One of the most powerful ways to navigate the journey together is through open, honest conversations.
That is why we are proud to introduce the newly co-created Conversations That Count card deck, designed to help patients and their Support teams share experiences, listen, and connect in meaningful ways.
Why These Cards Matter
The cards were developed to create safe spaces for dialogue. They encourage reflection, understanding, and support during all stages of living with ITP, whether at diagnosis, during treatment changes, on good days, or when times feel tough.
Each card offers either a prompt question to spark discussion or a statement card with short affirmations that can be placed around the home or workspace as daily reminders of strength and encouragement.
Categories of Conversations
The deck is colour-coded by theme, making it easy to choose a card that feels right for the moment. Topics include:
- Daily Function (Light Green): Managing fatigue and energy, adjusting routines, and planning ahead for flare‑ups.
- Physical Impact (Dark Green): Recognising triggers, coping with bruising or bleeding, and managing invisible symptoms like fatigue.
- Emotional Well-being (Yellow): Exploring fear, uncertainty, isolation, positivity, and mental health support.
- Communication with your Healthcare Teams (Blue): Asking questions, preparing for appointments, and ensuring patients feel heard.
- Shared Decision‑Making (Pink): Bringing patient goals into treatment choices, weighing pros and cons, and knowing when to seek a second opinion.
- Treatments (Red): Setting personal goals, managing side effects, and fitting therapies into daily life.
- Getting Support (Orange): Balancing independence with care, finding peer support, and coping when caregiving feels overwhelming.
- Resilience Beyond ITP (Purple): Listening to your body, recovering from setbacks, celebrating small wins, and living well long‑term.
- Statement Cards (Teal): Short affirmations designed to provide encouragement and comfort whenever you need them.
How to Use the Cards
There is no right or wrong way to use the deck. We suggest that you can:
- Sit together and choose a card at random to start a conversation.
- Select a colour or theme that feels most relevant to your current situation.
- Use statement cards as visible reminders of encouragement throughout the day.
- Bring the cards into support groups or family discussions to deepen understanding.
The key is to take your time, listen, and reflect. These conversations are not about rushing to solutions but about building empathy and connection.
Special Thanks
These cards were co-created with the input of patients, carers, healthcare professionals, and a clinical psychologist to ensure they reflect real experiences and needs. Their voices shaped every aspect of the deck, making it a truly collaborative resource for the ITP community.
ITPANZ would also like to thank Sobi for joining us to co-create this valuable resource and for helping bring this project to life.
Living with ITP can feel isolating at times, but connection changes everything. These cards are a simple, practical tool to help patients and carers feel heard, understood, and supported. We hope they bring comfort, spark meaningful dialogue, and strengthen relationships across the ITP community.