MDS and thin skin, bruising, etc.: What else to watch out for?

@twitt1949 LOL We need add a 😂 emoji to the reaction bar. Yep, sorry about the news of no Knife juggling but you could substitute bowling pins…just sayin’.
Yes, I’m very familiar with the Keweenaw Peninsula. One of my besties grew up in Calumet. We’ve (husband and I) spent quite a bit of time up in Copper Harbor and stayed at the Keweenaw Mountain lodge (years ago). Our daughter did her undergrad studies at NMU so we had many trips to Marquette too. Now with our own place in northern WI we don’t get up into the UP that much anymore. But lots of fond memories.

Just noticed this today: MDS and bruising?I have MDS (myelodysplastic syndromes) and just noticed this on my leg. I don't recall hitting it or bumping it at all. Would this kind of bruising be a common happening with MDS?

Good morning, @twitt1949 Last week I think we chatted about unexpected bruising, along with the bleeding gums you’re experiencing. This can be directly related to the decrease in platelets that we talked about. Platelets are cells in the blood responsible for helping blood to clot. When there are fewer platelets circulating in the blood stream there may be a tendency to see little signs of bruising on the body, sometimes for no apparent reason.

If you notice that the area is warm, swollen or painful then it’s a good idea to have a doctor check it out to make sure it’s not a blood clot. But considering your other symptoms it seems logical that it is due to your MDS side effects.
Since this seems to be above the sock line, were you doing a lot of standing yesterday?

Hi Lori
Well I'm always on my feet, walking around, working in the shop etc. The first thing I noticed was a slightly firm, dime size bump on the outside of my calf half way between my knee and my ankle. Kind of like when you get stung by a ground bee, but I don't recall it hurting. Then one day later the bump disappeared and looks like the picture on the other side of my calf. Not painful but is a little sore if I push on the upper yellowish area. No bump any more and turning blueish/yellowish down to the arch of my foot. I don't think its anything to worry about right now but I'll keep an eye on it.
You could be and are probably right about platelets and I don't recall bumping or anything happening to it. Thank you for reminding me about the platelets and what the lack of can cause.
My wife has been reading all our conversations and she has been very impressed with you and your knowledge of MDS. She said to thank you.

One thing I've noticed the last 8 hrs is both of my legs don't feel right. They are kind of tingling and are somewhat uncomfortable. If I move them around it does make them feel a little better but not normal. No more additional discoloring, just feel weird. Actually the blue and yellow is disappearing/fading away. Does this sound like just part of MSD? As time goes on, what are normal signs that MDS is progressing?

@twitt1949 When we have a diagnosis of anything, we tend to then blame every new symptom, twinge, or what have you, on the disease we’ve been handed. I’ve gone through that too.

With the decrease in platelet levels and maybe some of your other blood numbers too, you have a lower volume of blood/liquid circulating through your system. Your circulation may change as well. The symptom you’re describing this morning, with the tingling that improves when you walk around, might be circulation issues in your legs from standing in one place for any length of time. So it might be helpful to make sure you stay well hydrated to pump up the volume, take frequent walks for a few minutes or longer and, take time out during the day to lie down and elevate your legs. To do that properly, your legs should be over your heart. I just suggested this to another member yesterday, to get legs over your heart. Lie down on the sofa and swing your leg or legs up onto the back of the sofa. Fifteen or twenty minutes or so, a couple times per day will help with circulation. See if that helps.
The blue and yellow disappearing from your bruised area is totally normal. It is the body resorbing the damaged cells and repairing the tissue. It’s all good. ☺️

Please ask your doctor for a CBC with differential (if not doing this routinely already). This quick/easy/cheap blood test will show if you have a problem with platelets. As a person with known MDS, you are at risk for AML.
AML can begin very suddenly, with fatigue, bruising, or severe infections, depending on which blood cell lines fall first. Your bruises might be caused by low platelets. My AML was diagnosed because I asked my hematologist to follow-up when all my blood cell lines suddenly fell below normal levels (discovered with a CBC with differential). I went from pre-leukemia to full-on disease in 2 very short months.
There is nothing excessive in routine CBC monitoring to ensure that an AML transition is not missed.
Best of luck to you!

@twitt1949 my husband had low platelets for quite sometime and was always bruising but through all the process he did develop a big blood clot and since has been on eliquis forever now so he really bruises easily. We carry a lot of bandaids. Once your platelets get back where they need to be hopefully you will be fine. One day at a time.

I don’t want to throw a red herring out there but when I had active Lyme disease, I got erythema nodosum on my shins. My mother told me I was just clumsy and that was why I kept getting bruises on my shins but when I got older I knew that they were not bruises. Just keep in mind that it could be erythema nodosum and a symptom of something else than MDS. If it is erythema nodosum, it is not serious necessarily, but it might relate to a drug you are taking or an infection with something.

As mentioned I'm 77 and all my life my body has recovered/healed for many different mishaps much quicker than other people. I could cut my self where I need stiches and within a couple days I' healed. I have always been in good to excellent health so now that I have been diagnosed with MDS, when I get something new/different happening to my body, its very hard not to blame it on this MDS, even though it may be old age. As of this writing, my legs tingling and bruising /discoloring have almost returned to normal. Does kind of feel like I have club feet though. My platelets is 79.