Please make a donation to the Aplastic Anemia and MDS International Foundation this holiday season.
From a sunny, lively retirement to MDS then AML? That was Shirley's life! After treatment in a Clinical Trial, she is in remission, still playing the accordion! This is her story.
Can sleep affect your treatment for bone marrow failure diseases? Dr. Asefa Mekonnen explains why sleep is important for patients as well as when to tell your doctor that you aren't sleeping well. Check this out!
Nancy has worked with hundreds of patients in her career, guiding patients through decision-making and treatment. Discover her best advice for bone marrow failure patients and caregivers in this podcast.
Patrice banned "stinkin' thinkin'" from her mind as she began treatment for aplastic anemia. Later, she'd continue that practice during her bone marrow transplant, so she began not just surviving, but thriving! Listen to her story here.
Listen to Duane's story, leading to his 2009 transplant, and continuing survivorship!
"Three hours after they drew my blood, my doctor called to tell me to go immediately to the emergency room!" Because Kirollos was a pharmacy student, he understood that having such low blood counts needed fast treatment, but he was still surprised. Discover how he progressed from diagnosis to transplant to survivorship quickly here.
"Never give up!" That's Brandi's advice to patients. Her diagnosis was months in coming, and then more time to find the best allogenic donor for her transplant---over 19 months in the hospital between diagnosis and successful transplant.
My Diagnosis
In the summer of 2014 I noticed ongoing bruising all over my body. At first, I thought it might have to do with my diet (low iron), but soon I noticed a new kind of mark on my skin, almost having a bulls-eye appearance. By end of summer I knew I had to do something about this.
In October 2017 I was hospitalized for extreme dizziness, vomiting, fatigue, bruising, and shortness of breath. As an active, healthy person, having these symptoms was worrisome. My husband took me to the emergency room, where they performed a series of tests. We waited for my results, and a nurse looked at me and asked if I realized how pale I looked, and neither my husband or I had even noticed.