My entire life, I’ve always had issues with bruising. I was a competitive dancer so having bruises was not surprising. When I was a freshman in college, I noticed the bruises were much larger, and in more unusual places. I went for my routine physical feeling fine, and they told me my platelets were low and they wanted me to come back the next day to draw blood again. When I did, they called me and told me to go to the emergency room right away, as my platelets were dropping rapidly. When I got there, my blood was drawn again and they told me I had to be admitted and monitored. After 3 days, I had a possible diagnosis of ITP, which was confirmed a week later by a hematologist. It has been a long journey over the course of 6 years, and I’ve had two infusions that have helped me keep my counts stable. In that time, I’ve earned a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree, while working 2 jobs and living my life the exact way I want to. The biggest struggle for me was the mental aspect of it all, but through the PDSA I learned I am not alone, and I want to advocate for this condition now more than ever! I hope that by sharing my story, nobody puts off their bloodwork anymore, because you never know when it can save you!

Interested in sharing your journey with ITP? Submit your ITP story here. (Full names and contact information will not be shared).