[Ryan Jay]

Everyone's AA is a little different. For example, I know someone whose platelets bobbled back and forth between 70 and 90 for 6 years, and now all of the sudden, they've trended up over 100. He's lived a perfectly normal (even athletic) lifestyle during that time.

My platelets surged up to the mid 40s in October and then drifted down to the high 30s for about two weeks, then they started charging up again and are now almost over 90.

This disease is not a Blitzkrieg, where you have radical surgery and then cross your fingers and hope for the best.

It is siege warfare. You may have to sit outside the gates of the city for months, even years before you break through. Being stubborn and tenacious are virtues in the world of AA. On a personal note, I do possess these charateristics. Throughout my life, they have made me insufferable to my family and work colleagues at times. But in the context of Aplastic Anemia, they are the tools that get me through the whole process.

But you also need to give yourself permission to be "weak" sometimes too. When I was in really rough shape this summer, I used to give myself "puzzle time." I'd go to a private room (cry a bit) and work on a challenging puzzle. After about a half hour, I was worried more about that darned purple edge piece that I couldn't find rather than my ANCs. Just a suggestion.

Good luck!