Wednesday, August 6, 2008

another update from hospital...

Current mood: distractable
Category: Life


Another quick update from the hospital.... things seem to be still progressing possitively... I have some sort of internal bleed thing that is going on in my belly but they think its probably harmless and as a result of the 50 pounds or so of water weight that I'm carrying as a result of low kidney function. Besides that, all my blood counts are improving... the diseased cells are decreasing and with my treatment everything else seems to be steadily improving.... Heres some info for anyone who is curious what exactly I have going on.....

it is called HUS/TTP and usually it is something that would be found in childhood, and is some pretty rare wierd shit...theirs lots of conflicting info because it apparently is something so rarely seem that they haven't quite figured out what it is or does or why really..... here's some of what I've been able to dig up...


Hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS) and thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) are microangiopathic disorders—that is, they are characterized by abnormalities (chiefly blood clots) that occur within the small blood vessels of the body. Both HUS and TTP are distinguished by blood clots within the capillaries and arterioles of many organs... -->more--> Such clotting is associated with hemolytic anemia (low red blood cell count due to cell rupture) and low numbers of platelets (cell-like bodies responsible for blood coagulation).

Hemolytic anemia results from the fragmentation of the red blood cells when they pass through areas of thrombi (masses or clots) or turbulence in the circulation. Such forces shear the cells in half, producing cell remnants that appear as helmets and other odd shapes when viewed under a microscope. In fact, the diagnosis of HUS-TTP is aided by microscopic examination of the blood for sheared red blood cells.

Causes and Risk Factors

Although the exact cause(s) of HUS and TTP are unknown, experts believe that an abnormal, inflammatory reaction within the blood stimulates the deposition of platelet-rich thrombi. It has been observed that a circulating and/or missing factor in the blood perpetuates the process. Therefore, HUS/TTP patients often benefit from treatment that removes the plasma (fluid, non-cellular part of the blood) and replaces it with donor plasma.

Many diseases and conditions have been found to spur the development of HUS and TTP, including:

* Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) infection. EHEC is a diarrhea-producing bacterium that has been associated with epidemic outbreaks of HUS in children. This particular bacterium (OH157:H7) has been identified in undercooked meat as well as other foods.
* Pneumococcal pneumonia infection
* AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome)
* Drugs, for example, oral contraceptives, chemotherapeutic medications (mitomycin C, bleomycin, cisplatinum), immunosuppressive agents used during organ transplantation (cyclosporin, tacrolimus), stroke-preventing drugs (ticlopidine hydrochloride), quinine
* Antiphospholipid antibody syndrome
* Pregnancy and the postpartum period

Signs and Symptoms

The general symptoms associated of HUS-TTP are quite variable. Purpura (bleeding into the tissues) sometimes can be seen in the skin, and patients often complain of tiredness due to anemia. Some individuals with TTP may have neurological symptoms and fever.

Children who develop hemorrhagic colitis (colon inflammation and bleeding) due to E.coli may become infected as an isolated incident or as part of a large outbreak (e.g., identifiable exposure to food such as undercooked meat). Bloody diarrhea often occurs 3 to 4 days after exposure, with abdominal pain but usually no fever.

Diagnosis

HUS and TTP usually are diagnosed by the combination of low platelets and anemia caused by hemolysis. Other findings may include fever, renal failure, and neurologic abnormalities.

Treatment

It is essential to treat HUS and TTP, as the mortality rate without treatment is close to 90%.

Treatment involves:

* Plasma exchange with fresh plasma—Plasma should be replaced on a daily basis until the platelet count normalizes—typically after 5 to 15 treatments.
* Plasma exchange with cryosupernatant of plasma—Individuals who are resistant to plasmapheresis (plasma removal and transfusion) with fresh plasma may need this more intense, twice daily regimen with plasma cryosupernatant (plasma derivative).
* Additional medication with vincristine and intravenous gammaglobulins

Relapses are not that uncommon in people who have had HUS or TTP. Such cases may require another course of treatment. One study reported a relapse risk of 36% over a 10-year period. Therefore, patients need to be followed-up indefinitely.

Children with ECHC associated HUS tend to have a self-limited disease and only require supportive care, unless there is severe or persistent disease. Prolonged follow-up in these patients is usually not necessary. Unfortunately, adults with ECHC associated HUS often require full treatment similar to that required by patients who have HUS-TTP unrelated to ECHC.

more info....

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000510.htm


HUS/TTP


http://www.emedicine.com/EMERG/topic238.htm
Yeah... the odds of getting this crap is like worse thatn being struck by lighting.... or winning the powerball, lol... Figures right! ;) but the odds of surviving... as you can see, not so hot either, so I'm going to have to count this as Luck and add it to my blessings I think....

I was able to borrow my mama's laptop for the night, so I'll probably be on here for a bit tooling around... I'm actually hooked up to this machine right nw that does my treatment with half of my blood out of me as I type..... very very strange shit... Anywho....... I hope everyone is doing well... I'm going to go try to find something to distract myself from the odd sensation that this creates... Please feel free to send fun comments and such if you are on tonight! LOVE YOU ALL!!

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