My Son, My Hero
Tougher than most...
Thursday, December 13, 2007 by messiah1 | Discussion: WinCustomize Talk
Well...after getting on the internet and looking up a few things we took our son Ethan to the doctor on Thursday due to some unusual nasty bruising he was getting all over his body. We were sent directly to the hospital for some blood work. We were told to stay put and wait. We were then sent back to the doctor where he informed us that he was pretty positive he didn't have leukemia but thought he may have what's called ITP (Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura) and that we needed to get him up to Lutheran Hospital ASAP to see a hematologist, Dr. O'Brian. They would be waiting for us. Let me tell you what....when you can get in to see a specialist without an appointment like right now you know it's serious.
Once we got to Lutheran they took more blood and we found out that ITP is a bleeding disorder caused when your body's defense system mounts an attack and destroys healthy blood platelets thinking they are disease-causing agents. Well, your platelets maintain the integrity of the blood vessels and basically keep you from bleeding to death when you get an injury. A normal platelet count is 150,000 to 400, 000. Anything less than 10,000 is considered an emergency. His count at Huntington was 10,000. By the time we got to Lutheran it was 7,000.
He was admitted into the children's hospital and given an IVIG, which is an infusion of healthy plasma that lasted about six hours. Besides taking his blood four times (a lot of it I might add) and having to put in an IV five times (he pulled out two in his sleep, two veins blew, and they had to put the final IV in his foot which meant he could not get out of bed for about 24 hours); one of the side affects of the IVIG is nausea. So he spent most of the day Friday puking everything he ate or drank back up so they ended up hooking him up to fluids. By Friday night his platelet count was up to 30,000 and by Saturday morning 85,000. They let us come home then. Now....we wait....and see if his body is going to maintain a normal platelet count. He has to go in once a week for a blood test.
During this whole ordeal Ethan was so brave and seldom cried and never had to be held down while everyone poked and prodded him over and over. It was so heartbreaking for us to see him go thru that but we were so proud of him for being so brave. We were told he may never have an episode again or he may have to deal with this his whole life. We'll just have to wait and see. In the meantime he has to take it easy. No craziness. Like jumping around on the furniture or from one bed to the next or basically anything a rambunctious three year old boy loves to do because of the chance of injury, especially a head injury. If you have a three year old boy you know that is easier said than done.
Why post here...I need to vent. It's frustrating for me to have to see my child go through that. All the while they were sticking needles in him, to see him look over at me with his pleading eyes seeming to say "Daddy, they're hurting me." And I couldn't do anything because I know that they are helping him...
He's a trooper. He's my hero.
Once we got to Lutheran they took more blood and we found out that ITP is a bleeding disorder caused when your body's defense system mounts an attack and destroys healthy blood platelets thinking they are disease-causing agents. Well, your platelets maintain the integrity of the blood vessels and basically keep you from bleeding to death when you get an injury. A normal platelet count is 150,000 to 400, 000. Anything less than 10,000 is considered an emergency. His count at Huntington was 10,000. By the time we got to Lutheran it was 7,000.
He was admitted into the children's hospital and given an IVIG, which is an infusion of healthy plasma that lasted about six hours. Besides taking his blood four times (a lot of it I might add) and having to put in an IV five times (he pulled out two in his sleep, two veins blew, and they had to put the final IV in his foot which meant he could not get out of bed for about 24 hours); one of the side affects of the IVIG is nausea. So he spent most of the day Friday puking everything he ate or drank back up so they ended up hooking him up to fluids. By Friday night his platelet count was up to 30,000 and by Saturday morning 85,000. They let us come home then. Now....we wait....and see if his body is going to maintain a normal platelet count. He has to go in once a week for a blood test.
During this whole ordeal Ethan was so brave and seldom cried and never had to be held down while everyone poked and prodded him over and over. It was so heartbreaking for us to see him go thru that but we were so proud of him for being so brave. We were told he may never have an episode again or he may have to deal with this his whole life. We'll just have to wait and see. In the meantime he has to take it easy. No craziness. Like jumping around on the furniture or from one bed to the next or basically anything a rambunctious three year old boy loves to do because of the chance of injury, especially a head injury. If you have a three year old boy you know that is easier said than done.
Why post here...I need to vent. It's frustrating for me to have to see my child go through that. All the while they were sticking needles in him, to see him look over at me with his pleading eyes seeming to say "Daddy, they're hurting me." And I couldn't do anything because I know that they are helping him...
He's a trooper. He's my hero.
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elvee
Reply #2 Thursday, December 13, 2007 9:37 PM
Reply #2 Thursday, December 13, 2007 9:37 PM
Children are Troopers. They are stronger than we would think. 
I got your little Hero in my thoughts and prayers! 
I got your little Hero in my thoughts and prayers! 
ZubaZ
Reply #3 Thursday, December 13, 2007 9:40 PM
Reply #3 Thursday, December 13, 2007 9:40 PM
Oh man.
Messiah . . I wish there was something more I could do than offer prayers and good thoughts.
(Would it be OK if I inserted soem breaks in your text?)
[going upstairs to tuck my kids in - Ethan is on the list of prayers]
Messiah . . I wish there was something more I could do than offer prayers and good thoughts.
(Would it be OK if I inserted soem breaks in your text?
)[going upstairs to tuck my kids in - Ethan is on the list of prayers]
Quentin94
Reply #4 Thursday, December 13, 2007 9:47 PM
Reply #4 Thursday, December 13, 2007 9:47 PM
your son, you and your family are in my thoughts and prayers... I Wish too there was something more to do...
