobin level of 4 in April. I had surgery to stop the bleeding and received 5 units of blood and 3 units of platelets. I had my platelets monitored weekly and in May I dropped t
  • Posts: 20
  • Thank you received: 3
MJ
Thank you so much for your input! I will try to find an electric razor to try out! this forum is so nice and it is so reassuring to know i am not alone!
Thanks!
-Mandy Diagnosed May 2017, IVIG in May 2017, Rituxan Aug. & Sept. 2017, lowest 10, highest 461 after IVIG "You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think..." Christopher Robin

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I feel like everytime I shave my legs I am taking my life into my own hands! 1 year 2 weeks ago #62739

  • CindyL
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How about something like "Neet"? It's a cream lotion that you put on, let it sit for a couple of minutes then just rinse off.

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I feel like everytime I shave my legs I am taking my life into my own hands! 1 year 2 weeks ago #62741

  • Sandi
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  • Sandi Forum Moderator Diagnosed in 1998, currently in remission. Diagnosed with Lupus in 2006. Last Count - 344k - 6-9-18
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How are your counts? I really don't think you'd bleed to death from a shaving nick. If you cut yourself, put pressure on it. The bleeding will stop. I never stopped shaving when counts were down.

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I feel like everytime I shave my legs I am taking my life into my own hands! 1 year 2 weeks ago #62742

  • Antsonparade
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  • I was diagnosed with ITP in May 2017 after being rushed to the ER with a hemoglobin level of 4 in April. I had surgery to stop the bleeding and received 5 units of blood and 3 units of platelets. I had my platelets monitored weekly and in May I dropped t
  • Posts: 20
  • Thank you received: 3
I tried very and managed to give myself chemical burns ...i think I left it on top long but i am afraid to try it again...
-Mandy Diagnosed May 2017, IVIG in May 2017, Rituxan Aug. & Sept. 2017, lowest 10, highest 461 after IVIG "You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think..." Christopher Robin

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I feel like everytime I shave my legs I am taking my life into my own hands! 1 year 2 weeks ago #62743

  • Antsonparade
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  • I was diagnosed with ITP in May 2017 after being rushed to the ER with a hemoglobin level of 4 in April. I had surgery to stop the bleeding and received 5 units of blood and 3 units of platelets. I had my platelets monitored weekly and in May I dropped t
  • Posts: 20
  • Thank you received: 3
I never thought about it until i cut my ankle and bled through about 4 bandaids. It is a small concern and a huge annoyance...
-Mandy Diagnosed May 2017, IVIG in May 2017, Rituxan Aug. & Sept. 2017, lowest 10, highest 461 after IVIG "You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think..." Christopher Robin

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I feel like everytime I shave my legs I am taking my life into my own hands! 1 year 2 weeks ago #62744

  • Antsonparade
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  • I was diagnosed with ITP in May 2017 after being rushed to the ER with a hemoglobin level of 4 in April. I had surgery to stop the bleeding and received 5 units of blood and 3 units of platelets. I had my platelets monitored weekly and in May I dropped t
  • Posts: 20
  • Thank you received: 3
I am currently at 52 but i keep fluctuating like crazy!
-Mandy Diagnosed May 2017, IVIG in May 2017, Rituxan Aug. & Sept. 2017, lowest 10, highest 461 after IVIG "You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think..." Christopher Robin

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I feel like everytime I shave my legs I am taking my life into my own hands! 1 year 2 weeks ago #62745

  • momto3boys
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Antsonparade wrote: I tried very and managed to give myself chemical burns ...i think I left it on top long but i am afraid to try it again...

I am unfamiliar with "very" but there are depilatory creams like Nair that are sold over the counter that would be the safest and don't involve any blades that may cause nicks. You only leave the cream on for about 3 minutes (the exact times are on the bottle), and then wipe/wash it off. Easy peasy and no chance of bleeding. The only way you could possibly get a chemical burn would be if you were to leave it on WAAAAY past the time on the bottle. A minute or two more is no big deal, just set a timer on your phone.

