Connect
← Return to Living with MDS (Myelodyplastic Syndromes)
Discussion
Living with MDS (Myelodyplastic Syndromes)
Blood Cancers & Disorders | Last Active: 6 hours ago | Replies (257)Comment receiving replies
@loribmt , just diagnosed mds with excess blasts. After 6 weeks of tests and 5 blood transfusions I was told Dr is referring me towards transplant list. They said no treatment means 6-8 months to live. I start chemo next week to help me along until the transplant process. Thank you for your words
Replies to "@loribmt , just diagnosed mds with excess blasts. After 6 weeks of tests and 5 blood..."
@shellyshelly Hi Shelly! I'm so happy to have you join Connect. You'll find you're not alone in this journey! So many of us have had a blood cancer that lead us to having a bone marrow transplant. I'm 7 years post transplant for AML which is, I guess, the ugly step sister to MDS. Now that you're experiencing excess blasts, your doctor is recommending treatment to get them under control first. Blasts are defective immature blood cells. These defective cells (leukemia cells) manage to bypass your immune system and are allowed to proliferate out of control. So the goal is to knock them down and stop them from taking over. Eventually these cells would crowd out all your healthy blood cells, leaving only cancer cells. Well you can imagine that's not a good thing! 😉
With MDS and AML there can be some cells that may elude the chemo, basically going dormant until they may reemerge later when they 'feel' the coast is clear. That is where the bone marrow transplant comes in as an important tool. Your old immune system is no longer recognizing the cancer cells. With the transplanting of stem cells from a donor, you will be getting an entirely new immune system. One that will again recognize cancer cells and snuff them out. At this time it is the only potential cure for MDS.
I won't sugar coat this. Your next several months will be a little rough! BUT, it is entirely worth the effort to rid your body of the cancer cells, have the transplant and then get one with your life! Your 2nd chance at life!! Had I not undergone all my chemo and then the transplant I'd be pushing up daisies from the underside 6 years already. But here I am! LOL. Leading the charge, along with what I love to refer to as my BMT Posse! We're here to help you along this health odyssey!
No question is too large or too small! What can I help you with?
Connect
@shellyshelly My prayers are with you 🙏