DrJBHL
Reply #5 Thursday, December 13, 2007 9:49 PM
Reply #5 Thursday, December 13, 2007 9:49 PM
Things could be a whole helluva lot worse....tell Ethan (= strong/adamant in Hebrew) what his name means, and that he is that strong. Kids tend to forget....hopefully he won't need a splenectomy.
Glad to see you can recognize strength in your son. Remember: he needs to see that in you too.
Lotsa love and "tincture of time" and the essential ingrediants: hope and faith. We haven't lost a father yet.
Glad to see you can recognize strength in your son. Remember: he needs to see that in you too.
Lotsa love and "tincture of time" and the essential ingrediants: hope and faith. We haven't lost a father yet.
ZubaZ
Reply #6 Thursday, December 13, 2007 9:49 PM
Reply #6 Thursday, December 13, 2007 9:49 PM
If you got a pic you'd be comforable posting . . it'd mean something to me to see the little tyke.
DrJBHL
Reply #8 Thursday, December 13, 2007 9:53 PM
Reply #8 Thursday, December 13, 2007 9:53 PM
Just wanted to add....(wouldn't let me edit!) Make Ethan a "Get Well" skin or Wall with all his favorite characters! Do something constructive! You're such a great skinner.
seldomseen
Reply #9 Thursday, December 13, 2007 10:00 PM
Reply #9 Thursday, December 13, 2007 10:00 PM
Just hold him. Will be thinking of you'all.
messiah1
Reply #10 Thursday, December 13, 2007 10:16 PM
Reply #10 Thursday, December 13, 2007 10:16 PM
Thanks to all for your thoughts and kind words.
If you got a pic you'd be comforable posting . . it'd mean something to me to see the little tyke.
Philly0381
Reply #11 Thursday, December 13, 2007 10:26 PM
Reply #11 Thursday, December 13, 2007 10:26 PM
What a cute kid. He does have the look of, "come on dad let try it." Looks like he could be a on the run every minute of the day.
RadialFX
Reply #12 Thursday, December 13, 2007 10:28 PM
Reply #12 Thursday, December 13, 2007 10:28 PM
Wow messiah1, My thoughts are with you guys! Whew, that's some spooky stuff! I raised my 2 son's by myself, their mother lived out of state so I had them 24/7's. Just reading your story took my breath. You guys hang in there and hopefully this is the last of it. Until then prayers are with you guys. RAD
messiah1
Reply #13 Thursday, December 13, 2007 10:28 PM
I call that the "You want a piece of me" look.
Reply #13 Thursday, December 13, 2007 10:28 PM
"come on dad let try it."
I call that the "You want a piece of me" look.
Leo the Lion
Reply #14 Thursday, December 13, 2007 10:29 PM
Reply #14 Thursday, December 13, 2007 10:29 PM
Amazing. Look after your 'little soldier' and my thoughts are with you and your family
Skinhit
Reply #15 Thursday, December 13, 2007 11:15 PM
Reply #15 Thursday, December 13, 2007 11:15 PM
my prayers are with you Messy , your son and the family...Hope this is the only episode you ever have to deal with....
desii3D
Reply #16 Thursday, December 13, 2007 11:45 PM
Reply #16 Thursday, December 13, 2007 11:45 PM
Who says grown men don't cry? I was trying to read your post to a couple of friends (guys and girls) and by the end we were all tearing up. we are all adding you to our prayer lists and hope that everything turns out great for you and yours.
Dave
Dave
BoXXi
Reply #17 Friday, December 14, 2007 12:45 AM
Reply #17 Friday, December 14, 2007 12:45 AM
I have a 3 year old son too, and it's something we all dread, having to see our children go through something like that. I truly hope he is back to his old self real soon. Your story will make all of us treasure our children's good health, I'm sure.
I'm not the praying kind, but Ethan will definitely be in my thoughts. Good luck.
I'm not the praying kind, but Ethan will definitely be in my thoughts. Good luck.
I.R. Brainiac
Reply #18 Friday, December 14, 2007 1:26 AM
Reply #18 Friday, December 14, 2007 1:26 AM
Yeah,he looks like he's got a wild side...hope he fully recovers from this...sounds serious to me.Give em hell Ethan! 
bilbo1930
Reply #19 Friday, December 14, 2007 6:08 AM
Reply #19 Friday, December 14, 2007 6:08 AM
Hey mess, my thoughts and prayers go out to ur little fine "karatekid" son.
he's true hero..
he's true hero..
WebGizmos
Reply #20 Friday, December 14, 2007 6:35 AM
Reply #20 Friday, December 14, 2007 6:35 AM
Aw man...Messiah...that honestly brought tears to my eyes reading that. It really sucks enough for adults to go through all that...but for a 3 year old child it sucks far more than I can say. I really really hope your little buddy pulls through this so as to not have to endure this the rest of his life. Its just not fair for kids to start off life this way. If there really is a God he needs to get his act together and stop this stuff from happening to kids. I wish I could take on his condition right now since I probably have one foot in the grave already so he could just be a kid and have fun. And that "you wanna piece of me" pic was crackin me up!
I hope you keep us informed on his progress.
reading that. It really sucks enough for adults to go through all that...but for a 3 year old child it sucks far more than I can say. I really really hope your little buddy pulls through this so as to not have to endure this the rest of his life. Its just not fair for kids to start off life this way. If there really is a God he needs to get his act together and stop this stuff from happening to kids. I wish I could take on his condition right now since I probably have one foot in the grave already so he could just be a kid and have fun. And that "you wanna piece of me" pic was crackin me up!I hope you keep us informed on his progress.
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Reply #1 Thursday, December 13, 2007 9:34 PM