Even when I've had my lowest counts, I've had some bleeding after shaving, but nothing that didn't stop after a relatively short time. But this was with counts around 20 or below. In the 50s you should be just fine, but the creams are the way to go if you are worried. Good luck.

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I feel like everytime I shave my legs I am taking my life into my own hands! 1 year 2 weeks ago #62746

  • Antsonparade
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  • I was diagnosed with ITP in May 2017 after being rushed to the ER with a hemoglobin level of 4 in April. I had surgery to stop the bleeding and received 5 units of blood and 3 units of platelets. I had my platelets monitored weekly and in May I dropped t
  • Posts: 20
  • Thank you received: 3
Thanks so much! Yes, it was supposed to say VEET but my wonderful autocorrect changed it to very...i missed a spot when I removed it and it ended up leaving some chem burns...my skin is also super sensitive so i am not sure if that played a role. Right now I am just scared of anything that could cause bleeding. And i manage to cut myself everytime I shave. I may give the cream another try and be extra vigilant about taking it all off at the right time.
-Mandy Diagnosed May 2017, IVIG in May 2017, Rituxan Aug. & Sept. 2017, lowest 10, highest 461 after IVIG "You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think..." Christopher Robin

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I feel like everytime I shave my legs I am taking my life into my own hands! 1 year 2 weeks ago #62751

  • Sandi
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  • Sandi Forum Moderator Diagnosed in 1998, currently in remission. Diagnosed with Lupus in 2006. Last Count - 344k - 6-9-18
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Mandy - I know the bleeding might seem scary but it's a superficial cut and will stop. The real worry would be nicking an artery or vein which is impossible while shaving and really, even people without ITP could bleed to death from that. That would take a serious injury like a car accident or chain saw incident. The body has other clotting factors and people with ITP tend to have large platelets that work well, even though there aren't that many.

I could never use Nair or Veet either....my legs would burn and I'd get a red rash.

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I feel like everytime I shave my legs I am taking my life into my own hands! 1 year 2 weeks ago #62752

  • Antsonparade
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  • I was diagnosed with ITP in May 2017 after being rushed to the ER with a hemoglobin level of 4 in April. I had surgery to stop the bleeding and received 5 units of blood and 3 units of platelets. I had my platelets monitored weekly and in May I dropped t
  • Posts: 20
  • Thank you received: 3
Sandi,
Thank you so much for your reassurance on this...these are simple little things that you don't think of until you go through this scare. I was diagnosed after nearly bleeding to death in April and now I am terrified everytime I cut myself!
-Mandy Diagnosed May 2017, IVIG in May 2017, Rituxan Aug. & Sept. 2017, lowest 10, highest 461 after IVIG "You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think..." Christopher Robin

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I feel like everytime I shave my legs I am taking my life into my own hands! 1 year 2 weeks ago #62757

  • Sandi
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  • Sandi Forum Moderator Diagnosed in 1998, currently in remission. Diagnosed with Lupus in 2006. Last Count - 344k - 6-9-18
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What happened in April?
I understand the fear, but the more you learn about ITP the easier it gets. The biggest danger is internal bleeding but that is very, very rare. Most of us have been under 5k and have been just fine. Small cuts can be controlled.

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I feel like everytime I shave my legs I am taking my life into my own hands! 1 year 2 weeks ago #62759

  • Antsonparade
  • Offline
  • I was diagnosed with ITP in May 2017 after being rushed to the ER with a hemoglobin level of 4 in April. I had surgery to stop the bleeding and received 5 units of blood and 3 units of platelets. I had my platelets monitored weekly and in May I dropped t
  • Posts: 20
  • Thank you received: 3
In April I had my period for 14 days. I was under immense stress...i work at a school and one of our students was suffering from DIPG and not expected to live much longer. I attributed my problem to stress and for lack of better explanation lost track of how long it had been. I started passing out and was rushed to the ER. I passed out several times while there. I was found to have a hemoglobin level of 4. I received 5 units of blood, 3 units of platelets and had an emergency D&C. I have been as low as 10 and hospitalized again in May foe IVIG. The worst part was that my first hemotologist was not vigilant and worked on scare tactics. My new dr is much better and supportive and explains things. I am working on getting through my fear but it still lingers.
-Mandy Diagnosed May 2017, IVIG in May 2017, Rituxan Aug. & Sept. 2017, lowest 10, highest 461 after IVIG "You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think..." Christopher Robin

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I feel like everytime I shave my legs I am taking my life into my own hands! 1 year 2 weeks ago #62761

  • Sandi
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  • Sandi Forum Moderator Diagnosed in 1998, currently in remission. Diagnosed with Lupus in 2006. Last Count - 344k - 6-9-18
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I see. We've had a few people here over the years who began their ITP experience that way. My beginning was much less traumatic.

