may sound crazy but...

Ok, so my 8yr old daughter was diagnosed about almost 3 weeks ago with ITP. Her platelets were at 2,000. After a dose of IvIg her platelets are now up to 203,000. She had origionally come home from school with petechia and bruising all over her legs that was not apparent when she had left for school in the morning. Of course, that day had to be "field day" at school which explains all the bruising. Exactly 1 week to the day a friend of hers from school, who was in the same enrichment class as hers up until about 2 weeks prior to her diagnosis came to my house to have me look at the "rash on her legs." Let me tell you I was floored when I saw the same exact petechia on her legs as well. I explained to the father what we had been through the prior week and advised him to taker her to the hospital. Low and behold, she has been diagnosed with ITP as well. Also, at about the same time this was all going on another little boy, in the same enrichment class, came down with the chicken pox. He indeed did have both the vaccine and the booster. Is it possible that my daughter and her friend were exposed to the varicella virus but showed no symptoms. Maybe it could have manifested this way in certain chidren who have been vaccinated. Just a thought. Has anyone heard of 2 kids in the same class both beign diagnosed with ITP one week apart from each other??? Too much of a coincidenc... Btw, the other little girl is not responding well to the IvIg. Twice her platelts have fell below 1,000. They may possibly to a bone marrow test on her and try different meds...

It is unusual, but not unheard of. I honestly believe many kids never get dianosed because parents feel like the bruising is a result of sports or just wrestling with siblings or other activities. There are so many acute cases as well that it may come and go before anyone has a chance to really worry.

We noticed our daughter (diagnosed at had alot of bruising and some petechaie for a few years before she was diagnosed. She also had alot of bloody noses. We just thought she was an overactive girl and bruised easily. When the petechaie appeared, we would push on it and ask if it hurt and she said no. Even one tme, she had a blood blister in her mouth and we thought it was gross-looking, but it didn't hurt, so we ignored it. (This may be a scenario that some parents may go through and just don't think anything serious is happening because their child "feels" fine.)

Anyways, one of Caitlin's 5th grade teacher's daughters had ITP. Caitlin was diagnosed in the 3rd grade so it was a relief for her to meet another ITPer. Then that same year, another boy (ironically, someone she really liked the entire 4th grade year) in her class came up to her after being out of school for a week, and asked her if she had ITP. When she told him yes, he said he was just diagnosed with it and had gotten out of the hospital after having treatment for internal bleeding. I had bought several of those "Got Platelets" bracelets and I gave them to the teacher's daughter and this boy. Then we also found out another girl in Kindergarten that year had it. So, there were 4 cases of ITP in one school. Which was surprising when they say 1 out of 10,000 kids have ITP.

I hope your daughter continues to respond to IVIG and I hope her friend wll find something that works for her. I hope you will direct them to this PDSA website. I really felt comfortable asking some stupid questions in teh beginning and it really made me feel better knowing that while this is a scary condition, it is something they can live with and have a normal life with the exception of some restrictions when the counts become real low and there are more symptoms.

I'll add this to the mix, a week after my husband (age 68) was diagnosed (this May), we ran into an old neighbor. Guy is probably about 35-40, picture of health, he immediately noticed the big purple bruises on Don's arms, asked him what happened. As Don started to say ITP, Guy laughed and said he was diagnosed earlier this year with ITP. Now as far as I know, adult ITP affects women more than men, and isn't caused by anything, or especially environmental, but it's odd that two men from the same neighborhood are diagnosed with ITP. I'm always sorry to hear of children having diseases, although it's often harder on parents, kids usually adapt. Hope all go into remission soon and live "happily ever after"!