Testimonial Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP)
Autoimmune Disease
I was diagnosed with ITP (auto immune disease that attacks the platelets) when I was 17. After a few months of prednisone and a 5-day infusion, a lifestyle change and positive will power did the trick. I was in remission until last year, almost 25 years later. My platelets started dropping slowly, but I was reluctant to believe the ITP had come back. I was in fact too busy trying to cope with several stressful circumstances and I was depressed. My coping mechanisms included barely sleeping ( 4 – 5 hours), working out like a maniac, rarely eating while and generally doing everything possible to stay busy, this while running a business and being a single mother of two teenagers. In trying to be a super mom/woman (and of course a “happy” one), I essentially depleted my essence. You may be surprised to know that I wasn’t aware of this until recently (I swear! I grew up in different countries, went to college and if you did the math above, I’m not that inexperienced in life….plus I have two kids; how could I not be happy?! I had simply just lost “it”).
After landing in the hospital (twice) for being at risk for spontaneous bleeding, I was “forced” (they gave it to me there) to take prednisone. I say forced because after my willing the ITP away when I was younger , I turned very granola, eating organic, avoiding anything that could compromise my immune system. My kids wore cloth diapers and drank garlic and ginger tea when they were getting a cold. I tell you this to give you a glimpse of how difficult it was for me to take conventional medicine for 6 months while at the same time, changing my lifestyle (sleeping and eating more, less stress) and seeing an osteopathic doctor, taking the plethora of vitamins and supplements he prescribed, “overdosing” in Chinese medicinal herbs, doing acupuncture, making concoctions of honey and aloe vera (from my backyard), taking colostrum, sesame seed oil, and making papaya leaf tea (basically anything I could find on the subject).
Alas, all of this plus my determination to heal, were not enough. My platelets plummeted as soon as I tapered off the cortisone (under 10,000). I knew that I was missing the mind-body connection. I had that gut feeling so I began my search for that link. And that’s how I found Maria-Laura. I was sure after my first visit that body talk would do me wonders (it did!) but Maria-Laura is more than a body talk practitioner. She’s a beautiful, caring, effervescent human being who helps you listen to your body as it knows what it needs to find homeostasis again.
I began seeing Maria Laura just as I started the last set of heavy duty treatment (similar to chemo). It helped me deal with the side effects wonderfully. Despite the fact that I had been taking better care of myself, I was still very weak, unable to exercise and worse, didn't find pleasure in the activities I loved most, hanging out with kids, gardening, going to the beach. I was on auto pilot. After the first session, I immediately felt more equipped to deal with the issues that were preventing me from being healthy. I started connecting. Maria Laura gave me some insights and some homework (breathing meditation exercises) and before the next session I made more connections, felt lighter and more centered. Subsequent sessions were more enlightening, supportive and refreshing. They were a mix of talking/listening, breathing, moving, visualizing, encoding and decoding and always followed by homework which I so enthusiastically did, feeling closer and closer to equilibrium. Now, 2 months after I stopped taking prednisone, my platelets are up and stabilized at 170,000 (150,000 - 400,000 platelets per microliter (mcL) normal level). I also feel better and stronger than I have in a really long time, physically, mentally, emotionally. Clearer, more centered, inspired. I have been reading, writing, meditating (a very new activity for me), balancing all the acts so that I can get quality me time. It's work but because it has worked I now yearn it. And it’s fun. Joy is back! And how delightful! In retrospect it seems like it was so simple. But you can't just tell yourself to be happy, to get better. Maria-Laura helped me dig deep and to accept, to make amend, to find in myself the tools I needed to get centered, connect body and mind,to respect and love myself and re-find grace and magic in it all. As determined as I had been to get healthy again, it wasn't until I connected with Maria-Laura's guidance that whatever I was doing to myself went away. And for that, I'm so very grateful.
By Bianca M., Miami
After landing in the hospital (twice) for being at risk for spontaneous bleeding, I was “forced” (they gave it to me there) to take prednisone. I say forced because after my willing the ITP away when I was younger , I turned very granola, eating organic, avoiding anything that could compromise my immune system. My kids wore cloth diapers and drank garlic and ginger tea when they were getting a cold. I tell you this to give you a glimpse of how difficult it was for me to take conventional medicine for 6 months while at the same time, changing my lifestyle (sleeping and eating more, less stress) and seeing an osteopathic doctor, taking the plethora of vitamins and supplements he prescribed, “overdosing” in Chinese medicinal herbs, doing acupuncture, making concoctions of honey and aloe vera (from my backyard), taking colostrum, sesame seed oil, and making papaya leaf tea (basically anything I could find on the subject).
Alas, all of this plus my determination to heal, were not enough. My platelets plummeted as soon as I tapered off the cortisone (under 10,000). I knew that I was missing the mind-body connection. I had that gut feeling so I began my search for that link. And that’s how I found Maria-Laura. I was sure after my first visit that body talk would do me wonders (it did!) but Maria-Laura is more than a body talk practitioner. She’s a beautiful, caring, effervescent human being who helps you listen to your body as it knows what it needs to find homeostasis again.