A good Hemo makes all the difference in the world. When a person starts out with one who acts with fear, they tend to be much more afraid. Mine was always calm and made jokes so I was more relaxed about it. Once when I was around 8k, I asked him when we were going to start treating (not that I was anxious for that). He said, "We have pregnant women at 2k who are walking around just fine". While I didn't appreciate the minimization, he took the scare out of me. Oddly at the end of our 8 year relationship, he tended to worry more than I did.

We are always here if you have questions.

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I feel like everytime I shave my legs I am taking my life into my own hands! 1 year 2 weeks ago #62763

  • Antsonparade
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  • I was diagnosed with ITP in May 2017 after being rushed to the ER with a hemoglobin level of 4 in April. I had surgery to stop the bleeding and received 5 units of blood and 3 units of platelets. I had my platelets monitored weekly and in May I dropped t
  • Posts: 20
  • Thank you received: 3
Thanks so much for your support! It was very traumatic for me and my family! Yes, my current hemp is light hearted, funny and jokes with me, he is also super patient and answers all of my questions calmly and reassures me that this may be a big thing for me but not for him! My first one made everything into a problem...including a cat scratch that i had on my hand...she was concerned it could have caused a lot of blood loss...it has been a difficult path but finding this forum makes me realize I am not alone in this.
-Mandy Diagnosed May 2017, IVIG in May 2017, Rituxan Aug. & Sept. 2017, lowest 10, highest 461 after IVIG "You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think..." Christopher Robin

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I feel like everytime I shave my legs I am taking my life into my own hands! 1 year 2 weeks ago #62765

  • Sandi
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  • Sandi Forum Moderator Diagnosed in 1998, currently in remission. Diagnosed with Lupus in 2006. Last Count - 344k - 6-9-18
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Too bad you didn't find us sooner. I've been here daily since the Forum started in 1998. I've seen it all.

Your first Hemo sounds like she's never had an ITP patient before. What a bad start you had!
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I feel like everytime I shave my legs I am taking my life into my own hands! 1 year 2 weeks ago #62766

  • Antsonparade
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  • I was diagnosed with ITP in May 2017 after being rushed to the ER with a hemoglobin level of 4 in April. I had surgery to stop the bleeding and received 5 units of blood and 3 units of platelets. I had my platelets monitored weekly and in May I dropped t
  • Posts: 20
  • Thank you received: 3
Yeah honestly I wasn't sure what to do or where to turn. I found the forum and did use it as a reference point. I am so glad to have found It! In t is such a wonderful source of real world info!
-Mandy Diagnosed May 2017, IVIG in May 2017, Rituxan Aug. & Sept. 2017, lowest 10, highest 461 after IVIG "You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think..." Christopher Robin

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I feel like everytime I shave my legs I am taking my life into my own hands! 1 year 2 weeks ago #62768

  • Sandi
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  • Sandi Forum Moderator Diagnosed in 1998, currently in remission. Diagnosed with Lupus in 2006. Last Count - 344k - 6-9-18
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The PDSA is a great resource and is involved with the top ITP specialists. The site has the best, most current info.
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I feel like everytime I shave my legs I am taking my life into my own hands! 11 months 2 days ago #63269

  • binarychick12
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I've had ITP for over 10 years now and shave my legs with the Venus razer and cream. I'm very careful not to do sports that I know will cause me bruising, I went skating with my grandkids and that was a huge mistake for me. Other than that I do not let ITP run my life or scare me.
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I feel like everytime I shave my legs I am taking my life into my own hands!

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