Erin, Please don't be scared. What was the range of normal for the lab who ran the platelet count?

Doctors look for other things than absolute platelet numbers. Have you spoken to your internist about your concerns? If you are really concerned, you can ask your internist to refer you to a hematologist. They are the ones who can tell you if it's a normal response to prednisone or some other drug or if there is something to worry about.

Since strokes do run in your family (was he a smoker?), then a hematologist can also do clotting tests like antiphospholipid syndrome that people with autoimmune diseases sometimes get. I'm sorry your Dad had a stroke. My Grandfather did, so I understand the worry. Has anyone actually looked at your platelets, red blood cells, white blood cells (peripheral blood smear)?

Hematologists can be very reassuring. And they can easily find anything odd that might be going on. That would be my best advice.

Here, read this:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/thr...SECTION=causes

Mrs. D. gave you the "scary" article. I have had my platelets higher than normal a couple of times. Sometimes it's not a myeloproliferative disorder at all. You need more testing done to be sure what's going on.

Also, if you are worried about your heart, ask your primary doc for an ECG and maybe an echocardiogram (referral to a cardiologist). That way they can see if you have any risk factors or if your heart is okay.

Taking an aspirin would make any bleeding you are having worse. Don't take anything without figuring out what is going on first!!! It could make it worse and you don't want that.

In the meantime, try not to worry. Just get a good doctor to help you, okay? And maybe someone needs to explain all the lovely side effects of Prednisone to you better!!! Did you ever get your blood sugar checked?

Hang in there.

Annie