I began seeing Maria Laura just as I started the last set of heavy duty treatment (similar to chemo). It helped me deal with the side effects wonderfully. Despite the fact that I had been taking better care of myself, I was still very weak, unable to exercise and worse, didn't find pleasure in the activities I loved most, hanging out with kids, gardening, going to the beach. I was on auto pilot. After the first session, I immediately felt more equipped to deal with the issues that were preventing me from being healthy. I started connecting. Maria Laura gave me some insights and some homework (breathing meditation exercises) and before the next session I made more connections, felt lighter and more centered. Subsequent sessions were more enlightening, supportive and refreshing. They were a mix of talking/listening, breathing, moving, visualizing, encoding and decoding and always followed by homework which I so enthusiastically did, feeling closer and closer to equilibrium. Now, 2 months after I stopped taking prednisone, my platelets are up and stabilized at 170,000 (150,000 - 400,000 platelets per microliter (mcL) normal level). I also feel better and stronger than I have in a really long time, physically, mentally, emotionally. Clearer, more centered, inspired. I have been reading, writing, meditating (a very new activity for me), balancing all the acts so that I can get quality me time. It's work but because it has worked I now yearn it. And it’s fun. Joy is back! And how delightful! In retrospect it seems like it was so simple. But you can't just tell yourself to be happy, to get better. Maria-Laura helped me dig deep and to accept, to make amend, to find in myself the tools I needed to get centered, connect body and mind,to respect and love myself and re-find grace and magic in it all. As determined as I had been to get healthy again, it wasn't until I connected with Maria-Laura's guidance that whatever I was doing to myself went away. And for that, I'm so very grateful.
By Bianca M., Miami
Platelet Disorder Support Association
ITP, immune thrombocytopenia (also known as immune or idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura) is an autoimmune disease. In autoimmune diseases, the body mounts an immune attack toward one or more seemingly normal organ systems. In ITP, platelets are the target. They are marked as foreign by the immune system and eliminated in the spleen, the liver, and by other means. In addition to increased platelet destruction, some people with ITP also have impaired platelet production.
A normal platelet count is between 150,000 and 400,000/microliter of blood. If someone has a platelet count lower than 100,000/microliter of blood with no other reason for low platelets, that person is considered to have ITP.1 There is no accurate, definitive test to diagnose ITP. With few platelets, people with ITP often have bleeding symptoms such as spontaneous bruising, petechiae (pe-TEEK-ee-ay), tiny red dots on the skin, or for women, heavy menses. More severe bleeding symptoms include blood blisters on the inside of the mouth, blood in the urine or stool, or bleeding in the brain.
Treatments for the disease vary depending on the platelet count, severity of symptoms, age, lifestyle, personal preferences, and any other associated diseases. Some people may choose to not treat their disease and live with low platelets. While it may seem like ITP is a simple disease, there are nuances to the diagnosis, differences in the disease between children and adults, and variations in how the disease responds to treatments. The pages in this section provide more details to help you or your loved one manage the disease.
IMPORTANT!
The information on this website is provided for educational purposes only. Consult a health care provider concerning your particular condition.
1. Rodeghiero F, Stasi R, Gernsheimer T, et al. Standardization of terminology, definitions and outcome criteria in immune thrombocytopenic purpura of adults and children: report from an international working group. Blood. 2009;113(11):2386-2393.
“After being treated for ITP for 6 months I quit prednisone, still with an average platelet count of 70 - 90, feeling exhausted, depressed and really miserable. Luckily, a work mate of mine suggested the Bodytalk system. After the third and final session, my count reached the 200 mark. I was overjoyed and really feeling well.” Alex
www.pdsa.org
A normal platelet count is between 150,000 and 400,000/microliter of blood. If someone has a platelet count lower than 100,000/microliter of blood with no other reason for low platelets, that person is considered to have ITP.1 There is no accurate, definitive test to diagnose ITP. With few platelets, people with ITP often have bleeding symptoms such as spontaneous bruising, petechiae (pe-TEEK-ee-ay), tiny red dots on the skin, or for women, heavy menses. More severe bleeding symptoms include blood blisters on the inside of the mouth, blood in the urine or stool, or bleeding in the brain.
Treatments for the disease vary depending on the platelet count, severity of symptoms, age, lifestyle, personal preferences, and any other associated diseases. Some people may choose to not treat their disease and live with low platelets. While it may seem like ITP is a simple disease, there are nuances to the diagnosis, differences in the disease between children and adults, and variations in how the disease responds to treatments. The pages in this section provide more details to help you or your loved one manage the disease.
IMPORTANT!
The information on this website is provided for educational purposes only. Consult a health care provider concerning your particular condition.
1. Rodeghiero F, Stasi R, Gernsheimer T, et al. Standardization of terminology, definitions and outcome criteria in immune thrombocytopenic purpura of adults and children: report from an international working group. Blood. 2009;113(11):2386-2393.
“After being treated for ITP for 6 months I quit prednisone, still with an average platelet count of 70 - 90, feeling exhausted, depressed and really miserable. Luckily, a work mate of mine suggested the Bodytalk system. After the third and final session, my count reached the 200 mark. I was overjoyed and really feeling well.” Alex
www.pdsa.org
