Human biology is remarkable.  There is not doubt that in the animal kingdom the most interesting way to go is human. The delicate balance of the human biochemistry is the invisible mechanics to our biological machines.  Ever get a urinary tract infection, then get the drugs and you get a yeast infection. It’s enough to drive a woman to tears.

Try getting pregnant. There are a flurry of mixed emotions with pregnancy, at every stage.  My preganancy was no different. I was in absolute wonder at what my body was doing. All before my eyes, all without my intervention, without my permission. One phrase I became very familiar hearing, for every odd sympton that seemed to ail me… don’t worry…you’re just pregnant….

Note to self…little peaticia, swelling, shortness of breath, your pee starts to go pink…kind of all together…bad sign.

So began my journey with TTP. It would seem that my body decided that it was being attacked and escalated such an intrusion to the highest levels of my immune fighting soldiers. Who proceeded to shut down the maturation process of my platelets, which then caused them all to clump together.  Now, when you’re a mature platelet in the bloodstream you mind yourself and swim along the channels in a calm and orderly fashion. When you’re a gaggle of immature platelets you run amok in the bloodstream leaving chaos and destruction behind.  For, what I can estimate as being a 10 day timeframe, I went from excellent physical condition (for a pregenant person) to clinging to my last 7,000 platelets and on the edge of a medical anomaly, thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP).

I will forever be thankful to a small army that amassed to help the through this. From the first doctor that could make any  sense of what was going on…a nephrologist who was just kinda peeking at the mystery lady slowly slipping into a stoke on the table. My symptoms, obvious to anyone who had come across the disease before, were puzzling to the attending physicians. I was first diagnosed with HELLP Syndrome; delivering the baby should have stabilized my condition…umm..I got worse.  Could have been the transfusion of platelets I was given.. I’m just saying…

I was rushed to the downtown teaching hospital that had the technology that would save my life; plasmapheresis. OMG. Teaching hospitals.