Even Tears of Blood

Nosebleeds for the Gita Maharani really pour trauma. Repeatedly occurs, blood streaming from her nose holes do not stop a few days. In fact, for most people, with cotton or blockage can also betel leaf, blood was clogged in minutes. "If somebody told me cry blood, he actually experienced it," said Onny, mother Gita, at his home in the area of ​​Duren Sawit, East Jakarta, last week. We met Tempo, Gita sat flanked by her mother, and Muhammad al-Amin, his father.

Blood discharge from the eyelid Gita occurs in the beginning he entered junior high school, four years ago. At that time, two nostrils Gita has closed with cotton tampons and bandaged. But the blood from his nose to find another way out. Gita was treated at Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital, Jakarta. "That's the most difficult experience I forget," said Gita, now 16 years old.

Extra bleeding also occur when Gita experienced first menstruation at the age of 13 years, and at three times the next menstruation. Flood lumpy blood more than a week continues to occur until the Gita should be treated in hospital. In fact he had been in a coma because of this period. Gita suffered only stopped after the physician inserting fluid blood clotting (cryo) into his body.

"Based on laboratory results, doctors diagnose Gita von Willebrand disease," said Al-Amin. This disease occurs, according to Professor Djajadiman Gatot, Chief of Integrated Service Center Hemophilia RSCM, if one is lack of protein in the blood, commonly called Von factor Willebrandnama doctor from Finland (Erik von Willebrand factor) that unravel this problem in 1925.

Medical world as a disease called Von Willebrand descent, although in some cases, allegations were not always true. Gita for instance. Onny and Al-Amin admitted to not suffer from the disease.

The World Federation of Hemophilia mention the prevalence of von Willebrand factor is 1 per 1,000. Because the symptoms are very mild, many people do not know brought her this disease. Von Willebrand attack more women than men.

Because the case starting weight, every time Gita hospitalized, whether or menstrual bleeding, Al-Amin, private employees in the field deployment of Indonesian workers, have reached koceknya tens to hundreds of millions of rupiah. To prevent sweet black girl was not having periods that never finished, the doctor injects the hormone Leuprorelin acetate. Now, even though it had stopped hormone injected, said Gita, student class I SMA Negeri 71 Jakarta, "I'm not menstruating anymore."

For people with von Willebrand factor, since little too easy Gita suffered bruising and swelling if his body hit something. If he is too tired, swelling and pain in joints, such as the elbow or knee, is also often appear. To be no more severe pain, he hastened to take medicine and compress the joint traneksamat acid with ice (icepack). After the pain and swelling disappeared, Gita could move again. At school, he attended all lessons, except sports.

According Onny, since high school, Gita was no longer bleeding, while menstrual yet emerged. He hopes his son's condition is getting stronger. Because, if Gita should be hospitalized again, the costs are huge, especially without a dime of government assistance. "We hope the government can help or even free up the cost for patients with hemophilia and von Willebrand factor," said Onn