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Living with MDS

Blood Cancers & Disorders | Last Active: 1 day ago | Replies (82)

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@loribmt

Good morning, @jps01 I think we’re getting to be old friends here…I’m always popping up with tidbits for you. ☺️

I don’t understand the comment from your hematologist that transfusions will accelerate or trigger leukemia cells. Transfusions are an integral part of treatment for patients with blood conditions/cancers such as MDS and AML.
Most everyone I know, including myself, were given transfusions (blood and platelets) as a lifeline as the blast cells (immature white blood cells or, leukemic cells) proliferated and were crowding out the red blood cells. The anemia was staggering.

The transfusions can help reduce the symptoms of anemia,
prevents or treat bleeding associated with thrombocytopenia, which is low platelet count. And it can help increase white blood cells to fight infections.

~HEALTHLINE.com
https://www.healthline.com/health/anemia/blood-transfusions-for-myelodysplastic-syndromes
~medical news today article
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/acute-myeloid-leukemia-blood-transfusion
While your cytogenetic report indicates you’re fortunate to be at a low risk for development of anything in the future, I just wanted to give you the information about transfusions.

If you do require one or if your anemia gets too pronounced over time, I hope your doctor will consider a transfusion for you. For me it was getting a hit of 10 cups of coffee! 😅 Life saver!

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Replies to "Good morning, @jps01 I think we’re getting to be old friends here…I’m always popping up with..."

Good afternoon Lori and Snakebite, thank you again for your persistence in communicating. Those are indeed interesting articles. The hematologist who has been advising me is all-in, engaged, and wonderful. Yet, I also mentioned earlier the desire (desirability?) of getting a second opinion. What you have both been stating is confirming the advisability of doing so. And this is now going to happen for me in mid-October. In the meantime, need to continue to read, stay out of trouble, and take naps. 😊