I was diagnosed with ITP at age 20 – and it was a long process. I was a college athlete, performing as a majorette in my university’s marching band, the East Tennessee State University Marching Bucs. After long practices, I would feel unwell, but I brushed it off as just being exhausted. But the exhaustion seemed to never end.
I visited my primary care doctor complaining of dizziness and numbness and was referred to a hematologist. It was clear that I was anemic; I was deficient in vitamin B12 and iron. However, my bloodwork revealed more problems, including a platelet count of 30,000.