Might make someone feel better

www.itpsupport.org.uk/american/%209.%20Can%20I%20Die%20from%20ITP.pdf

This article should be a hand out at initial diagnosis for everyone !!! I believe it would alleviate a lot of anxiety.

Cindy Ann

I agree!! I still have many moments of fear, but I wish I knew this from the beginning.

I thought with ITP you can go into remission but there is no cure, but this article says that most people fully recover?

I am not sure how that all works, My understanding is it is very common for children to recover within a very small time (some within days to weeks, some 6months or longer) and never see it again ( a small percent of them will drop again, usually during illness) Adults usually only go into remission?? This is only what I understood from my son's hematologist, I could be way off here!!

I wonder then, my daughter was diagnosed three years ago at the age of three, but she has obviously had it for a lot longer than that and her platelet count has always been less than 25. Is that still classed as "will just be short term and go away". Or will she only ever go into remission?

Funny, I don't know that answer. I have however read they are exactly the ones who "should recover quickly with or without treatment"..I can look up what I read, but I read it a few places. Actually if they are real low, young and have a sudden onset, they are "usually" the ones to recover the quickest. They are the typical "acute" cases. Yet it seems you and I both see it isn't always that way. ( To be fair they never claimed it was ALWAYS that way, but best chances)

My son was 17 months old, just seen 4 weeks earlier (well check-up), and his count was less than one.. Very sudden within 24-48 hours bruises appeared everywhere!!

Acute cases fully recover and chronic cases go into remission.

However, it's difficult to tell who has the acute case and who is chronic. A child may seemingly recover after a few months only to relapse a year later in which case they probably have chronic ITP. And vice versa, a seemingly chronic case could just be a longer than usual acute case. But, in the end it's just a matter of wait and see what happens later. Also remissions can last a life time so even a chronic label means little.

Thank you Ann. So I'm guessing as Hannah has had it for over three years she obviously has the chronic version. And am I correct then that she will only ever go into remission?

Strictly, Grasshopper, yes, but it's only words. Why does it bother you so much? I've been in remission from cancer for 25 years. I'm fine with the terminology.

It doesn't bother me. I'm just curious.

Ok. No problem.

Good article, Crystal!