Hi my name is Meri

[Meri]

I'm 7 years old. I'm going into 2nd grade. I love to read,draw and make up games to play. I have 6 pets. A dog,two cats and 3 fish. I also have a brother.

One day my feet got swollen and they hurt really bad and they had spots on them. I didn't know why. We went to the doctor and she told us to go the hospital and they did some tests and then they said I had HSP. I didn't know what that was. One day after that my stomach started to hurt very badly. It would not stop. I threw up a lot! And I had to go to the hospital. I have had to go there 7 times. Not counting the blood tests.

I met a friend at the hospital named Shaun. He's very nice. We got to meet the Falcons together. He is funny. He has Cystic Fibrosis.

It hurt because I had to get so many blood tests at the hospital and IV's. I had to get a PICC line. It's a line that goes to your heart to give you medicine. It's like an IV that stays in my arm all the time. The good thing about getting a PICC line is that I don't have to have a needle when I get blood tests. I don't have to take yucky medicine when I have it because it goes through my PICC line. I had to get it taken out a little while ago.

I don't like HSP and I don't like my steroids. It makes me tired sometimes. I would like to stay up later, but mom says I have to listen to my body cause I'm sick. The steroids make me have a special diet and a bigger appetite. Sometimes I get headaches because of the steroids. I have to take SO MANY medicines. I can still run and play and I can do everything I usually do. My cheeks are puffy because of the steroids.

If you have HSP and you want to talk, just post on here and I will email you back.

[steinygirl]

Hi Meri. My name is Melissa. I found your website while looking for information about HSP.

I have HSP, too. But I'm not 7, I'm 39 and a mother of an 8 year old daughter, Rebecca. I can't even imagine having it being so young. I know how badly your stomach pains can get. Sometimes I have just the spots on my legs, sometimes I have the stomach pains and sometimes my feet and ankles swell up. Sometimes I have all 3 symptoms. I hate it.

I'm sorry to hear that you've had to be in the hospital because of your HSP. My daughter has had Pneumonia a couple times and we've made several trips to the emergency room and spent 4 nights in the hospital, too. I'm sure it's very hard for your mom and dad. And I know it was no fun for you!

My HSP makes me very tired... and cranky, too. It also makes me very sad. Mostly because I miss out on doing so many things with my family. I've had to miss the carnival, trips to Dollywood and even the 4th of July. It makes me sad because I've had to miss a lot of things I was planning on doing with my daughter this summer.

Please tell your mom and dad I said thank you for making this website. I appreciate all they did to help out those of us that also have HSP. I'm going to let my husband read the site and show my daughter, too. It might help her understand a little better what's going on with her mom. Please also tell them that if they ever want to ask me any questions about my HSP, I will be more than happy to pass along any information I might have.

I pray that your HSP will go away soon... and never, ever, ever come back!

I hope you are having a good, symptom-free day!

Melissa

[alva]

Hi Meri,

My name is Ailbhe. I am seven too, my birthday is the sixth of January. I got HSP on the fourth of June .I woke that morning with stiff legs and rash, during the day every time I sat down they got worse. Eventually my left knee got so stiff I could not straighten it. I went into hospital that night. A couple of days later my tummy started to hurt and I got sick and my doctor put me on steroids. I went home two days later but I had to go back in the next day because I was getting sick a lot. This time I had a tube up my nose and a Freddy in my arm for all the medicine they were giving me. After eight days they let me home again. All summer I have had rash and often tummy pains especially if I go on the swing.I feel fed up because I can't go back to school and I miss my friends. I've finished all the Harry Potter books, Lemony Snicket and Anne of Green Gables. I've just got Eragon and Elder and hope to start them this week but my mum makes me do school work! Do you like to read? And if you do what type of books do you like? I also like Hannah Montana .

Best Wishes,

Ailbhe.

[Meri]

Dear Aibhe,
I think its good to know other people with HSP. I love Harry Potter books! I've read the whole series 6 times. Its not fun having HSP but, life's almost normal. What is a Freddy anyways? Do you still have to take medecine? What are you gonig to be for Halloween? I'm going to be a ninja! HSP isn't fun but at least we get to do what we need to do. We have to go to the hospital sometimes, but I'm glad we still get to do stuff we want to like go to school.

I hope you write to me again.

Sincerely,

Meredith

[alva]

Hi Meri,

A Freddy is the little tube they put in your vein for the IV. I'm going to be Ginny Weasley from Harry Potter for Halloween! I
have red hair so don't need to worry about a wig!! I agree with you that HSP isn't at all enjoyable, but it will end eventually. Are you really able to go to school because I amn't. My doctor won't let me and anyway I'd only have a flare up.. Maybe now that my tonsils and adenoids are gone I'll get better and won't have any more flare ups I'm a bit upset because I missed my First Holy Communion enrolment Mass, but my best friend Niamh put my certificate up in the church for me. Do you have a favourite popstar or band, my favourite singer is Hannah Montana, she is the best! Do you have any brothers or sisters? I have one sister..her name is Grainne and she's 4. We have 2 dogs, they are bichon frise and brothers. They are one and a half years old. Do you live in America? We live in Ireland near a town called Galway. It is on the west coast so the next place if you go west is America. You have to cross the Atlantic Ocean though and that's quite big. I think it takes 6 hours by plane. We have friends who live in New York.

Write back soon!


Ailbhe (sounds like Alva)

[Meri]

Dear Aibhe,
Yes I do live in America. I think Ginny Weasley is a great idea for a costume! Which is your favorite Harry Potter book? Mine is the fifth one. I think it's to bad you don't get to go to school. Are you having a good October? My mom said you are Irish and one of my favorite songs is by an Irish lady named Loreena McKennitt. It's called All Soul's Night and I make her play it over and over on her ipod. It's about Halloween time. I like Hannah Montanna too. My favorite song is Start All Over.

I think we should be pen pals. My mom suggested it and I think it's a great idea. My e-mail address is meredith@olssons.us.

All the best,
Meri

[alva]

Dear Meri,

I think being pen pals is a great idea! We understand how each other feel and like the same things.
My favourite Harry Potter book is the last one because they have to run away!My favourite Hannah Montana song is "Rock star".
I'll use your own email adress next time and I'll get my daddy to set one up for me then I'll send it to you.
My throat feels much better today!If you're ever getting your tonsils out, after you're done fasting drink lots of tea with milk it eases the pain.
Write to you soon

Ailbhe