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SHOULD ONE REVEAL A
BRIDE’S ILLNESS TO HER
69 GROOM?

1 Question Revealing a bRide's illness

A twenty-year-old girl, engaged to be married, is currently hospital-
ized. She lacks platelets (thrombocytes), which are blood cells that
enable the blood to clot. As a result, she has signs of internal bleeding
in organs like the lung, heart, abdomen etc. for no apparent reason, or
as a result of minor trauma. The treatment for this condition is med-
ication that stimulates the bone marrow to produce thrombocytes.
If the medication is unsuccessful after six months of treatment, the
alternative is to surgically remove the spleen, because the spleen de-
stroys blood cells. With the removal of the spleen, this process stops
and the bone marrow can make new platelets.

There are also negative side effects to the steroid medication, includ-
ing: a) infections due to suppression of the immune system, b) mental
and emotional reactions, to the point of psychiatric disturbances,
c) weight–gain, proliferation of facial hair, and other cosmetically
disturbing effects, d) ulcers, e) bone fractures, f) muscular weakness,
g) diabetes, h) abnormalities in the electrolytes, i) various other side
effects including menstrual disturbances, perspiration, inflammation
of the pancreas, cataracts in the eyes, increased pressure on the skull,
gangrene of the extremities, inflammation of veins (phlebitis), and
atrophy of the adrenal gland.
The chances of any one of these side-effects occurring are about 2%-

Revealing a bride's illness 2 3