Brave Jenny Part ll

Mary Kate and I took a trip to Primary Children’s Medical Center to visit my brave niece Jenny who had her spleen removed this week. Turns out her spleen (in a round about way) has been the cause of all the commotion in her blood over the last year or so.

If you may recall, Jenny has been struggling with a auto immune disease called Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura, or ITP. Her body has been treating her platelets like foreign cells, covering them with antibodies and sending them to the spleen to be destroyed. Not good.

Turns out, if you remove the spleen, the problem resolves itself. Who knew? The genius doctors of course.

So, out went her spleen. Gone are the days of Jenny having to pump her body full of steroids and all the nasty effects that go along with them. Unfortunately though, a spleen is helpful to a kid for all sorts of immunity reasons, so there are other risk factors involved, but not as dangerous as an extremely low platelet count or years of steroids use.  We are all very happy that we can now relax about Jenny’s blood counts. Nobody more than her parents, who have been living on a horrible roller coaster ride of sorts, for many months.

I can’t tell you how many awesome people have shown their love for Jenny and her family during this time. Jenny’s made out like a bandit! I think I’ll go get something removed. Maybe my stomach fat? No, but seriously, people are so kind. Jenny has been the recipient of a tremendous amount of love and concern from many friends and family.

 

For example…by the time Mary Kate and I arrived, my brother Jeff had already been up to the hospital for a visit. Jeff has a reputation for bringing the kids the oddest, weirdest, gifts that turn out to be obsessed over and played with more than all the others combined. I don’t know how he does it? This particular gift is called Paperoni, and is strange indeed. But, it most certainly entertained MK and Jenny for a long time. A perfect hospital pass-time.

Lovely creation eh? What is it even?

Anyway, Jenny is home now and doing great. Other than the fact that she had to say goodbye to the endless slushies, Jell-O, and the handsome and funny nurse Nic (whom she had a tiny crush on), she is happy to be home and is skipping, running around, and smiling as usual.

We feel so blessed that things worked out well for Jenny. Thanks everyone for your prayers and concern. We sure love our Jenny.