Dear Immune System which resides in the body of H,
You suck. You’ve never made things easy for H and NOW…NOW when she’s up to her EARS in busy with her 3 year old and her 5 year old NOW you decide that you’re going to fuck with her even worse so that she needs IV tranfusions every three months?:mad:
YOU SUCK.
Sorry to hear about your friend. What was she diagnosed with?
I forget exactly what it’s called, but she’s had health problems for a long time. This most recent thing has made it where her Drs have told her she’s going to need blood transfusions and IV Iron supplements every few months for who knows how long.
H is a trooper, very tough but this has got her going “Oh god…REALLY? TOTES UNFAIR!” and shaking her fist at the sky.
Sounds like some version of autoimmune hemolytic anemia. Basically, the immune system attacks the red blood cells. The person gets anemic, because there aren’t enough healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen to all the cells. They get unbelievably tired, and sore, and generally ugh. They can get gallstones or jaundice (yellowing of the skin and/or whites of the eyes) because a protein created from dead red blood cells, billirubin, is, increased and difficult to get rid of. The blood pressure can go up, shortness of breath and chest pains are not uncommon. Dizziness and fainting, as well.
It can happen because of an autoimmune disorder or lymphatic disorder, or it can be “idiopathic” (which means, “I haven’t a clue why this happened to you,” in doctor speak.)
Treatment is giving blood transfusions periodically to replace the lost red blood cells, and sometimes immunosupressive drugs or surgeries.
SticksAndString, I’m so sorry your friend is having a rough time (whether it’s that or something else). It really sucks watching those we love suffer.
That sounds like what she told me…I can never remember what it’s called but that sounds right. She had to quit her job as Youth Librarian at our library because her health problems were getting in the way of her doing her job and that really depressed her because she LOVED that job and she was great at it. Several times a year, the two of us would dress in costume (pirates, pilgrim and Indian, etc) for storytime and the kids LOVED it.
I know it’s also really hard on her right now because she’s got two young kiddos and she just wants to PLAY with them but she can’t because she’s feeling so crappy. Her youngest (barely three and a tiny little thing) wants her to hold him all the time and she just can’t…she’s so exhausted she can’t see straight.