A bump in the road...

The past few days have been a whirlwind. It all started 2 weeks ago when we noticed a large amount of bruising on Mackenzie's legs. We laughed it off thinking she was just being her active self and was getting the normal bumps and bruises that all toddlers get. Around that time we also noticed some tiny red dots that were showing up randomly on her torso. Again, we thought it was a bit odd but didn't think much of it. Recently, Mackenzie started having some "off" days.  She was more fussy than normal, very tired, ran a low grade fever a couple times, and was waking up during the night. We decided she must be teething and we would have to wait it out. After a few of these off days, and with the bruising and red dots seeming to increase, we began to think something other than teething was going on. We went to the pediatrician on Thursday to quickly get checked out before we headed off to the beach for a week. Much to our surprise there was a lot more going on with our little girl than we thought. The doctor was immediately concerned with the abnormal amount of bruising and was even more concerned about the red dots on her body. We came to find out that those pin like red/purple dots were actually called petechia. The doctor asked that we immediately go get a blood draw (a CBC) to see what was going on. The doctor called that night with the results. We were shocked to find that Mackenzie had a low platelet count. Normal platelet levels are 150,000 +. Mackenzie's were only 44,000. Her white blood cell and hemoglobin counts were all normal. The doctor was again concerned and asked that we go first thing in the morning (Friday) to get another CBC done and to also get tested for a blood clot disorder.  Friday's test results were a bit more positive. Her platelet level went up to 49,000, her hemoglobins and white blood cell count were still normal, and she tested negative for blood clot disorders. The doctor consulted with a hematologist and they concluded that it must be something viral. They asked that Mackenzie get a couple days rest and that she be retested on Monday with the hope that her platelet levels would continue to rise. So what does this all mean...It seems as though when her body went to kill off the virus it also mistakenly labeled her platelets as "bad" and started attacking them as well. However, with her platelets seeming to increase, we are hoping that her body has realized its mistake and is trying to correct itself. Now, for all of you saying "what the heck?" we are right there with you. But Jimmy and I are so thankful to have two expects in the family (Kristin and Matt) who have been a tremendous help with easing our minds and providing us with a wealth of information (just an FYI, I know that some of the vocabulary is similar to what you all have heard in regards to Bellamy, but this is much different then what sweet B was diagnosed with). We are confident that this is just a tiny little bump in the road, and that Zie will be back to her rambunctious little self in no time. We will be sure to keep everyone posted, but in the mean time please say a little prayer for Mackenzie for we all know just how strong the power of prayer can be.